AY 2008-2009 Projects - Europe/Eurasia

Full Project Descriptions

• Albania, Elbasan University/Peace Corps Office - Filled

• Armenia, Yerevan State Medical University - Filled

• Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan Tourism Institute/AzETA - Filled

• Azerbaijan, Lankaran State University - Filled/Confirmed Renewal

• Azerbaijan, State Student Admissions Committee/ADA - Filled
• Belarus, Grodno State University - Cancelled
• Bosnia, University of Bihac/Medresa Cazin - Filled

• Bosnia, Dzemal Bijedic University/Medresa Mostar/American Corner - Filled

• Bosnia, University of Tuzla/Medresa of Tuzla - Filled

• Bulgaria, University of Plovdiv - Filled

• Denmark, Inerisaavik - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
• Georgia, Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia - Filled
• Hungary, Gandhi HS/Romaversitas Foundation - Filled

• Kosovo, Medressa/American Corner - Filled

• Kosovo, Faculty of Education/American Corner - Filled/Confirmed Renewal

• Kosovo, University of Pristina/Kosovo English Teacher Association (KETA) - Filled

• Moldova, Aleccu Russo State University

• Romania, Iasi County Inspectorate for Education/Moldavia Association of Teachers of English - Filled
• Russia, Hertzen Russian State Pedagogical University/SPELTA - Filled

• Russia, Far Eastern National University/In-Service Retraining Center - Filled

• Russia, In-Service Teacher Training Institute/American Center - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
• Russia, Ministry of Education of Samara Oblast/NGO "EL Center" - Cancelled

• Russia, Novosibirsk State Technical University/EL Teachers Association - Filled/Confirmed Renewal

• Russia, Southern Federal University/American Center - Filled
• Serbia, International University of Novi Pazar - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
• Serbia, University of Belgrade - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
• Turkey, Ataturk University - Filled
• Turkey, Cukurova University - Filled
• Turkey, Gaziantep University - Filled
• Turkey, Karadeniz Technical University - Filled

• Turkey, Pamukkale University/ Turkish American Association - Filled

• Turkey, Selçuk University - Filled

• Ukraine, Luhansk National Pedagogical University - Cancelled

• Ukraine, Ministry of Education and Science/English Teaching Resource Center - Filled

   

Albania
City                              Elbasan
Host Institution           Elbasan University/Peace Corps Training Center
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              Mid-September 2008 – Mid-July 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, Teaching Methodologies

Project Description  
The EL Fellow will provide lectures for the "American Civilization", "American Literature" and "English Language Teaching Methods" courses that his/her predecessor has been developing and piloting. Three junior faculty will continue attending the lectures; work with the EL Fellow on revising the courses based on student feedback; and run the seminar courses in collaboration with the EL Fellow. By the end of the EL Fellowship, these three local faculty members will be prepared to teach these courses in a manner that reflects an American approach to teaching and learning. In addition, the EL Fellow can work with various committees that are involved in drafting curricula and program plans for the new MA programs. Based on the EL Fellow's own recent MA experiences, s/he could provide input on the American model of English language teacher preparation. The addition of American perspectives on these courses will prove critical in the faculty's attempt to develop practical, relevant MA standard-based programs shaped by the latest approaches to professional teacher education and development.    In addition, the EL Fellow will provide teacher training to the Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) who are assigned to different elementary and secondary schools all over the country. The PCVs have little or no education or training in TESL or TEFL whereas the EL Fellows have formal education in either of the above. The Peace Corps Office in Albania frequently calls on EL Fellows in Albania to assist with volunteer training and preparation. The PC training center is ideally based in Elbasan which is in the heart of Albania. Because of its central location, this makes it easy to reach out to PCVs throughout the country.  

Project Objectives
The Faculty of Philology of the University of Elbasan has, in accord with Bologna reforms, designed MA programs in English language teaching, American and British Studies and interpretation/translation. Until now, the program has been exclusively an undergraduate program. Last year an EL Specialist worked with the faculty drafting the first standard-based undergraduate and graduate programs in the country. An EL Fellow is needed to help faculty members implement these programs. To date, the EL Fellow placement in Elbasan has proven to be invaluable. It has provided much needed input into American Studies and ELT methods content in an evolving program, and has helped to start the training of junior faculty in taking over these courses. It has helped support the university in carrying out various curricular reforms and in furthering its goal of infusing civic education content throughout the program. The placement for another year at this institution would help consolidate these efforts. The Albania Peace Corps Office is increasing the number of PCVs teaching English based on the country needs. The US Embassy and the PC Office work closely together and the latter are very appreciative of the contribution of the EL Fellows in training PCVs. Both the Embassy and PC Albania are aware of the major differences in qualifications and professional expertise that EL Fellows and PC Volunteers bring to the country. It should also be noted that EL Fellows are placed at major institutions like universities and governmental institutions to offer an expertise through English language. Whereas volunteers work with high school students or teachers in small towns or villages. They do this mostly as native English speakers rather than trained instructors. The Embassy and PC Office also coordinate to ensure cooperation between the two programs and to avoid any overlapping between them. In fact, a dynamic synergy has evolved between the two programs, making each more effective in achieving its differing objectives.   

About the Host Institution
The Faculty of Philology of the University of Elbasan has, in accord with Bologna reforms, designed MA programs in English language teaching, American and British Studies and interpretation/ translation. Until now, the program has been exclusively an undergraduate program. An EL Fellow is needed to provide US input on the content of American TEFL graduate programs and help faculty members implement these programs. An EL Fellow could also contribute to aspects of designing the American component of the American and British studies course. To date, the EL Fellow placement in Elbasan has proven to be invaluable in providing badly needed American Studies and ELT methods content into an evolving program and has helped to begin to train junior faculty in taking over these courses. It has also served to help support the university in carrying out various reforms at the curricular level and furthering its goal of infusing civic education content throughout the program. The placement for another year at this institution will help consolidate the efforts. At the invitation of the Albanian government, the Peace Corps program began in Albania in 1991, but was suspended temporarily from 1997 until 2003. Since 2003, the Peace Corps program has flourished, with Group 9 being the largest group of Volunteers to serve in Albania (forty).   

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Armenia
City                              Yerevan
Host Institution           Yerevan State Medical University
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
English for Speaking, Medical English, Reading/Writing/Listening  

Project Description
The goal is to expand the teaching of medical subjects in English through improving the teaching of speaking and comprehension skills to university faculty and medical residents. This includes:
- Improve students’ English speaking and comprehension skills
- Teach through developing tasks in which students will utilize the medical terminology and tools
- Define key terminology in the teaching process
- Create interactive learning environment where students can benefit from group activities/projects and can be involved in professional discussions in English
- Develop presentation skills
The EL Fellow will teach English speaking to four different groups: (1) university faculty, (2) medical residents, and (3) university affiliated practicing doctors, and (4) senior year students - with a goal of increasing their comprehension and communication skills. A focus on medical terminology and content is expected. Each group (there will be several subgroups in the first three groups) will meet once a week for two hours. These duties will include developing a set of materials that would reflect different levels of English in these four groups as well as the content specific to their medical background and performance. Although the primary goal is to develop English speaking skills, the teaching should also reflect other three aspects of English language teaching, i.e. reading, writing, and comprehending.   The goal is to enhance the language teaching skills of young English teachers of the university by familiarization with new methods and approaches. This includes:
- Learn new methods of teaching speaking, reading, writing, and comprehension skills
- Practice the new skills through classroom activities and home assignments
- Develop skills of adapting various situations to different teaching methods
- Combine various methods to reach the same goal
- Work in teams to encourage joint results
- Formulate strategies of teaching English to various audiences (students, professors, residents, and mixed groups)
- Use Internet resources to obtain new information and produce new knowledge
- Develop short lesson plans.
The EL Fellow will work with young English teachers through seminars/workshops in the methodology of English language teaching focusing on all four skills of TEFL, i.e. speaking, writing, reading, and comprehension. These will be weekly meetings two hours each. The EL Fellow will also identify two or three young faculty members with whom he will work on materials development and adapting new materials to the existing curriculum requirements. On occasional basis, the EL Fellow will be asked to do workshops for the teachers of the Association of English Language Teachers of Armenia, American Corner, English Clubs, and other US Government supported events, which thematically conform to the EL Fellow’s background.   
Project Objectives
As a result of the EL Fellow Project the percentage of the faculty that can redesign their courses and deliver them in English is expected to increase. The usage of English language professional materials as well as scientific articles should expand through various specialties. The English teachers should be equipped with up-to-date skills to teach English more effectively to their medical audience. The medical residents should be able to communicate with medical vocabulary and be ready to make presentations in English. As an additional activity the EL Fellow will be asked to look at the curriculum and assist with developing tips for English teachers to improve the teaching process.  

