TABLE OF CONTENTS

INFORMATION

INTERVIEW

RIBOBO
Padre Klemens

Ë KOTTÒ, is a magazine of the cultural field in all its disciplines.

We are committed to bringing culture closer to our readers. Our goal is to give visibility to sectors that lack this opportunity of presence in large media platforms.

Our publications will be monthly and we will focus on four basic sections and four complementary ones.

INFORMATION, INTERVIEWS, ACTIVITY AND PROMOTION, and SOKKÒ, ËTYÖ LAÖTYA, OPINION y EDITORIAL

INFORMATION: Its content will be based on knowing the path of our guests. That is, what you could call their biography.
2. INTERVIEW. Focused on the professional field.
3. ACTIVITY: Focused on our guest's current affairs.
4. PROMOTION: Publicize everything related to the works of our guest or in its case what it believes necessary to promote related to his or her professional work.

SOKKÒ

It is a section with a variety of socio-cultural news.

ËTYÖ LAÖTYA

It is a section of learning and knowledge about the Bóbë-Bubi identity in its different manifestations.

OPINION

It is a section for sociocultural opinion articles.

EDITORIAL

A general story on a specific theme of each edition.

With the magazine Ë KOTTÓ, we will bring culture a little closer to our homes.

Editorial

WE LEARN

Every time we learn to pronounce a word, to recite a poem or simply to read a text, we have to thank that person who taught us, who educated us with patience and dedication. Those people who want to pass on their knowledge simply pass on the baton because at some point in their lives, they also had to learn.

This month's edition of ekottomagazine.com recognizes the work of a young teacher and writer committed to the education of future generations and their culture. In this vibrant interview he will show us how important it is to educate young people. The interview will also debunk myths and preconceived ideas about the learning of mother tongues.

From here, we celebrate the career of this great professional who will undoubtedly play a very important role in the dissemination of the Bubi language in the educational field.

Story

CARLOS BOLETE LOBETE

He is a native of Rebola, Basupú Fiston and Basilé Bubi. He holds a degree in Hispanic Philology from the National University of Equatorial Guinea (UNGE) and is a technician in Project Management from DREAMS HUB, Center for Technology, Research and Innovation. He teaches Bubi language, history of Africa and Equatorial Guinea and Spanish language and literature. He is a poet and a tireless researcher. He has worked with other young university students in the development and preparation of guides and solutions for the Selectividad test, through the Project of Aid for the Equatoguinean Selectividad (PASE). As a writer he has won several literary awards including the Literary Contest “12 de Octubre”, organized by the Cultural Center of Spain in Malabo and Bata, in the category of poetry, in 2020 with the work “Vida y dilema” and in 2022 with the work “Sombras difusas”.

He has also won the second prize of the Literary Contest “Miguel de Cervantes” organized by the Equatoguinean Academy of the Spanish Language (AEGLE), in the poetry category, in 2020, with the work “Memorias del ayer” and in the essay category in 2024, with the work “La cosmovisión bubi vista desde el prisma del dualismo”.

He has published several poems in Spanish in his personal blog “El Bacalismo” available at https://boletecarloss.blogspot.com. He has done several researches in sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology and dialectology of the Bubi and Spanish languages for a future edition. I have also collaborated with Dreams Hub as a news editor for the Africanian News digital magazine.

Interview

Carlos Bolete Lobete

Ntá Lösöbé. Ko bóyálo – greetings.

Kawele? - How are you?

Thank you for accepting Ë Kottò Magazine's invitation .

1. How can your work as a professor of Hispanic philology contribute to the creation of a Bubi language teaching plan?

As a philologist and teacher, I believe there is much to contribute. There is an urgent need for systematic guidelines that contribute to the dissemination and teaching of the Bubi language. The work already done on this language should be deeply analyzed and be a basis for idiomatic and cultural standardization and uniformity.

2. In what aspects of Hispanic philology can you find parallels or connections that benefit the teaching of Bubi?

Philology, as a discipline that studies a culture as it manifests itself in its language and literature, would undoubtedly help the teaching of the Bubi language through in-depth studies of the cultural heritage of this people: legends, tales, proverbs, traditional music, etc. By studying each of these cultural manifestations starting from the original language, they can be reconstructed, fixed and interpreted. It should be noted that from the point of view of contact linguistics we can observe how Bubi enriches the lexicon and influences the syntactic structures of the Spanish spoken in Equatorial Guinea.

