Project to Train Teachers of English in Ethiopia Launched

Washington, D.C. – The Teach English for Life Learning (TELL) project, aimed at improving the skills of 20,000 6th, 7th and 8th grade English teachers across Ethiopia, was launched by the American Institutes for Research (AIR), in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

AIR will employ a cascading teaching model, which involves developing “master trainers” who will instruct carefully selected “teacher trainers,” who in turn will educate 20,000 classroom teachers.

Each of the 20,000 teachers will receive training focusing on literacy, including strategies for improving students’ listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Teachers will also learn classroom practice skills, such as effective lesson planning and classroom management strategies.

A central part of the training will involve the use of active-learning English textbooks created specifically for this project. The lessons in the English for Ethiopia textbooks, developed by Alabama A&M University in collaboration with the Ethiopian Ministry of Education and with funding from USAID’s Africa Education Initiative, are designed to actively engage students in order to improve their learning of the English language.