About the Host Institution
The Yerevan State Medical University is the only state academic institution of higher learning in medicine in Armenia. Although there are several private medical schools in the country, this university is the most prestigious educational institution, which provides a medical degree program. To date, the university has trained over 25000 doctors, of whom about 1400 are citizens of twenty-six foreign countries. There are more than 3000 students studying at the university and about 1500 university faculty staff including training support staff members. There are four departments divided into sixty-four chairs covering specialties in general medicine, stomatology, and pharmacology. The university seeks international recognition and has been cooperating with European medical institutions on various programs. As a result there was a shift from Russian-language materials to the English-language ones. To enhance international cooperation and create opportunities for student changes and faculty training, the university joined International Association of Universities in 2000. Besides European organizations the university also cooperated with the Medical Board of California in the US. The English Language Department has seventeen teachers, the majority of which are young faculty members who have not participated in teacher training programs. Considering the limited resources, the university is not in the position of initiating and covering costs for training the teachers. The US Embassy considers this institution a strategic one. The US Government has made substantial contributions in creating a public health sector in Armenia, however, very little was done to equip the faculty with specific English language skills to provide for international communication, to make use of a vast database of scientific knowledge, and to help the local academia integrate in world-wide scientific dialogue. Health is a primary human value which has a global importance. The US Embassy believes that improved English teaching will significantly contribute to the integration of the local medical community in the global health network.  

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Azerbaijan
City                              Baku
Host Institution           Azerbaijan Tourism Institute/Azerbaijan English                                                Teachers Association (AzETA)  
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Marketing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Tourism   

Project Description
The EL Fellow will help the students of the newly established Azerbaijan Tourism Institute (ATI) build their conversational English language skills and become more familiar with American culture and tourism opportunities. Students at the Tourism Institute will be young Azerbaijani specialists in the newly developing tourism market. The EL Fellow will also provide conversational class for the teachers of English at the Institute, as well as conduct workshops and trainings to teach new methods of English teaching. S/he will develop a practical English textbook specifically designed for the Tourism Institute and will help the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to develop a guide book about Azerbaijan’s tourism locations and offerings.    The EL Fellow will also work closely with AzETA and hold regular teacher trainings for its members, help with the English Access Microscholarship Program around Baku, occasionally visit AzETA branches and hold workshops for the English teachers. S/he will also hold English conversational classes for the public at the US Embassy-sponsored American Corner located at the University of Languages. The EL Fellow will also be requested to hold Academic Writing workshops for the teachers.   

Project Objectives
The US Embassy seeks to develop a wider base of English language speakers throughout Azerbaijan, which, with its 93% (predominantly Shia) Muslim population, as well as its strategic location between Iran, Turkey, and Russia, is an important regional partner for the US. Proficiency in English will help the country to develop its market and democracy, obtain access to more educational resources, and foster a more free and open information environment. Developing English language skills in Azerbaijan will also create a more receptive audience for US culture, ideas, and initiatives. In order to facilitate the development of teaching English, the Embassy works closely with AzETA and has supported many of its events. With the support of the Embassy, AzETA has already established four satellite branches in rural regions outside the capital city of Baku, with other branches currently under discussion.  

About the Host Institution
ATI was established in 2006 with the initiative of developing tourism in Azerbaijan. Its School of -Tourism and Leisure Management has eight majors:
1. Tourism Management
2. Tourism Marketing
3. Tourism socio-cultural service
4. Sports tourism
5. Art and cultural tourism
6. Health, spa and wellness tourism
7. Travel and Tourism Guiding (bilingual)
8. Service and medical treatment administration in resorts
The Institute has 500 students with about 20 English teachers. The Rector of ATI is personally interested in developing students English skills, as well as English teachers' professional development.

AzETA is a professional non-government, non-profit organization of English teachers of Azerbaijan. It unites more than 600 English teachers throughout the country. It was established in 1995 and officially registered in 1996. Since its establishment, AzETA works closely with British Council, Open Society Institute-Assistance Foundation and US Embassy in Azerbaijan. AzETA also seeks possibilities to co-operate with ELT and/or education related programms/organisations both in Azerbaijan and world-wide. As a member of RENTA (Regional Networking of Teachers' Associations) AzETA closely co-operates with the TAs of the region and implements joint projects and regularly seeks opportunities to extend co-operation with them. The Mission of the Association is to provide support for high quality education in ELT, professional development of English language teachers of the country. AzETA has a strategy of supporting ELT through different activities: teacher training, materials development, study tours, TV matinees, conversation groups, workshops, etc. Unlike support to one or two individual institutions, this strategy enables AzETA to assist the professional development of teachers of secondary schools and universities throughout Azerbaijan both in public and private sectors. Such a strategy has produced impressive results and builds networks of teachers, committed and empowered to implement Education Reform of the Ministry of Education. AzETA is managed by the Executive Board. 

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Azerbaijan
City                              Lankaran
Host Institution           Lankaran State University
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, Computers, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques  

Project Description
The EL Fellow currently in Lankaran is working closely both with university students and teachers, as well as local secondary school teachers and community. With the EL Fellow’s assistance, 8 faculty members from Lankaran State University and local secondary school teachers attended AzETA’s National Conference in Baku. None of these teachers had attended an AzETA conference before; their excitement in being there was obvious from the initial plenary session to the final awards ceremony. The EL Fellow also helped coordinate a teacher training session conducted by two AzETA trainers and plans to explore the establishment of an AzETA branch in the Lankaran region. The EL Fellow has been co-teaching the third year students at the university, helped re-introduce a student newspaper, and launched a film club. In 2008-2009, the EL Fellow will continue teaching English to the students of Lankaran State University and assist teachers there in developing an ESL curriculum. S/he will also establish English conversation, film, book, writing, and music clubs for teachers in the community and expand the current conversation clubs for students. The EL Fellow will continue to educate English teachers in the region about AzETA, recruit members, encourage them to attend the 2008 conference in Baku, as well as to share their new knowledge with other teachers in the region. With financial support from the US Embassy, s/he will establish a sustainable English Language Center to serve as a resource for students, teachers and others in the region who are interested in developing their English language skills and English language teacher training skills. This center would also serve as an office for the future AzETA branch and as a training facility. The EL Fellow will also visit villages outside of Lankaran in order to inform those teachers about AzETA and conduct workshops. She will continue working with young devout Muslims from local medressas enrolled in the English Access Microscholarship Program and create an Enjoy English Club in this region. Having an EL Fellow in this critical, conservative, religious region bordering Iran has already yielded major dividends. We are extremely interested in maintaining an EL Fellow there to help increase the level of English language teaching and learning.  

Project Objectives
The US Embassy seeks to develop a wider base of English language speakers throughout Azerbaijan, which, with its 93% (predominantly Shia) Muslim population, as well as its strategic location between Iran, Turkey, and Russia, is an important regional partner for the US. Proficiency in English will help the country to develop its market and democracy, obtain access to more educational resources, and foster a freer and open information environment. Developing English language skills in Azerbaijan will also create a more receptive audience for US culture, ideas, and initiatives. In order to facilitate the development of teaching English, the Embassy works closely with AzETA and has supported many of its events. With the support of the US Embassy, AzETA has already established four satellite branches in rural regions outside the capital city of Baku, with other branches currently under discussion.   

About the Host Institution
Lankaran State University (LSU) of founded in 1992 after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The university has 1500 students with about 100 faculty members. It has departments of "Language and Literature", "Pedagogy and Psychology", "History and Philosophy", "Information Technology", "Geography and Ecology", etc. LSU has an Undergraduate, Graduate, and Post-Graduate Schools. About 100 students study at LSU to be English teachers and they are taught by approximately 12 English faculty.  

