Assessing the bilingual training programme in the Yaoundé higher teacher training college

Abstract

This work investigates the Bilingual Training programme in ENS Yaounde. This programme is commonly known as FORBI, an acronym derived from “Formation Bilingue”, its French appellation. It limits itself to the teaching of English to Francophone student-teachers in ENS Yaounde. The aim of this study is to find out what the challenges of the Bilingual Training programme are, how both students and lecturers cope with these challenges, and what remediation measures can be taken for an effective training. Data arecollected through the use of questionnaires administered to students, interviews conducted to the Bilingual Training lecturers, class observation, and a programme evaluation check-list. The data were analysed through a quantitative and a qualitative approach. The quantitative approach involved the calculations of frequencies and percentages. The findings reveal that the Bilingual Training Programme in ENS Yaounde faces pedagogical, psychological and structural challenges. The lack of adequate didactic materials, teaching method and qualified FORBI lecturers are the impediments classified under the pedagogical aspect. The psychological challenges include students‟ and some lecturers‟ disgruntled attitudes towards FORBI. Lastly, the structural challenge stems from the FORBI programme, which is poorly designed. Students fall back on French and translation in order to meet the above-mentioned challenges whereas lecturers use any book that can help them teach the course. Some lecturers also encourage students to study FORBI. Lecturers therefore suggested that there be a prescribed textbook for FORBI. They also proposed that student-teachers be motivated to study FORBI in particular and English in general.