Teaching English through rote practices is often not a good way to teach the language. Students who simply repeat a few basic phrases never get a true understanding of the richness of the language. In addition there are so many nuances and contextual meanings in English. Students who study English as a second language at the University talk about learning how to understand word meanings through their specific use in sentences constructed by English speaking peoples. The suggestion of using song, written material, and artistic events to teach English to students is really a method used in the university also. It’s just that adults use different social forms such as shopping trips where they have to talk to local vendors or group projects involving both English and non-English speaking students.

Hi,
I have some experience in teaching English to Kiswahili speakers and I agree with the above advice about speaking English as much as possible during lessons. The students that I worked with were used to a very rote educational setting, and so at first they did not improve very well in speaking and interacting, but encouraging them to speak whether through a group discussion topic, skits, or answering questions really built up confidence and comfort in language skills. For more beginner students, speaking can be as simple as going around and asking each person to say a word in English for a letter of the alphabet (a for animal, b for banana, etc), for more advanced topics you can have them enact a situation in their daily lives (ie going to the store). Songs and games are particularly helpful to break up more grammar heavy lessons-- think of the songs and games you learned when you were younger, with simple words and repetition.

Also there are plenty of opportunities to practice English in Dar es Salaam, so its great to encourage students to practice English outside class whether with foreigners they meet, listening to BBC radio, or looking at a English signs/newspapers. For more structure with regards to grammar, reading passages, practice exercises, etc, there are English lesson books of every level (grade 1-high school) available throughout the city in bookshops and paper supply stores, which can be useful as a more formal complement to vocabulary and speaking exercises.

Good luck!

Si kitu Bibi Alicia,
Natumaini utapata bahati nzuri kwa mafundisho yako!
Michaeli
translation in case you are wondering:
No Problem Alicia.
I hope you will have good luck with your teaching!

Hujambo Alecia
I see that you have not received any replies to your request yet. Of course it is a very big issue, but if I were to give you one piece of advice, be demonstrative.
I took High Intensity Language Training in Kiswahili as part of my Peace Corps training. This is a technique developed by the Foreign Language Institute in Montery CA. It is based on the concept that the best way to learn a language is to be thrown into it (as if you were dropped on a street in the country that speaks that language). The teacher cannot use the language of the students during class.
We had 8 different teachers, some of whom were Kenyan students at American Universities, and the others were agricultural officers from Kenya. It didn't make any difference, the good teachers knew how to act out the Kiswahili expresions that they were trying to teach. It became like a game to try to figure out what he/she was saying. Sometimes Nellie Mshila (one of the best teachers) would get the students involved in the skit... all in Kiswahili. Another good teacher was Henson Nyange, and agricultural officer from the District of Taita (where I was eventually assigned). He was a very gregarious fellow with a very theatrical ability to act out...both in class and out!
The really poor teachers were the ones who could not describe what they were trying to say. They would just keep repeating the Kiswahili phrase, and we would spend the whole class trying to figure out what he (they were all men) was trying to say. some of these classes were 4 hours long.... very painful!
I hope that helps. Make the classes fun... the Tanzanian students may not be used to that since most class are taught in rote memorization. But if you want them to learn English, make it fun.
Bahati nzuri,
Michaeli