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Azerbaijan
City                              Baku
Host Institution           State Student Admissions Committee/ADA 
Type of Project           Fellow 
Project Dates              September 2008-June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques

Project Description
The EL Fellow will work with the Azerbaijani Government, specifically with the State Student Admissions Committee (SSAC) and the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA). At the SSAC, the Fellow will help develop materials to test students on their English language ability and to develop a curriculum to improve the English skills of high school students who are awarded government-funded scholarships to study in the United States. The GOAJ has recently launched a major study abroad initiative and plans to fully fund the study of 5000 students in the next 5 years. The U.S. Embassy seeks to have this EL Fellow help the SSAC structure an in-country English teaching program for qualified students who need to polish their language skills before studying abroad. The EL Fellow will work with local teachers to develop a program, as well as work directly with students who will study abroad on GOAJ scholarships. The EL Fellow will conduct teacher trainings, workshops, and seminars for the teachers selected to teach these students. S/he will also advise the SSAC about the university admission process and teach them IBT and GRE verbal, writing. The EL Fellow will also work with SSAC to improve their English tests for their regular standardized university entrance exams.   In addition, the EL Fellow will teach diplomats and civil servants enrolled at the Advanced Foreign Service Program (AFSP) of the Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA) and will work with the ADA to develop a curriculum and materials for future use by other English teachers. The EL Fellow may also work to create an Academic Writing Center at ADA and structure the department of English to cover thematic English language programs (diplomacy, international relations, etc).  

Project Objectives
PAS Baku seeks to develop a wider base of English language speakers throughout Azerbaijan, which, with its 93% (predominantly Shia) Muslim population, as well as its strategic location between Iran, Turkey, and Russia, is an important regional partner for the United State. Proficiency in English will help the country to develop its market and democracy, obtain access to more educational resources, and foster a freer and more open information environment. Developing English language skills in Azerbaijan will also create a more receptive audience for U.S. culture, ideas, and initiatives. In order to facilitate the development of teaching English, the U.S. Embassy works closely with AzETA and has supported many of its events. With the support of the U.S. Embassy, AzETA has already established four satellite branches in rural regions outside the capital city of Baku, with other branches currently under discussion.   

About the Host Institution
The State Students Admission Commission (SSAC) is an independent Ministerial-level agency that reports directly to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Founded in 1992, the SSAC is responsible for testing students applying for admission to (public, private and military) schools, colleges, and universities, covering on average 100,000 applicants annually. The broad purpose of the SSAC is to advance quality and help ensure equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments. Since 2005, the SSAC has been administering examinations for admission to the Master degree programs of Universities.

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Belarus
Country                       Belarus
City                              Grodno
Host Institution           Grodno State University
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
English for Speaking, American Studies

Project Description
The EL Fellow will be affiliated with the Department of Theory and Practice of English at the Grodno State University (GrSU). For the last four academic years GrSU has had a highly successful experience hosting four English Language Fellows. Their ELT work, involving teaching English to undergraduate students as well as versatile outreach and community service with a special focus on teaching English, has been much appreciated by the host institution as well as the local community. The US Embassy believes it is essential to bring a new EL Fellow to GrSU in AY 2008-2009, as s/he will have an opportunity to build up on the existing program as well as introduce new innovative ELT approaches to both the student body and faculty. The new EL Fellow will be in charge of teaching English language courses to undergraduate students as well as facilitating faculty development. English courses requested by the host institution to be taught during academic year 2008-2009 include: English Conversation, American Studies, and Cultural Awareness in Teaching English. The host institution is genuinely interested in utilizing the EL Fellow’s knowledge and expertise for professional advancement of its faculty through faculty development workshops, guest presentations, collaboration with the local teaching community, etc.  In addition, the American Corner at Grodno Regional Library is an excellent venue for EL Fellow activity. The community outreach component of the EL Fellow Program in Grodno will be achieved via informal interaction with representatives of different social, age and professional groups geared around American Corner programs. The projected events to be facilitated by an EL Fellow include but are not limited to discussion club meetings, movie nights and follow-up discussions, ESP English classes, etc.  

Project Objectives
The EL Fellow Program is a key component of public diplomacy and outreach for the US Embassy in Minsk and contributes importantly to goals promoting democracy (greater knowledge of the US system and Americans), encouraging free flow of information as well as enhancing mutual understanding. The work of an EL Fellow directly with students, teachers and professors as well as the community at large also helps the Embassy reach target audiences of youth and educators and underscores the important role that English languages learning is playing in Belarus as a vehicle for promoting greater international contact and potential future economic change as well as increasing understanding of more democratic systems. The Embassy believes it is particularly important to continue cultivating contacts outside of Minsk in regional centers such as Grodno which is why the Embassy is requesting EL Fellow placement at the major university in this city. The EL Fellow's class instruction, faculty development activities and facilitation of AC programs all will help develop needed English language skills and promote a more realistic and positive image of the U.S. within this important regional population.   

About the Host Institution
GrSU was originally founded as a regional teacher training institute. In 1978, it acquired the status of a university and, since then, it has been one of the largest and leading institutions of higher education in western Belarus. The University's 11 schools, including the renowned School of Philology, provide academic and professional training to more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students. GrSU cooperates with educational and research centers in Russia, the U.S., Poland, Sweden, France, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, and other countries. The university works to develop joint projects that are supported by international foundations like TEMPUS, TACIS, and the Eurasia Foundation. The Department of Theory and Practice of English hosted the first EL Fellow in the 2003-2004 academic year. The department that the EL Fellow will be affiliated with is in charge of training English teachers for local schools. The Department has an extensive American Studies collection provided to GrSU by the U.S. Embassy. Highly enthusiastic and dedicated faculty and students will make an EL Fellow’s stay in Grodno professionally stimulating and memorable.

Bosnia
Country                       Bosnia
City                              Bihac
Host Institution           University of Bihac/Medresa Cazin  
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, American History, ELT  

Project Description
As part of an on-going effort to support the Faculty of Pedagogy, the EL Fellow will teach and further develop required courses on American studies themes including American Culture and Civilization (2nd year), US History and Understanding American Voices through the Media. The EL Fellow will be responsible for developing and administering exams for these courses. At the Faculty of Islamic Studies, the EL Fellow will continue to develop and teach two courses for Islamic Studies majors and teaching assistants. The EL Fellow will also continue to teach professors and upper level administrators an English language and US studies course at the Faculty of Islamic Studies. The EL Fellow will teach a bi-weekly (two 90 minute sessions) English course to secondary school students enrolled at the local Medresa who are recipients of ACCESS micro-scholarships. The EL Fellow will also continue to be active in developing and implementing regular and relevant programs for the Bihac American Corner. Because of the close linkage with the Faculty of Islamic Studies -- one of only three in the entire country – the US Embassy places the highest priority on this EL Fellow position. The Embassy also considers continued engagement with the nearby medresa to be essential.  In summary, the EL Fellow will develop and pilot American studies theme courses for undergraduate English majors; work with Islamic Studies majors and teaching assistants on improving their English and deepening their understanding of American society; expose secondary school students enrolled in medresas (Islamic high schools) to intensive English and American society courses; further developing relevant programming at the American Corner in Bihac; and work with secondary school teachers from rural areas on methods and approaches to English teaching.

About English ACCESS Microscholarship Program
ACCESS is new initiative in the field of English language study being introduced by the US Embassy Office of Public Affairs and the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This program provides a small number of local scholarships for English language study for high school students in six selected locations. The two semester program is to take place from October/November, 2008 to July 2009. Currently in Tuzla, Bihac and Mostar there are 20 students in each class totaling 60 in these 3 cities out of 6 cities in all of the country. The program is fully funded by the US Government; up to ten students from each school may participate in this advanced English language course. Number of students is subject to negotiation with EL Fellows/U.S. native-English speakers. The classes are taught by EL Fellows and American native-English speakers with teaching qualifications who are resident in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Selected students are to meet with the designated instructor for their Medresa in late September to receive course textbooks and participate in a needs analysis session. The courses are to be held in either a nearby American Corner (e.g. in Bihac, Tuzla, Mostar, and Zenica) or in the Medresas themselves where there are no corners. At the end of the training program, scholarship recipients will receive a framed award certificate signed by the Ambassador.

