Back in Ethiopia

This is not the first time I have been in Ethiopia. I can't remember how many times I've step foot here. Six, maybe seven. But this is the second time I have been here as a teacher. The first time was in 2007. I was co-director of the English Language Improvement Center at Adama University in the Oromo region, giving teacher training and organizing English clubs. I came to Ethiopia through IFESH, an NGO based in the U.S. I am back in Ethiopia under a fellowship through the State Department. My new post is in Debre Markos, in northern Ethiopia. Being here is like being in Ethiopia for the first time. When I was in Oromia, I could easily communicate because I speak the language, Afaan Oromo. I knew the culture well. But here in Amhara region, there have been countless times when I could not say more than a few words in Amharic, unable to express myself or take in the feelings and ideas of others. Learning Amharic is challenging. The alphabet (fidal) is made up of 238 letters which are represented by symbols a bit like Hebrew or Arabic. All are Semitic languages.

In addition to teaching classes at Debre Markos University, I am also organizing activities at the English Language Improvement Center. Our first program is English Clubs: drama, journalism, debate, and music. We will host 3 talent shows a year and the winners will get some prize money. Whatever they do has to be in English.

I also do teacher training and student workshops through the American Embassy. My first job was at St. Mary's College in Addis Ababa teaching English to high school students through a program called ACCESS. It is hosted by the Cultural Affairs office in the State Department. These students come every Saturday to St. Mary's for English classes and to learn about American culture. Bertram (another teacher in my program) and I team taught about International Day of Non-Violence, which I didn't know existed. We showed a Michael Jackson video as a listening activity, did role play, dictation, scrambled sentences, and as much oral practice as we could squeeze in. The biggest weakness here n Ethiopia is speaking skills. Most English classes focus on grammar and rote learning taught by lecture. Although there may be some parroting in the classroom, authentic conversation is mostly absent.