3. What educational methodologies do you think would be most effective to teach Bubi to different age groups?

There are several teaching methods applicable to teaching the Bubi language. However, the best is home teaching. Parents play a fundamental role in forming and shaping the cultural identity of their children. Considering that not everyone has learned Bubi since childhood, we can depend on the methods used to teach a second language. To do this, it is necessary to know the level at which the students arrive. Similarly, we can take advantage of the development of new technologies to innovate in our methodology, creating accounts and platforms where users can learn bubi in an easier and more bearable way.

4. Have you published any literary work related to the Bubi language? If so, could you tell us a little about it?

I have been researching topics related to the Bubi language and culture for years, and I hope to publish them someday.

5. How would you design a Bubi language lesson for a group of 12 or 13 year olds?

To design a bubi language lesson, the level of knowledge of the students must be taken into account. Generally, a diagnosis should be made to find out if the children are beginners or if they arrive with some prior knowledge. From this diagnosis (through a test or a conversation), the lesson can be designed.

6. You are a linguist and a poet. What is the power of words?

The word is one of the most powerful weapons ever employed by human beings. The word is the image of thought. As humans, the word is the mark of identity that differentiates us from animals. As a poet, words are for me a balm to the heart, the voice of my silence. They revive the dying and pervert the noble. As a linguist, the word is the living image of the complex human language and thought.

7. What things have inspired your writing?

Undoubtedly, we live in hybrid societies where each individual is a microcosm with different ideological tendencies, education and lifestyle. However, existential concerns and social problems are a common denominator in all human beings. in that sense, the socio-cultural reality of my environment permeates my works: human struggles, class struggles, daily concerns and the search for well-being are some of the themes that attract me.

8. How can a person who has lost his or her cultural identity reconnect with his or her roots?

The first step to be taken to reconnect with our roots when we have lost our cultural identity is to awaken in us the interest of wanting to know our origins and above all to want to learn our language. In an increasingly global world, the sign of identity is a differentiating and enriching factor. we have heard on several occasions that diversity is richness. so that it is not just a hypothetical diversity where the identity crisis sets the guidelines, it is necessary that all those who are not linked to their roots look for the path that leads them to them.

Interview

9. What revelations has your study of languages brought you?

During the many years of studying linguistics and related disciplines, I have learned several theories that have helped me to have a different vision from the one I had before. I am left with three fundamental positions. First, languages consolidate in our subconscious the concept of cultural identity and help the individual to know himself, forging a notion of belonging to a larger group. Secondly, the term greatness does not apply to languages: there are no languages greater than others. Due to the strong conquests and linguistic policies of each country, many languages have acquired greater social status. However, this does not make them the greatest or the most important. Finally, we must understand that languages are not a genetic code that we are born with. Rather, they must be acquired through learning, otherwise they run the risk of disappearing. Without users, languages do not exist, since they subsist in the minds of the users who employ them.

10. Which of your poems is your favorite and why?

Among my favorite poems is "Dilema vital". This poem is part of the contest I won in 2020 at the cultural center of Spain in Malabo. In it I describe from personal experience the journey of life, where we are not exempt from obstacles. however, I open a range of hope by appealing to resilience in the face of any difficulty, bearing in mind that the road of life is traveled alone. during the brief trajectory of life, it is necessary to develop healthy living habits by letting negativity stay away from us, knowing that our days are numbered.

11. Do you see any particular opportunity that could be used to promote the use and learning of Bubi?

Indeed, the Bubi language is one of the languages referred to as national languages in our constitution. As part of the cultural richness of the country, remarkable efforts should be made for its preservation. As a teacher and connoisseur, I use new technologies and creative writing to share the knowledge I possess. through WhatsApp groups and my personal blog, I try to spread the Bubi language and literature.

12. How do you adapt your pedagogical approach to address the individual needs of students with different learning styles?

I believe that education does not consist of filling the minds of students with simple theoretical knowledge through paradigms to solve mathematical operations. Educating goes beyond simple educational models. The teacher is only a guide. Therefore, the greatest education consists of making the student the architect of his education. Taking into account that not all students have the same degree of attention, as a teacher, I elaborate other mechanisms that can help the student to understand concepts in a similar way. Some manage to understand through practical exercises, through group tasks or by searching for information. In this way, I can get to know the details that each student presents.

