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Remarks by Carmelia Macfoy, Consular Officer, U.S. Embassy, Yaounde, Cameroon
Cameroon English Language and Literature Teachers Association
(CAMELTA)
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2009
Theme: Building Bridges in ELT:
Ensuring Quality Learner Development through New Pedagogic Approaches
His Excellency the Minister of Secondary Education
The Representative of the Minister of Basic Education
The British Council Director
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Morning. I am truly delighted be a part of this important CAMELTA annual conference, and I want to thank you for inviting the US Embassy to address you briefly.
First of all, let me congratulate all of you teachers of English for the laudable job you do. Mastery of English is a critical component of learning throughout the world and, as I am sure you will agree, even more so in Cameroon since English is one of the two official languages.
As teachers of English you have the arduous responsibility of equipping young generations with language skills they will need to pursue their education, to communicate in business, and to interact in society. The theme you have chosen this year: Ensuring Quality Learner Development through New Pedagogic Approaches reflects this mission.
As we at the U.S. Embassy visit schools, meet with teachers, and hold discussions with education officials, we have come to realize that English language teachers in Cameroon have a daunting task. Among other challenges, you must cope with limited financial and material resources and overcrowded classes.
In order to build your competence and equip you with creative ways to meet these challenges, seminars and workshops such as these are critical. Bringing together over 300 CAMELTA members and putting together over 20 presentations to exchange and share experiences is no small feat, and we applaud your effort.
In the past, the U.S. Embassy has supported CAMELTA and other key players in the educational system in Cameroon in their challenge to provide enhanced quality education through teacher training workshops and seminars organized throughout the country. In addition, we distribute about 1,000 copies of the English Teaching Forum magazine four times a year, free of charge, to teachers, pedagogic advisers, and secondary education officials.
Each year the Embassy also nominates educators to attend summer institutes for academic leaders held in the United States. Several of the Cameroonians who have attended these institutes are key members of CAMELTA. The U.S. Embassy has a regional English language officer (we call the person our “RELO”) based at the U.S. Embassy in Dakar, and each year we try to have the RELO come to Cameroon to engage with Cameroonian teachers of English. With partial financial assistance from the U.S. Embassy, two members of CAMELTA – Dorothy Forbin and Martina Nana - have attended the TESOL annual convention in the United States.
This year, we have had two additional English language components under the Fulbright program - the English Teaching Assistants and the African English Language Study Programs. The English Teaching Assistants (ETA) program places U.S. students as English teaching assistants in schools or universities overseas to improve foreign students’ English language abilities and knowledge of the United States while enabling the U.S. students to enhance their own language skills and knowledge of the host country. The first group of three ETAs coming to Cameroon arrives next month and will be placed at the University of N’gaoundéré, the Advanced Teachers Training College (ENS) in Yaoundé, and the Higher Teacher’s Training College (ENS) in Maroua.
The African English Language Study Program is a one-time study program which aims to increase the English language capacity of African undergraduate students and provide them with a substantive U.S. exchange experience. This year, six Cameroonian students – two at each school – attended the University of Ohio, Syracuse University, and the University of Arizona from June 21 until August 12. They were drilled in English and trained in general reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. I understand that some of these participants are here today to share their experiences with you.
I see that you have invited a fellow American, Shelley Wong, the immediate past President of TESOL USA, who is an Associate Professor for Multilingual Multicultural Education at the- Center for Language and Culture at George Mason University, and her husband the Rev. Dr. Tyrone Pitts, to your congress this year. She is here through the efforts of two CAMELTA members – Dorothy and Martina – who have been able to connect Cameroon with TESOL through their attendance at TESOL’s annual convention in the United States. The fact that Shelley Wong is here with you is a clear indication that CAMELTA can make things happen.
In addition to the financial support the U.S. Embassy has provided CAMELTA in the past, this year the Embassy was able to give more than one million seven hundred thousand CFA to help pay some of the expenses of this congress. We are pleased to have done so; however, it is our strong feeling that over the next two years this congress needs to become self-sustaining. You will need to partner and work with the Cameroon government Ministries of Education, raise funds through membership fees, create English Language teaching activities over the holidays to generate income, produce and sell teaching manuals, and come up with other activities to make CAMELTA and this annual congress sustainable.
We look forward to seeing CAMELTA grow to become the reference for English Language Teachers’ networks, not only in Cameroon but across the African continent.
I wish you continued success in this and future endeavors.
Thank you and have a great week.