Reinforcing Englisch through an academic fair. A connection between classroom activities and the society at the Christian Bilingual University of the Congo

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2018 im Fachbereich Pädagogik - Schulwesen, Bildungs- u. Schulpolitik, , Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: In most countries where English is taught as a foreign language (EFL), teachers complain that English learners have a little chance to improve their English. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) does not make an exception. The learning environments do not push the learners to perform and practice English outside the four walls of the classroom. Deckert, for example, has observed, 'In these(EFL) environments students have a little exposure to English outside the classroom'. Moreover, Mattioli writes, 'in the EFL teaching environment students most likely only speak English in the classroom, or on very limited occasions outside the classroom'. Shaila and Trudell have drawn a conclusion, 'students have only experienced teacher-centered instruction, where they were passive learners or mere memorizers of rules.' Thus, teachers are struggling so much to handle their classrooms by teaching English in the system, but with little or no impact on their learners' targeted language of instruction in the classroom and society. Should we go from reformation to reformation with hope of replicating teacher-centered learning or memorization which in the eyes of many is judged old-fashioned and less productive in building competent and autonomous learners?

Born in 1982 at Oicha (Democratic Republic of the Congo), Jackson Kambale Masinda is also the author of 'A Contrastive Study of Yira and English Morpho-syntax'. He currently teaches English at the Christian Bilingual University of the Congo.