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AY 2009-2010 Projects - Europe/ Eurasia

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Albania
City: Shkoder Tirana  
Host Institution: Luigj Gurakuqi University/ELTA   
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: Mid-September 2009 – Mid-July 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
The EL Fellow will be required to receive a security briefing before travelling to Shkoder for the first time.  

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow is expected to teach two courses, both for students in their second year of studies: Integrated Language Skills and ESP Journalism.  A standard text for Integrated Language Skills, most often a CPE preparation book, is regularly used for the instruction of English major students, but faculty always include non-textbook activities to give them a wider range of experiences. To have a native English speaker teach this class would be invaluable, because one of its main foci is English for listening and speaking. This course spans two semesters.   As to the ESP Journalism course, the majority of the professors (whether full- or part-time) have training in linguistics, literature, and culture. Few, if any, have training in journalism. A class on journalism would have benefits beyond training in professional writing, including an inherent focus on critical thinking and current events. This class would only be for one semester.   The EL Fellow at Luigj Gurakuqi University will be responsible for creating and giving the final exam for ESP: Journalism at the end of the Fall 2009 semester, and for Integrated Language Skills at the end of the academic year.  The EL Fellow is also expected to co-teach a class on Teaching Methodology for MA students.

Secondary project duties will include working with: Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars.  The Foreign Language Faculty at Luigj Gurakuqi University held its first International conference in 2008, with the support of the US Embassy, and the current EL Fellow participated in this conference with a presentation and her contribution was highly appreciated by conference participants and organizers. If the University reprises the conference in the Fall of 2009, as they plan, the EL Fellow will be able to help them with the organization as well as relevant presentations.   In addition, ELTA, Albania’s English Teaching Association organizes regional seminars and teacher training workshops in different cities in Albania and plans to organize their biannual Conference in the Spring of 2010. The EL Fellow would be an invaluable asset to them and her/his presentations will be useful for participating teachers from all over Albania.

Project Objectives
Improved English language skills are critical to Albania’s economic development and evolution into a transparent, open society and integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Knowledge of English is especially important in a border city such as Shkoder with a population over 250,000, a troubled history in the post-communist period, and yet with a great potential for tourism development being at the cross roads with neighboring countries in North Albania.
The US Embassy is working hard to reach out to youth especially that in the rural areas. One of the challenges in presenting and promoting its programs in these areas is lack of language skills on the part of the targeted audience. Shkoder University, the only regional university in North Albania, attracts students from the most Northern Albanian cities and rural areas. These students will then become teachers of English and return to their home towns and villages and teach their own students and ultimately prepare broader audiences for US Embassy programs.

About the Host Institution
The city of Shkoder is proud of its university and the level of education and culture it affords. Luigj Gurakuq University is northern Albania’s most important institution for higher education, with students from all northern regions and even some from Montenegro.  Within the larger university, which is divided into six faculties, the EL Fellow’s host institution would be the Foreign Language Faculty. There are three departments in the Foreign Language Faculty: the Departments of English, German, and Romance Languages (currently French, Italian and Latin). The faculty boasts a well-qualified teaching core, with many PhDs and candidates, and has the goal of hosting at least one foreign professor per department. The faculty currently awards First Degree Diplomas, a B.A. equivalent, and in the Spring semester 2009 it will hold MA courses for elementary-level teachers for the first time. In the English Department, most of the classes are carried out in English. The department has approximately 300 students in the first, second and third years of study. This number of students can sometimes put a strain on the facilities, which are limited and underdeveloped. It also necessitates the hiring of a large number of part-time lecturers. The department’s full-time professors all either hold PhDs or are candidates, and have a wide variety of specialties. The department would welcome an EL Fellow, and the new methods and energy a foreign professor brings. The University is interested in expanding possibilities for its professors and students; for example, this past year the University held an international conference on language teaching, which included papers from two Americans and one British guest. The University hopes to host an EL Fellow who is eager to teach and learn.   