Project Objectives
The University of Bihac is the youngest university in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established in 1997. The Faculty of Islamic Studies is one of two such faculties in Bosnia (the other being in Sarajevo) and its graduates play prominent roles in religious and secular fields alike. The Faculty of Islamic Studies plays a critical role in influencing the attitudes and perspectives of Bosnia’s Islamic Community. At the Faculty of Pedagogy, there continues to be a serious shortage of qualified staff. All lectures are taught by commuting professors (usually from Croatia). The 5 assistants plus the ELF handle the seminars, practical sessions and language exercise courses. The university is striving to establish itself as a more independent entity by encouraging a cadre of dedicated, talented, young assistants to earn the requisite graduate degrees so that they can conduct the lecture courses and sit on examination committees. The ELF has been playing an important role in supporting this process.  

About the Host Institution
The University of Bihac is the youngest university in Bosnia and Herzegovina, established in 1997. The Faculty of Islamic Studies is one of two such faculties in Bosnia (the other being in Sarajevo) and its graduates play prominent roles in religious and secular fields alike. The Faculty of Islamic Studies plays a critical role in influencing the attitudes and perspectives of Bosnia’s Islamic Community. At the Faculty of Pedagogy, there continues to be a serious shortage of qualified staff. All lectures are taught by commuting professors (usually from Croatia). The 5 assistants plus the EL Fellow handle the seminars, practical sessions and language exercise courses. The university is striving to establish itself as a more independent entity by encouraging a cadre of dedicated, talented, young assistants to earn the requisite graduate degrees so that they can conduct the lecture courses and sit on examination committees. The EL Fellow has been playing an important role in supporting this process.

The Medresa in Cazin is located in a rural area and serves students from primarily marginalized communities from across the region. There are approximately 200 students enrolled in the secondary school. The school plays an influential role in educational affairs throughout the region.

About American Corners
In order to extend the public diplomacy outreach on vital issues of representative government, human rights, anti-terrorist activities and transparent social process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, US Embassy in Sarajevo established six “American Corners” so far with a prospect of establishing one to two more. The American Corners reach out to large number of citizens. The American Corners also provide information about United States history, government, society, values, institutions which shape those policies; serve as a distribution center for public diplomacy materials and provide access to computers and the Internet. They also provide citizens with enhanced opportunities for self-improvement and empowerment. The US mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina invested a great deal of effort and money in promoting free flow of information and access to information throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still lacking diversity of information sources and scholars, journalists and wider audiences in their work very often depend on a very limited number of information sources. Therefore, supporting the establishment of the American Corners in Tuzla, Bihac, Mostar, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Zenica, opens an opportunity to provide information from different sources and directly contribute to better flow of information and would further foster the understanding of American policies. The American Corners offer an opportunity to all interested parties including journalists, scholars, and students etc. to have an access to various sources of information. They provide the resources the public needs to be well informed and to participate fully and actively in every aspect of the society. The American Corners represent institutions where people have free access to information and thereby the opportunity to participate in all aspects of society, where they could learn and understand new things about the United States and its society. The American Corners make sure that United States’ society, its policies and values are present and understood at all times and this is where EL Fellows play a critical role as real ambassadors of the US. Developing American Corners at six different cities all over Bosnia further support Embassy’s goals of strengthening democratic society and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.   

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Bosnia
City                              Mostar
Host Institution           Dzemal Bijedic University/Medresa Mostar/American Corner
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, Speaking, Academic Writing, Methods of Teaching  

Project Description
At the Dzemal Bijedic University in Mostar the EL Fellow will teach language communication classes and academic writing skills classes to 2nd, 3rd and 4th year students. Classes meet twice weekly, each for 90 minutes. The EL Fellow will be expected to teach standard practices for academic research. The EL Fellow will also teach the fourth year language teaching methodology course. S/he will be responsible for administering required exams. Using the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEF), the EL Fellow will develop pre and post tests and activities and syllabi that help students achieve higher levers within that system. By modeling an approach that is pegged to CEF standards/benchmarks, the EL Fellow will demonstrate to his/her local colleagues the validity and relevance of a different approach to the official examination routine - one that is more in line with Council of Europe's language education mandates. The EL Fellow will plan presentations on criteria based assessment focusing on the CEF to his/her colleagues and demonstrate how the communicative courses s/he has developed and teaches fit into this schema. In addition, the EL Fellow will teach a bi-weekly (two 90 minute sessions) English course to secondary school students enrolled at the local Medresa who are recipients of ACCESS micro-scholarships. The EL Fellow will also continue to be active in developing and implementing regular and relevant programs for the American Corner.   

Project Objectives
The EL Fellow will work with colleagues to establish an externally validated, standards-based examination system; develop curricula/syllabi in line with the agreed standards; teach English as well as American values and principles to students from rural communities studying in the Islamic high schools (medresas); and further develop relevant and regular programs at the American Corner.   

About the Host Institution
The Faculty of Philosophy prides itself on being an inter-cultural educational institution. The university, like the city of Mostar itself, remains sharply divided. The Croatian side of Mostar has its own university and political agenda and follows a very independent line. Dzemal Bijedic University, on the so-called Muslim side of the city, follows a policy of promoting ethnic reconciliation, cooperation and unity. This university serves as one of the great hopes for future ethnic reconciliation and cooperation in this war-devastated and still largely divided city. The EL Fellow Program here not only serves to bolster a Faculty in its efforts to undertake badly needed reforms but also heal wounds and can act as a catalyst for inter-ethnic cooperation. The university is struggling to develop an independent voice of reason and mutual understanding and any support from the outside world has significant repercussions throughout the university and the communities it serves.

The Medresa (Islamic high school) in Mostar is the only medresa with co-ed classes. This illustrates its openness and progressive attitude. There are approximately 150 students in the secondary school.

AMERICAN CORNER in Mostar: In order to extend the public diplomacy outreach on vital issues of representative government, human rights, anti-terrorist activities and transparent social process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the US Embassy established six “American Corners” so far with a prospect of establishing one to two more. The American Corners reach out to a large number of citizens. The American Corners also provide information about US history, government, society, values, institutions which shape those policies; serve as a distribution center for public diplomacy materials and provide access to computers and the Internet. They also provide citizens with enhanced opportunities for self-improvement and empowerment. The Embassy invested a great deal of effort and money in promoting free flow of information and access to information throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still lacking diversity of information sources and scholars, journalists and wider audiences in their work very often depend on a very limited number of information sources. Therefore, supporting the establishment of the American Corners in Tuzla, Bihac, Mostar, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Zenica opens an opportunity to provide information from different sources and directly contribute to better flow of information and would further foster the understanding of American policies. The American Corners offer an opportunity to all interested parties including journalists, scholars, and students etc. to have an access to various sources of information. They provide the resources the public needs to be well informed and to participate fully and actively in every aspect of the society. The American Corners represent institutions where people have free access to information and thereby the opportunity to participate in all aspects of society, where they could learn and understand new things about the US and its society. The American Corners make sure that US society, its policies and values are present and understood at all times and this is where English Language Fellows play a critical role as real ambassadors of the US.

Bosnia
City                              Tuzla
Host Institution           University of Tuzla/Medresa in Tuzla  
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, ELT

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach and further develop language communication classes to second and third year English majors. S/he will work to revise these courses so that they meet international standards and will develop pre and post tests to assess progress in light of these standards. In collaboration with the regional association of English teachers, the EL Fellow will develop workshops and mentor training programs for secondary school teachers throughout the region. He/she will continue to collaborate with former Fulbright grantees to infuse American studies and civic education content into the undergraduate and proposed graduate-level curricula. A very high post priority is the EL Fellow's participation in the State Department-sponsored Access program. Through the Access program, EL Fellows teach a bi-weekly course to students enrolled at a nearby Islamic high school (medresa). Bosnia and Herzegovina has six state-funded Islamic high schools, and the EL Fellow in Tuzla teaches students from one of those schools. The courses are conducted on the premises of an American Corner. This program is an essential component of US Embassy’s strategy for engagement with key Muslim institutions. Finally, the EL Fellow will continue to be active in developing regular and relevant programs for the American Corner located in Tuzla. Tuzla is the second largest city in the Federation (after Sarajevo), and its university is the only BiH university that has already implemented reforms based on Bologna standards. The Embassy has a particularly productive relationship with the University of Tuzla that the EL Fellow has advanced even further. The Embassy also considers continued engagement with the Tuzla medresa to be essential. In summary, the EL Fellow will develop and teach standards-based English language skills courses for undergraduate and graduate English and American studies majors; teach medresa students from marginalized communities and provide them with realistic insights into American society using American Corners; reach out to secondary school teachers throughout the region and provide them with state-of-the-art approaches to language teaching; and further develop relevant and regular programs at the American Corner.   

