On both of our last two visits to Ethiopia, we were told how desperately rural students in southern Ethiopia needed additional help learning English. Under the Ethiopian Education system, students start grade one studying in their local language (one of the 14 official languages in Ethiopia) and immediately start learning English as a second language. By the time they get to grade eight, the curriculum says they should be switching to English as the primary language of education with their local language being the secondary language. Actually the local language becomes the third language because they are also required to learn Amharic. At the end of grade 10, all students wishing to go on must pass exams written entirely in English. At the end of Grade 12 they must write their university entrance exams in English and one compulsory exam in Amharic. Rural students are at a disadvantage because the good teachers stay in the cities – many of the rural teachers have never really had an opportunity to speak English – what they have is entirely “book learning”.
This year ANSO teamed up with the Gudina Tumsa Foundation (see link) of Ethiopia to provide a three week English Language Boot Camp experience to 60 rural Ethiopian high school students. ANSO recruited the teachers in our local community, paid the meal costs for students and staff and helped organize the whole expedition. Gudina Tumsa Foundation provided the facilities at their boarding school near Fantelle, selected the students, provided support staff and hosted the teachers while in Ethiopia. The teachers paid their own air fare, volunteered their time (three weeks of teaching, one week of travel and no one knows how much prep time), prepared the lessons and took along incredible amounts of teaching aids and other goodies.
The English Boot Camp turned out to be a fabulous success for all involved. The three weeks were spent formally interacting from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon and from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, but in reality students and teachers played, laughed and learned together much more than that. Whether it was playing soccer, Fantelle Golf or just going for walks, students were eager for the teachers company, and the teachers enjoyed the students. We are told the students English improved significantly, but what really benefited was their confidence in using the language.
ANSO and the Gudina Tumsa Foundation plan to organize another similar English Language Boot Camp during the summer of 2011. If you are interested in being part of this experience, please give me a call at 780 512 7022.
