HOW TO PROMOTE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN A BILINGUAL UNIVERSITY - A CASE STUDY OF UEA, BUKAVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (2015-2018)

C. T. Buhendwa Rubango Jeff

Abstract


This paper aims at writing some strategies to promote the English language in a bilingual university. It has focused its study on the Evangelical University in Africa (UEA). This choice is justified by the fact that UEA, one of the major universities in Bukavu, organises important activities to take in account as it tends to become bilingual. Methods and techniques were mainly: a documentary analysis and class observations. A table and a graphic were also used to illustrate the data. Findings showed that UEA’s techniques and method to promote the English language were mainly: a Placement Test followed by a one-month Intensive General English Course (144hours) for G1fresh students from all faculties at UEA. Others attended both scientific, academic and practical English. For all of them, the emphasis was on improving listening, speaking, writing and reading skills. It has organised the Language Resource Centre with various activities (training students and the personnel of UEA, translation and interpretation, etc.), several Research Centres and English Clubs in each faculty,- and a Sunday English Programme. - Instruments available were notably, English books downloaded and shared with students freely by their teachers of English; audiovisuals, sound amplifiers and the Internet access. Finally, heuristic method was used to allow students to learn by discovering things themselves. Nevertheless, the gap between the French (90%) and English (10%) languages is still big at UEA. Normally, bilingualism requires 100% for both languages.

 

Cet article vise à rédiger des stratégies pour promouvoir la langue anglaise dans une université bilingue. L’auteur a concentré son étude sur l'Université Evangélique en Afrique (UEA). Ce choix est justifié par le fait que l’UEA, l’une des plus grandes universités de Bukavu, organise d’importantes activités en anglais pour tenter de devenir bilingue. Les méthodes et techniques consistaient principalement en une analyse documentaire et en des observations de classes. Un tableau et un graphique ont également été utilisés pour illustrer les données. Les résultats ont montré que les techniques et méthode de l'UEA pour promouvoir l'anglais étaient principalement: un test de classement suivi d'un cours intensif d'anglais général d'un mois (144 heures) pour les nouveaux étudiants de G1 de toutes les facultés de l'UEA. D'autres apprenants ont étudié l'anglais scientifique, académique et pratique. Pour tout le monde, l’accent était mis sur l’écoute, le parler, l’écrit et la lecture. L’UEA organise le Centre des Ressources en Langues avec diverses activités (formation des étudiants et de tout son personnel, la traduction, l’interprétariat, etc.), plusieurs centres des recherches et clubs d’anglais dans chaque faculté ; - des instruments disponibles étaient notamment : un bon nombre des livres en anglais téléchargés par les formateurs de cette langue cible; audiovisuels, amplificateurs et l’accès à Internet. Enfin, une méthode heuristique a été utilisée pour permettre aux étudiants d'apprendre en découvrant d’autres réalités eux-mêmes. Néanmoins, l’écart entre le français (90%) et l’anglais (10%) demeure grand à l’UEA. Normalement, le bilinguisme exige 100% pour les deux languages.

 

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promote, English language, bilingual university, UEA / promouvoir, langue anglaise, université bilingue, UEA

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References


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