TEACHING ESL IN ANGOLA 1 Teaching English as a Second Language in Angola Dare Guild Education 408: Critical Aspects of Teaching English as a Second Language Robin Rhodes-Crowell May 4, 2018 TEACHING ESL IN ANGOLA 2 Abstract: This paper explores the historical context of the Republic of Angola and the current education system in the country’s state of reparation following three decades of war. The Civil War, which ended recently in 2002, left many without access to school, low literacy levels, and many destroyed school buildings. In its wake, many teachers were rushed to start teaching, and there still are not enough. Here are the effects of war on an education system and what Angola needs from future English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers. Introduction: The Republic of Angola is a country heavy in history. The capital of Angola is Luanda and there is a country population of approximately 28.8 million (The World Bank, 2018). As a formal Portuguese colony, the most widespread use of a single language is Portuguese, which is spoken by approximately seventy-one percent of the country. There are an estimated thirty-nine other languages spoken within Angola, including many African Languages. The three co- primary languages of Angola include Umbundu, Kimbundu, and Kikongo (Oyebade, 2007). Both English and French are taught in Angola, depending on the region one is more commonly taught than the other. “Western education is greatly valued in Angola, and it is seen as a means to enhance social and economic status” (Oyebade, 2007). Qualified teachers and qualified English teachers are both in high demand in Angola, however in order to understand the current struggle in Angola’s education system a better understanding of their historical background is vital. After decades of blood and war, Angola is still in reconstruction and the education infrastructure still needs a lot of work. Additionally, this paper will look at covering the basics of knowledge that any potential foreign teacher should understand before moving to a new country. Historical Context: TEACHING ESL IN ANGOLA 3 In pre-colonial times, Angola was full of hunter-gatherer tribes before the formation of the Kingdom of Kongo. This was the most enterprising precolonial state Southwestern Africa (Oyebade, 2007). The Portuguese first landed in present-day Angola in the fifteenth century and immediately started to build missionaries. In addition to the language, modern-day Angola’s predominant religions, the Roman Catholic Church and Christianity, were introduced by the Portuguese. In the 1500s, the Portuguese began settling into their newly established colony, including the founding of Angola’s capital Luanda, and began participation in the slave trade. The Portuguese continued to displace Angolan people from Africa to the New World, mostly to the Portuguese colonies of Brazil and Cuba, from the 1500s until the slave trade was internationally abolished in the 1830s (Fongwa, 2012). The purpose of this displacement was to bring slaves to regions that were successful in agricultural cash crops that the Portuguese would then transport back to Europe. It is estimated that during these centuries of slave trade approximately four million people were brought from Angola to the New World (Oyebade, 2007). In the shift away from a slave-based economy, Angola begins moving to that of one rooted in production for domestic consumption, and by the 1850s it is seen as a stable and prosperous colony. In the 1950s through to the 1960s, the decolonization era began, where colonial powers began to grant independence to the African states. Portugal was not one of these colonial powers, failing to relinquish power over Angola. Rebellions started to form and starting in 1961 a grueling, bloody, thirteen-year long guerrilla war began (Britannica). One estimation claims that in the first year alone, fifty-thousand people lost their lives, only about two-thousand of which were settlers (Fongwa, 2012). During the revolution, three separate rebellious movements formed within Angola; the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the TEACHING ESL IN ANGOLA 4 National Front for the Liberation of Angola (UNITA), and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola. In the end, a military coup in 1974 overthrew Portuguese dictatorship (Britannica). This paves way to Angola independence in 1975. Unfortunately, the three liberation movements within Angola could not unite after the independence of the country. All three wanted power, and again the country descended into battle. The Portuguese army, sick of war, left the newly founded country in 1975 without formally establishing the next ruler (Britannica). Both the discovery of diamond deposits and oil industry only exasperated the civil war and provided enough financial support to stave off economic and military collapse. The civil war was further prolonged by the Cold War and foreign support to the organizations; the MPLA was aided by Cuba and the