ANNOUNCEMENT

Special Invitation for English Teachers at All Levels
To Attend a Professional Development Workshop on
October 17 and 18, 2008

Come experience the “best practices” English teaching techniques from around the world while networking with your colleagues and having a great time!

NETA (Namibian English Teachers’ Association), formed two years ago, is holding its first professional development workshop in the Northern region. The focus will be on “Shaping the Way We Teach English,” a flexible series of 14 teacher-training modules that deals with all English skills for all levels of students from children to adults. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with rave reviews so far, this unique series contains natural, unscripted film footage of classes in four diverse countries which is then used to isolate various language teaching skills. Among other topics, the modules deal with language in context, language form, group work, feedback, large classes, and classroom assessment techniques (CAT’s).

A keynote address will be given by Mr. Chief Ankama, former mayor of Oshakati, member of Parliament, and specialist in Namibia’s language policy. Featured presenters will be Mr. Eran Williams, Regional English Language Officer (US) for southern Africa, Dr. Marna Broekhoff, English Language Fellow (US) to Namibia, and Mr. Richard Finch, from Volunteer Services Overseas (UK) and Dr. Sarala Krishnamurthy, Dean of the School of Communication, Polytechnic of Namibia and Chairperson of NETA.

The workshops will be held from 14:00-17:30 and on Saturday from 8:00-16:00 in the main auditorium of Unam’s North Campus in Oshakati. There is no charge for the workshops, but we ask that you pre-register by October 6, so we know how many to expect. Attendance will be limited to the first 75 people who sign up. Please call the Unam Director’s office at 065-22-32-000. You may register at the door.

As a special bonus, the first fifty teachers to sign up will be given the entire “Shaping the Way We Teach English” free of charge. The kit includes three DVD’s, one CD, and a Teacher’s Manual, all of which will be used in the workshops.

As an additional incentive, the first twenty teachers to register will also be offered a free one-year membership in NETA (normally N$100), which will provide you with professional development and networking opportunities, a newsletter forum for expressing your teaching concerns, and access to teaching materials.