Center for Intercultural Development and Education

AY 2008-2009 Projects - Near East/ North Africa

Algeria, University Es Sénia/ENSET - Filled
Algeria, University Mentouri/Ecole Normale Superieure de Constantine (ENSC)
Egypt, Al Azhar University - Filled
Egypt, Al Azhar University - Filled
Egypt, Al Azhar University - Filled
Egypt, Al Azhar University - Filled
Israel, AMAL Network - Filled
Israel, ORT Colleges and Schools for Advanced Technologies - Filled
Jordan, Mu'tah University - Cancelled
Jordan, Aqaba University/AMIDEAST - Filled
Jordan, Hashemite University - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
Lebanon, IRFAN Schools - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
Lebanon, Makassed Philanthropic Islamic Association - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
Libya, Academy of Graduate Studies - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
Libya, Al Fatah University - Filled
Morocco, École Normale Supérieure/Ministry of Education - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
Oman, University of Nizwa - Filled
Syria, American Language Center - Filled
Syria, American Language Center - Filled/Confirmed Renewal
Tunisia, Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis - Filled
West Bank/Gaza, Bir Zeit University/Ministry of Education - Filled
Yemen, University of Aden/AMIDEAST - Cancelled

Algeria

Country                       Algeria
City                              Oran
Host Institution           University Es Sénia/ENSET
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              October 2008 – July 2009

Project Focus
English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, ESP Business English

Project Description
The major priority for the EL Fellow will be English for Speaking, Writing, Listening and Reading. If the EL Fellow has experience in English for Specific Purposes, specifically in Business English or Scientific English, this would be the major focus at the second institution (ENSET). The EL Fellow will be expected to bring his/her expertise in teaching language skills like Written Expression, Oral Expression, Reading comprehension, Listening comprehension and Grammar. S/he will be expected to teach for 9 hours a week. The main tasks will include helping the students with their pronunciation, writing and listening skills. Secondary duties will include teaching (2 hours a week) Business English to undergraduate students and scientific English (English for technology students) to post-graduate students (2 hours a week). In addition to his/her teaching duties, the EL Fellow will help ENSET to develop a project on ESP undergraduate degree.

Project Objectives
English language is a top priority for the Algerians. In the US Embassy’s efforts to work with the GOA in combating terrorism and reducing extremism, one proven path is to ensure better schools and educational opportunities for all youth, giving them hope for their future. Providing an EL Fellow to assist with English language instruction and to assist in the training of future language teachers will assist the GOA in reaching towards this goal while providing a positive view of the American people and culture.

About the Host Institution
The English Department at Es Sénia University in Oran is among the largest of all as it comprises some 1,500 students in the four years course followed by graduation. In addition to these, some 70 students prepare for post-graduate studies (MA and PhD). There are 36 permanent teachers and 6 associate teachers in different specialties. Various subjects are taught as part of the four year course: Written Expression, Oral Expression, Reading comprehension, Listening comprehension, Grammar, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, British literature, American literature, Third World literature, African literature, British Civilization, American Civilization, African Civilization, Sociolinguistics, Educational psychology and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). The ENSET D’ORAN is a teacher-training college that offers degrees to a total number of students that exceeds 1500 yearly. Along with the specialized subjects, students also attend courses in English which is given great importance due to the place it holds in all sciences and fields of research. The ENSET takes part in many international scientific and research projects such as Tempus or Erasmus programs, and the FSP project with France.

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Algeria
City                              Constantine
Host Institution           University Mentouri/Ecole Normale Superieure de                                               Constantine (ENSC)
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              October 2008 – July 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, Creative Writing, Composition, Teaching Methodologies

Project Description
The major priority for the EL Fellow will be the teaching of American Literature at the University Mentouri. The secondary institution (ENSC) would focus on Teaching Methodology. The EL Fellow is expected to bring his/her expertise in teaching American literature, composition, and creative writing, courses of priority interest in Algerian universities, where English language skills are given increasing importance. The EL Fellow will provide solid preparation in language and literature to students who wish to improve their skills and understand American culture. Secondary duties of the EL Fellow will include becoming familiar with the Competency Based Approach as well as Project Based Learning, which are the two main axioms of English Language Teaching reforms, which the Algerian educational system has undergone recently. Second, the EL Fellow will be expected to become familiar with the Algerian English textbooks for either both Junior and High Schools or at least one of the two. S/he is not expected to make textbooks’ analysis, but just to work on sample units of the textbooks, at least one of each level, to help and train students to teach using those textbooks. S/he is not expected forcibly to stick to the textbooks but rather to train students, to raise their consciousness and to enable them to make up their own teaching materials while respecting the official syllabus. Any innovative ideas and teaching techniques are highly welcome. Third, given the fact that students during their short practicum cannot observe real classes going about their normal activities, the EL Fellow may help in offering students an opportunity to share a different teaching perspective that will explore and exploit various aspects of teaching and learning English in a variety of ways. Fourth, the ENSC would like the EL Fellow to deal sporadically with some of the problematic issues of English Language Teaching that ENSC students will face such as: managing large classes, assessment, motivating learners, using practical innovative ideas and techniques, lesson planning, and developing projects. Note: The four mentioned aspects are indicative reflections for the EL Fellow to better ensure her/his mission among ENSC.

About the Host Institution
The Department of Languages/English, Faculty of Letters and Languages, Mentouri University in Constantine offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in English. The former lead to the degree of BA in English studies and the latter to the degree of Magister which is a specialization in a given discipline (linguistic science and translation, linguistic science and English language teaching, TEFL, ESP, Anglo-American studies). The degree of Doctorate is based on research only. The Department of English is one of the largest departments of English in the country with over 4000 students across the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
“Ecole Normale Supérieure des Lettres et Sciences Humaines de Constantine (ENSC)” is a school belonging to the sector of Higher Education. It specializes in teacher training. In the English Department of the school, ENSC trains teachers of Junior High Schools and High Schools who pursue a four and five years education and training respectively. The total population of all ENSC students is around 2700. For instance, the total number of all English students for the five years of study is 800. The school is not really involved in international activities. But the interest in English language is highly noticeable with a focus on teaching methodology. The ENSC teachers are equally interested in U.S. studies courses especially American Civilization and Literature. Such courses can better help them as teachers of English. At the English Department, they do teach mainly Applied Linguistics, Psychopedagogy, Phonetics, Research Methodology, Pedagogy, Speaking and Listening courses; as well as British Civilization and Literature.

