When I first told people I was going to work in Cameroon, the most common reaction was: “Why?” The second was: “It’s in Africa; you’ll die!” The third: “Where is that?”
So let me give some answers. I was offered a job that looked interesting in a part of the world I’d never been to before. I’d also long had an interest in Africa, so I decided it was time to find out the reality.
A small amount of research showed that in more than 40 years since gaining independence, Cameroon has been a peaceful country with no wars. Not only are there no wars, but Cameroon is a food exporter to the region.
Now, after three years, I can say that these have been the healthiest years of my life! No malaria or any of the other frightening diseases you read about when Africa is mentioned. The worst thing that ever happened to me was a bout of food poisoning — once.
So what is it like to teach here? Well surprisingly not so different from teaching anywhere else.
Most students come to us with a bit of English in their heads. Cameroon is a bilingual country with French and English as official languages, while there are also close to 200 local ethnic languages in a country of 16 million people. French is the dominant language, spoken by about 80% of the population.
The local school system is very traditional and somewhat strict. Perhaps not surprisingly when there can be up to 150 students in the classroom (of which maybe 30 have the books, and there are probably seats for 70).
Like anywhere else, students appreciate it if you know a bit about their country, and not just Roger Milla (the top scorer of the 1990 World Cup, in case you’re wondering). It helps if you know the names of the ten provinces, know who the first president was, or can say a word in a local language.
So in conclusion: Cameroon isn’t just football. Not is it war, poverty and disease. It’s just life and people, like anywhere else.
小题1: On hearing the writer’s decision, most people _____.
A．didn’t understand him
B．considered it as a joke
C．admired him
D．laughed at him小题2:According to the passage, Cameroon is _____.
A．a country full of diseases
B．peaceful after liberation
C．a poor country, especially lack of food
D．quite different from others in education小题3: What can we infer from the passage?
A．Food export may lead to many frightening diseases.
B．Most students in Cameroon do not need books
C．Cameroon is not as bad as people commonly believed
D．There must be a lot of people suffering from food poisoning.小题4:What does the underlined word in the sixth paragraph mean?
A．leading
B．easy
C．only
D．wonderful