The ELTA Association is registered at Tirana Court and with the Ministry of Education and Science. It functions as such since 2002. The Association is open to all levels of teaching from primary to tertiary education. However at the moment the biggest member group is composed of teachers from elementary and secondary schools, apparently the teachers with greatest need for training, materials, contacts, etc. Board members of ELTA Association organize a biannual international conference where EL Fellows from the Region, members from other ELT Associations participate and present. They are also very active in working with the Local Education Departments and Peace Corps volunteers to organize seminars and workshops for teachers in these areas.   Some of them are so involved in the Model UN program for which they help prepare students to participate in the activities.

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Armenia
City: Yerevan
Host Institution: Yerevan State Medical University  
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
ESP Medical English

Project Description 
The objective 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 involve in professional discussions in English
- Develop presentation skills.
The EL Fellow will teach English speaking and comprehension to four different groups:
(1) university faculty,
(2) medical residents,
(3) university affiliated practicing doctors,
(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 to four 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. The EL Fellow will also offer a special training program for graduate students and faculty on preparing for international medical seminars, conferences, and exchanges. 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.  Secondary project duties will include working with: Workshops/Seminars. The objective 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 s/he will work on materials development and adapting new materials to the existing curriculum requirements. The EL Fellow will also lead an English Club where series of Gray’s Anatomy or another film series on a medical theme will be shown to and discussed with students. On occasional basis, the EL Fellow will be asked to serve on panels of the US Government exchange programs as well as conduct 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 the area of medicine in Armenia. Although there are several private medical schools, this university is the most prestigious educational institution, which provides a medical degree program. To date, the university has trained over 25,000 doctors, of whom about 1,400 are citizens of twenty-six foreign countries. There are more than 3,000 students studying at the university and about 1,500 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 U.S. 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 to initiate and cover costs of training for 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 into world-wide scientific dialogue. Health is a primary human value which has a global importance. The 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 Teachers Institute  
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
This EL Fellow will help the students and the teachers of Azerbaijan Teachers Institute (ATI) in Baku build their conversational English language skills and become more familiar with American way of teaching English and American culture. Students at ATI are young specialists who will become teachers at secondary schools throughout Azerbaijan. The EL Fellow will teach English to the first year students of the School of Elementary Education four hours/week. S/he 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 to the teachers of English department regularly. ATI brings elementary, secondary and high school English teachers from the regions to provide them with in-service teacher training for one month, twice a year. The EL Fellow will give training workshops to them during their in-service classes once or twice a week. The EL Fellow will occasionally visit the regional branches of ATI to give training/workshops/seminars upon request. The EL Fellow will be affiliated with the Department of International Department of ATI and will directly report to the head of the department.

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 of the United States. Proficiency in English will help the country to strengthen its international connections, develop market-based economy, obtain access to more educational resources, and foster free and open information environment. Developing English language skills in Azerbaijan will also create a more receptive audience for the US culture, ideas, and initiatives. In order to facilitate the development of teaching English, the Embassy works closely with Azerbaijani English Teachers Association (AzETA) 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
Azerbaijan Teachers Institute was founded in 1929. It has 11 regional branches in Ganja, Sumgayit, Mingachevir, Gazakh, Shamakhi, Guba, Salyan, Jalilabad, Aghjabedi, Sheki, Zagatala and Lankaran. Azerbaijan Teachers Institute and its branches include the followings: Training of Pedagogical Personnel (bachelor’s degree), In-Service Training of Pedagogical Personnel, Re-Training of Pedagogical Personnel, and Improvement of Pedagogical Personnel.  Training of pedagogical personnel on pedagogy and methods of elementary education, pedagogy and methods of pre-school education, Azerbaijan language and literature, history and geography, physics and mathematics, mathematics and informatics, pedagogy, psychology, and English language are carried out in the branch Institutes. Pedagogical education and teacher training are continuously carried out by the Institute. Every year more than ten thousand pedagogical personnel are involved in additional education. Departments of the Institute include Department of Re-training and In-service, Department of Pedagogy, and Department of Philology.

