English Club

Wealth, if you use it, comes to an end;

learning, if you use it, increases.

~Swahili Proverb

Work as an English teacher is my primary Peace Corps job, and even though I love it, I have to say that my favorite English-teaching activity is my English club. My class is a mixture of students who like to learn English and those who just do it because it's required. It can be very hard getting the latter students to participate in class.  On the other hand, my English club is full of students who are motivated and eager to learn, which makes my job much more fun. 

We usually focus on activities with songs, poems, and games, things you can't do or don't have time to do in a classroom setting. It gives the students a chance to practice their English and apply what they've learned in class. I like it because it's more enjoyable to plan a game of musical bingo with an American hit song than it is to plan a grammar lesson on something like the present continuous form (ex: Tonight we're eating fufu). 

Last Wednesday our club watched a short documentary on Barack Obama, showcasing Obama's childhood and how he got to where he is today. I loved the message of the film, and how his story really proves that with hard work and determination anyone can defy expectations and accomplish their dreams. As the film was playing, I loved hearing my students repeating the lines to themselves, almost like a whisper. They were able to recognize many of the words and phrases, which made me feel proud, like I might have actually made a difference in the lives of some of these students.