Introducing Na'atik Express
Na’atik is proud to announce the successful launch of our newest English language learning program, Na’atik Express! We are always looking for ways to meet the diverse and evolving needs of English language learners in our local community. In response to outreach and evaluation of how we can better provide for high-school aged students, this new program offers an accelerated pathway for those with an urgent need to improve their English. While the program is more intensive, it is still underpinned by the Na’atik principle of combining academic rigor with interactive, fun classroom activities to achieve genuine fluency.
English Program director Erick Chuc Santos sat down to talk with us about the new program and how it differs from the other classes offered here at Na’atik.
What is Na’atik Express?
Na’atik Express was created as a response to a growing need and desire for a class which offered more regular practice. It is a small but growing group of dedicated students who take class four times a week for an hour and a half in the evenings. While students began the program with a limited level of English (A1) back in August, their expedited learning track has quickly advanced these students to a conversational level. They are already able to introduce themselves and others, ask and answer properly structured questions, describe their likes and dislikes, discuss their daily routine, and explain their immediate surroundings. Such substantial gains are a result of both the motivation of the students and the immersion-like experience created by their British teacher, Nick. The group has built a familiarity and level of comfort with one another that supports their rapid success. Nick is able to provide personalized feedback on repeated mistakes and our students have been able to adapt to the difference in accent and cultural background of their teacher. We expect the students to continue building on their progress and the goal is that they will have mastered the simple past tense as a means of telling detailed anecdotes by the end of the school year.
Why Na’atik Express?
As previously mentioned, Na’atik Express is our direct response to the local community's need for a greater weekly volume of English classes for a group of older students (15+) seeking an expedited learning track prior to high-school tests and university or career applications. At the end of the Na’atik Express program, students will receive a SEP (Secretaría de Educación Pública) Certificate validating their successful completion of the coursework. This certificate will allow them to be placed into more advanced English groups in the Mexican public school system. What they learn in our classes will increase their chance of passing competitive Mexican university entrance exams where English is a prerequisite for many programs. It will also make them more attractive applicants to jobs in an increasingly multilingual workforce. Now more than ever, it’s essential for our students to be able to master English based computer software programs like Microsoft and Adobe, as well as social media platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok. As such, Na’atik Express provides an opportunity for intensive study of all four linguistic skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking, to be successful in all real-world applications of English.
How is Na’atik Express different from our regular English classes?
The biggest difference is that Na’atik Express doubles the amount of class time students have in one week. Students in our regular classes meet two times a week primarily based on their availability. Our kids are a busy bunch not only with their school responsibilities, but also their extracurricular activities such as soccer, basketball, dance, music, art, religious commitments, and more. Having English class two days a week allows them to explore and enjoy a wide variety of the above activities, while our Express students have specifically identified English language learning as their priority and as such commit the majority of their evenings to studying English with us.
Moreover, Na’atik Express students experience more new English content daily. Because they are older students who are intentional about learning as much English as possible, they are able to manage this heavy workload and take on responsibility for reviewing & practicing concepts in their own time. On the other hand, our younger students are given more structured support to master concepts over time. We are intentional about not overwhelming these students with an oversaturation of content not only to allow their brains the essential rest and time to encode new ideas, but also to protect them from burnout. Just as burnout robs adults of the joy in their careers, too many classes per week can rob children of the joy of learning. As such, our regular students' two day a week courses are less stressful and more patient on purpose, so that students continue to be excited to come to class and learn.
What is the future of Na’atik Express?
Growth. We are already planning ahead for what this year’s students will learn in their second year as part of the program and aim to challenge them to develop from a confident A2 level to an emerging B1 level in English. This will mean students can navigate practical situations and have expanded their depth and breadth of vocabulary.
In addition to providing a fast track to fluency for our current students, we aim to have Na’atik Express courses opening for students starting at both intermediate and advanced levels. This way, students can work with peers who both support and challenge them, especially when it comes to our most advanced students who have demonstrated interest in careers in language education. We are also looking at ways to give the students more opportunities to interact with our international immersion visitors, offering both groups the chance for authentic language exchange and exposure to different accents and communication styles.
To read more about our local education program, and how our Spanish and Maya immersion experiences, online classes and donations help us to give local students access to opportunities that will help them create their own futures, check out our Impact page.