Meet a Fellow

Learning about American Culture through Critical Thinking

Anna Grigoryan, ELF in Shymkent, Kazakhstan at the Academy of Languages

In the span of the past year, Anna Grigoryan has taught a subject called Critical Thinking to 250 students at the Academy of Languages in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.  In order to get students to “think globally, and act locally,” she used videos and activities that challenged students to consider controversial topics such as globalization, gender roles and inequalities, and consumerism from multiple perspectives. 

English Teacher Training in Syria

My work with the Ministry of Education was of paramount importance. Although the start was a bit rocky, it turned out to be an interesting mix of training of the English Language Supervisors in Damascus during the fall, followed by observing their training of teachers in the governorates the following spring.