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Egypt
City                              Cairo
Host Institution           Al-Azhar University
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              Mid-September 2008 – Mid-July 2009

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach English to selected fifty (50) top graduate students of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University’s Arabic and Islamic Studies Departments, provide in-service training of ten (10) selected Al-Azhar University English teachers, and manage/support a concurrent newly established English Language Resource Center (ELRC). The EL Fellow will have a defined work space in the ELRC. Al-Azhar University will provide classrooms for classes. The EL Fellow will be expected to start work at Al-Azhar University after Ramadan 2008 (o/a October 1, 2008). The EL Fellow will have a maximum 18 hours contact/week: the EL Fellow will teach classes to graduate students at 10-12 hours/week for 9 months, and train 1 group of teachers at 6 hours/week for 9 months, with 2 hours/week for general invitational faculty presentations on selected educational and cultural topics. Administrative duties, office hours, general ELRC support and classroom observations will be an additional 10-12 hours week. Class sizes will not exceed 20 students/class or 10 junior English teachers/class. Al-Azhar University will select a student class of 50 learners of similar English proficiency, and/or a placement test can be used. Al-Azhar University will select a teacher-trainee section of 10 English teachers with less than 5 years teaching experience. All Al-Azhar students and teacher-trainees will be expected to spend an additional 5 hours/week in the ELRC. The EL Fellow will provide at the minimum an assessment of students’ and teacher trainees’ progress by mid-December 2008 and a final assessment in July 2009. In addition, the EL Fellow will be expected to provide workshops and lesson planning with junior Egyptian instructors about 6 hours/week, plus 2 hours per month for general lectures to Al-Azhar faculty. Books and materials for all 50 graduate students and 10 teachers will be provided by the US Embassy, with review/approval by Al-Azhar University. Al-Azhar University will be the final decision-maker in this project. Al-Azhar University will provide appropriate furnished shared accommodation for the ELF near Al-Azhar University. In other words, each EL Fellow (of the four placed at Al Azhar University) will have one roommate for a 2-3 bedroom apartment. Shared accommodation is mandatory. Each EL Fellow will have a separate bedroom. Accommodation will be reviewed and mutually approved by both the Embassy and Al-Azhar University by July 1, 2008. The EL Fellow contract will be from September 15, 2008 through July 15, 2009, with vacation time and professional development time, prior approval from Al-Azhar University and Embassy.

Project Objectives
The proposed EL Fellow/Al-Azhar University program and the English Language Resource Center (ELRC), is the first on-site educational cooperation between the Islamic region’s oldest and arguably most prestigious university. This proposed program will help ensure continuous rather than occasional cooperation and potentially will further expand US Embassy outreach to Al-Azhar University, a moderating institutional actor in the Islamic region. The targeted English learning audience, graduate students in Islamic and Arabic studies will be future instructors at Al-Azhar University, while the in-service teacher training is focused on current English teaching faculty. The English Language Resource Center (ELRC) will be the site platform at Al-Azhar for additional programming and outreach.

About the Host Institution
Al-Azhar University is the world’s oldest and most renowned Islamic academic institution, established 1,250 years ago. To date, the Al-Azhar University has separated females and males students in classrooms and on campus. Non-Muslims are not permitted to study at the university and few Western teachers have the chance to be on its permanent staff. Therefore, generations of graduates have not been exposed to Western concepts and values. The US Embassy in Cairo strongly supports the request of Al-Azhar University to develop a cooperative relationship in English teaching, as the program will advance the educational goals both of the University and of the USG. The proposed joint program will develop English proficiency among future Islamic scholars and will allow the US Embassy to better reach the conservative Muslim population and will positively affect Al-Azhar graduates’ views about the United States. The proposed EL Fellow Program at Al-Azhar University facilitates cooperation between an important academic institution in the region and the US mission to Egypt. This type of academic cooperation with Al-Azhar University with EL Fellows is now being expanded for 2008-2009. By 2010, Post and Al-Azhar University are planning that the English Language Resource Center (ELRC) will be fully integrated into Al-Azhar University.

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

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

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

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Israel
City                              Beer Sheva
Host Institution           AMAL Network
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
Proficiency Exams, Teaching Techniques, American Studies, Speaking, Listening

Project Description
The EL Fellow will work in three comprehensive Bedouin high schools in the Negev which participate in the English Access Microscholarship Program which enables weak students to improve their English examination scores, thus opening the gates to further academic studies (the schools will be located in close proximity to one another). The EL Fellow will assist both with junior and senior high school levels. The EL Fellow will work on-site at each school one day per week in order to:
-Discuss relevant issues from the American perspective such as education, music, television, internet, politics, social issues, etc.
-Assist and guide students with their English language instruction.
-Work with small groups of students to improve their speaking and listening skills.
-Counsel, assist, and work with the teachers.
In addition, the EL Fellow will give proficiency courses for other teachers in the Bedouin sector; initiate projects at the American Corner; encourage extensive reading programs; and foster cooperation between Bedouin schools and schools in the US. The EL Fellow will also introduce the students and teachers to other US government sponsored projects. The EL Fellow will have a unique opportunity to develop professionally, since s/he will be part of a teaching process in an area relatively isolated from democratic Western cultures and values. The EL Fellow will also be responsible for outreach activities and cultural programming which would convey concepts about American values, democratic representative government, free enterprise, and the rule of law. The EL Fellow will arrange workshops for in-service teacher trainers as well as programs, book/film/conversation clubs for students at the American Corners. In addition, the EL Fellow will cooperate with the US Embassy on various cultural activities including Black History Month, Women’s Issues, Studying in the US, and American Studies.

Project Objectives
The AMAL network provides services to high schools all over Israel. For the purposes of the EL Fellow program, the Embassy has chosen to work with 3 schools in the Bedouin Sector. The Bedouin sector in Israel is a severely underserved minority with very limited resources. The students are from Bedouin towns and unrecognized villages in the Negev. The schools are underfunded and lack many of the resources that are commonly available in other parts of Israel. Having an EL Fellow in this part of the country and in particular working with teachers in Bedouin Sector allows the US Embassy to expose these students and teachers to American education, culture, values and traditions. Having an EL Fellow working in the Bedouin sector will encourage Bedouin students to apply for more educational programs and exchanges, thereby dramatically increasing USG contact in this highly underserved, minority Arab community.

About the Host Institution
AMAL is an educational institution that assists the Israeli government to administer public elementary and high schools. AMAL is also one of the implementers of ECA's English Access Microscholarship Program. This will allow the EL Fellow to supplement the work being done under Access and provide him/her with a ready audience of a network of English Language teachers and hundreds of Access Students.

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Israel
City                              Tel Aviv/Acre
Host Institution           ORT Colleges and Schools for Advanced Technologies
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, Proficiency Exams, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques

Project Description
As English is the students’ third language of study, many students experience difficulties in mastering the English language. Due to the high status of English, students usually display motivation to learn but they need guidance and assistance, especially in the over-crowded classes in the schools. Selected students who will be privileged to benefit from the EL Fellow Program will be exposed to extra curricular enrichment activities which will incorporate aspects of American culture and American professional practices. The EL Fellow will become part of the English team at ORT Achva Comprehensive High School, Gilboa, teaching 12 hours as an integral staff member while 8 hours will include teaching an advance class and one of the English Access Microscholarship groups. The remaining hours will be coordinated with the head of the department as to which specific school requires enrichment courses twice a week in the afternoons for two hours each class. Additionally, the EL Fellow will work in two neighboring Arab Israeli schools, both catering to under-served populations (Wadi Salame and Beit Shean) to assist in additional English studies and extra-curricular activities which will broaden students’ language and educational opportunities. The EL Fellow will also be responsible for outreach activities and cultural programming which would convey concepts about American values, democratic representative government, free enterprise, and the rule of law. The EL Fellow will arrange workshops for in-service teacher trainers as well as programs, book/film/conversation club for students at the American Corners. In addition the EL Fellow will cooperate with the US Embassy on various cultural activities including Black History Month, Women’s Issues, Studying in the U.S., and American Studies.

