English Teaching DVC Workshop with ARS Paris

Ten English language teachers gathered in the small conference room on the 2nd floor of the US Embassy Conakry to meet virtually with English language specialist Diane Millar through ARS Paris. Ms. Millar addressed the audience of university and high school teachers of English on how oral communication is defined. She went on to explain how speaking skills are assessed and how assessment instruments are selected or designed to meet the needs of the instructors and their students. 

Unlike teachers in the U.S. who regularly participate in In-Service Workshops, teachers in Guinea rarely receive any additional training once they begin work. The audience members face over-crowded class rooms, lack of materials, and difficult teaching and learning conditions.  The teachers sought guidance on how to practice speaking, assess students, and encourage shy students in large classes. One teacher said he has as many as 150 students at a time. Ms. Millar urged them to use the resources they had in their classrooms by dividing the class in smaller groups using star pupils to lead speaking exercises. The groups would address multiple issues. Shy students would be more inclined to speak in smaller settings; each student would have a chance to practice; and by rotating these “key people,” the class as a whole would advance their skills much more rapidly.