“The American corner has just been launched at the Douala linguistics centre. This was during the launching ceremony presided over by the US ambassador to Cameroon Christopher Lamora on Friday August 18th at the Douala linguistics centre in Bonanjo. The space is aimed at connecting the entire world to the American culture, language and way of life. This was made possible through a partnership between the US Embassy, the US government and the regional linguistics centre of Douala since 2021”.
The American corner launched in Douala adds up to the already three corners existing in Cameroon that is, one at US Embassy in Yaounde, another at the university of Buea and in Garoua making four centres. The US ambassador while inaugurating the corner exhorted the entire public to make use of the services the structure offers “These are locations that Cameroonians can use to learn, to study, to come together, to develop their leadership and professional skills, to network, to take advantage of our programming and this has already been the case in Douala since we began the partnership and we know thousands of people are going to come here since we have expanded the place.” Christopher Lamora told the press.
The director of the institution Helen Nama on her part explained that the American corner is a place to be where people who haven’t yet discovered their selves get know their real talents “I just ask the population of Douala and the Littoral region to come and discover the American corner. It’s a place to be, it’s a place to discover, it’s a place where you discover yourself. So many young people have come here to discover that they didn’t even know about their talents and they came here and discovered their talents due to the facilitators and the caliber of people who come here.” Helen Nama said.
The ceremony witnessed the presence of some students who have been following courses of the American corner at the Douala linguistics centre who all gave out their personal testimonies and experiences they have had all through their training at the institution. Those who could not speak or write English were all proud to profess the language fluently to the crowd as the go about with their professional and different spheres of life. “I have learned a lot about the American culture because I have been attending this for two years now and we have people coming from different places in the US, different states and I have had the opportunity to meet them, to talk to them and each one has told me about their own experience, about their own lives and I believe that’s what has added up to what I had so far” Gilles Chokouako , a student at the American corner narrated.
It is worth noting that the cost of the services offered by the institution are free of charge as explained by the director of the said institution. This is in view of making accessible the courses to all categories of people, to all gender and race especially the vulnerable people in the society. Madam Nama while addressing her speech at the ceremony quoted the famous proverb that says “ If Mohamed doesn’t go to the mountain, the mountain will go to Mohamed “ by this saying, the director emphasized the fact that the American corner is ready to meet up with the population at every cost for them to get connected to the American world.
The centre is therefore wide open to welcome the entire public who would want to grab the opportunity of getting new open doors and experiences with the American corner.
Georges M. N.
