Jim Cooper: The Helping and Teaching in Puerto Rico

Helping thy neighbor, has always been characteristic that distinguishes Puerto Ricans from other societies. It does not matter how much work it takes us, we prefer to give a helping hand before seeing a brother in trouble or in need. Could this characteristic cause us problems? Perhaps the focus on helping became a factor that did not allow us to progress as individuals in a society, or maybe created a dependent generation. This dilemma comes down in one of the chapters in Down in The Island where Jim Cooper talks ab

out the Puerto Rican as a generous person willing to help, however this being a factor in the classroom that has been overlooked when it comes to individual development, because such dependence causes the student’s performance to limited. 

The codependency created out of this willingness to help causes confusion at parts because the lack of individual understanding of the task we could be getting ready for. It can be very unfortunate, but interesting fact is that as we grow up we are prepared to become rivals, instead of helping each other’s, because we are limited in our understanding and become a limit on to others so that they don’t surpass us. We change over the time, from willing to help to careful consideration of how we help, so that we don’t permit the rival to surpass us.  

This idea can be seen in how the English language is taught in Puerto Rico. Since it is a controversial issue that, over the years, has been linked to an event that occurred. During the leadership of Luis Muñoz Marin, in 1954, English was imposed in all the public schools. Cooper noted some of the issues that arose with the learning of English, and sought to go to the reason why it is so hard to learn, and devised a way to change the syllabus, so that the way the language is being taught can be arranged. Another thing that can be considered is practicing the different accents because it would allow for a better understanding of how a word can be heard differently and permit the learner to differ and be more exposed to the language more frequently. As I thought of what I had lived. 

Another option that will permit for the students to learn faster would be to integrate the words learn for their vocabulary to be found in two languages, for a better relation of what the words are in both languages. A media orientated environment can help, because in the internet you can see and hear how a word sounds, and give you dialogue, that will better familiarize the user with a more verbal to text relationship.