Category: Conference
Kamtcueng, L.M., Tabe, A. C. Nkemleke, D. (eds.) (2019). Language, Media and Technologies: Usages, Forms and Functions. LINCOM Academic Publishers
How the course on Academic Writing has been received by LMA 5 Students of the Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS), 2018/2019 Academic Year
This is an appraisal of the ENGLISH 521 Course entitled “Academic Writing”. The course was introduced to the LMA 5 students in October of this school year, 2018/2019 and is taught by Prof. Daniel Nkemleke. It has been an interesting and inspiring course. Most of the topics covered in the course are related to the writing of our dissertations and open our minds to the different academic writing conventions and practices at tertiary level. Though sometimes brief, the lessons have been very effective and productive, as the lecturer pushes us into personal work and research—a thing which he thinks is good for students at the post-graduate level. With the course outline provided, and with objectives clearly stated, the course has been fully understood and we have find it very useful in the writing of our dissertations.
During lessons, Prof. Nkemleke creates an atmosphere which encourages interaction and builds confidence in us. Sometimes he spices his lessons with words of advice and encouragement towards our academic work. Through this course, our proficiency in written academic communication has significantly improved. For example, we have learned to write an abstract through modelling our initial texts on the basis of those of experienced academics, which the professor provided from published journals.
The dissertation writing process if often a very difficult thing for students in ENS. A course like this one could even begin in the first year (LMA 4), so that students learn to write in the language of research before they get to LMA 5.
Among the many other things we have learned to do are: writing an introduction to a dissertation, literature the review section, writing the abstract, and learning to integrate citations into our texts.
Agbor Pascal Ako, student-delegate
Email: akoagbor@yahoo.com
The Department of English at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Celebrates International Education Week (IEW) with the representative of the Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Yaoundé
The Department of English at the Ecole Normale Supérieure Celebrates International Education Week (IEW) with the representative of the Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Yaoundé (Nov. 14, 2017)
Report by Dr Yvonne Ngwa Iden
The International Education Week (IEW) is a joint initiative of the US Department of State and the US Department of Education that aims to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. It is a yearly event scheduled between November 13-17. In view of the number of Fulbright Alumni in the Department of English at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (ENS): Prof. Daniel A. Nkemleke (senior Fulbright Scholar, University of Massachusetts, 2010-2011), Dr Yvonne Ngwa Iden (Studies of United States Institute for Contemporary American Literature, University of Louis Ville, Kentucky (2015), and Mr Patrick Roderique Belibi Enama (junior Fulbright scholar, State University of New York (2012-2014), an academic forum was organized at ENS on November 14, 1-4 p.m. to highlight the implication of education inherent in this year’s general theme for the event: “Promoting Educational and Cultural Exchanges”.
A keynote discourse on competency-based approach to English language teaching was presented by Mr Patrick Roderique Belibi Enama—a befitting subject for student teachers in one of the country’s famous institution for teacher training (ENS). The presentation was very instructive, but also highly academic. General discussion following the presentation enriched understanding of both students and staff present on the genesis and evolution of the competency-based approach. The approach is a major orientation of government’s pedagogic policy for English language teaching in Cameroonian schools today.
In attendance were over 60 students of the Department, Mr Gerald Chilla, representative of the Cultural Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Yaoundé, Professor Daniel Nkemleke, Chair of the Department, Dr Divine Che Neba, senior lecturer in the Department, Dr Eleanor Dasi, senior lecturer in the Department, Dr David Kusi, senior lecturer in the department, and Mr Julius Kum, assistant lecturer in the department.
Professor Daniel Nkemleke, who chaired the forum, acknowledged the significant contribution to education, training and scholarship that the Cultural Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Yaoundé had made to the professional development of staff of the department so far. On behalf of the Department and the Director of ENS, he appreciated the fruitful co-operation between the US Embassy and ENS.
The academic forum ended with an overview of the US Government educational and scholarship opportunities for students by Mr Gerald Chilla, who denotated thirty-five copies of eleven different books in French to the department for the benefit of students. The books cover a wide range of subject including culture, society, politics, management, diseases etc.
you can download the PDF version here IEW Report.
Conference in Poland May 12-16, 2016
I participated in a conference at the University of Warsaw, Faculty of “Artes Liberales”, Centre for Studies on the Classical Tradition (OBTA), May 12-16 under the theme: “Chasing Mystical Beast…The Reception of Creatures from Graeco-Roman Mythology in Children’s and Young Adults’ Culture as Transformational Marker”. I presented a paper co-authored with Dr Divine Che Neba, a colleague in my department. Our presentation was entitled: “Myths, Beasts, and Creatures: Towards the Construction of Human Categories in Oral Tradition in Cameroon”. This conference was organized by Prof. Katarzyna Marciniak, who received the Humboldt Alumni Prize for Innovative Research Initiative with me in June 2014. Our research collaboration began during that event, and today my university and OBTA are involved in a European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Project in which she is the PI (Principal Investigator). The project involves three other universities: University of Roehampton, UK; University of New England, Australia, and Bar-Ilan University, Israel. This collaboration is an example of how the Network of scholars within the Humboldt Foundation scheme can have a multiplier effect with long lasting impact on the research of junior scientists.