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Azerbaijan
City: Baku
Host Institution: Azerbaijan Tourism Institute (ATI)/American Center             
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow working with the Azerbaijan Tourism Institute (ATI) will continue to work closely with students, staff and faculty to build their conversational English language skills and become more familiar with American culture and tourism opportunities. The EL Fellow teaches business English courses in the International diploma program, provides conversational class for the teachers and staff at the Institute, and leads a methodology discussion group for teachers. S/he is working closely with the English Department head to provide professional development opportunities around assessment/testing and ESP curriculum development for the English faculty. S/he is also designing and executing new courses which will be provided this and next year. These courses include an academic writing course for English department teachers and conversational English courses for Institute students and the public at large. The EL Fellow at ATI also conducts workshops and trainings to present research-based teaching methodology. Additionally, s/he is compiling a library of ESP tourism materials for the university and will continue to provide consultation on development of English course materials and promotional materials designed for the Tourism Institute and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The EL Fellow will spend 30 hours per week working with ATI. Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Culture, and English Club Programming. The EL Fellow will also be requested to teach at the US Embassy’s American Center. S/he will teach three hours of conversation classes to an intermediate level group and three hours of TOEFL classes to an advanced level group per week. There will be 10-12 people in each group. Overall s/he will spend 10 hours per week together with preparations at the American Center.
 
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 of the United States. Proficiency in English will help the country to strengthen its international connections, develop market-based economy, obtain access to more educational resources, and foster free and open information environment. Developing English language skills in Azerbaijan will also create a more receptive audience for the US culture, ideas, and initiatives. In order to facilitate the development of teaching English, the Embassy works closely with Azerbaijani English Teachers Association (AzETA) 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
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. 

The American Center, located at the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL), shares a spacious room sufficient for hosting collections and programs. The availability of state-of-the-art video conferencing equipment, multimedia/slide/overhead projectors ensures that a variety of events is accommodated in a professional manner. The central location at AUL has provided a natural audience (University students who are majoring in foreign languages) while being located close to the Embassy and easily accessible to the general public. Most popular programs (by category) held at the Center are Conversation clubs, DVCs, online languages courses and web forums, and movie nights.

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Bosnia
City: Tuzla
Host Institution: University of Tuzla/Medresa in Tuzla   
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: October 2009 – July 2010

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature 

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. S/he 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 US Embassy’s 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 Embassy's American Corner. This program is an essential component of 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.

Summarized project objectives:
* to develop and teach standards-based English language skills courses for undergraduate and graduate English and American studies majors
* to teach medresa students from marginalized communities and provide them with realistic insights into American society using American Corners
* to reach out to secondary school teachers throughout the region and provide them with state-of-the-art approaches to language teaching
* to further develop relevant and regular programs at the American Corner
* to engage with Tuzla Summer Institute (TSI), which is a new Embassy generated and supported pilot project. This program represents brand new, mission-driven, initiative that is to continuously provide and positively promote mutual understanding, US social values, and culture. By providing its support to the project inception and while working with rising, younger talent with a promise of contributing to BiH’s cultural identity and image in the region, the Embassy would help further promote a dialogue between Islamic Community in BiH and their counterparts in the US and in international forums around the world. This new summer educational program is to help young people prepare for their university education, prepare for their professional careers, and prepare for their roles as citizens in a secular multi-ethnic society. Starting in the summer of 2009, the Tuzla Muftiate supported by the rest of BiH Islamic community, with the support of the US Embassy in Sarajevo and in partnership with local NGO in Tuzla is in the working progress of establishing the first "Tuzla Summer Institute". Teachers and professors at the 2009 Tuzla Summer Institute will be from abroad, the US in particular. The US Embassy in Sarajevo will be an active contributor to the Tuzla Summer Institute and would help secure EL Fellows’ involvement in the AY 2009-2010 and beyond. The Tuzla Summer Institute will have classes that teach immediately marketable skills, for example classes in information technology and English. The Tuzla Summer Institute will be open to qualified applicants from all of Bosnia's ethnicities and cultural backgrounds with an emphasis on those who have most recently graduated from high school. The Tuzla Summer Institute will take place at the Tuzla Islamic high school called the Behram-begova Medresa. The classes will be approximately four weeks in length and, depending on the capacity of the proposed program; the Tuzla Summer Institute will have 60 to 100 students.

