2021 English Fluency Program Virtual Sessions
Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the English Fluency Program volunteers could not travel to Tanzania this year to participate in the annual two-week English fluency program that has been so helpful in giving SEGA’s Pre-Form students the confidence and skills to speak and understand English.
The program was adapted to a virtual setting.
Nurturing Minds volunteers and SEGA facilitators partnered together to launch an exciting new volunteer initiative for the SEGA pre-form students this past November. The English Fluency Program Virtual Teaching Sessions commenced with excitement at being able to have all the participants connect across three different countries. The inaugural event partnered Nurturing Minds volunteers with pre-form students and SEGA staff via thirty-minute zoom teaching sessions.
In virtual classrooms volunteers taught SEGA students a pre-designed lesson following the SEGA curriculum. The goal was to engage students in English language conversation to reinforce their SEGA English lessons and allow English speaking practice. The lesson promoted conversations around students' daily routines, likes, dislikes, and hobbies.
Following the lesson, volunteers commented on how excited they were to visit the school, one volunteer said, “I am even more motivated in traveling to SEGA asap!”
Seeing and engaging the students after such a long absence due to the pandemic came as a welcomed and very enriching experience. One volunteer said, “I loved seeing how the girls interacted in a small setting. It was wonderful to learn more about the volunteers themselves as well.”
Amidst the learning there were plenty of laughs and smiles. For almost all of the students this was their first zoom experience! All students responded that they wanted and would benefit from having more virtual teaching lessons. The students also said that they enjoyed the virtual classroom experience, and they enjoyed meeting the volunteers!
Thanks to technology, supporters now have a new way to access and volunteer with students at SEGA. This new opportunity for connection between Nurturing Minds-SEGA supporters and students is creating a lot of excitement and optimism for future virtual volunteer opportunities.
- Written by Nurturing Minds Intern Myranda James
The English Fluency program (EF) is a two-week immersion learning opportunity for SEGA’s youngest students and is taught by an all-volunteer, English-speaking group. Nurturing Minds volunteers developed the EF Program in 2015 to help SEGA’s youngest students quickly learn to speak and understand English through drama, games, music, and activities in an informal setting outside of the classroom. In Tanzania, primary school is taught in Swahili, and once girls get to secondary school, all lessons are in English, and the national exams are given in English. Most SEGA students have little prior English language knowledge when they arrive and a short timeframe to become fluent in reading, writing, and speaking English. These young students alternate between a standard classroom led by an ELL teacher and the EF program to capture all learning styles.
If you are interested in taking part in our Fall 2022 English Fluency Program in Tanzania, please email us at info@nurturingmindsinafrica.org