In this lecture for me the most important idea is the necessary changes that somethings need to have in this case the curriculum of English. I like the attitude from the author of not hide what he feels about this preoccupation. The times are changing and so the student. We can't pretend educate a student with things from the past or old curriculums. I'm a person who thinks that the true education are interactive activities and conversations. We need to use the things we have now like new advances, new authors, etc., to motivate the students. Find the way for teaching like the author even when his degrees are in literature, is what happen when you really dedicate with your job like him.
In the case of Puerto Rico is very interesting the way he work with the problem when he discuss the syllabus and some students don't understand anything. That reflects that something in the education was wrong, maybe we need to adjust the curriculums. And how you gonna put some book in the syllabus impossible to find in Puerto Rico, these are little details that have an effect in the student. Like the author say these problems come from the schools and being reflected with more power in college. Perhaps a is consequence of what he said, "...teacher is not supposed to use the student's native language to explain the language to the student...".
I can say that in our course of English with Dr. Pittmann we have a very interactive class that make that you think fast to communicate. Also we made a journal project and that's a great learning experience were I can practice the writing/thinking process. Make a circle every class motivate me to be involve in conversations, lectures and able to give my opinion. This create in the students like the author says, "...wanted to learn English and wanted communicate in it. Education curriculums need more of this, dynamics that can be mean than a test on students life.
