The English programme was established in the Universidad de Chile in 2006. This experience was totally new in this faculty and it was a big surprise for most students registered this year. The Academic Vice is in charge of this programme and this one has important purpose: give students a new tool for better development as professionals. And that is very necessary at the present, because if we want to be good sociologists, anthropologists, teachers and psychologists it is essential to study at least one language.
Despite of the above reasons, learning English is as necessary as difficult for a lot of students. The experience learning English in this faculty shows one of the many differences that exist in the Chilean education system. A demonstration of this is the enormous difference between the levels of language skills, even in the same courses.
Many testimonies demonstrate that. Students, who were sent to the basic level when they took the language proficiency test, were the most affected in this way. When they passed the first and the second level, they found in the third level whit people who were sent to that level directly after they take the language proficiency test. Most of these students came from the schools where the English class was an important part of their training as students. They usually came from private schools where the level of demand in this subject was very high.
Even thought the first students mentioned approved the first and the second English course, the difference between them and private schools student remained very large. That situation meant that they felt undermined and that they felt afraid to make oral presentation in front of the more advanced English classmates. In addition they sometimes got bad grades on tests and listening.
With this in mind it is important to find a way so that these situations do not recur in future years. These students experience frustration and stress many times, and this is counterproductive for better learning. For this reason is important that the program can level in language skills effectively to all students. To give this important tool to all students at the University of Chile, is essential to find a way to make this tool effectively learned and that this program does not become in another way to reproduce inequalities in this country.