Project Objectives
The ORT network provides services to high schools all over Israel but for the purposes of the EL Program the US Embassy has chosen to work with 3 schools in the North catering to under-served populations. The schools are underfunded and lack many of the resources available in other parts of Israel. Having an EL Fellow in this part of the country will allow the Embassy to expose these students and teachers to American culture, values and traditions

About the Host Institution

The ORT Israel Network provides some 94,000 pupils and students with knowledge and education, from junior secondary school to the completion of academic studies and/or for a degree in engineering, technology and science subjects. Alongside the compulsory curriculum mandated by Israeli’s Ministry of Education, the Network offers a broad general education at the highest possible level in all disciplines, that is, the humanistic, social, artistic, musical and realistic spheres; and, especially, science-technology education. The power afforded by ORT Israel enables it to invest in a holistic system for development, teaching, and operational-pedagogic administration, and to offer support to its schools in the best possible manner, through the programs and projects of the Administration for R&D and Training and of the Administration for Education and Operation. These programs include hundreds of in-service and on-site teacher training courses and many pedagogical projects. Their main goal is, in conjunction with schools, to develop school-based process and pedagogic tools that will help promote the scholastic achievements of all the pupils, and to increase the percentage of graduates who are eligible for quality high school graduation certificates which enhance their social-economic mobility.

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Jordan
City                              Kerak
Host Institution           Mu’tah University
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 Techniques

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach English 15/18 credit hours per week. S/he will teach remedial English and a variety of skills courses. Secondary duties will include assisting the English staff in the creating extracurricular activities, such as a conversation club, film club, book club, and offering support with the dissemination of exchange program information and assisting students and teachers with their application US PD exchange programs. The EL Fellow will also lend assistance with summer camp for Access students and with EFL conferences.

Project Objective
The objective of this project is to improve Jordanian/American relations by having an EL Fellow live and work in southeast Jordan. S/he will help create an English language-rich environment for both faculty and students.

About the Host Institution
Mu'tah University was founded in 1981 by a Royal Decree as a national institution for civil and military higher education. It has colleges of science, technology, arts, and fine arts.

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Jordan
City                              Aqaba
Host Institution           Aqaba University/AMIDEAST
Type of Project           Senior Fellow
Project Dates              August 2008 – June 2009

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow will conduct teacher training with teachers identified through the Jordanian Ministry of Education, Aqaba Governorate and with the English Access Microscholarship Program teachers (15 contact hours/week). Duties will include training, observing and working on curricula development in the Access program. The EL Fellow will give workshops both in Aqaba as well as in other Access locations in the south of Jordan. Secondary duties will include teaching 5 hours a week at the Aqaba University College. The EL Fellow will also assist with English summer camps and will give occasional workshops for teachers in the West Bank and southern Israel among the Israeli Arab school system.

Project Objectives
The objectives of the project are to improve Jordanian/American relations and mutual understanding by increasing the training opportunities for the Jordanian Access and public school teachers (which will help improve English teaching throughout the south), increasing the cooperation between PAS and Aqaba University College and other educational institutions in Aqaba, and increasing the amount and quality of English classes available in Aqaba.

About the Host Institution
Aqaba University College is associated with Al- Balqa' Applied University (BAU). BAU was founded in 1997. BAU provides Continuous Education opportunities in different Applied, Human, Natural and Art Sciences fields to students, employees and all society categories that contribute in developing knowledge and supplying the community with specialists trying to solve its economic and social problems on both the local and the international level. The AUC has 4 computer labs, a DVC center and several state of the art conference centers. AMIDEAST is a well-known and well-respected organization that has been working in educational advising, teacher-training, and English teaching throughout the Middle East for more than 50 years. The Jordan office has recently opened a branch in Aqaba. The US Embassy is keen to work with AMIDEAST to broaden its presence in the south as well as through the rest of Jordan.

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Jordan
City                              Zarqa
Host Institution           Hashemite University
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

Project Description
The EL Fellow's main area of responsibility (15 contact hours/week) will be to teach general English classes. In addition, the EL Fellow will also develop and teach extracurricular activities for students, including a conversation club, film club, book club (5 contact hrs/week). The EL Fellow will help create an English language-rich environment for both students and faculty and provide support for the American Corner at his/her faculty. The EL Fellow will also assist with English summer camps and US Embassy sponsored workshops and conferences.

Project Objectives
The objective is to improve Jordanian/American relations by having an EL Fellow live and work in central Jordan. Both faculty and students will benefit linguistically and culturally from having an EL Fellow as part of the faculty.

About the Host Institution
The Hashemite University is a university in Zarqa, Jordan. It is named after the Jordanian Royal family — the Hashemites — and was established by Royal decree in 1992. The University hosts one of two American Corners in Jordan and is located close to the Syrian border and the Islamic University Al Al-Bayt.

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Lebanon
City                              Shouf
Host Institution           IRFAN Schools
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

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

Project Description
An EL Fellow is needed to continue the work initiated with IRFAN Establishment by focusing on the following objectives: increase the English proficiency amongst the English language teachers; stimulate the teaching methodologies of the English language teachers; increase authentic oral communication opportunities in class and facilitate the oral communication capabilities of the student body; and create a language rich environment, for both staff and students. This has been started by focusing on the following projects: collaboration with English language teachers in lesson planning for oral communication activities where teachers have a unique opportunity to use their language skills authentically thereby improving their oral capacity, contributing to lesson plans, and exchanging ideas (6 hours - 15 %); implementation of the oral communication activities, thereby modeling new techniques and methodologies for the teacher, and interacting with the students (20 sections of oral communication classes from grades 4-6 at 20 hours - 50%); and participation and planning of an English club to share cultural information about the US, to enrich students, and to encourage weaker students to come for extra support (6 hours - 15%). The EL Fellow is expected to continue the implementation of oral communication classes with intermediate level students (4th-6th grade), which will provide both interaction with students and modeling of techniques for peer collaboration; continue the collaboration with other teachers on the design and implementation of oral communications lessons; continue to provide new ideas, perspectives, and resources that allow teachers to expand their teaching boundaries; implement workshops amongst the branches of IRFAN in order to execute the aforementioned goals; and maintain an English language-rich environment for staff and students. This includes the maintenance of classroom libraries and the integration of computer technologies to the department. In addition, the EL Fellow will plan and initiate workshops both at host branch and amongst the other branches within the IRFAN organizations in the area of professional development (8 hours - 20%).

