English Language Teaching in Tanzania

There is a great need for good English language teachers in Tanzania. Most Tanzanian children are already bilingual with their tribal language and the national language, KiSwahili. In primary school, children are taught in KiSwahili. They start to learn English at school in year 1. English is essential for any individual development after primary school as all manuals, instruction books and text books are in English. Increasingly, many young Tanzanians need to find work in the developing economy rather than being subsistence farmers. Knowledge of basic English improves their educational and employment opportunities. Village Education Project Kilimanjaro seeks to play a full part in this process.

All subjects at secondary school are taught in English, and English, importantly, is the language of tourism. To advance in most careers a knowledge of English is vital, and English is the language of computers and the internet. Unfortunately the standard of English teaching is low and we seek to improve it.

VEPK has therefore established a programme for volunteers of all ages to teach English as a foreign language in local primary schools. Volunteers also organise extra curricular activities such as sport, music, art and drama. This programme is run in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and is the only one of its kind in the primary sector.

The VEPK English language teaching programme has proved immensely beneficial both to the pupils and to the volunteers. The volunteers pay a fee to the charity for being on the programme. Part of this fee is used to pay for two annual school outings for the children to see areas of their country that they could never otherwise see. These are to Lake Manyara and Tarangire national parks, where they can actually see some of the animals that they have learnt about in school, and to the Indian Ocean.

Gap year student with her class. Click to enlarge

Gap year student with her class

Trip to the Indian Ocean organized VEPK. Click to enlarge.

Trip to the Indian Ocean

On the way to Lake Manyara. Click to enlarge.

On the way to Lake Manyara.

Find out more about the gap year programme and the volunteers programme.