My experience learning English at the university / A general reflection

When I entered at University I totally ignore that i will have to pass four english levels. So, this surprise me a bit, because it seems to me like school, where you have to pass subjects that you don`t choose at all. In spite of this, i don´t worry much because I have an acceptable level, compare to my school classmates and I passed the subject with good notes. But a little problem came when I gave the test level in 2007, I could´t answered all the questions because the time ran to fast at these time, sadly. In spite of this, I got in the third level.

When I was in my first year in Anthropology, I take the first of the two levels that i left. I rememberd my teacher was an young englishwoman that was very nice, but my classmates were a little bigheaded, and all of them from superior grades and others carrers. In fact, i was the only one that were from first grade, so, i don´t were with friends or people that i liked –except the teacher-.

All this, plus that I have never felt comfortable speaking in another language, because I really have problems to put in word what i`am thinking – and worst in another language- made that I don`t felt very relaxed. Honestly, when i entered into that class I just wanted to go away as farest as possible.

This year the situation went better, much better that previous year. One important thing, now almost all my classmates are my also my classemates in the other subject in university, and i`m with two of my best friends. This sounds like I was two years old, but to me is important, because, like I say, i don´t feel comfortable speaking in another lenguage. So, I felt more confident speaking with people that I know and I like.

Taking all into account, I think English is, fair or not, necessary actually. For example, many people needs it to their jobs. So, is good that University prepare us to this demanding exterior world, and more than that, to learn more than just our mother language has the power to open our mind, because opens the door to a new culture and a differnt world of meanings –of course, not all is so changeable-. But, in more general terms, i think that is unfair that just one language take the important place of communications between people of diffents countries, this should be more diverse.

CHALLENGES IN YOUR DISCIPLINE

I think that the anthropology has one big challenge actually; this is with the society. To understand this new deal is necesary to be clear that the conditions to do etnografic and anthropologic work aren´t the same since the discipline was created.

In the XIX century anthropology was useful to big european empires, who sent cientists to learned all about the native culture and so help to dominated it. This populations were strange, so the mainly questions about them where how they were organized?, how were them religion? how them act in the economic matters? and all the thing that serve to ilustrated a general view of them.

Actually this is different; there aren´t "savages" o groups of people totally unknown, besides there are an etic matter about to interfere and treat as an study "object" cultures and people.

Now i think the mainly challenge that the anthropology has is to diversify it study object; not just study the indians or the patrimony, the "others" (as we name them), but also our own society, our own social structure and power relations. This topic are mainly study by sociologists, but is also necesary and anthropologic view.

We, as students, have subject that are more oriented to this tradicional topic, but there are subject that are considering to work more in public politcs, for example.

This way, we could extend our space of work, and mainly we could focus in the big problematics that affect actually to our society, and not just a part of it.

Another challenge that is important is to legitimaze our discipline in the same society; most of the people doesn´t know what we do!, or where, or how. We can´t help to change some problems of people is they don´t consider our work. Probably, to achive this, is necesary to incorporate also a cuantitative perspective, to give more validity to our studies. The anthropologists studies are generally studies of cases, but to generalize and say that "this is a social issue" is necesary to take a cualtitative view and this way, make the study more representative.

Well, this is it, i think that our mainly challenge is with the society; finally, we are scientist, we want to know more, and how i think that know for knowing has not much sense, we has to know to find a solution to the problem that affect the majority of people.