Watch your English:

New English Language User’s Guide launched

By Ajongakou Santos in Buea

The Buea University Group for English Language and Educational Research (UGELER) through Dr. FontemNeba and Tabah Emmanuel has published their latest product: An English Grammar and Writing Course. The book was launched last October 8, 2015 at the Dorothy LimungaDjeuma Amphitheatre of the University of Buea.

                According to the authors, the book is designed for advanced learners of English; it will also serve as resource manual for both teachers and students at GCE O'L and A'L.

                “It is a response to the gap evident in the mastery of English grammar, writing and vocabulary skills in the scripts of senior and post-secondary school students in Cameroon. It also provides a useful guide and supplement to the understanding and usage of grammar rules, writing tips, vocabulary and academic language, Dr. FontemNeba enthused.

Dr. Fontem adds that this new edition includes elaborate explanations of word relations – synonyms, antonyms, analogies, vocabulary in context idioms and collocations; it focuses on sentence construction and can be used in the classroom with the teacher’s help or at home as a self-study book.

                “With the explanations and exercises provided, every learner will have the chance to write and speak good English,” the authors hoped.

                The University Group for English Language and Educational Research has as well published other books, notably; Investigating Modes of Language Acquisition and Proficiency and English Language mastery and academic success.

                The book launch that brought together some University Dons was preceded by a Seminar on “The Challenge of English Language Teaching”. The seminar helped to allay some of the key difficulties most lecturers and teachers of English Language face in the teaching of the Language. Amongst them, access to the right material, access to the internet and the complications that come along with understanding some of the material downloaded from the Internet.  It certainly is against this backdrop that the new publication, according to its authors will help address most of these challenges.

                The authors have however observed that the book on its own is not complete. They are therefore calling for feedback from users of the book especially teachers and students. 

                Fontem A. Neba holds a PhD from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He teaches English lexicology, syntax and English language pedagogy at the University of Buea. He also has been the Coordinator of the Use of English Programme (2005-2012) at UB and has coordinated the University of Buea Intensive English Language Course and English Language Proficiency Test (2005-2011). He is currently Senior Programmes Officer of the University Group for English Language and Educational Research (UGELER).

                For his part, Emmanuel N. Tabah holds an M.Phil (D.E.A) from the University of Yaounde I. He has also taught Use of English at the University of Buea since 2004. He is also the editor of UGELER.