The association of French teachers in Uganda is considering introducing beats in teaching French language to make their classes more enjoyable and attract more students.
Agatha Tumwine Magezi, President of the Association of French Teachers in Uganda (APFO) said that this is one of the interventions that the French teachers are making in their bid to popularize the teaching and learning of French in the country.
Tumwine said this during the 7th edition of the International French Teachers’ Day celebrations held at Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology on Thursday. In fact, this very initiative made the celebrations’ theme which was “Singing, playing, teaching Francophonie through music”
Tumwine explained that the idea of integrating music into French teaching inspired the association to compose its first anthem, which was unveiled at the event. The anthem was written by Jacob Bwambale, who emerged winner ahead of fellow composers Patrick Masereka and Rev. Brian Nsubuga.
The introduction of music is APFO’s latest effort to make French learning more accessible and engaging. Last year, during the 11th Congress of French Teachers held at Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Professor Edith Natukunda urged French teachers to integrate fun activities into their methods to motivate learners.
Natukunda noted that teaching French traditionally can be daunting for students due to complex terminology. However, incorporating it into playful activities and open play, she argued, can enhance students’ language skills and reduce anxiety.
The idea of incorporating music into teaching is not new. Last year, a team of scholars led by Professor Antonia Nannyonga-Tamusuza from the School of Liberal and Performing Arts recommended that secondary schools integrate performing arts into mathematics instruction.
Their study, conducted in schools such as Mubende Army Secondary School and Kitenga Secondary School, found that music and drama could make the subject more interesting and easier to understand.
In the same development, APFO also launched a new textbook titled French Made Easy. The book contains several chapters designed to guide teachers on simplifying French instruction.
“We decided to compile chapters and put them in a book so that every French student can be able to learn equally and avoid exclusion. The role of the teachers now is to empower these students” Tumwine told URN on the sidelines.
French Ambassador to Uganda, Virginie Leroy, who attended the celebration, said the book will be made available to French teachers at all levels primary, secondary, and tertiary.
Speaking at the event, Professor Hellen Nkabala, Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), who represented the Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe thanked Makerere University’s French lecturers for their consistency, noting that their commitment is evident in the recent graduation of a PhD student who successfully defended his thesis in French.
According to Nkabala, this marks significant progress, especially considering that in the past, French graduate students defended their work in other languages something she said was illogical for a discipline centered on the French language.
Nkabala further urged the Department of European and Oriental Languages to introduce a short introductory course to help faculty members acquire basic French skills.
“Can you make a first aid crash course even for staff who want to do French and understand a few things. Because that way we shall learn it further. It might not be our focus, but it will help us communicate and make us more acceptable when we go out in the world,” Nkabala said
French is one of the most spoken languages globally, with over 300 million speakers, 44% of whom reside in Africa. It is a primary language for international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Union. Projections suggest that by 2050, the number of French speakers could reach 700 million, with 80% residing in Africa.
In 2021, French was endorsed as the third official language of the East African Community, following English and Kiswahili, coinciding with the inclusion of three Francophone countries Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—as new member states.
