YES Programs

MENU  

STORIES


YES Alumnus Organizes Writing Workshop

Tz Photo

In Tanzania, primary school students are taught in Swahili, and take English courses to learn the English language. However, in secondary school, the medium of instruction switches to English – meaning all courses are taught in English. This transition can be overwhelming to some students, especially those who may not have family members at home with strong English skills.

As students progress through secondary school, they become more familiar with the English language. However, essay writing remains a challenge due to a lack of understanding on how to structure essays. Factor in that students are writing these essays in a newly learned language, and it becomes clear why they start to perform poorly in their classes.

Nabil Mohamed Mussa (YES 2014-2015, Tanzania, hosted by ACES in Davenport, IA) wanted to help students with this language transition and teach them how to effectively write essays in English as they prepare for advanced levels and university courses after their national exams. To do this, Nabil volunteered to coach students in essay writing.

Nabil teamed up with two English teachers, Naima Said Abass and Said Hamoud Abass, at the Tumekuja Secondary School. For the first two weekends in March, the team coached a total of 21 students. Nabil taught students how to write introduction paragraphs, and the teachers focused on writing points and conclusions.

When the sessions ended, it seemed everyone involved gained something from their time spent together.

“It was a great experience that the students enjoyed and understood very well,” Nabil said. He continued to explain, “They needed our help the most developing essay writing skills, which will help them once they start their new classes. That’s why the teachers and I came up with the workshops.”

Historically, primary students have always had issues with the switch from Swahili to English when they enter secondary school. Students lose focus on their classes because they use their spare time finding teachers to help them bridge gaps in understanding with their English skills. This lack of focus on subject content means that students begin to perform poorly. However, according to Nabil, the Tanzanian government is now working to fix this issue.

Nabil also said if he could give a suggestion on how teachers go about teaching English and essay writing, he would want them to be more practical in their lessons. Nabil explained that, “The education system in Tanzania uses a theoretical way of teaching rather than a practical one.” He further elaborated,“Teachers teach by only talking about how to write essays, when instead they should write one with the students.”

With hopes of preparing more students, Nabil plans on doing more essay workshops in April, and then again in October and November. He gives special thanks to the administration at Tumekuja Secondary School for allowing him to work with the students.


Share: