EL Fellow Program
Site Navigation
Application Links
Links of Interest
|
|
Country China
City Xinjiang
Host Institution Xinjiang Normal University
Project Description
The EL Fellow will be based at Xinjiang Normal University located in far away Western China. The current EL Fellow has succeeded in establishing an excellent environment in which an in-coming EL Fellow can continue English instruction. Xinjiang, whose neighboring countries include Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, includes one of the world’s largest Muslim populations. The goal of the EL Fellow will be to continue the close collaboration with the English Department of Xinjiang Normal University that was established by the current EL Fellow. Now that healthy cooperation has been established between the University and the EL Fellow Program, the newly arrived EL Fellow will be able to immediately carry-on teaching responsibilities and teacher training workshops.
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow will engage in the following activities and oversee the following projects:
- English language teaching (Xinjiang Normal University’s English language students run into the many thousands. Given their great distance from Beijing and the many Western influences that have shaped Eastern China, these students lack the same quality language instruction their Chinese peers receive elsewhere. The EL Fellow is certainly to have a rewarding experience assisting these eager students hone their English language skills. The EL Fellow will provide insights into American culture, history and society to this student population eager for first hand knowledge about life outside of Xinjiang Province)
- Teacher training (many of the English language students at Xinjiang Normal will be teaching English upon completion of their university studies. The EL Fellow will provide these future teachers of English with one of their only opportunities for interaction with a native English speaker)
- Teacher training workshops (in addition to the future English language teachers enrolled in the regular Xinjiang Normal curriculum, the EL Fellow with support of the University will access current teachers through a series of teacher training workshops designed to draw in teachers from the greater city and surrounding communities)
- Full participation as a faculty member of the University English Language Department (Xinjiang Normal University has accepted the current EL Fellow as an equal and respected peer. The new EL Fellow should also make all efforts to become integrated into the faculty community in order to positively affect teaching methodologies and advise the PAS on continuing needs for collaboration)
About the Host Institution
Along with Xinjiang University, Xinjiang Normal University is the leading institution of higher learning in Xinjiang Province. The University has a higher minority population and has traditionally received less attention than the rival Xinjiang University. Xinjiang Province is home to 20 million Chinese representing 55 different ethnic groups. Ethnic minorities make up 60% of the region's population and a sizeable portion of Xinjiang Normal University's student make-up. Xinjiang Normal University enrolls approximately 23,000 students. In addition to a strong foreign language department, Xinjiang Normal University is known for its Ethnology and Religion Studies programs. In 1995, the University was included on the List of International Universities issued by the Association of International Universities of UNESCO.
| |
