| Country Sri Lanka
City Peradeniya
Host Institution Center for Excellence in English Language Teaching
Project Description The EL Fellow will be assigned to the Center for Excellence in English Language Teaching (CEELT) at the Teachers College campus, Peradeniya. Skills in information and communication technology, critical thinking, workplace communication and team work will be integrated into English courses and learning materials, including online learning. By accrediting more than 100 public and private English language teaching institutions, CEELT will create a network of excellence that will provide intensive English language training to more than 19,000 teacher educators and teachers. In Addition to his/her work at the CEELT, the EL Fellow will work on English teacher training programs at Eastern and South Eastern Universities in Batticaloa and Oluvil (with significant Muslim populations), including an Internet component that will open the door for direct access to American culture, values, and technical expertise. The EL Fellow will offer ongoing and substantive American professional academic contact with Islamic educators. The EL Fellow will also continue to identify opportunities for cooperation with English language training programs at other facilities in the East. The EL Fellow will continue to coordinate with the Ministry of Education on a teacher training program based on an American paradigm of training. This involves selecting 20 teachers to become trainers, providing them with materials developed by the EL Fellow in Thailand, and then enabling each trainee to train 20 teachers on a regular basis in the local community throughout the school year, resulting in 400 teachers receiving regular training modules through the school year. This is an ongoing and sustainable American style training paradigm that is in sharp contrast to the usual "blitz" training that Ministry of Education runs during summer holidays that offer no follow up during the teaching year. The EL Fellow will work on a limited basis with Sri Lanka's new ACCESS program. 156 students are currently enrolled in 2 year English course through ACCESS and the EL Fellow will work with the provider to enhance the courses and bring more American culture and values to the program. English language skills are a key factor in job enhancement so an organized language improvement effort in areas suffering the effects of a long war or in area affected by the Tsunami open doors to economic development. [Click here to view full description] |
