Four young ladies from Singapore went to Myanmar as Goducate’s Sing Your English (SYE) ambassadors from 21 to 24 November 2013. Their mission was to test how SYE might be received in communities where English is hardly heard, let alone spoken. The ladies looked forward to meeting the children in the four villages they were to visit. Yet apprehension and anxiety went with them as this would be the first time SYE entered such an environment.
SYE passed the test with flying colours! Our ladies led the gatherings of children and their curious parents from song to song and helped them understand the meanings of the simple English words sung. Actions when singing drove the enthusiasm. Although initially the children sang along with the songs played, they were quickly able to sing the songs by themselves without the accompanying music and lyrics. The adults in the crowd prodded the children along with gestures and enjoyed every moment of the sessions, seeing their little ones in action and song. To many of the participants, the sessions ended too soon. But this built up their appetites for more—which will be offered by our local workers, who were trained during our visit to use SYE to teach children.
As for the four young ladies, they were able to report a successful mission and a versatile SYE!