13. How important is vocational training in preparing students for today's job market?

It is generally said that no one gives what he or she does not have. Indeed, training is important in the field of teaching. Each academic level requires special training in order to be able to transmit knowledge to the students at that level. It is also a matter of prestige, since students must realize that the person who comes before them is fully qualified to train them. In this sense, the teacher must master his subject so as not to sow doubt in the minds of the students and divert their attention.

14. Could you mention some professional training programs or workshops that you recommend to your students?

I recommend to my students the talks on job orientation that are usually held in schools, the talks and workshops that some NGOs hold in schools. Also, many of them visit websites to get more information on the subject.

15. How does the knowledge of foreign languages influence the career opportunities of your students?

Learning foreign languages is an urgent necessity. Globalization forces us to nourish our curricula with one or two more languages in order to have job opportunities. However, I would like to emphasize the importance of learning the mother tongue beforehand. For, mastering the mother tongue gives us the ability to learn several languages. In this way, students can preserve their cultural identity and expand their professional opportunities.

Interview

16. What strategies do you use to motivate students to learn and practice new languages?

My job as a teacher is to awaken in students the desire to be good professionals and citizens in a scenario where competition is inevitable. Hence, I instill in them the importance of learning languages as an ingredient in the job search and as a mechanism to break down language barriers.

17. What role does academic training play in the integral development of young people?

Knowledge is crucial in shaping the personality. Undoubtedly, in family circles there are certain preconceptions that sometimes impede a young person's development. For this reason, it is necessary for young people to break the family and social molds that sometimes do not encourage them to long for a brilliant academic education. Many are satisfied with a bachelor's degree, however, expanding their knowledge with a bachelor's or master's degree gives them a degree of satisfaction, while positioning the young person in a perfect condition for competition.

18. How do you believe that training and education can contribute to the construction of a more just and equitable society?

In principle, modern societies need to be built on fundamental principles such as respect, integrity and justice. These are the golden rule of human coexistence. When these principles constitute the basis of a society, academic training will be a complement that will help us to build fair societies where healthy competition is provided, goods are distributed equitably and nepotism is eliminated; providing the necessary opportunities to each person according to his or her degree of knowledge, experience and skills.

19. How do you integrate technology in your classes to improve the teaching and learning process?

Technology is an essential tool in the teaching process. In fact, given the current challenges, it has been integrated into the educational system. It is necessary that both teachers and students have knowledge about the management of applications and computer programs that facilitate their work. The abundant information that must be assimilated today requires the use of tools such as computers and smartphones. We can no longer carry around large books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, textbooks, etc. Undoubtedly, technology makes our lives easier and facilitates self-learning.

20. What challenges have you faced in your teaching career and how have you overcome them to improve the quality of the education you offer?

As a teacher, I am called to look for mechanisms to help students develop their abilities. I must take into account the level at which each student arrives, the deadlines established in the school calendar and ensure that the student becomes the protagonist of his or her own education. On many occasions, as a teacher, I must look for the most effective methods to achieve the objectives set. In order to exhaust the topics and make the students grasp the lessons, I apply the method of content synthesis. I group related topics into a single block and synthesize them, and then send them activities to familiarize them with the content of the topic.

Thank you very much.
Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers of Ë Kottò magazine?

I would like to express my sincere thanks. The initiative of this magazine is very good and I believe that as far as possible it awakens in the minds of many the desire to rebuild their cultural identity, which was damaged by the rays of colonization. I believe that it is enough that we continue working and the objectives will be achieved.

Activity

Signing of the work, corresponding to the CCEM 2022 contest.

AEGLE 2024

Graduation at Unge

Certificate of a course in project management

206029523_937551746816935_51872857595013

With writer Oscar Nchaso

Volunteers in a medical aid campaign

Promotion

Ë ILÁM (MY VOICE)

Ë ilám.

Ballá ná bá la ipölla

öámmo ö böém wëla.

Biebba la ëhëá ná ë nkòm wëla

ë la tuturó.

Ë ilám.

Ballá ná bá la etya.

Ë röppa wëla bí la seballa la ëháe,

bësari ná bí la sölla ë bi íkkiò bí hatte

lë sihúruru.

My voice.

Words that emerge

from the depths of my soul.

Sound waves that slide in the tunnels of my neck

slither.

My voice.

Words that grow.

In pain they dream of calm,

symphonic notes that let their breath fly

with the breeze.