In autumn 2023, Linguapolis ran the first online English language course for young women in Kabul. In collaboration with Mothers for Peace, Veera, the Nicolas of Cusa Foundation and the Antwerp University Association (AUHA), this project was set up to reach out to female students who have been denied access to higher education in Afghanistan since 21 December 2022. The entire course was conducted online and indoors to ensure the safety of all involved.
In this English language course, participants practise and improve their English language skills. The goal is an overall improvement in the English language skills of these young women, allowing them to pursue further online education in English or set up or attend international activities online. This is our way of contributing to the emancipation of young women in Afghanistan, given that this is officially impossible under the current regime.
We went about this as follows: after an individual intake interview, we put together a group of 20 participants with a similar profile in terms of education and linguistic knowledge. In practice, this means that the participants have already participated in higher education or would do so if it were not prohibited for women. The live online classes were scheduled as two-hour sessions and all students were expected to actively participate. However, reality meant that this was not always possible. Due to problems with electricity and the internet, some students were at times unable to attend part of or even the whole class. We had anticipated these problems and were able to work around them by means of a digital coursebook. Students could complete the exercises they had missed via the online platform and then review them themselves. Besides the group lessons, the course therefore included assignments for self-study and homework. This approach required a certain level of digital literacy. Participants were not equally skilled or equally well equipped, which meant a difference in the rate of progress. The fact that some students had to use a smartphone instead of a laptop for this online course was not optimal. Notwithstanding the technical difficulties, the female students were always enthusiastic and - when technology allowed - actively participated in the sessions. They greeted the language teacher and each other every session with 'Good morning dear teacher and dear friends'. The interaction between the students - sometimes in class, sometimes in breakout groups - also became smoother with each class.
After two and a half months of practice, it was time to put their newly acquired knowledge into action. They were tasked with making a list of questions they would like to ask Belgian female students. The language teacher then invited three UAntwerp students to the online classroom. The learners were divided into three groups and interviewed a Belgian student for half an hour. Both the Afghan and Belgian students found this a very enriching experience. It was therefore decided to include some additional half-hour conversation sessions in the online classroom, outside the sessions.
The course concluded with a final exam testing the four skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing). The language course was taught and supervised by a female language teacher with both ample intercultural as well as teaching experience, including in giving live online classes.
The experience was intense and valuable for everyone.
To quote Khatera Shamal, initiator of the Antwerp Long Distance Course: ‘Education for girls in Afghanistan is an absolute necessity. It is the key to empowerment, equality and building a resilient society. Amid education bans for girls in Kabul, these 20 brave girls are making a powerful statement: education is a universal right and the key to freedom and equality.’