Project Objectives
This year the EL Fellow has been working with the Semkaniye main branch of IRFAN schools, building on the speaking capacities and lesson development of 12 teachers and implementing new activities and demonstrating new techniques with 400 students. One of the main goals is to encourage and expose students and teachers to a more communicative approach; motivating teachers to move away from traditional methods and making room for more effective approaches to teaching English. IRFAN would like to expand the success within its Semkaniye branch and work with the other branches, reaching out to over 80 teachers within the establishment. One of the successes of the current EL Fellow is the motivation of both students and staff. The motivation of the students fosters a more positive attitude towards the cultures surrounding the language. The motivation amongst the teachers invigorates the classroom and encourages a more sustainable learning environment. Motivated students and motivated teachers equal life long learners. The goals and objectives and the extension thereof would best be met if an EL Fellow was reassigned to serve in this post for the 2008-2009 academic year. In order to maintain and sustain the success already accomplished and to spread the modernization of ELL teaching methodologies, an EL Fellow is requested and welcomed by IRFAN Schools.

About the Host Institution
The IRFAN establishment is a Lebanese non-governmental organization, operating in the educational, social and health relief fields since 1973. Since its establishment, the IRFAN branches and services have kept an always ascendant development status on all capacity, service quality, and geographical expansion levels. That is why it became today one of the largest of its kind in Lebanon, consisting of five school branches in Mount Lebanon, Bekaa and the south, and one main complex in El Shouf region. The IRFAN branches serve today four main Lebanese departments and regions, with an approximate total of 600,000 Lebanese residents in more than 300 villages, small towns, and localities, and is now offering education to some 5,000 students, boys and girls, and also offer other necessary health services to many areas in the same above mentioned regions, through its hospital and dispensaries. IRFAN Schools are all qualified as NGOs as they are part of the mother IRFAN Charitable Est. The IRFAN Schools ensure their quality education to the Lebanese public without any social/religious prejudice, or other discrimination, and offer a large and considerable amount of aid and support to those who cannot afford to pay for their children’s education. Since its establishment, the IRFAN Schools have been steadily improving and developing in the areas of capacity and quality levels and today they have attained a well respected position among institutions of similar nature largely due to the fact that they were able to attract many of the most known professionals in the education field, and have put them to work in the service of some 5,000 school children and youngsters.

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Lebanon
City                              Beirut
Host Institution           Makassed Philanthropic Islamic Association
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Teacher Training, K-12

Project Description
The EL Fellow will be based at the Makassed Philanthropic Islamic Association. This will be a continuation of the work of the two previous EL Fellows. Furthermore, as teacher training workshops have been in place and operating for the last two years, the EL Fellow will also launch a project to train local teachers to become trainers for a multiplier effect aiming at sustainability. In particular, the Fellow will:
- Train rural and local coordinators (teacher trainers) on how to conduct observations, mentor teachers, run meetings, write reports, and supervise English language activities and projects. Ensure that the coordinators are ready to work independently. 30%
- Conduct professional development workshops with the assistance of the coordinators for 100 K-12 Makassed teachers in Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and the South. Ensure that the coordinators are prepared to conduct their own workshops. 20%
- Observe and provide guidance to the teachers with the assistance of the coordinators. Ensure that the coordinators are prepared to observe and guide the teachers. 10%
- Organize the annual Makassed English Language Teacher’ Conference; this task requires soliciting guest speakers, papers from the teachers, participation from publishers, scheduling the events, and setting up the conference. The EL Fellow will need to appoint and train one of the coordinators to take over. 10%
The EL Fellow will work with 100 K-12 Makassed English language teachers from Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and the South. The EL Fellow will also work with the two English Department Coordinators, 13 English Language Coordinators, three Activity Coordinators in Beirut, and volunteers for the rural areas. The EL Fellow will be expected to complete the 10 duties listed above. Additionally, the EL Fellow will be responsible for implementing any new programs that s/he deems necessary. Based on an assessment of teachers’ needs, proposed professional development topics include: Reflective Teaching, Differentiating Instruction, Project-Based Learning, Performance-Based Instruction, Cultural Awareness and Civil Education, Integrating Authentic Materials in the Curriculum, Authentic Assessment For the South, Promoting Critical Thinking, Student Centered Approaches to Teaching Cooperative Learning, Integrating Skills, Learning Strategies, Integrating Authentic Materials in the Curriculum, and Extra-curricular Activities for Developing Fluency. An additional needs assessment might need to be conducted in the fall of 2008. In addition, the EL Fellow will:
- oversee and continue to develop the volunteer extra-curricular activities program in the rural areas; this task includes recruiting/training volunteers, creating activities, arranging transportation, and supervising the events. The EL Fellow will also need to appoint and train one of the coordinators to take over the project. 10%
- implement a new teacher training program and mentor new teachers with the assistance of the coordinators. Ensure that the coordinators are ready to take over the project. 5%
- prepare the Makassed English Language Newsletter every month; this task entails writing, collecting and editing articles to publish. Additionally, the EL Fellow will need to appoint and train a new editor to take over the project. 5%
- oversee and continue to develop the extra-curricular activities program in Beirut with the help of the English Department Coordinators; this task involves helping the three Activity Coordinators develop activities, supervising end of program events (debates, plays, concerts), and creating links between the Makassed schools. 5%
- secure resources in each of the schools in Beirut and in the rural areas; this includes creating a small library for both the teachers and students. Train the coordinators to oversee this project. 5%
- help teachers work productively with the new textbook through support and creation of activities. Train the coordinators to oversee this project. 5%
The US Embassy is committed to support Makassed Association efforts by providing US expertise in school management in general, and English language teaching in particular.

