EL Fellow Program
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Country Brazil
City Manaus Amazonas
Host Institution Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos/Federal U. of Amazonas
Note: This project starts in February 2008 Project Description
The EL Fellow will spend four days a week at the BNC (Binational Center), and one day a week at the Federal University of Amazonas. These institutions are about 15-20 minutes apart by bus. At the BNC, the Fellow will be one of the instructors in a pre-service methodology course open to advanced students from the BNC and other schools who would like to work as English teachers; work with the BNC staff in the development of supplementary teaching materials; and hold office hours for teachers from the BNC and other institutions to get suggestions for their classes, or to exchange ideas related to teaching practices and problems. At the Federal University of Amazonas, the Fellow will teach one subject for one semester in the English Language Course (School of Arts & Letters). The specific course to be taught will be defined by the head of the Foreign Language Department jointly with the EL Fellow. Total number of contact hours with students and teachers will be 20/week. In addition, the EL Fellow will work on secondary projects, such as developing an in-service training program for the BNC teachers, together with academic coordinators (the course will meet twice a month); developing classroom action research projects and supplementary teaching materials with the BNC teachers; and preparing for contact hour responsibilities
Project Objectives At the BNC
- In-service training for ICBEU teachers
Together with the academic course coordinators, the EL Fellow will develop an in-service training program for the BNC teachers. This training will be held twice a month on Friday afternoons and/or mornings (3 hours each meeting, 24 hours per semester).
- Teacher training course open to the community
The EL Fellow will be one of the instructors in a TTC (teacher training course) open to advanced students from the BNC and other schools who would like to work as English teachers. This course will be given two evenings a week for 17 weeks (total of 15 hours).
- Research
The EL Fellow will help to develop classroom action research projects with the BNC teachers (30 hours).
- Development of supplementary teaching materials
The EL Fellow will work with the BNC staff in the development of supplementary teaching materials (30 hours).
- Teacher training for the State public school teachers
The BNC plans to offer a teacher training and professional development course to the public school teachers. The EL Fellow will teach one or perhaps two modules.
- Office hours for helping and exchanging ideas (schedule permitting)
The EL Fellow will have a specific time set aside to be available for the BNC teachers to come and get suggestions for their classes, or to exchange ideas related to teaching practices and problems. This will be open to all English teachers in Manaus as well as to the English majors at the local Universities.
At the Federal University of Amazonas
- Teaching
The EL Fellow will teach one subject for one semester in the English Language Course (School of Arts & Letters) at the Federal University of Amazonas. The specific course to be taught will be defined by the head of the Foreign Language Department jointly with the EL Fellow.
- Supervision of undergraduate students’ end of term papers
The EL Fellow will supervise two undergraduate students in the writing of their end of the course final paper
About the Host Institution
Manaus, the capital of Amazonas, has a population of two million people. Surrounded by the Amazon Rain Forest and located at the Meeting of the Waters (Rio Negro and Solimões Rivers), Manaus welcomes people who like Eco-Tourism. Also, our Industrial Pole is growing with plants and factories, bringing business people and technicians from all over the world. So, to place oneself well in the competitive job market it is paramount to learn another language, especially English. Instituto Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos (ICBEU) was founded in 1956 by a group of young idealists who created an English Speaking Club that became the Binational Center it is today. No doubt it is the most traditional English school in the city and, fortunately, the most modern and prepared in terms of staff and technological supplies. Currently, it has about 2,200 students and 33 teachers. It is still working hard to develop its EFL teachers with in-service workshops and observations and supporting them in attending TEFL seminars and conferences.
The Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM) is a premier, federally-funded university in the northern region of Brazil and the largest in the state. The EL Fellow will teach one subject for one semester in the English Language Course (School of Arts & Letters) at the Federal University of Amazonas. The specific course to be taught will be defined by the head of the Foreign Language Department jointly with the EL Fellow. The EL Fellow will also supervise two undergraduate students in the writing of their end of the course final paper.
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