Shuffling into a warm room with students who were chattering over the fans, I found my seat next to a sweet girl I met the night before. The chalk board read:
"Welcome to English Club"
"1. How do you achieve your dreams?"
"2. What is love and who knows to more, men or women?"
The relaxed atmosphere was quickly transformed when the speeches started and debate ensued. Students would volunteer to give a speech, that always started with "I would like to thank the coordinators and the...." and was followed by a good four to five minutes of talking. Most of the students selected the second question, they seemed extremely interested in love and men/women issues. After each person spoke, the group of about 35 would all be raising their hands with questions for the speaker. It was quite interesting in that all the students had opinions and seemed comfortable speaking in front of the group.
This student-led English club was started by an American professor and a Djiboutian professor three years ago. The students continue to prepare the activities and engage in rhetorical practice and listening. This is encouraging as I will start teaching English next week. The students are excited to learn and are not shy about their opinions. Teaching will be just another part of the adventure of living in Africa.
