ICR Reflection 3/31 and 4/2

This week, I tutored the same students as last week. We conducted the tutoring sessions on Tuesday and Thursday via conference call. We covered chapter three in their ESL textbook and worked on material for the U.S. citizenship test. Chapter three was about the three branches of government and the purpose and primary members of each branch. In the textbook, there are exercises related to grammar, reading, writing, speaking, and other comprehension exercises. Not only is the vocabulary related to the government and the three branches of government difficult (“legislative,” “executive,” etc.) but understanding the purpose of each branch is also a challenge. It is easy to mix up small details, but it is very important for the students to understand the structure and purpose of the U.S. government.

On Tuesday, there was a greater focus on pronouncing the vocabulary words correctly and understanding the basics of the three branches of government (the purpose and members). This was difficult for the students. However, repetition was important. On Thursday, which was the second day we were covering the material, the pronunciation and reading comprehension came more natural for the students. We were then able to have more discussions about the United States government as well as the government in the students’ native countries. Learning about the government in other countries was interesting because it demonstrates how lucky we are to be in a democracy. I think we frequently take that for granted and fail to understand how governments operate in other countries and how this can be oppressive in certain instances.

Covering the content in this chapter aligned well with the weekly readings about democracy in Islam. Many people associate Islam with dictatorship, but a majority of Muslims actually live in countries that embrace democracy in some form. In the article on social justice by Sayyid Qutb, he mentions that Islam “grew up as an independent country owing allegiance to no empire and to no king, in a form of society never again achieved.” Some Muslims live in a very democratic country; however, some do not. The type of government that is associated with Islam is rarely democracy, but there is a blurry line and mix of information that is provided that speaks the truth. I found the chapter about democracy in Modernist Islam to be a bit confusing. I had to re-read several times to understand the point about democracy the author was trying to make as well as the inconsistencies of equality that is present. Hearing about someone’s government from their real perspective helps me better understand what the public’s perception of that government is like. Either way, it was important to utilize the resources I had to learn about the government and Islam.

One of the students was from Romania. This student clarified my perceptions of what Romanian government was like. She lived through the transition from communist government to the government Romania has now and was able to describe the differences for me. Having a real-life perspective like this helps me understand the government, but also proves to me that I should not make assumptions based on stereotypes and I should try to understand different governments. Being curious and wanting to be educated is an important trait to possess and a trait that I can apply to many areas of my life. I developed a deeper sense of responsibility to learn about other types of governments before making quick judgments or assumptions.