HORNBY REGIONAL WORKSHOP FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH IN EAST AFRICA: Literature in English Language Teaching

March 9th and 10th 2006 were momentous days for the ELT fraternity in Uganda. For the first time, Uganda hosted a regional workshop for teachers of English in East Africa. The workshop was sponsored by Hornby Educational Trust (UK) in collaboration with the British Council. The aim was to share ideas on how to use literature resources and authentic materials in the language classroom and lay down strategies for improving the teaching and learning of English language in the region. This was a follow-up of previous workshops in Siaya and Bondo in Kenya in 2004 and 2005. The workshop venue was Shine Hotel in Kabalagala, Kampala. The main facilitators were Professor Austin Bukenya and Dr Jessica Kaahwa, both from Makerere University in Kampala. Richard Weyers, the British Council Director in Kampala, officially opened the workshop. In total, 47 participants from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania attended and below are the highlights. Objectives of the Workshop (1) Conduct a two-day workshop on how to use literature resources for English language teaching. (2) Equip teachers with knowledge, skills and techniques of teaching English language using available literature resources and authentic materials. (3) Raise awareness on how to use Integrated English course books in the language classroom. (4) Produce teaching/learning materials for use by teachers of English language in secondary schools. (5) Form a national association of teachers of English in Uganda with a view to forming regional and district associations. Projected Impact (1) Raise awareness amongst teachers of English on how to use literature resources for English language teaching. (2) Produce materials for use in the English language classroom. (3) Promote networking of teachers of English from different regions of the country and East Africa in general. (4) Form teachers associations at national, regional and district levels to enable teachers of English develop professionally through sharing of knowledge, skills, resources and ideas. (5) Demystify Literature as a subject so that it is liked and enjoyed by both teachers and students of English. (6) Stimulate teachers interest in using integrated course books for language teaching. (7) Organise follow-up workshops in different regions with a view to compiling materials produced into relevant and easy-to-use integrated course books. (8) Promote reading culture amongst teachers and students of English language.

Areas Covered (1) Using drama texts and authentic materials in the language classroom (2) The short story and the novel in ELT (3) Using songs and poetry in the language classroom (4) Integrated course books, analysis of literature in ELT and way forward (5) The importance of ELT groups in language teaching and election of office bearers Warm-up Activities For ice-breaking, we had lively activities such as singing, dancing, brainstorming, poetry recitations, dialogues, mini discussions and role play. These were conducted by the facilitators and volunteer teachers at the beginning of every training session. Thanks to the active participation of teachers. By the time we started with the first item, a very strong bond had been created amongst the teachers, and it was as if they had known one another all their lives! Starting Point Participants agreed that a successful teaching career, regardless of other factors, starts from the teacher. They came up with a ten-point profile of a good teacher of English. These are: (1) Love the job (2) Love yourself (3) Assess yourself (4) Maximise and minimise (5) Live, do not exist (6) Read (7) Network (8) Be organised (9) Manage time (10) Have faith Every teacher is advised to use SWOT analysis in order to improve. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats, and Strategies. In this case, teachers should know their Strengths, be aware of their Weaknesses, find out existing Opportunities and Threats, and then lay appropriate Strategies. Opportunities In order to exploit the existing opportunity, workshop participants without e-mail addresses were invited to attend a short induction session outside the workshop periods. This excited many of the participants. It turned out that most of them did not have email addresses, while some who had, needed assistance in using the Internet. Many of the participants, with the help of knowledgeable colleagues, spent the whole evening of the first day opening e-mail accounts and learning how to operate them. At the end of the workshop, twenty participants filled in the slips for joining ELTeCS so as to network with other teachers in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, some of these

still need more tuition on how to make use of the net, but others are already enjoying the opportunities and materials provided by ELTeCS website. I am very grateful to Penny Trigg and Irene Lavington for sending the ELTeCSinfo 2004-2005 booklets and bookmarks in time. They really made our work easier on the issue of networking, and participants were also very excited about East Africa winning the ELTeCS Innovation Award 2006. It has encouraged many teachers of English to work as a team in order to succeed. Classroom Strategies Before teaching, a good language teacher should always remember the 5Rs. These are: Read, Respond, Research, Review and Write. While in class, the following strategies can be of use: Maximise fun! Comprehension should come before interpretation. Encourage free response. Relate text to learners interests. Review and organise responses. Ensure writing practice.

Objectives of Teaching Literature The workshop identified the following as the primary objectives of teaching Literature: Enjoy content and form of Literature Develop human perception and sympathy Identify the main parts of a text Improve language skills through exposure Stimulate learners imaginative/creative potential

Integrated English Course Books Many integrated course book writers consider the following as areas for integration: English as subject and medium English across the curriculum Literature as language use Language as human coverage The thematic package approach

Using Literature in the Language Classroom After country and regional presentations, the participants used SWOT analysis to find out the prospects of using literature resources and authentic materials to teach English language. The findings are listed below: Strengths

Exposure to sentences Elicits creativity Contextualises language learning Integrates Literature and English Gives language applicability Reinforces grammar teaching Encourages reading extensively Excites participation Taps the students talents Empowers slow learners Builds learners vocabulary Integrates the four language skills Motivates learners Builds self-confidence Encourages critical thinking and analytical skills Improves communication skills

Weaknesses Consumes a lot of time May disrupt school programmes Shortage of appropriate materials Does not address biases Imbalances between literature and language Difference in teacher abilities

Opportunities Hold refresher courses Improve training content Create departmental cooperation Involve school administrators Link with curriculum developers and stake holders Encourage creativity Promoting language across curriculum Learn budget implications Encourage use of audio-visual resources Get up-to-date technology skills Networking and sharing available resources Marketing English and Literature to be more relevant

Threats Internal weaknesses Policy shifts by administrators Poor funding Political interference 4

Exam oriented curriculum Inappropriate examination procedures Complexity and irrelevance of set materials

The participants resolved to use literature resources for language teaching and also encourage other teachers to do the same. Most of them were of the view that another workshop on Literature in Language Teaching involving more participants should be organised at the beginning of 2007 as a follow-up to this one, and should last at least three to four days. The majority were of the view that the next workshop should be in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, with some few suggesting the same venue. Importance of ELT Groups Participants also discussed the importance of having ELT groups and below are the advantages they came out with: Acquisition of new ideas from colleagues by way of sharing Fosters regional unity Collective means to address common problems Gives opportunities to compare and contrast curriculum across the region Broadens our scope of looking at things Helps in confidence building Helps in making professional contacts

The participants were given tips on how to form and run teachers associations. As a result, the Ugandan delegates formed a national association of teachers of English with coordinators from the different regions of the country. Those who attended the workshop are now spearheading the formation of teachers associations at district levels, and some have already held workshops with their colleagues who were not invited. At the moment, the main focus is consolidating these teachers associations. The British Council English Teachers Toolkit Project in East Africa will go a long way in helping these associations stand on their feet. Signed,

George William Omona (Organiser/Hornby Alumna/Secretary, Hornby & ELTeCS East Africa ELT Groups/Coordinator, Uganda English Language Teachers Associations)