Project Objectives
During the 2005-2006 academic year, an EL Fellow began working with 75 K-12 Makassed teachers in Beirut and the Bekaa Valley. While in Lebanon, the EL Fellow created the foundations for promoting teacher development to enhance the English language abilities of the Makassed students. In order to achieve this goal, the EL Fellow gave a number of professional development workshops, mentored and trained the teachers, began to lay the groundwork for appointing and training rural coordinators, hosted the First Annual Makassed Teachers’ Conference, etc. For this academic year, the EL Fellow has continued to build on this foundation while initiating new projects. In accordance with this plan, the EL Fellow is now working with teachers in the South, thus reaching a greater number of Makassed teachers (approximately 100). In all three regions, the EL Fellow is conducting workshops, training and mentoring teachers (especially new teachers), and visiting all the Makassed School. The EL Fellow has solicited applications and appointed 5 rural coordinators; and is currently soliciting applications for additional local coordinators in Beirut. In January, the EL Fellow will host a two-day training session for both new and experienced coordinators. In the spring, the EL Fellow will provide on the job training for the coordinators. Additionally, the EL Fellow has created a monthly newsletter for the teachers, has proposed a program for adding extra-curricular English activities in the Beirut schools, and has started a volunteer program to bring English activities to the rural areas. For the final year of the Fellowship, the US Embassy would like to begin training the coordinators. Thus, the coordinators will be able to continue the work initiated by the EL Fellows and the English Department Coordinators. Because Makassed will have already appointed, trained, and provided on the job experience to the coordinators, they should be ready to assume responsibility for the aforementioned projects. More specifically, the EL Fellow will ensure that coordinators are ready by:
1. Providing training through workshops;
2. Mentoring the coordinators performance on the job (observing and mentoring teachers, running meetings, preparing reports, supervising English language activities);
3. Mentoring the coordinators;
4. Allowing the coordinators to shadow him/her on the job;
5. Asking the coordinators to present information and then start conducting workshops;
6. Allocating different projects to individual coordinators (i.e., appointing one coordinator handle the newsletter; one coordinator to run the volunteer program, etc.);
7. Developing and leaving materials for the coordinators to use.
In addition to working with the English Department Coordinators and training the local coordinators to promote sustainability of teacher development, the EL Fellow will also continue to enhance and expand all of the projects that have been initiated thus far. S/he can also launch new projects to further improve the teachers’ skills and the English language abilities of the Makassed students. The EL Fellow presence in Lebanon is a key component of our overall Embassy strategy, particularly in its outreach to communities represented by the institutions with which it was able to forge new ties that had previously been closed to the Embassy. Communities who would reject other Embassy contacts and initiatives always seemed to be open and willing to accept EFL/ESL expertise, providing a much needed basis of trust upon which other Embassy programming in that community could built (i.e. placement of ACCESS Microscholarship clusters, establishment of American Corners, recruitment for YES, FLTA, and MEPI programs). It will be extremely difficult to rebuild connections with communities more wary of USG intentions after this current crisis without assets like the EL Fellow program in Lebanon.

About the Host Institution

Makassed Directorate of Educational Affairs is a private non profit non governmental educational School System, which is part of the Makassed Philanthropic Islamic Association in Beirut, Lebanon. Makassed Directorate of Educational Affairs is responsible for curricula design and development for all Makassed private schools in Lebanon from grades K to 12, textbook selection and development for all Makassed private schools, and pre-service and in-service teacher training for all levels on a nationwide basis. It was established more than a century and a quarter ago. This association aiming at constructing a distinguished Makassed community, built on sublime values and proud of its nationality. The Makassed functions on the principle that religious faith along with quality modern education is very important in the process of raising its generations and developing its community's capabilities. It, thus, promotes open Islamic thought through its different institutions, offers distinctive education, provides medical care, medical and social services all of which are partially subsidized in order to be attainable by all. The special committee concerned with teaching the children of poor Muslims in rural areas had launched its activities in 1929 by opening schools in remote villages. It was mainly concerned with offering children a modern, ethical and religious education. With the committee joining Makassed's Association in 1963, its schools had become Makassed services that contain more than eight thousand students in 35 elementary schools and three intermediate schools. The services offered by Makassed Association cover three major sectors: the educational sector (with its schools and institutes), the health sector and the social affairs sector. Thus, it aims at educating the child and teenager, assuring health care and protection for the human being and taking care of women and the elderly. Makassed assumes these tasks through various projects that cope with the needs of society.

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Libya
City                              Tripoli
Host Institution           Academy of Graduate Studies
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach intermediate/advanced English and a variety of skills courses. S/he will also mentor and advise the EL Fellow for Al Fatah University and conduct outreach workshops every 6-8 weeks at other Libyan institutions.

Project Objectives
Public Diplomacy (PD) is an essential part of US Embassy’s relationship during this time of rapid diplomatic evolution. In order to influence a nation long removed from interaction with the West, the Embassy needs to help Libyan students develop their linguistic skills to compete for academic exchanges with U.S. counterpart institutions. To reach the Libyan people, and especially the youth, PD must promote and share American values through educational experts and in-country English Language Programs. As mentioned above, after a 25-year break in relations, English language curricula are expanding, and foreign teachers are being replaced with Libyan nationals. As such, at prominent academic institutions like the Academy of Graduate Studies, we will be able to influence not only the curricula, but the students who receive the training of the same curricula. Finally, our goal is to see that Libya becomes an economic model for the region, with strong economic growth, transparency, solid development and stability while continuing to expand opportunities for U.S. businesses and ensure appropriate access for U.S. firms to the Libyan energy market. Post will also make use of PD English programming to expose a greater circle of Libyans to the language of energy, science, research, and fields of great import to the Libyan economy. International oil companies will increase investment in the Libyan oil sector, provided there are adequate human resources from Libya who speak English. This program would support such a goal.

About the Host Institution

The Academy of Graduate Studies is the largest private institute for higher education, and is considered the best alternative to public schools in Libya. It has a full Faculty of Languages.
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Libya
City                              Tripoli
Host Institution           Al Fatah University
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
Engineering, Scientific English, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Research

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach intermediate/advanced English, with an emphasis on scientific language and vocabulary, for graduate students in the Faculty of Science. S/he will teach intermediate/advanced English and a variety of skills courses.

Project Objectives
This project aims to enhance the training of future scientific practitioners from Al-Fatah University. This institution is responsible for producing the vast majority of scientists (including engineers, physicians, and many other scientific fields) for the country of Libya, particularly given strong governmental interest in promoting these fields domestically. More specifically, the Faculty of Sciences at Al-Fatah University, the most prominent University in Libya, has specifically asked the US Embassy for help in identifying a professor of English language to assist the new generation of English speakers in Libya with attaining a higher-level English capability to make them competitive in the global scientific labor market. This project would have not only a general benefit, but a specific result as well. By providing one EL Fellow, the theoretical background emphasized in the courses at Al Fatah University’s Faculties of Sciences will be supplemented by practical vocabulary and research methods in scientific fields, particularly Health. In addition, Public Diplomacy (PD) is an essential part of Embassy’s relationship during this time of rapid diplomatic evolution. In order to influence a nation long removed from interaction with the West, the Embassy needs to help Libyan students develop their linguistic skills to compete for academic opportunities at US institutions. To reach the Libyan people, and especially the youth, the Embassy must promote and share American values through educational experts and in-country English Language Programs. As mentioned above, after a 25-year break in relations, English language curricula are expanding, and foreign teachers are being replaced with Libyan nationals. As such, at prominent academic institutions like Al Fatah, the Embassy will be able to influence not only the curricula, but the students who receive the training of the same curricula. Finally, the Embassy’s goal is to see that Libya becomes an economic model for the region, with strong economic growth, transparency, solid development and stability while continuing to expand opportunities for US businesses and ensure appropriate access for US firms to the Libyan energy market. The Embassy will also make use of English programming to expose a greater circle of Libyans to the language of energy, science, research, and fields of great import to the Libyan economy. International oil companies will increase investment in the Libyan oil sector, provided there are adequate human resources from Libya who speak English.

