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Back To Basics: American English Language Specialist Shares English Language Teaching Techniques With Cameroonian Professionals

Participants listen attentively to Kathleen's instructions.

The Public Affairs Section hosted Kathleen Saville, instructor at the Department of Rethoric and Composition, American University in Cairo, as an English Language Specialist, August 16 – 31, 2007.

From August 20 – 25, 2007, Kathleen Saville participated in the 6th Annual Congress of the Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers’ Association (CAMELTA). During the opening of the Congress, Kathleen Saville delivered a keynote presentation that focused on the theme “Back to Basics: Revisiting Traditional Approaches to English Language Teaching.” Drawing from her personal experiences as an English language instructor in many developing countries, Kathleen Saville highlighted the constraints of using communicative approaches in a challenging teaching environment. She then enjoined participants to keep reflecting on their classroom practices and give preference to an eclectic approach to language teaching. “It is evident today that the role of the language teacher is not as simple as it once was,” she told participants. Kathleen’s presentation successfully set the pace for the discussions that took place throughout the five-day Congress. During plenary sessions and workshops, participants kept referring to her keynote presentation.

To give  teachers the opportunity to benefit from Kathleen Saville’s expertise, teacher development workshops were organized in partnership with CAMELTA in three provincial headquarters: Bertoua, Ngaoundere and Douala. Each of the three one-day programs covered a range of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching methodology and practice topics including “Pre-writing Techniques,” “Teaching Poetry for Cultural Understanding,” and “Kiva: A Discussion Technique for Large Classes.” These workshops provided participating teachers with activities and techniques highlighting the four main language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. In each location, participants included teachers of both secondary and elementary levels, some of whom had to travel distances of more than two hundred kilometers to attend the training. While opening the workshops, the Provincial Delegates for secondary education thanked the U.S. Embassy for providing this much-needed in-service training just a few days ahead of the official re-opening of classes, on September 5, 2007.   

Kathleen Saville also had the opportunity to visit public and private English language teaching institutions. Centers visited include the American Language Center in Yaounde, the “B&K Language Institute” of Yaounde, and the Bertoua Linguistic Center. Class observation sessions and informal discussions with teaching staff enabled the speaker to have a better assessment of these institutions’ activities, and to provide some guidance for more effective teaching. At the Yaounde Pilot Linguistic Center, Kathleen Saville made a presentation on “American Culture” to a group of 40 English language learners. At the end of the seminar, a participant indicated that, thanks to Kathleen Saville, the group had learned to appreciate a culture beyond face value. The presentation was equally an opportunity for these learners to be further exposed to an American accent.

In their evaluation of the program, participants had overwhelmingly positive comments on the contents and conduct of the workshops. “I really learned a lot, precisely about teaching writing and discussion. I am certain this will help me improve my lessons in my various classes.” Another participant noted that the workshop was very unusual because “Kathleen made everybody learn in a relaxed, stress-free atmosphere.” The following comments from Mr. Jean-Baptiste Njongwo, provincial pedagogic inspector for the Adamawa in Ngaoundere, probably best summarize the general opinion about Kathleen Saville’s program: “Timely workshops, relevant modules, challenging activities.” 

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