Strengthening English Language Teaching Through Collaborative Teacher Engagement in Tabora

As part of its ongoing commitment to improving learning outcomes through teacher empowerment, Community Development Watch (CODEWA), in collaboration with TELTA – Tabora chapter and the Tabora Municipal Council, successfully conducted a consultative workshop for Primary School English Language Teachers in Tabora.

This workshop formed an important foundation for CODEWA’s broader education intervention on improving English language acquisition among young learners, particularly at the primary school level where language forms the cornerstone of all future learning.

Addressing the Language Barrier in Learning

CODEWA recognizes that many children struggle to perform well in school largely due to the English language barrier. Limited language proficiency affects:

• Reading comprehension
• Classroom participation
• Confidence in learning
• Overall academic performance

To effectively address this challenge, CODEWA and its partners first sought to listen directly to teachers — the frontline facilitators of learning.

Purpose of the Workshop: Identifying Real Training Needs

The main objective of this workshop was to conduct a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for English language teachers. The session aimed to:

• Identify gaps in teaching methods and tools
• Understand the key challenges teachers face in helping pupils learn English
• Analyze classroom realities affecting language instruction
• Generate teacher-led solutions that respond to real school environments

Primary school English teachers actively participated in structured discussions, experience sharing, and group reflections.

Key Challenges Identified by Teachers

During the dialogue, teachers openly highlighted several obstacles affecting English teaching, including:

• Limited teaching and learning materials
• Large class sizes with minimal individual attention
• Low exposure to spoken English among learners
• Insufficient continuous professional development opportunities
• Learners’ lack of confidence in speaking English

These honest reflections provided CODEWA and partners with valuable grassroots insights needed to design a relevant and effective capacity-building program.

From Dialogue to Action: Designing a Needs-Based Training Program

Following the workshop, CODEWA and TELTA – Tabora chapter used the findings to:

• Develop a needs-based teacher training framework
• Create a practical work plan for teacher capacity building
• Ensure that upcoming trainings directly address the gaps identified by teachers themselves

This participatory approach ensures that teacher empowerment is not theoretical, but responsive to real classroom challenges and learner needs.

At CODEWA, we firmly believe that empowered teachers produce empowered learners. By investing in teacher capacity, we are directly investing in the future of children across Tabora and beyond.

This workshop reaffirmed our commitment to:

• Evidence-based program design
• Collaboration with government authorities
• Sustainable improvements in teaching quality
• Inclusive and learner-centered education

We sincerely appreciate the partnership of TELTA – Tabora and the Tabora Municipal Council, as well as the dedication of all participating teachers whose insights continue to shape meaningful educational reform.

Together, we are building classrooms where language is no longer a barrier, but a bridge to opportunity.