EL Fellow Program
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Country Ethiopia
City Gondar
Host Institution Gondar University
Project Description
The goal of this project is to facilitate mutual understanding, the building of democratic institutions and to encourage Ethiopia’s participation in the global economy through the teaching of English. In 2000, Ethiopia began a push to expand higher education in order to accommodate ever-increasing numbers of youth. Facing the challenges of brain drain and a dearth of qualified instructors at the University level, the government began a massive capacity building campaign which has yet to bear fruit. Other recent changes in Ethiopia’s education policy have created severe problems for higher education. For several years government primary and secondary schools have been obliged to run on split-shifts to accommodate large numbers of students. This places pressure on teachers in the form of increased workloads and large classes, to the detriment of their teaching success. As a result, general academic performance has declined. English, introduced to students in grade four, is the medium of instruction at the tertiary level. At present however, the standard of English taught in secondary schools does not adequately prepare students for University-level work. To complicate matters further, the Ministry of Education recently recalibrated the educational system so that college freshmen are now what used to be high school juniors, meaning that students now have even less time to reach an acceptable level of English before entering university. Tertiary institutions lack appropriate and up to date English teaching curricula. Most teachers rely on their own ingenuity to come up with workable solutions. Large classes, averaging 60 to 80 students, render the teaching of spoken English in particular a formidable challenge. At the secondary level a new mandatory program of televised teaching designed to raise the quality of English instruction has created numerous problems for teachers and students alike.
Project Objectives
This year, higher education institutions in the country have shown tremendous interest in hosting EL Fellows as their curriculum has made it necessary to revise and at the same time improve the quality of English language. Up and coming private university colleges have also shown interest in hosting EL Fellows, testimony to the wide popularity the Program has had recently. The work planned for the EL Fellow will be demanding as s/he will be attached to a newly organized faculty and department in the university following the higher education expansion policy of the government. The EL Fellow will undertake, among other tasks, the following major activities: development of standardized teaching materials (20%), conducting in-house seminars and workshops on English language teaching (20%), standardizing of examinations and courses (10%), teaching English as a second language (40%) and establishing links with local and international institutions (10%).
About the Host Institution
Gondar University is one of the newest universities in Ethiopia, with a student population of close to 10,000. It is one of the beneficiaries of the government’s fund for higher education expansion having become a university four years ago. Predominantly a health institute, it has become a major university campus with large scale expansion projects. The university is located in Gondar, a world heritage site and 16th century capital of Abyssinia, 767 kms northwest of the capital, Addis Ababa.
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