New BBC Radio Services And English Language Learning For Ethiopia And Eritrea

29th January, The BBC is today launching new daily radio services which will be aired Monday-Friday in Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya. The new language services have been available online since September 2017 - when they launched websites and Facebook pages in all three languages.

The new radio services will provide impartial news, current affairs, features and analysis for Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as regional and international news. There will be a strong focus on culture, health and original journalism from the region.

The programme will be broadcast on shortwave, satellite - and streamed directly onto each service's Facebook page.

In addition, English Language Teaching (ELT) will feature prominently across the schedulesfor all three languages, with daily content as follows:

· Essential English – Beginners (airs on Monday, repeated on Wednesday)

A functional 5 minute audio course presented by an English speaker and a local presenter, which aims to help beginners to learn English. Learners will be introduced to essential chunks of functional language, which will allow them to start having simple conversations in English immediately.

· English Expressions– Intermediate (airs Tuesday, repeated on Thursday)

This 5 min audio course focusses on common expressions used in everyday English. An English speaking presenter and a local language presenter discuss the meaning and use a different expression each week.

· English Together Advanced (airs Friday only)

This is a bilingual 5 minute audio with three presenters (2 English and one local language) discussing a current (safe i.e. non news) topic and examining the language used in the story allowing the user the practise their listening skills and equip them with the grammar and vocabulary needed to discuss the story.

The programmes are broadcast Monday-Friday at the following times:

• 17:30 – 17.45: Amharic news
• 17.45 – 17:50: Amharic ELT
• 17:50 – 18:05: Afaan Oromo News
• 18.05 – 18.10: Afaan Oromo ELT
• 18:10 – 18:25: Tigrinya News
• 18:25 – 18:30: Tigrinya ELT
Programmes will also be streamed via the respective BBC websites and Facebook pages (see links below).

Details of how to listen:
Amharic: https://www.bbc.com/amharic; https://www.facebook.com/BBCnewsAmharic/

Afaan Oromo: https://www.bbc.com/afaanoromoo; https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafaanoromoo/

Tigrinya: https://www.bbc.com/tigrinya; https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewstigrinya

For further information please contact BBC World Service Group Communications [email protected]