Saturday, January 13, 2007

Workshop at Ahfad

I am just going to post this with a very fast typo ,untill Dr.Amna sends us "the attachment" by email,or was it a joke? I am dead brain now!!
Today, I attended a workshop at Ahfad University for Women on the pre-session course for all programmes. Teachers form many university participated in the workshop, providing, information ,talking about their own experiences. ALL have agreed upon the problems that face teachers ,students and faculties to attain the level required. The problems were summarized on the following:
•Untrained teachers. Some teacher assistants are graduated from faculty of Arts, received no in-service or pro service training.
•Large classes of students(100-400).
•Lack of motivation from students side
•Low level upon entrance.
•Not enough contact hours(2 hours per week)
•Lack of syllabi
•English is not given a credit, thus students are de-motivated to spare time and effort to study hard to pass.
•Administration is not willing to provide any further help. Deans and coordinators even sell it out leave science to the scientists
•Not enough staff
•No rooms available is what teachers hear when ask about increasing contact hours
•Teachers are frustrated enough as not to be in a status for looking for more innovative ways in ELT field or any other way to motivate students .
•Teachers have a misconception of TPD, teacher training and teacher education, though these terms have been used interchangeably lately .
Suggestions
All participants thanked Ahfad University for their constant initiatives taken in order to grab EFL teachers “out of the nutshell”(my expression). Moreover, they also believe English language is the gate towards success in study, research and fining a job.Dr. Amna Bedri promised to send us the dissemination of he workshop. These are summarized points ,as far as I can recall:
1.division to three groups :teacher training, content of syllabus and policies and administration.
2.Processional course is vital.Fees 150-250 Credit hours 120 per month.
3.A general unified course for ESP is required for all universities.
4.ASTEL ,association for EL teachers in Sudan, is about to be registered. This should be taken as a step towards unifying efforts of teachers in all parts of the country.
5.Activations of TRC teacher resource center, in Ahfad, in cooperation with other teacher training centers, like Al Azhari University, to start providing workshops, seminars and lectures for teacher training and teacher professional development.
6.Needs analysis for syllabus design/how material is selected/realistic objectives
A POINT TO REMEMBER:
When online TPD is suggested by me, Dr Amna attacked it from different angle; students vary in their levels, from beginning-post intermediate, thus special attention is needed to EACH student .Definitely agree, but even in a group of 4,I can divide the task into four to assure each is engaged into separate part ,which he has to accomplish by himself or with the help of the leader of the group.
Very Disappointing?????Tea,I know,but challenging too!

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