Helping learners to develop Basic English language competency is among the services which are provided as part of the ABET programme.  Robert Nsubuga, the main English Language Tutor has helped over 50 learners from Uganda, Sudan, Rwanda and Somalia to gain the skills to use the language of power to improve their social and economic status.

With his colleagues, Mr. Nsubuga concedes that there have no single fixed methods of teaching English especially to the foreigners without a command of any local lingua. It is indeed an innovative blending of different techniques.  The tutors believe that learning to speak a language is simpler than writing and reading. The tutors share a bit of how exactly the teaching is done:

• At times the learners are exposed to the English alphabets and helped to identify, write and pronounce each letter;

• From the single letters, they develop simple words and nouns;

• The tutors frequently write these simple words and nouns on the chalk board;

• They often use flash cards with images of the nouns or doing words;

• They also display the objects as they pronounce the nouns (for instance they can either display a picture of a broom or bring the real object;

• For the verbs, the tutors write as they demonstrate. For instance, the verb ‘jump’ is accompanied by physical jumping;

• Another way is through direct translation of words into vernacular which greatly motivates the learners. For instance, in the Dinka language from Sudan, Good Morning is Sirwoni and the reply is Singirayi.  As you mention and write the vernacular word next to the English version, you ask the learners to repeat.