Teacher Training Workshop

 

 Abayneh introducing the Lifeplayer to English teachers in Debre Markos and surrounding areas.

                                      Teachers exploring the capabilities of the Lifeplayer

The British Council is an amazing organization. They work in more than 140 countries, their main goal being to improve English Language and the teaching of English Language. In addition, they have other social programs, which I am just learning about. The latest genious of the BC are Learning Boxes, which are currently being delivered to high schools in the Amhara area of Ethiopia. Inside each Learning Box are resource materials designed for teachers to use with extracurricular English Clubs. Although there are a variety of materials in the kit, the heart is a radio/MP3 called a Lifeplayer. This ingenious device was created in South Africa and it is an engineering miracle. I attended one day of a three day workshop designed to train English teachers on how to use the Lifeplayer and the materials inside the Learning Box. The main reason I went was to meet the local English teachers in hopes of doing community outreach. The English Clubs we have established at the university would like to visit some of the schools to show off their talents in drama, debate, music, and poetry. Besides giving authentic goals to DMU students, we hope to encourage high school students to work to improve their English.