Broadcaster Launches Two Vernacular Services, Offers English Language Lessons
By Khalifa Hemed
Published January 29, 2018
BBC World Service has on January 29, 2018 launched new daily radio services airing Monday-Friday in Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya.
BBC says the new radio services–which it says have been available online since September 2017 when websites and Facebook pages in all three languages were launched–‘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’.
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The British multimedia broadcaster says the programme will be broadcast on shortwave, satellite and streamed directly onto the respective page of every service on Facebook.
Announcing the launch of English Language Teaching (ELT) for all three languages, BBC says it shall broadcast Essential English for Beginners on Monday; English Expressions for Intermediate learners on Tuesday; and English Together for Advanced learners on Friday.
English Together will be aired on Friday only, BBC says. It features three presenters (two English and one local language) discussing a current non news topic and examining the language used in the story allowing the user to practise their listening skills and equip them with the grammar and vocabulary needed to discuss the story.
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Like the service in Amharic, Afaan Oromo and Tigrinya, ELT will also be streamed via the respective BBC websites and pages on Facebook.
The Initial broadcast on shortwave is scheduled at 17:30 GMT or 20:30 EAT on three transmitters providing coverage across Ethiopia and Eritrea:
- 7.595MHz
- 11.720MHz
- 12.065MHz
Repeat broadcast shall follow at 18:30 GMT /21:30 EAT
- 9.855MHz
- 15.490MHz
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Satellite
Radio content will go out on the following channels:
- Arabsat (BADR4) – 11.966GHz, Horizontal
- Nilesat 201 -11.843GHz, Horizontal
- Hotbird 13D – 12.597GHz, VerticalEvening satellite broadcast to go out at 17:30 GMT and will be repeated until 21:30 GMT.
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