Project Objectives
* to work with colleagues to establish an externally validated, standards-based examination system
* to develop curricula/syllabi in line with the agreed standards
* to teach English as well as American values and principles to students from rural communities studying in the Islamic high schools (medresas)
* to actively engage the students in discussions and activities related to U.S. society and values
* to facilitate discussions on issues such as diversity, tolerance in a multi-ethnic society, democracy and human rights
* to prepare for, participate in, and evaluate the new summer educational program: Tuzla Summer Institute-TSI

Three EL Fellows in BiH will contribute directly to one of the top mission priorities, engagement with key Muslim institutions. Perhaps unique to this US Embassy, it is required that the three EL Fellows teach English classes to students from the Islamic high schools (medresas) in or near the cities where they reside. Bosnia has six state-funded medresas, and the three EL Fellows teach English at three of them (the Embassy funds teachers for the other three medresas through ECA’s English Access Microscholarship Program). In addition to their important work with medresa students, all three EL Fellows play a key role in outreach to other important Muslim institutions and communities.
Tuzla is very important city for Embassy’s outreach efforts, as it is the second largest city in the federation (after Sarajevo), and has a particularly productive relationship with the university, the only one in the country that has instituted organizational reforms that meet the EU’s Bologna standards.

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 in Tuzla 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 three years. 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 Ph.D.s. Currently, the EL Fellow and her colleagues are making tremendous progress in reforming the B.A. curriculum and examination system, developing specialized MA courses and implementing new approaches to English teaching.

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 his staff have been very supportive of US 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 students 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.

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 seven American Corners in Bosnia. The American Corners make sure that US 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.

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Bosnia
City: Mostar
Host Institution: Dzemal Bijedic University/Medresa Mostar     
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: October 2009 – July 2010

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature 

Project Description
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 is 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 syllabuses that help students achieve higher levels 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. 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 microscholarships.

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Culture, American Studies, and English Camp.  The EL Fellow will also continue to be active in developing and implementing regular and relevant programs for the American Corner. The EL Fellow will also engage with Tuzla Summer Institute (TSI), which is a new Embassy generated and supported pilot project. This program represents brand new, mission-driven, initiative that is to continuously provide and positively promote mutual understanding, US social values, and culture. By providing its support to the project inception and while working with rising, younger talent with a promise of contributing to BiH’s cultural identity and image in the region, the Embassy would help further promote a dialogue between Islamic Community in BiH and their counterparts in the US and in international forums around the world. This new summer educational program is to help young people prepare for their university education, prepare for their professional careers, and prepare for their roles as citizens in a secular multi-ethnic society. Starting in the summer of 2009, the Tuzla Muftiate supported by the rest of BiH Islamic community, with the support of the US Embassy in Sarajevo and in partnership with local NGO in Tuzla is in the working progress of establishing the first "Tuzla Summer Institute". Teachers and professors at the 2009 Tuzla Summer Institute will be from abroad, the US in particular. The US Embassy in Sarajevo will be an active contributor to the Tuzla Summer Institute and would help secure EL Fellows’ involvement in the AY 2009-2010 and beyond. The Tuzla Summer Institute will have classes that teach immediately marketable skills, for example classes in information technology and English. The Tuzla Summer Institute will be open to qualified applicants from all of Bosnia's ethnicities and cultural backgrounds with an emphasis on those who have most recently graduated from high school. The Tuzla Summer Institute will take place at the Tuzla Islamic high school called the Behram-begova Medresa. The classes will be approximately four weeks in length and, depending on the capacity of the proposed program; the Tuzla Summer Institute will have 60 to 100 students.

Project Objectives
* to work with colleagues to establish an externally validated, standards-based examination system
* to develop curricula/syllabi in line with the agreed standards
* to teach English as well as American values and principles to students from rural communities studying in the Islamic high schools (medresas)
* to further develop relevant and regular programs at the American Corner
* to actively engage the students in discussions and activities related to US society and values
* to facilitate discussions on issues such as diversity, tolerance in a multi-ethnic society, democracy and human rights
* to prepare for, participate in, and evaluate the new summer educational program: Tuzla Summer Institute-TSI
Beside the ongoing Access program, the new Tuzla Summer Institute-TSI, program is seen as one of key links to American society by Bosnian Islamic Community.