Soviet Union, and UNITA was funded by the United States. It took twenty-seven years before a peace agreement was finally reached between UNITA and the MPLA-established government in April of 2002 (Britannica). The war’s adverse effect on every facet of Angola’s post-independence life is clearly evident. Angola was now facing the long road of reconstruction. Angola Education System: The education during the historical events had many ups and downs. During the colonist era, little to no education was received by the colony. The Portuguese did not favor education for Angola citizens. However, in 1961 the colonists did establish an education system run by the Roman Catholic Church, nonetheless this was mostly geared towards settlers and a small number of Angolans (Britannica). At independence in 1975, educational reforms were introduced to reverse the colonial educational system that neglected black education. “The reforms provided for instructions in Angolan indigenous languages; more importantly, however, they focused on promoting literacy. Free and compulsory primary and secondary education became state policy TEACHING ESL IN ANGOLA 5 to help enhance the literacy level and reduce adult illiteracy, which at independence was greater than 85 percent” (Oyebade, 2007). These educational reforms brought increased student enrollment. Unfortunately, due to the destruction and aftermath of the civil war, the reforms that were created in 1975 did little to improve to literacy rates and little remained of a stable education system. Post-civil-war, adult literacy levels resulted in a massive drop. Male literacy levels were at about 56%, while female literacy was at about 29%. Additionally, it is estimated that at least four-fifths of all schools had been abandoned or destroyed. A vast majority of Angolan school- aged children are not able to attend class (Britannica). The Angolan government launched into educational system reforms, which emphasized heavily on raising literacy levels and building schools. This is important to note for any foreign ESL teachers who might end up teaching to adults in Angola. Usually adults struggle with reading more intensely at the intermediate-level. A “slump” occurs here, because after the initial understanding of how to read, the learners are no required to expand their understanding and progress at a much faster rate (Celce-Murcia, 2014). Although there is many conflicting information on the education system provided by Angola, one of the more recent sources shows that, generally, primary education lasts about eight years. This starts at the age of six and is compulsory for only the first four years. After this there are two optional routes, both starting at the age of 14: secondary education lasting three years or vocational education lasting four years (Isaacs, 2007). Reconstruction efforts are evident through the establishment of school buildings, a steady increase of student enrollment, and the creation of a higher education. In the first eight years since the civil war, the Huíla province went from 200 schools after the war to 1,714 (Smith, 2011). There are now approximately 76% of all children between the ages of six and eleven are TEACHING ESL IN ANGOLA 6 in primary school (Smith, 2011). There has also been a growth of higher education access from two universities in 1998 to more than 60 institutions, including seventeen universities (Fongwa, 2012). This all shows the importance that has been emphasized on the education and higher education within Angola, however it is still not enough. Despite the clear reduction of illiteracy levels, the increase of school buildings, and the general overall emphasis on education, the government is still failing to provide a substantial, supportive, and well established education system. Due to post-civil-war destruction and reconstruction, the government focuses and financial means are stretched thin between many problems that they are facing. A large amount of resources has been funneled into defense rather than social services, resulting in the lack of proper facilities, educational equipment, infrastructure, and qualified teachers (Oyebade, 2007). This is made most apparent by classroom conditions and teacher conditions. Classrooms in Angola are overcrowded. This is, in part, due to migration within Angola by citizens from heavily demolished zones from the civil war to areas in the country with better resources. This greatly effects the teacher-to-student ratio. On average, the ratio is thirty-six students per teacher, however the number of students per teacher can reach as high as eighty (Smith, 2011). This is also due to not having enough school buildings available to students, especially in more rural areas. According to UNICEF, “less than 10% of five-year-olds have access to preschool. Only 76% of children between six and 11 are in primary school. Overall, more than 1 million six- to 17-year-olds are out of school. In poor, rural areas only 38% of children are enrolled” (Smith, 2011).