handicrafts (pottery, rugs and tapestry, wooden figures, etc) to enjoy resorts (beaches and
forests) to visit archaeological sites or to attend some cultural events (weekly markets,
religious festivals, etc). This is in part an explanation for the strong interest of Oaxacan
people to Ieam English. Most of them need English for occupational purposes, however, it is
also important to notice that the interaction between Oaxacans and foreigners at a social
level is very common.
For linguistic research purposes, Garza (1986,18) classified Oaxaca's inhabitants into
three sociocultural classes: high, middle and low, according to their educational level. Most
Oaxacans belong to the low class. They live in the countryside and work in the fields. Due to
the geographical features of the land, the lack of agricultural technology and the insufficient
support of the government, they live on the breadline or just above it. It is not uncommon
that one of the members of these families migrates to the USA in hope of a better life. Many
young rural people's goal is to move to the USA. Here, students find another reason to be
interested in learning English.
There are 9 universities and superior schools in Oaxaca. From these, the Technology
of Oaxaca (ITO) and the Benito Juarez Autonomous University of Oaxaca (UABJO) are the
only two that are public. This fact determines the features of the students that apply to study
in them. Mainly, they are members of low, working and low-middle class families.
The university in Oaxaca has eight undergraduate schools with 4000 students, from
which the most popular are Accountancy, Medicine, Law and Architecture. The university
also runs 7 high schools and most of the students belong to that level (16000).
University teachers need to have a BA degree in order to teach at this level but, due
to the low educational level of the state, there still are teachers that do not have one. The
University carries out in-training courses and tries to encourage teachers to get their degrees.
2.4.2.1. The Language Centre of the UABJO
There are six private English schools in the city of Oaxaca, and it is very
common for teenagers whose families can afford it, to Ieam English in private lessons or
during exchange type trips to the USA or Canada. This access to English is, of course,
available for a very low percentage of the population. The great majority has to apply for a
place in one of the two public institutions (ITO or UABJO) or do without it.
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