About the Host Institution
Al Fatah University was founded in 1957 as a national institution for scientific and civil education. Al Fatah recently divided itself from one university of 18 faculties to two universities of 12 and 6 faculties each. Al Fatah University is now comprised of 12 Faculties, including engineering, agriculture, law, fine arts, and various humanities fields. The other school, Al Fatah University of Medical Sciences, is now comprised of 6 Faculties including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and related fields. The total student body now numbers roughly 70,000; 22,000 new students began coursework in the 07-08 academic year. The teaching staff numbers 2,200 and Al Fatah has 3,000 other employees.

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Morocco
City                              Rabat
Host Institution           École Normale Supérieure/Ministry of National                                                Education
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              Mid-September 2008 – Mid-July 2009

Project Focus
Teaching Methodologies

Project Description
The primary duties of the EL Fellow will shift a bit next year to allow him/her to take on a secondary project at the Ministry of Education and to ensure that École Normale Supérieuere (ENS) does not get accustomed to the EL Fellow to the extent it is taken for granted. Thus, in AY 2008-09, the EL Fellow will continue teaching teacher preparation courses at ENS up to ten hours per week. S/he will also do up to ten hours of conversation with officials at the Ministry of Education. Periodically, the US Embassy will ask the EL Fellow to participate in outreach programs such as summer camps and English clubs, and to conduct workshops for teachers.

Project Objectives
The work of the EL Fellow permits the US Embassy to help Morocco become more Anglophone and thereby participate more capably in global markets and educational exchange. EL Fellow’s work with the summer camps, English clubs, and teachers association reinforce democratic behavior and encourage mutual understanding.

About the Host Institution
E.N.S (École Normale Supérieure) is one of the most important teacher-training schools based in Rabat in charge of training selected candidates from all over the country to become English teachers in Moroccan high schools. Ministry of National Education is the highest governmental authority in charge of education, providing schools and other academic institutions, materials and equipments, designing programs and training teachers.

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Oman
City                              Nizwa
Host Institution           Nizwa University
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, Business, Economics, English for Listening, English for Reading, English for Speaking, English for Writing, English for Professional Usage

Project Description
The EL Fellow will teach advanced English courses at Nizwa University. The assignment requires approximately 15 contact hours of classroom time per week, which is consistent with average faculty workload at the University. 15 contact hours corresponds to 3 or 4 classes. The EL Fellow will teach advanced English speaking, writing and reading, English for Professional Usage, and American Literature and Culture. English language skills are invaluable to students at Nizwa University. In addition to a heavily subscribed English language degree program, courses in almost all degree fields are taught in English. Thus, English reading, writing, and speaking skills play a huge role in a student’s overall academic success, and in finding jobs after graduation. The University has a program for lower and mid-level English; however, it needs to boost its teaching at advanced levels. The goal of the English for Professional Usage course is to build communication skills required to work in the global economy, and the goal of the American Literature and Culture course is to deepen understanding of American values. In addition, the EL Fellow will have a wide range of choices for secondary duties. The University expressed particular interest in: launching the University’s first research journal; curriculum development for the English language program and the University’s new Masters in American Literature program; professional development for teachers; supporting students use of a Writing Lab; and mentoring English language and Literature clubs. Many of these ideas are new initiatives that University wants to implement with adequate guidance from the EL Fellow. To that end, an EL Fellow is needed who likes taking initiatives to put form and structure to projects such as the ones above. These secondary duties will take no more than 30% of the EL Fellow’s time.

Project Objectives
Nizwa University students have shown marked interest in learning about the US on each interaction with the US Embassy. Despite this interest, understanding of American culture and values is woefully inaccurate. This is due mostly to the lack of accurate sources of information for these students, most of whom are from the country’s interior. Bolstering American presence through an EL Fellow to teach about American culture will find a receptive and needful audience. The US Embassy and Nizwa conceived of the English Language for Professional Usage program specifically to correspond to the Embassy’s goal of ‘Investing in People’. Though Oman’s University system aims to position its students for work in global markets, few graduates actually do. The Professional Usage course is designed to train students to communicate across cultures in English in a professional setting. We also see opportunity in the secondary duties of the EL Fellow to develop concepts of civic participation and organization. Fundamentally, Nizwa University has 4,000 students, most of whom know almost nothing about America, and what little they do comes mostly from non-American sources. And, importantly, the students are open-minded and remarkably eager to engage and learn from Americans. An EL Fellow at Nizwa University gives the Embassy first opportunity to help define America, and to do so accurately.

About the Host Institution

Nizwa University hosts 4,000 students from across Oman, instructed by about 150 faculty members. It is one of five private Universities (out of six Universities total in Oman), and it is the only non-profit one. NU’s students come from all over the country, including the capital. Uniquely, Nizwa University’s student body is roughly 85% women. The University was founded in 2004, and is gaining a reputation as one of the top of the country’s six. All students room and board at the University. In addition to attracting talented minds from rural areas, it is beginning to draw students from Oman’s political and royal families. The dominating demographic, though, is academically focused students from the country’s underserved interior. Since its birth, the University has grown rapidly. NU will soon break ground on a new campus with ample growth space for the future. In addition to the College of Arts and Sciences, NU has the following colleges: Economics, Administration and Information Systems; Nursing and Pharmacy; and Engineering and Architecture. NU offers Masters programs in Arabic Language and Literature, Administration and Education, and Counseling and Guidance. The College of Arts and Sciences plans to offer a Masters in English Language and Literature beginning academic year 2008-09. The University has expressed strong interest for a qualified EL Fellow to assist in curriculum development and potentially teaching for this degree. Nizwa itself is one of Oman’s largest towns (estimated pop: 60,000), located an hour and a half by car from Muscat. The University is fifteen minutes by car from downtown Nizwa. Living in Nizwa promises a cultural immersion experience, with the comforts of Pizza Hut and good quality grocery shopping. Most Omanis speak basic English, so someone can get along fine without Arabic. Nizwa is a popular pass-through for tourists, who come to gaze at the spectacular and rough mountains in the area, to hike, and to explore local cave sites. Many local expats consider Oman paradise for out-doors lovers, offering plentiful mountain hikes, diving, snorkeling, desert camping, beach camping, caving, sea turtle watching, and ‘wadi bashing’ (driving 4x4s dangerously fast over 25 meter-high sand dunes). The University has committed to provide the EL Fellow an apartment in Nizwa. No faculty members live on campus. Housing is very difficult to find and there are not many western-style accommodations. So, the University usually takes housing maters in hand and provides furnished apartments for western teachers. Most are two bedroom flats with utilities and rent covered by the University. The University has also offered to provide a university-owned car for the EL Fellow’s use (Toyota Corolla or similar), but is flexible to discuss other arrangements such as a transportation allowance. The US Embassy strongly believes that this can be a great match for an EL Fellow, not only for NU’s benefit, but also for the EL Fellow’s professional and personal growth. NU’s faculty and students have impressed the Embassy time and again by their enthusiasm and thirst for American presence on campus. “Don’t worry about a thing! We will make sure this EL Fellow is like a part of our family!” our contact there recently assured us.

