US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI235

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000235 
 
SIPDIS 
 
State for AF, AF/E, AF/PD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, KPAO, PGOV, SCUL, DJ 
SUBJECT: PD LAUNCHES ENGLISH CONVERSATION GROUPS 
 
REF: DJIBOUTI 180 
 
1.   (U) SUMMARY: This week, the Public Diplomacy section 
  began implementing its plan to establish English 
  conversation groups throughout the city. In addition, the 
  section's poster show moved to a busy commercial venue, and 
  the Embassy continued to receive excellent media coverage on 
  its Black History Month and USAID projects. END SUMMARY 
 
2.   (U) Due to the popularity of English language learning, 
  and the comparative lack of native speakers and English 
  language products in Djibouti, the Public Diplomacy section 
  has begun to establish a series of conversation groups, or 
  "oral nights," through the city's 10 private English 
  schools. The first of these groups recently commenced at the 
  English Teacher's Association of Djibouti (ETAD), with the 
  PAO participating as an example of native speaker. 
 
3.   The English language groups are scheduled to expand 
  into the night schools next month. PD intends to supply 
  native speakers for each of the groups on a bi-weekly basis 
  in cooperation with volunteers from Camp Lemonier. We expect 
  30-60 people in each of the 10 schools will participate. The 
  backgrounds of the students vary, but teachers estimate the 
  majority of students are between the ages of 18-40. 
 
4.   In addition, PD has volunteered to assist the groups, 
  which will be run by Djiboutian students or teachers, by 
  providing printed articles in advance of each of the 
  meetings. These articles will be available for each 
  participating student and will serve as the framework for 
  each discussion. 
 
5.   The PAO and PD Assistant also met with the director of 
  Radio Television Djibouti this week to begin negotiations 
  for a version of the English language conversation group for 
  the radio. This weekly program would focus on American life 
  and be moderated by an Embassy representative. It would 
  accept questions via post that would be read and answered on 
  the air by a native English speaker. There has been some 
  discussion of tying the weekly theme of the program in with 
  the weekly theme being pursued at the conversation groups in 
  the private schools. 
 
6.   ETAD and PD efforts to bring the private school 
  teachers together have also resulted in a working group 
  about English language curriculum reform for the private 
  night schools. The Public Diplomacy assistant is 
  participating in that working group, in conjunction with the 
  school directors. 
 
7.   PD this week closed its Black History month traveling 
  poster show with its final installment at Djibouti Telecom 
  (reftel). The Embassy is currently in negotiations with 
  Djibouti Telecom, the government-owned phone and internet 
  company, on a commercial matter. We believe the poster show, 
  and the Ambassador's appearance at its inauguration, were 
  useful good faith gestures. In addition, Djibouti Telecom is 
  a very high traffic area for the public. 
 
8.   PD facilitated coverage of the March 2 inauguration of 
  USAID's rehabilitation of Gabode Secondary School. The 
  ribbon cutting by the Ambassador and the Minister of 
  Education, Abdi Ibrahim Absieh, was showcased with nearly 
  five minutes of coverage on the evening news and in a half 
  page article in the local press. 
 
Ragsdale