Three EL Fellows in BiH will contribute directly to one of the top mission priorities, engagement with key Muslim institutions. Perhaps unique to this US Embassy, it is required that the three EL Fellows teach English classes to students from the Islamic high schools (medresas) in or near the cities where they reside. Bosnia has six state-funded medresas, and the three EL Fellows teach English at three of them (the Embassy funds teachers for the other three medresas through ECA’s English Access Microscholarship Program). In addition to their important work with medresa students, all three EL Fellows play a key role in outreach to other important Muslim institutions and communities.

The EL Fellow in Mostar is uniquely placed to facilitate dialogue between the Muslim and Croat communities in that still-divided city; although s/he teaches at the majority-Muslim university, s/he has developed contacts at the Croat University on the other side of the city.

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 high school.

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 seven American Corners in Bosnia. The American Corners make sure that US 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.

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Bosnia
City: Bihac
Host Institution: University of Bihac/Medresa Cazin  
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: October 2009 – July 2010

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature 

Project Description
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 Medrasa 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 EL Fellow will:

  1. develop and pilot American studies theme courses for undergraduate English majors
  2. work with Islamic Studies majors and teaching assistants on improving their English and deepening their understanding of American society
  3. expose secondary school students enrolled in Medrasas (Islamic high schools) to intensive English and American society courses
  4. further develop relevant programming at the American Corner in Bihac
  5. work with secondary school teachers from rural areas on methods and approaches to English teaching
  6. engage with Tuzla Summer Institute (TSI), new US Embassy generated and supported pilot project

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming.  Access Microscholarship Program is an ongoing initiative in the field of English language study being introduced by the US Embassy Office of Public Affairs and the US 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. Currently in Bihac, Tuzla, and Mostar there are 20 students in each class totaling 60. The classes are taught by EL Fellows and American native-English speakers with teaching qualifications who are resident in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The courses are to be held in either a nearby American corner (e.g. in Bihac, Tuzla, Mostar, and Zenica) or in the Medressas 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. The EL Fellow will also engage with Tuzla Summer Institute (TSI), which is a new Embassy generated and supported pilot project. This program represents brand new, mission-driven, initiative that is to continuously provide and positively promote mutual understanding, US social values, and culture. By providing its support to the project inception and while working with rising, younger talent with a promise of contributing to BiH’s cultural identity and image in the region, the Embassy would help further promote a dialogue between Islamic Community in BiH and their counterparts in the US and in international forums around the world. This new summer educational program is to help young people prepare for their university education, prepare for their professional careers, and prepare for their roles as citizens in a secular multi-ethnic society. Starting in the summer of 2009, the Tuzla Muftiate supported by the rest of BiH Islamic community, with the support of the US Embassy in Sarajevo and in partnership with local NGO in Tuzla is in the working progress of establishing the first "Tuzla Summer Institute". Teachers and professors at the 2009 Tuzla Summer Institute will be from abroad, the US in particular. The US Embassy in Sarajevo will be an active contributor to the Tuzla Summer Institute and would help secure EL Fellows’ involvement in the AY 2009-2010 and beyond. The Tuzla Summer Institute will have classes that teach immediately marketable skills, for example classes in information technology and English. The Tuzla Summer Institute will be open to qualified applicants from all of Bosnia's ethnicities and cultural backgrounds with an emphasis on those who have most recently graduated from high school. The Tuzla Summer Institute will take place at the Tuzla Islamic high school called the Behram-begova Medresa. The classes will be approximately four weeks in length and, depending on the capacity of the proposed program, the Tuzla Summer Institute will have 60 to 100 students.