Project Objectives
The placement of an EL Fellow at this institution helps dispel misperceptions about American society and values, particularly with reference to a multi-religious society and the role of Muslims in America. The EL Fellow will interact daily with university faculty and youth, thereby building a greater appreciation of the importance of a democratic society in Bosnia and Herzegovina and bolster Embassy efforts to foster civil society. By teaching Islamic secondary school students at the Medresa, the EL Fellow Program not only opens the minds of these young people to different ideas and perceptions of American society but also forges a closer collaborative link with the Muslim religious community of Tuzla served by the Medresa. The EL Fellow Program's work with the American Corner of Tuzla proves to be central to that institution's viability and provides numerous opportunities to impact beyond the academic world.   

About the Host Institution
The University of Tuzla is perhaps the most progressive and open-minded in the country. It is the only university in the region to successfully restructure itself in line with the Bologna Declaration by revoking the legal statuses of each formerly independent faculty and establishing the university as the legal entity. It has also adopted the European Credit Transfer System. The university has a close relationship with the Cantonal Ministry of Education and they often host joint activities. The university is interested in exploring the possibilities of establishing the country's first MA and Ph.D. degrees in English language studies. The EL Fellow has been instrumental in supporting and advising faculty colleagues with respect to this effort. The impact of EL Fellow program, particularly in terms of long-term sustainability, has increased over the past two years. Just over three years ago there were only three people to meet with. Today, largely due to the University's commitment to English teaching and related fields like American studies, there are about 20 full time faculty members. Most are working on their MAs and PhDs. Currently, the EL Fellow and her colleagues are making tremendous progress in reforming the BA curriculum and examination system, developing specialized MA courses and implementing new approaches to English teaching. It would be premature to cut this project now, just as things are really moving along nicely.

Medresa in Tuzla is the second largest Islamic High School in the country with over 350 secondary school students who come from primarily rural areas across the region. The director of the medresa and the staff have been very supportive of the Embassy’s English language programs and have proven themselves to be good partners in promoting our mutual interests in the region. The impact the ACCESS program is having should not be under-estimated. Not only are the kids improving their English while learning about the US and the world around them (becoming critical thinkers in the process), but the entire Islamic community of Bosnia cherishes this program and sees it as one of their key links to American society.

About American Corners
In order to extend the public diplomacy outreach on vital issues of representative government, human rights, anti-terrorist activities and transparent social process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, US Embassy in Sarajevo established six “American Corners” so far with a prospect of establishing one to two more. The American Corners reach out to large number of citizens. The American Corners also provide information about United States history, government, society, values, institutions which shape those policies; serve as a distribution center for public diplomacy materials and provide access to computers and the Internet. They also provide citizens with enhanced opportunities for self-improvement and empowerment. The US mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina invested a great deal of effort and money in promoting free flow of information and access to information throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, Bosnia and Herzegovina is still lacking diversity of information sources and scholars, journalists and wider audiences in their work very often depend on a very limited number of information sources. Therefore, supporting the establishment of the American Corners in Tuzla, Bihac, Mostar, Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Zenica, opens an opportunity to provide information from different sources and directly contribute to better flow of information and would further foster the understanding of American policies. The American Corners offer an opportunity to all interested parties including journalists, scholars, and students etc. to have an access to various sources of information. They provide the resources the public needs to be well informed and to participate fully and actively in every aspect of the society. The American Corners represent institutions where people have free access to information and thereby the opportunity to participate in all aspects of society, where they could learn and understand new things about the United States and its society. The American Corners make sure that United States’ society, its policies and values are present and understood at all times and this is where EL Fellows play a critical role as real ambassadors of the US. Developing American Corners at six different cities all over Bosnia further support Embassy’s goals of strengthening democratic society and institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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Bulgaria
City                              Plovdiv
Host Institution           University of Plovdiv
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              Mid-September 2008 – Mid-July 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, Academic Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques  

Project Description
The English and American Studies Department of the University of Plovdiv requests an EL Fellow for AY 2008/2009 to teach critical reading and writing, academic writing and composition and conversation classes. The position at the department involves conducting advance-level writing courses at the BA level.    The EL Fellow should also be able to offer electives in the field related to American Studies, such as American politics, culture, intercultural communication, multiculturalism etc, as well assistance in the extra-curricular activities run by the American Corner at Plovdiv University.  

Project Objectives
The EL Fellow will help the department with curriculum development and teaching English for special purposes (ESP) like business and law. This would facilitate the professional direction of the new and increased demands for the use of the English language in the new, up and coming market economy in Bulgaria, especially since Bulgaria joined the EU.   

About the Host Institution
The University of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski” is located in Plovdiv - the second largest city in Bulgaria - in south-central Bulgaria. It is also an ancient city which was inhabited in Thracian times, then in ancient Greek and ancient Roman times. It has continued to uphold strong cultural and educational traditions to this day. “Paisii Hilendarski” is one of the several universities in Bulgaria which has an American Studies Department that is part of the English Department. The latter has been in existence for over 17 years and it has a full-time teaching staff of 18 and a part-time teaching staff of an additional 10 lecturers. The department has 800 students and offers three majors for BA degrees in: British and American studies; Bulgarian and English philology; and Russian and English philology. Plovdiv University regularly hosts many English language conferences, including a national conference in American Studies, which means that the university is becoming more important in the American Studies and English teaching field. In the winter of 2004 an American Studies center and library aka an “American Corner” opened at the new university building, which also currently houses a western philologies library, making Plovdiv university a major regional center for American Studies. It is crucial that there be an English language professional who is a native speaker at Plovdiv university. The English and American Studies department has had such Fellows in the past several years and are very happy with their work and their contribution to the success of the department, as well as, to their creative utilization of the “American Corner” for a variety of English teaching and American Studies programs and classes. They would like to continue this successful work in the future, as well as to fill a vacuum in terms of the Fulbright professor whom they are not certain that they will get this year. This is especially important now keeping in mind the additional interest that the American Corner has generated among the students and the extra work load it has created among the faculty of the department. The current EL Fellow has also managed to successfully establish and nurture a significant outreach program with many high schools in the city of Plovdiv.  

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Denmark
City                              Nuuk
Host Institution           Inerisaavik
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
English for Speaking, Program Evaluation and Planning

Project Description
The EL Fellow will be a traveling English teacher who will spend approximately 75% of his/her time traveling and teaching English to students in grades 4 - 10 in schools in remote settlements in Greenland. In addition, the EL Fellow will provide support for the regular lesson planning and classroom activities of the local teacher(s). Actual contact classroom hours will not exceed 20 hours a week. The other 25% of the EL Fellow's time will be spent in an office environment at Inerisaavik in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. When in Nuuk the EL Fellow will be involved in activities designed to institutionalize the traveling teacher concept as a method for teaching English in Greenland. This will necessarily involve program evaluation and planning. In addition, the EL Fellow may be involved in teacher training; materials development; workshop and seminar design; computer based and on-line teaching and teacher training; in-service and pre-service training; and similar professional duties as may be specified by Inerisaavik. Most of the settlements where the EL Fellow will live and teach are in extremely remote locations with difficult living conditions. In such settlements the school would typically consist of 5 - 40 students. It may have more than one teacher but some of the teachers may not have any formal teacher training. In many settlements Greenlandic is the only language that is effectively used or understood. In addition, many children leave the settlements at around age 14 to go to the "big" cities to continue their education. The level of English in settlement schools is often poor or even non-existent. Notwithstanding these challenges, children in the settlements are often highly motivated and hungry for attention. Even the small schools in the settlements usually have one computer with Internet access. Although small schools and classes create challenges, they also create opportunities for individual attention and close student-teacher relations. The EL Fellow's work in Greenland is much more than just traditional classroom teaching, s/he is for all intents and purposes a cultural ambassador for the US who uses American traditions, customs and values through songs, plays and games in his teaching of the students. Also, it has become obvious in this past year that the settlement schools suffer from a severe shortage of up-to-date, pedagogical teaching materials as used at American schools.

Project Objectives
Although Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, it has been a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1979 under "Home Rule" authority granted to it by the Danish government. Greenland thus has its own executive and legislative branches of government and is responsible for, among other things, education. The various components of Greenland's government are together called the "Greenland Home Rule Government." The native language in Greenland is Greenlandic, an Inuit language. When other languages are spoken, Danish is the second language and English is the third. Formal instruction in English starts in Grade 4 and continues through grade 10. Prior to grade 4 students receive English "language drips" (for example they sing songs and recite poems in English), starting in grade 1. In grades 1-10 there are no teachers who have been trained in TOEFL or in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) or teaching English as a second language (TESL) in accordance with American theories and methods. In addition virtually all teachers who teach English in these grades also teach several other subjects (in Danish or Greenlandic). Therefore the English language skills of the teachers who are teaching English are often quite low. The "traveling teacher" concept that we are now trying with the current EL Fellow this year is a pioneer project in Greenland. If the concept proves to be effective, the objective is that the Greenlandic Home Rule Government (GHRG) will endorse it and support measures and appropriate mechanisms to implement it in future years on a broader scale, including the direct hiring of a group of English-speaking teachers to be "traveling English teachers." The GHRG places great importance on improving English language capabilities in Greenland and recognizes that adequate English language skills are necessary if Greenlanders wish to successfully engage in international trade and business and develop Greenland's vast natural resources potential.  

About the Host Institution

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Georgia
City                              Tbilisi
Host Institution           Ministry of Education and Science
Type of Project           Senior Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Proficiency Exams, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Curriculum and Materials Development, TOT

Project Description
The Georgian Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) has been at the forefront of all governmental sectors in terms of implementing meaningful, systemic reform within Georgia, and the MOES has been recognized internationally for the breadth and success of its ongoing educational reform. Teacher qualifications play a key role in ensuring high-quality education, and the MOES’s Teachers’ Professional Development Center has established robust standards for teacher certification. By the end of 2009, all 4,400 English-language teachers will have to pass tests in English-language proficiency and in knowledge of English-language teaching methodologies in order to obtain certification and continue teaching. To this end, the MOES is developing professional training courses to prepare teachers to pass the new certification exams. The EL Fellow will work with the MOES to develop and refine the examination prep course curricula, syllabi and materials; train the trainers who will be teaching these exam-prep courses (i.e. NGO members, primarily from the English Teachers Association of Georgia, ETAG, whom the MOES has contracted to teach these courses); ensure quality control (i.e. accreditation) of such courses taught by NGOs; and possibly teach certification exam-prep courses directly.    Also as a part of the MOES’s reform efforts, a pre-service year of supervised teaching, similar to “student teaching” in the U.S., has been introduced for education graduates interested in pursuing a career in school teaching. The MOES has identified “mentoring” for these new graduates during their pre-service year as a high priority. The EL Fellow will visit schools throughout Georgia to meet with pre-service teachers and their mentors/advisers; monitor English language classes and consult with pre-service teachers on the teaching process; and suggest to the MOES ways to improve the Ministry’s approach to this kind of pre-service training. At the same time, the EL Fellow will conduct workshops and seminars on classroom management and other trainings. 

Project Objectives
The goal of this EL Fellow proposal is to ensure the highest possible certification rates for English language teachers in Georgia. The EL Fellow project will provide English language teachers of Georgia the opportunity to receive high-quality training in preparation for the 2009 certification tests. It will introduce them to modern teaching techniques and methodologies, and help English-language teachers pass their certification exams.

About the Host Institution

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Hungary
City                              Budapest/Pecs
Host Institution           Gandhi Secondary School/Romaversitas Foundation  
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, Democracy/Civics, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques 

Project Description
Three institutions have arisen in Hungary to address the problems of educational access, quality, and attainment for Roma youth: the Gandhi Secondary School in Pécs; the Collegium Martineum in Mánfa; and the Romaversitas Foundation in Budapest and Pécs. Each of these institutions has an educational training and community building component, and all three have made significant strides in educating and forming Roma youth who are often the first in their families to go to secondary school and/or university. The proposed EL Fellow will work with these host institutions as follows:

At the Gandhi Secondary School (proposed main host institution): Currently, two teachers are teaching English grammar and one teacher is teaching English vocabulary; overall, around 130 students are studying English, divided into two groups (one slightly more advanced). The EL Fellow will team teach with English language instructors, offering instructive feedback regarding their overall methodology, lesson planning, and teaching approach; develop an English language curriculum that accentuates the Roma culture and engages the students, utilizing more games and movement, interactive and cooperative learning, and emphasizing the development of other skills (besides English language), for example, concentration and motivation, discipline and drive; teaching a communications class, focused mainly on reading and writing, speaking and presenting in English (for the most advanced students, approximately 20-30), incorporating the use of books, CDs and DVDs; implement short- and long-term individual and group projects; and take trips to English-speaking places (if funding is available).

At the Collegium Martineum in Mánfa: At the beginning of the year there is an individual evaluation of each student, and a yearlong plan is developed to meet their needs and measure the outcomes. The intent would be for the EL Fellow to design a project with the assistance of students that would effectively further their understanding of the English language and culture. The EL Fellow will direct the project for a day per week.

At the Romaversitas Foundation (as time/work schedule permits): One of the primary aims of the program is to enhance English language proficiency among its scholars in order to ensure that Roma graduates are qualified and competitive in applying for jobs with international and Hungarian institutions, organizations, and companies. Most Romaversitas scholars receive individual tutoring in a foreign language (a requirement for university graduation), which has been expensive for the Foundation to maintain, and the organization would like to institute more group classes so the students can learn from and practice with each other in a less intimidating and more motivating setting. Since almost all of the students are attending classes or studying during the day, the EL Fellow will offer English classes during the evening. The EL Fellow will live and teach in Pécs during the bulk of the week and will teach in Budapest one day per week, offering a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes, depending on the abilities of the students.   Ideally the EL Fellow will also organize and conduct American Culture-related programs/workshops at the local American Corner.  

Project Objectives
Regional English Language Office/ Budapest currently has an EL Fellow in this position who is doing a terrific job. Also, Ambassador to Hungary Ms. April H. Foley is strongly interested in and consequently supports this and other RELO programs (such as our Teaching Tolerance Summer Camps) that focus on and include Roma education components. The ultimate goal of the EL Fellow’s work is continuing to open up the world and expand study, work, and life opportunities for talented Roma youth in Hungary. More specifically, the overall goals of the fellowship are: to further raise English language skills so that Roma students can finish secondary school and attend university, being able to pass the required language exams; to improve English communication skills so as to enable Roma secondary school students to study abroad and pursue degrees in professional fields like business or law, government or medicine; to design an English language curriculum especially for Roma secondary school students (for use at Gandhi and possibly other secondary schools in Hungary and Europe); to develop a greater understanding of European, American, and global issues and challenges; to instill more confidence in the possibility and Roma students ability to study and work anywhere in the world; to increase the quantity and quality of experiences outside of each Roma students village, school, and world, which helps to open minds, build skills, and create dreams.

Project Rationale: Numbering several hundred thousand (around 7% of the total population), the Roma minority in Hungary faces significant barriers to achieving success in school and in society. First and foremost, nearly half (40%) of this young and growing population (sometimes referred to as Gypsies in English) lives in poverty. One of the main reasons for the high poverty rate is the low educational level of Roma. While a relatively large number of Roma youth in Hungary attend pre-school and primary school compared to other countries in the region, graduation from secondary school is well under 10% and attendance at university is only 2%. The indirect result of fewer Roma graduates is fewer Roma professionals and leaders in their community and throughout Hungarian society. Beyond achievement in education, the quality of education Roma receive is a serious problem as well. Too often, Roma youth are sent to special schools intended for disabled youths (or schools for vocational training, not college preparation) or put in segregated classrooms for lower-achieving students. Furthermore, many teachers do not possess the necessary training and/or basic materials to adequately instruct Roma students, and the curriculum is less rigorous and the expectations are much lower for them than other students.  

About the Host Institution
Main host institution Gandhi School is the only secondary school in Europe devoted exclusively to preparing Roma students for higher education. Founded in 1994, the school has received widespread acclaim throughout Europe for its groundbreaking work. (Most notably, the Principal, Erika Csovcsics, received a human rights award from U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright during her visit to Hungary in December 2000.) The mission of the school is to train promising Roma youth to be well grounded in the sciences; art, history and culture; as well as languages, including foreign and Roma, and therefore, to provide the same standard of education as non-Roma students receive. 270 Roma youth from across Hungary attend the school and live in an adjoining dormitory, receiving constant support in order to finish their studies. Overall, 145 students have graduated from the school and 60% continue on to study at university.