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Syria
City                              Damascus
Host Institution           American Language Center
Type of Project           Senior Fellow
Project Dates              October 2008 – July 2009

Project Focus
Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Teacher Training

Project Description
This proposal is to renew two EL Fellow positions in Syria. The EL Fellows are working in Damascus at this time. Both are affiliated with the American Language Center and are conducting a variety of tailored teacher training courses. They are also charged with an enormous amount of outreach in Syria, where the programming environment has become extraordinarily difficult in recent months as the Ministries of Education and Higher Education overtly block institutions under their auspices from contact with the USG. Therefore, the EL Fellow outreach to teachers at numerous private EL institutions around the country has been invaluable in keeping the US engaged in English teaching in Syria. The need for teaching and training is vast and the EL Fellows get busier and busier with each passing day. The EL Fellows will also do outreach to teachers of private schools throughout the region, offering teacher training workshops as well as many workshops for language practice and cross cultural exchange events such as conversation clubs and movie showings.

Project Objectives
The primary focus of the American Cultural Center's mission in Syria is to rebuild relationships between Syrians and Americans. The current EL Fellows have defied the odds in building relationships with teachers in Damascus and elsewhere. Continuing with the EL Fellow placements in Syria for another year so that the in-coming EL Fellows can build on the academic and personal foundations that have been established so far and extend their outreach and professional contacts is critical to the US Embassy mission in Syria.

About the Host Institution
The American Language Center remains the premier English language teaching institution in Damascus. Operating four terms a year, ALC classes are nearly always filled to capacity. Nearly 3,000 students and professionals attend the ALC throughout the year. The ALC also operates a range of teacher training courses for teachers at other English language institutes throughout Syria. Thus, the ALC plays a major role in both English teaching and English teacher training in Syria.

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Project Focus
Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Teacher Training

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Tunisia
City                              Tunis
Host Institution           Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              September 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
English for Reading, English for Speaking, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Young Learners, Business English

Project Description
The Department of English of the Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis is pioneering a new applied B.A in the English language meant to prepare students majoring in English to a teaching career in primary schools and middle schools. The focus of this training will be on Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL). The EL Fellow needs to teach students majoring in English several techniques of teaching English to young learners. The EL Fellow will have to incorporate oral communication skills' courses focusing on classroom situations and contexts. The EL Fellow will also have to devote some hours of teaching ESP, namely technical and business English to advanced level students. Alongside teaching, the EL Fellow will be called upon to mentor junior teachers of one course (e.g. junior teachers of oral expression) in collaboration with the program coordinator. The mentoring may focus on specific teaching skills, one-on-one tutoring in TEYL and teaching methodology, scaffolding for the preparation of teaching materials, and informal observation and advising as needed. The EL Fellow will be placed at an Institute which has a very active ESP center that organizes workshops and seminars on a regular basis on topics related to teaching languages of specialization and on teaching techniques and methodologies using ICT. The ESP Center is an integral part of the Institute and is supported by the US Embassy in its efforts to promote English language teaching in Tunisia. The EL Fellow can be a great resource for the ESP Center and could use US State Department teacher training textbooks along the line of "Shaping the Way We Teach English," for conducting workshop sessions for a large audience of students and teachers. The EL Fellow is also welcome to take part in the various activities organized at the American Corner, such as the "Free English Fridays," the "American Study Weeks," the film discussions and the various alumni gatherings. The EL Fellow is expected to do outreach for approximately five days every two months at a provincial university. The EL Fellow will also take part in the State Department Access program run by AMIDEAST for an underprivileged and underrepresented segment of a student population. Should the EL Fellow decide to stay on during the Summer, he/she can participate in the English Language Summer Camp which features the participation of 150 students in an intensive language immersion program.

Project Objectives
The EL Fellow will impart his/her knowledge to both teachers and students regarding innovative teaching methods as well as critical and analytical thinking approaches. The various workshops that the EL Fellow is expected to do at the ESP Center of the Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis and at the American Corner will introduce teachers to various teacher training resources. Participation in the Access program will allow the EL Fellows to impart some of the values related to human rights, freedom of expression and assembly to an important segment of a student population.

About the Host Institution
The Department of English of the Higher Institute of Languages of Tunis is the second largest department of English in the country with over 3,500 students across the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

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West Bank/Gaza
City                              Bir Zeit, Ramallah
Host Institution           Bir Zeit University/Ministry of Education
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              Mid-August 2008 – June 2009

Project Focus
ELT, Current Issues, American Literature and/or Studies

Project Description
The EL Fellow will help refine the curriculum for and work in the Language Clinic of the Department of Languages and Translation (approximately 9 hours per week). The Clinic is intended to build the capacities of primarily non-English Language major students who are required to have a certain level of English proficiency in order to complete their major studies in technical, scientific, business and economic majors due to a lack of Arabic-language texts and materials on these subjects. Additionally, the EL Fellow will teach a course in "Current Issues" (3 hours/week) designed to improve English language presentation and practical usage skills. The EL Fellow will also teach a course in the Department of English Language and Literature (3 hours/week) for students in that major. The specific focus of this course can be decided later based on the specific skills and interests of the EL Fellow chosen for this program. The EL Fellow will also design and run an American cultural extracurricular activity for students at BZU (2 hours /week). The specific nature of the activity will be determined by the individual skills and interests of the EL Fellow chosen for this program, but possibilities include an American Book Club, an English Language Drama Club, or a Debate Club, etc. The US Consulate will also program the EL Fellow for 2-3 hours per week to give workshops and seminars to Palestinian English language teachers from public schools, in coordination with the Ministry of Education. The Ministry requested assistance from the Consulate in building the capacities and teaching methodologies of their teachers through a long-term training program with an American expert, and the EL Fellow Program provides the perfect opportunity to fulfill this request.

Project Objective
The objective of this project is to assist this important Palestinian educational institution in its efforts to provide the level of English language instruction necessary for its students to compete in the global economy and build vital links between their homeland and the outside democratic world, especially the US. The EL Fellow will help create an English language-rich environment for both faculty and students at the University. The EL Fellow will also provide a positive image of America and Americans through his/her regular one-on-one interactions with students and professors from all departments within the university in the Language Clinic, as well as through his/her two regular courses, both of which will have a strong American subject-matter component. Additionally, the EL Fellow's training workshops for public school teachers will extend the reach of the program to a wider and often more difficult-to-reach sector of Palestinian society by creating a multiplier effect, with teachers passing on their new skills and attitudes to their students. These sessions will also help the Consulate to enhance its relationship with the Ministry of Education, a key partner in US efforts to build favorable views of America and a culture of peace and nonviolence among Palestinian youth.
About the Host Institution
Bir Zeit University is the first institution of higher education to be established in the Palestinian Territories and is considered by many to be its most prestigious. In addition to providing students with the opportunity to realize their academic aspirations, the University encourages its students to be productive citizens and active members of their community. The University offers numerous undergraduate and post-graduate degrees through its seven faculties: Arts, Commerce and Economics, Engineering, Sciences, Law and Public Administration, Information Technology and Graduate Studies. The EL Fellow will be hosted by the Department of Languages and Translation, which is responsible for the English Language Communications Program designed to help students achieve the level of English proficiency needed to complete their major study programs and meet university graduation requirements. The Department of English Language and Literature, where the EL Fellow will also conduct some activities, seeks to promote disciplined study of the English language, linguistics and literature, as well as the development of the attributes associated with a liberal arts education, including: skill with language, intellectual curiosity, critical judgment, effective and persuasive writing, creative imagination and independent thought. The EL&L Department offers an array of courses in writing, linguistics, literature and translation and seeks to attract the best possible students from diverse Palestinian backgrounds. The EL&L Department is currently implementing an American Studies project with a grant from ECA and PAS-Jerusalem focusing on American literature, culture, history and women's issues in the US through a variety of courses and activities. The Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education took responsibility for the curriculum and administration of Palestinian public schools and public institutions of higher education in 1994. Since then, the Ministry has conducted a number of programs to develop and advance the quality of Palestinian education. Approximately 1.1 million students are enrolled in Ministry-managed schools, which employ 30 thousand teachers, and include two thousand schools. The Ministry also oversees nearly 20 Universities, colleges and other educational institutions throughout the West Bank and Gaza. Realizing the importance of quality education and higher educational standards, the Ministry has expended great efforts on teacher training. Specific attention has been given to on-the-job training for English Language teachers at all school levels. Ministry teachers have often and enthusiastically taken advantage of Consulate-sponsored EL teacher training programs, and recently approached PAS-Jerusalem to request an American specialist to conduct a long-term series of training programs and workshops for EL teachers from the Ministry. Support for the Palestinian Authority Ministries is an important component of current USG policy, and this program will do much to strengthen the Ministry and our relationship with it.

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Yemen
City                              Aden
Host Institution           University of Aden/AMIDEAST
Type of Project           Fellow
Project Dates              October 2008 – July 2009

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow's teaching duties will include two components: the University of Aden and AMIDEAST-Aden. At the University, the EL Fellow will teach EFL classes to first and/or second year students for 10 hours per week. The EL Fellow will be based at the Faculty of Education in Khormaksar, where s/he will teach 6 hours per week. Once a week, the EL Fellow will conduct the equivalent of 4 hours of English language teacher training at the Khormaksar campus. The host institution will provide weekly transport to and from the Faculty. At AMIDEAST-Aden, the EL Fellow will be tasked with teaching one class (2 hours/day, 5 days/week) of Access students. An important component of the Access program is transmitting cultural information and values to enrolled students. In total, the EL Fellow will be in class for a maximum of 20 contact hours per week at Aden University and AMIDEAST. However, in practice (because of breaks, holidays, and exams), during some periods, the EL Fellow will be in class between zero and 10 hours per week. In addition to in-class contact hours, the EL Fellow will participate in activities such as holding workshops, providing training, and developing curricular materials. In order to both maximize the EL Fellow's professional experience while in Aden and to utilize his/her talents in the most effective way possible during his/her time in Yemen, the US Embassy proposes that the EL Fellow will organize one in-service workshop during his/her tenure in Aden for the Faculty of Education in Khormaksar. The workshop content will focus on teaching methodology, theory, and practice for Aden University. The purpose of this workshop will be to enhance the level of EL teaching in Aden and in the southern Yemeni governorates by introducing pedagogical concepts with which these teachers and future teachers may not have been previously acquainted. Additionally, this workshop will incorporate aspects of American culture and American professional practices. At both AMIDEAST and the University, the EL Fellow will also disseminate information about and encourage students and faculty members to apply for USG-sponsored exchange programs, including the Fulbright program, Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant program, and the MEPI Youth Summer Leadership program. The EL Fellow will also help coordinate extracurricular cultural activities for Access students at AMIDEAST Aden. Once during each 6-week session at AMIDEAST, all Access students are required to take part in a cultural activity, which may include films, community service work, university visits, or career exploration days. The EL Fellow will assist in the planning and coordination of these activities in close consultation with AMIDEAST-Aden's Access Program Coordinator. The EL Fellow will also participate in conversation hours with Access students on a regular basis.

Project Objectives
The proposed EL Fellow Program would facilitate cooperation between important institutions and programs in the region, including the US Embassy, the Regional English Language Officer (based in Cairo), Aden University, AMIDEAST-Yemen, the Access Microscholarship Program, other USG scholarship programs, and workshops by ECA-funded EL specialists. This cooperation has been occurring on a regular basis since the first EL Fellow arrived in Aden in 2004, and has continued and expanded in the past two years. Such programmatic activity is especially important in Aden, which was the capital of the former Marxist state known as the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (PDRY). Until PDRY unified in 1990 with the Yemen Arab Republic, Americans and most Westerners were not permitted entrance into PDRY. Accordingly, an entire generation was not exposed to Western concepts, values, or democratic ideals. Given this historical experience and with an interest in developing the emerging economies the south of Yemen, both younger and older generations are interested in learning about the West and about Americans and American culture. EL Fellows have helped ensure an American presence in the growing and significant educational sector of this region. Additionally, educational programs that focus on English language training have been shown to have tremendous impact on people's perceptions and beliefs. In particular, the expansion of the Access Microscholarship program and its management by AMIDEAST in Yemen has permitted EL Fellows to augment their professional duties by conducting outreach with a unique and important group of Yemeni school-age students that would not otherwise be served via a traditional EL Fellow placement. In sum, the in-class teaching, the outreaches, and the Access training will provide the ELF and U.S. State Department by extension, with numerous and varied opportunities to engage Yemeni citizens from a variety of age groups and socioeconomic backgrounds. It is Embassy’s hope that this impact will be both positive and enlightening for citizens of Aden. Drawing on past experience with the EL Fellow Program, the Embassy is confident that this proposed joint program offers activities that are manageable, logistically supported, and linked to the objective of developing human resources in an important part of Yemen.

About the Host Institution
The second-oldest institution of higher learning in Yemen, Aden University was established in 1975 in what was then the capital of South Yemen. It includes 17 faculties (which are somewhat akin to departments in US universities), and ten research centers. Enrollments currently exceed 22,000 per year. The EL Fellow will be based at the main Faculty of Education in Khormaksar.

AMIDEAST is an American non-governmental organization that delivers a variety of educational services, including English language training, professional training, testing, educational advising, scholarship administration (including the USG's Access Microscholarship program), and other forms of outreach and training. AMIDEAST has had an official presence in Yemen since 1981 and has been operating since 1998 in Aden.

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Sponsored by
U.S. Department of State
Office of English
Language Programs
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Administered by
Georgetown University
Center for Intercultural
Education and Development (CIED)