On February 14, 2015 local English teachers were celebrating Valentine’s Day by spreading the love of English. The U. S. Embassies in Ouagadougou and Dakar, in collaboration with the BETA/Burkina English Teachers Association, brought together over 80 local English teachers at the American Language Center/Université Aube Nouvelle in Ouagadougou for a day-long workshop. Among the participants were English teachers from Ouagadougou and the Central Region and also six other regions of Burkina Faso. The training sessions were led by 16 American English Language Fellows who are currently teaching all over the African continent. English Fellows are funded by the U. S. government to work in host institutions overseas for 10-month fellowships to teach English and carry out English programs. Hosting the English Fellows in Ouagadougou and organizing this training for local teachers, demonstrates the U. S. government’s commitment to continued support for educational programs in Burkina Faso. By sharing experiences and techniques with local teachers, the Fellows showed they are not only teachers but also educational entrepreneurs empowering the future leaders of Africa.