The Collegium Martineum in Manfa (CMM) (close to Pécs) is a residence hall and community for Roma youth from the nearby villages who are studying at area secondary schools. Around 50 very poor, but highly-motivated Roma youth attend integrated schools in the morning and return in the afternoon to CMM to participate in small groups to discuss issues and problems, as well as take part in projects to further their learning. Here the youth learn the value of democratic governance, while adult helpers act as guides at the residence and advocates at their schools to ensure that students also have a proper support system. The aim of the institution is to lower the Roma secondary school drop-out rate by providing a place where Roma students can live and eat, study and meet together in a family-type atmosphere. Since its inception five years ago, around 50% of these Roma youth have graduated from secondary school, which is much higher than the average rate of 5-10%.

The ROMAVERSITAS FOUNDATION (RVF) provides financial, educational, and community support to Roma students attending university in Budapest and Pécs. Currently, approximately 80 Romaversitas scholars receive a monthly scholarship for food, housing, and books, which enables them to attend the university of their choice full-time for four years. The scholars are also provided with individualized language and computer skills training, so that they have the same opportunities and abilities as non-Roma students. Romaversitas students are also offered occasions to discuss any personal problems or educational challenges, and to learn from Roma graduates and professionals on how to succeed at university and in their careers. Since 1996, over 170 scholars have participated in the program and about 110 have graduated from university. Romaversitas graduates are working in the fields of art, economy, engineering, law, medicine, natural sciences, sociology, and technology, and some have become Roma specialists in Hungarian Government Ministries and the EU Parliament.

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Kosovo
City                              Pristina and Mitrovica
Host Institution           Medressa/American Corner
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, English for Listening, English for Speaking  

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach one girls’ and one boys’ class at the Medressa in Pristina (one class per week); regular classes to young Serb adults in Northern Mitrovica; and two (twice-weekly) English ACCESS classes in Pristina. This project is specifically designed to reach out to the Serb minority in Kosovo and to promote inter-ethnic and inter-faith cooperation through the study and use of English. In 2006 an EL Fellow taught English at the Islamic Medressa in Pristina, at the American Corner in Serb-majority Mitrovica, at the University of Pristina, and to Roma and Serbs in Gracanica. Due to the impressive response, in 2007 an EL Fellow continued this work to provide regular classes to these groups. (ACCESS classes were taught by another Kosovo ELF.) As a supplement to the students’ English classes in their regular schools, these classes will focus on task-based activities aimed at developing communicative competence in speaking and writing. In order to focus this position solely on minority outreach, the EL Fellow will teach at the Islamic Medressa in Pristina, at the American Corner in Serb-majority Mitrovica, and at the multi-ethnic ACCESS English classes in Pristina. The US is a key player in international efforts to create a democratic society in Kosovo, including building reconciliation, promoting respect for minority rights and settlement of ethnic conflicts through outreach programs. The American Corner and the EL Fellow-taught English classes play a major role in fostering mutual understanding between the US and the people of Northern Mitrovica. English is a key part of Mitrovica’s economic development and integration with the region, and English is a neutral language in which citizens from communities with a troubled past can interact and communicate. In addition to teaching, the EL Fellow will continue to aid the staff of the recently expanded (via a USAID grant) American Corner in Mitrovica to plan and implement programs that reach out to the Serbs in Northern Mitrovica. (The EL Fellow will travel to Mitrovica and back by USOP vehicle. It is a 45 minute trip, one way). Teaching at the Medressa is a unique opportunity to reach out to students in a traditional Muslim school. Kosovo is roughly 90% Muslim, and while most people are very secular, there is a growing number of people who are more conservative about their faith. This is a central piece of US Embassy’s efforts to forge ties with Kosovo’s Islamic Community. The EL Fellow will also teach two ACCESS classes at the newly-renovated American Corner in Pristina. Made up of Albanian and Serb students, these classes play a critical and unique role in Embassy’s promotion of multi-ethnic cooperation. English is a neutral language in which children from communities with a troubled past can interact, communicate and enjoy themselves. No one else in Kosovo is doing this.   

Project Objectives
Inter-ethnic ACCESS English classes are the most grass roots work done by the US in fostering inter-ethnic cooperation. No other institution in Kosovo brings together Albanian and Serb youth so successfully. With English as a neutral language, and through athletic and cultural activities, these students forge personal ties across ethnic lines. Classes at Pristina Medressa also promote understanding and appreciation of American culture and language among a group prone to influence from donors outside the Balkans. The US is still not viewed favorably by some people in the northern, Serb part of the city. The American Corner and the EL Fellow-taught English classes play a major role in fostering mutual understanding between the US and the people of Northern Mitrovica.

About the Host Institution
Operating for over 20 years, the Medressa is a traditional Islamic school, whose curriculum operates within the criteria of the Ministry of Education. The regular curriculum includes English language instruction, but the EL Fellow adds a communicative element, focusing on spoken English and American culture. The EL Fellow also provides students with the opportunity to speak and interact with a native English speaker. Traditionally the girls’ classes have been closed to contact with foreigners, but recently our EL Fellows have opened them up.

This American Corner is only a year old and is in the public library funded by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). While this is the most complete library collection in Mitrovica, a parallel institution, funded by the Serbian Government also exists in the city. As a result, the library faces the challenge of attracting members in a community weary of international involvement in public services. The American Corner augments the library’s collection and the EL Fellow’s English classes attract students to the library.

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Kosovo
City                              Prizren
Host Institution           University of Pristina, Faculty of Education
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              Mid-September 2008 – Mid-July 2009

Project Focus
English for Speaking, English for Writing 

Project Description
The EL Fellow will aid in implementation of newly developed courses required by the new curriculum of the Faculty of Education; co-teach (with local staff) recently developed "practice-oriented courses" found in the new curriculum to pre-service teachers; teach one course in the ACCESS program to secondary school students from various local ethnic groups (e.g. Roma, Turk, Bosnian, Serbs, Albanian and Gorani); and work with Education Faculty students to guest-teach ACCESS classes. The society and economy of Kosovo suffered greatly under a repressive regime for more than ten years prior to the outbreak of war in 1999. Kosovar Albanians were forced into a parallel university system that left tens of thousands of students studying in basements, garages and private homes. The level of English language instruction suffered under these conditions. Kosovo now requires a sustained effort to develop and maintain a program of English Language instruction that will be instrumental for economic development.  The EL Fellow will be based at the University of Pristina's Faculty of Education campus located in Prizren (50 miles south of Pristina). The Faculty of Education is a relatively new (3 years) institution still working out the implementation of a new and radically different curriculum, emphasizing pedagogy and other applied courses needed by qualified teachers. The Faculty began granting BA degrees in education in 2005 and is the only truly viable faculty of education in Kosovo. Prizren, in particular, and Kosovo, in general, lack university-level instructors who are prepared to teach many of the new courses, such as "Informatics and Language Resources", "Culture and Languages" and "Using Children's Literature to Teach Languages". The incumbent EL Fellow has focused on teaching skills acquisition classes like "Academic Language Skills" and "Academic Writing". By working with local faculty to teach these recently developed courses, and helping staff draft pilot courses for the new curriculum, the EL Fellow will be instrumental in the Faculty’s growth in this 3rd, critical year.   In addition, the EL Fellow will work closely with the American Corner to develop and implement a program that reaches out to the community of Prizren and environs and provides them with relevant information and resources about American society. Prizren is home to several ethnic groups and is beginning to function as a multi-ethnic community. The EL Fellow will work with the staff of the American Corner to develop an outreach program to the Prizren community that addresses mutual needs, interests and priorities. The EL Fellow will teach one course to secondary school students from the main ethnic groups found in Prizren (Albanians, Turks, Roma, Bosnians, and Gorani). Minority integration is a critical mission and regional goal that the EL Fellow’s work will help to achieve in Prizren. During the second semester, the EL Fellow will work with Education Faculty Students to guest teach the ACCESS classes.  

