As we all know, the knowledge of several foreign languages has become one of the main requirements of today. Parents do all that they can so that their children know either English, German, French or other foreign languages. However it is often the case that children from poorer backgrounds are unable to attend paid course due to financial difficulties.

In an attempt to resolve this issue the Women’s Public Union Erayim has been paying special attention to the teaching of the English language to the children of its beneficiaries and children from poorer backgrounds since 2000. To begin with, local teachers taught English these children so that they could then study with native English-speaking volunteers in the future.

The Women’s Public Union Erayim, in conjunction with Claire Reeves, an English Teacher from Britain, has developed a project called ‘English Summer Schools’, where the children of participants of Erayim’s self-help groups and also children from poorer backgrounds are taught English.

This year, the ‘English Summer Schools’ programme has received 8 volunteers, who are students at St Andrews University, Bristol University, The University of Sheffield and UCL. At the moment, the volunteers are working in the Chui Province, the At-Bashi Region and in the Ak-Orgo Settlement in Bishkek. They teach English to over 485 schoolchildren between them. As well as this, 2 teachers from Britain have led a course on how to improve the methods used for learning the English language, in which 23 teachers participated.

Her Excellency, Ms. Judith Farnworth, The British Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic, also appreciates the work of the volunteers in the English Summer Schools and their teaching of the English language to Kyrgyz children, in conjunction with the Women’s Public Union Erayim. Last year, Her Excellency, visited and sat in on the lessons of the volunteers and expressed her desire for the project to be successful. Again, this year Her Excellency is again interested in visiting the lessons of the volunteers. Her Excellency, Ms. Judith Farnworth, The British Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic will be visiting the English Summer School programme in the Buchur educational centre, at №77 Secondary School,  Ak-Orgo, Bishkek, at 10am on the 30^th of July.