| Country Ukraine
City Kiev
Host Institution Kyiv-Mohyla Academy
Project Description
The EL Fellow will provide: English language training for journalists and MA students of Journalism Department at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (60%); language practice and in-service training in English teaching methodology for university level and secondary school teachers in Kyiv (30%); language training for other professional groups, including civil servants in Ukrainian government, through programs such as English language radio and conversation club (5%); and presentations at national and regional teacher training conferences and TESOL-Ukraine activities throughout Ukraine (5%).
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow will be assigned to teach English for Journalism course for MA students in the Journalism Department. The course will focus primarily on accepted practices in putting together English language news reports in both the print and electronic media. The Journalism Department at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy was opened only five years ago and its goal is to educate a new generation of journalists in Ukraine by raising their professional standards. This department has also created the Center of Media Reforms which provides regular seminars and trainings for journalists’ professional development. Having a native speaker at their faculty will expand their awareness as to what constitutes a good journalist and will help them strengthen the existing program. One key element of the EL Fellow’s involvement in their program will be teaching a summer semester training course for MA students. We also plan to invite working journalists to attend the trainings during the course of the year.
The current EL Fellow has organized a very active teacher training program at the English Teaching Resource Center (ETRC) that includes weekly methodology workshops for English teachers, a series of seminars on developing business communication skills, on publishing and presentation strategies, textbook writing, an English language conversation club, and doing outreach to cities throughout Ukraine and providing opportunities for the professional development for Ukrainian teachers. Her extensive program has significantly increased the number of teachers who have become regular participants of teacher development programs. Teachers and administrators frequently comment that these seminars, workshops and consultations meet their need professional development needs, and the demand for further seminars and courses has increased. Some participants come from other cities and have to travel all night to attend these sessions. These workshops in Kyiv attract more teachers than space allows for effective teaching and interaction. The US Embassy has started videotaping some of these workshops and will put them on DVDs to be placed at the 22 Window on America libraries and 10 RELO regional resource centers throughout Ukraine. A new EL Fellow will be asked to continue conducting similar weekly methodology workshops at the English Teaching Resource Center in Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and providing English language practice for teachers from Kyiv and the larger region. There are many professionals who have had some language training but do not have much opportunity for language practice. Meetings of the English language conversation club conducted by the current EL Fellow at the ETRC have been very successful as a form of outreach to other professional audiences in Kyiv. The new EL Fellow will be asked to continue this project which helps promote American values to Ukrainian audiences. It will also be very important for the new EL Fellow to continue outreach to teachers in small cities and villages who have little access to training programs. The EL Fellow will be encouraged to give professional presentations at nationwide and regional TESOL-Ukraine conferences. About the Host Institution
Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (KMA) is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Ukraine, where English is the working language. Its educational programs take the best Ukrainian educational traditions, formed through the centuries, and combine them with a modern Western liberal arts education. KMA has a network of high schools and colleges throughout Ukraine. The English Teaching Resource Center (ETRC) at KMA is a professional development for teachers of English and American Studies in Ukraine. It is not only a lending library with an inventory of over 5,000 items in its collection, but also offers weekly teacher training seminars conducted by EL Fellows, Fulbright Scholars in Ukraine, and guest speakers. There are currently over 2,000 registered members, most of them Ukrainian teachers of English, graduate students, or scholars. Although ETRC members are mostly English teachers from the Kyiv region, many teachers from other regions in Ukraine plan regular trips to the ETRC to borrow English teaching materials for their schools and universities, and to attend teacher training workshops for their professional development. The number of ETRC members is increasing every year, as the need for English language teaching and the number of English teachers grows. It is an ideal venue from which to network with Ukrainian institutions responsible for English language teaching programs.
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