Project Objectives
Inter-ethnic ACCESS English classes are the most grass roots work done by the US in fostering inter-ethnic cooperation. No other institution in Kosovo brings together Albanian and Serb youth so successfully. With English as a neutral language, and through athletic and cultural activities, these students forge personal ties across ethnic lines. This position furthers US Embassy’s goals for economic development. By teaching future teachers of English, this EL Fellow builds long-term institutional capacity for teaching young Kosovars a key tool for future employment: English language skills. With an estimated 70% of the population under the age of 30 and 60% unemployment, Kosovars who speak English have the best prospects for success.   

About the Host Institution
The Faculty of Education has four campuses; the one in Prizren prepares teachers of English for primary and lower secondary schools. The Faculty of Education was officially instituted three years ago. They began to phase in their 4 year BA program in September 2003. To date, years 1-3 of the new BA program have, at least in part, been implemented. The new curricula and programs are based on the tenets of the Bologna Declaration, including the use of credit hours, continuous assessment and elective as well as core courses. This is a radical departure from the past and includes courses that few if any instructors in Kosovo are qualified to teach. Many of these courses are common to American MA programs in TESOL/Applied Linguistics. Many of the new courses focus on the application of knowledge and could be of great use to new teachers. The host institution has found that the recent MA experiences of the EL Fellows were most helpful in their struggles to abide by the requirements of the new curriculum and helping teach aspects of that program.

The American Corner opened in January, 2006. Prizren was selected as a location for an American Corner because of the ethnically mixed nature of its populace, its student population and its historic importance as a cultural and economic center for the region. The Corner brings residents from the various ethnic communities together to learn about relevant aspects of American society and some of the lessons Americans have learned through experience. English teaching is a significant component of the new American Corner. The community is beginning to function as a multi-ethnic society, but work remains, and is a high regional priority. The EL Fellow is a critical element in the American Corner’s success in bringing people from all ethnic backgrounds together.  

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Kosovo
City                              Prizren
Host Institution           University of Pristina/Kosovo English Teacher                                                Association (KETA)
Type of Project           Fellow 
Project Dates              End of September 2008 – July 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies  

Project Description
The EL Fellow will support the long-term professional development of Kosovo’s English teachers via the Faculty of Philology’s program for training future English Teachers and via the fledgling Kosovo English Teacher Association (KETA). By teaching Kosovo’s future English teachers at the Faculty of Philology, the EL Fellow will not only bring new teaching techniques to his or her students, the EL Fellow will also forge a direct link between teachers in training and their professional counterparts in KETA. The EL Fellow will work with the Kosovo English Teaching Association to plan workshops in teacher training, promoting collaboration and professional development among Kosovo’s English teachers. The society and economy of Kosovo suffered greatly under a repressive regime for more than ten years prior to the outbreak of war in 1999. Kosovar Albanians were forced into a parallel university system that left tens of thousands of students studying in basements, garages and private homes. The level of English language instruction suffered under these conditions. Kosovo now requires sustained efforts to develop English teachers’ skills. This is also an opportunity to expose students to U.S. values and to democratic trends.  The EL Fellow will:

1. Work with the American Corner in Pristina to plan programs in use of new technologies
2. Work with the Kosovo English Teaching Association to plan and carry out workshops for teacher training and build organizational capacity (strategic planning, grant writing, etc.)
3. Teach two (2) English Language Pedagogy classes at the University of Pristina.   

In addition, the EL Fellow will work at the he American Corner in Pristina which is the first and oldest one in Kosovo, but needs revitalization. The EL Fellow will be instrumental in planning and implementing new programming that will involve both journalists and other Pristina students.  

Project Objectives
By teaching future teachers of English, this EL Fellow will build long-term institutional capacity for teaching young Kosovars a key tool for future employment: English language skills. With an estimated 70% of the population under the age of 30 and 60% unemployment, Kosovars who speak English have the best prospects for success. By working with KETA to build its institutional framework, the EL Fellow will help build a new kind of NGO in Kosovo--one that aims to serve its members and their professional development--a rarity in a place where all NGOs fight for a specific cause. This is a key piece of civil society that is still lacking in Kosovo.  

About the Host Institution
The University of Pristina, Faculty of Philology: one of the most dynamic and influential faculty members will be returning from a Fulbright Scholarship in the United States in the summer of 2008. Her return will be an ideal entry point for an EL Fellow in the English Language Program at the Faculty. With the only Faculty of Education housed in Prizren, students who want to become English teachers and who must live in the capital, Pristina, study at this faculty. The returning Fulbright scholar focuses her teaching on critical thinking and writing—two skills that are often sparse in English language classes at UP. The EL Fellow will help augment the implementation of these new teaching methods and link students to their future professional association, KETA.

Since 2005 an EL Fellow has worked with KETA in building capacity and setting up teaching conferences, however with many other responsibilities not directly related to KETA, the EL Fellow could not adequately focus on building KETA’s long-term sustainability (strategic planning, grant writing, even planning). By linking the EL Fellow’s work with KETA with the Faculty of Philology (its future members) and with the American Corner and its resources, this EL Fellow could have a more substantial impact on KETA.

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Moldova
City                              Balti
Host Institution           Aleccu Russo State University   
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              Mid-August 2008 - June 2009

Project Focus
English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques  

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach courses in English language acquisition in Balti, Moldova to Alecu Russo University students. Many of these students want to study abroad, particularly in the US. The EL Fellow will also provide bi-weekly seminars for professors who also teach these students, and will assist in developing and enhancing English Language studies curriculum.  The EL Fellow will provide seminars and consultation for the regional English Teachers Resource Center (ETRC) in Balti, already the strongest of Moldova’s three regional ETRC’s. This will enhance the capacity of this center to provide ongoing support for English teachers in the region. Although the US Embassy has chosen to shift the primary activities for the EL Fellow away from Chisinau to strengthen the less developed English language capacity in the remainder of the country, to consolidate gains already made, the EL Fellow will continue to support the ETRC in Chisinau on a limited basis, via seminars once per month. Staff of both ETRCs will be able to make specific requests to enhance their programming. Prior investment by the US Embassy has significantly enhanced Moldova’s progress toward improved quality and availability of English teaching. This has included support for the development and operation of a national English Teacher Resource Center (ETRC) and support of the Association of English Professors and Teachers (APLE). Moldova’s current EL Fellow is placed at the ETRC in Chisinau. The EL Fellow provides classes for students at Moldova State University and training for English teachers at the ETRC site, as well as some seminars in other areas of the country through the regional centers. The ability to assist the regional ETRC in Balti and maintain limited ongoing support for the national center provides will maximize the benefits of the EL Fellow's presence in Moldova.  

Project Objectives
Exposure to American culture and values provides a vision of transparency and participation in government, strengthening civil society. Additionally, English capability allows citizens to access credible information from a wide range of international sources. English skills also increase employment opportunities for citizens, both at home and abroad, an important consideration in the poorest country in Europe. By improving English language instruction outside of the capital, the EL Fellow will also help decrease the substantial difference currently seen between the economy of Chisinau and that in other areas of the country. The US Embassy has for several years placed high importance on assisting Moldova in its stated goal to integrate into Europe and the community of western nations. The country has a unique status, both geographically and socially, as a former Soviet Republic which also borders the European Union. Most citizens are bilingual in Romanian and Russian. English is becoming more common, particularly among young people, as a third or even fourth language. Seventy to eighty percent of Moldovan students study English, however the number of trained teachers and available resources continue to be limited, and the number of students who reach a high fluency level remains small. As part of the Embassy’s long term vision for supporting economic development, we wish to shift our support from the capital to the second largest city. The progress made so far in Chisinau has only emphasized the dramatic difference in capacity between the capital city and the rest of the country. For example, applicants for study in US (i.e. Fulbright candidates) come primarily from Chisinau. In the past three years, the US Embassy received only one Fulbright Scholar application from outside Chisinau, and unfortunately this individual did not qualify for final consideration. This highlights the need to support English language learning in other regions of the country.  

About the Host Institution
Aleccu Russo State University in Balti is the largest University in the northern part of the country, with 10,000 students. They have two language departments. The local language department includes Romanian, Russian and Ukrainian, while English is one of four languages included in the Foreign Language department. This department is considered to be the strongest English language institute outside of the Capital. The regional English Teaching Resource Center is an institute of the University .   

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Romania
City                              Iasi
Host Institution           Iasi County Inspectorate for Education/Moldavia     &n