Project Objectives
* to work with colleagues to establish an externally validated, standards-based examination system
* to develop curricula/syllabi in line with the agreed standards
* to teach English as well as American values and principles to students from rural communities studying in the Islamic high schools (medresas)
* to further develop relevant and regular programs at the American Corner
* to actively engage the students in discussions and activities related to U.S. society and values
* to facilitate discussions on issues such as diversity, tolerance in a multi-ethnic society, democracy and human rights
* to prepare for, participate in, and evaluate the new summer educational program: Tuzla Summer Institute-TSI
Beside the ongoing Access program, the new Tuzla Summer Institute-TSI, program is seen as one of key links to American society by Bosnian Islamic Community.

Three EL Fellows in BiH will contribute directly to one of the top mission priorities, engagement with key Muslim institutions. Perhaps unique to this US Embassy, it is required that the three EL Fellows teach English classes to students from the Islamic high schools (medresas) in or near the cities where they reside. Bosnia has six state-funded medresas, and the three EL Fellows teach English at three of them (the Embassy funds teachers for the other three medresas through ECA’s English Access Microscholarship Program). In addition to their important work with medresa students, all three EL Fellows play a key role in outreach to other important Muslim institutions and communities.

The ELF in Bihac teaches at the University’s Faculty of Islamic Studies, which is a particularly conservative institution that receives significant funding from Saudi Arabia (note: the medresa in nearby Cazin is also heavily funded by Saudi Islamic organizations.

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 three such faculties in Bosnia (the other being in Sarajevo and Zenica) 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 five 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.

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 seven American Corners in Bosnia. The American Corners make sure that US 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.

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Bulgaria
City: Veliko Turnovo
Host Institution: University of Veliko Turnovo  
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: Mid-September – Mid-July 2010

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

Project Description
The University of Veliko Turnovo requests an EL Fellow for the 2009-2010 school year to teach a key practical language course, which is taken by all BA students. Other primary duties will include:
- develop curricula and assessment criteria for different BA programs and different years
- encourage students to join the English-speaking club and discuss topics relevant to US society and culture
- help with student initiatives such as theatrical performances, organization of guest lectures and talks

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Culture, English Club Programming, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. In addition to those primary classroom duties, the EL Fellow should:
- be able to offer electives in the field related to American studies and culture
- work in close cooperation with the American Corner and post news and relevant material on the Corner’s web site
- conduct seminars, workshops and peer teaching sessions with teachers of English from the city of Veliko Turnovo and the region
- take part in departmental initiatives such as academic conferences, meetings and seminars

Project Objectives
Assisting the next generation of Bulgarian leaders in enhancing their English skills will help increase Bulgaria's capacity to contribute to international security in the future. The assistance offered by the EL Fellow in the area of curriculum development will help demonstrate the need for transparency and good management of resources, which will help students better understand the need for these values at the state level. The EL Fellow will be able to share American culture and values, thus promoting trans-Atlanticism. The work with the American Corner and special talks about America will help to increase a favorable view of the United States.
 
About the Host Institution
The University of Veliko Turnovo is located in north-central Bulgaria in what was the second capital of the country during its golden age - between 1100s to the 1300s. UVT is one of the several universities in Bulgaria, which has an American Studies Department within the English Department. The English Department was established more than 30 years ago and offers a variety of BA degrees in English Studies and applied languages. The department also offers several MA degrees in American Studies, linguistics, translation, British Studies, and Irish studies. During the spring of 2002, UVT hosted a national conference in American Studies, and established itself as instrumental in the field of American Studies and English teaching. In February of 2003, an American Corner was opened at the main university building, making UVT a major regional center for American Studies. In the past, EL Fellows have greatly enhanced the level of professionalism of the English and American Studies department and have thus enhanced the quality of the students’ work in this field. While the school has very competent professors, the benefits of a native English speaking professor are immeasurable. This will be the first EL Fellow at the school in four academic years.

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Georgia
City: Tbilisi
Host Institution: Ministry of Education and Science        
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The Georgian Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) has asked for an EL Fellow to continue working with the Ministry to ensure successful certification rates for English language teachers in Georgia. MOES requests that the EL Fellow work at the Teacher’s Professional Development Center (TPDC), an independent agency associated with the MOES and charged with professional training for teachers. Teacher certification is a critical and fundamental step in the MOES’s education reform efforts to ensure that teachers throughout Georgia meet international professional standards, in keeping with the Government of Georgia’s commitment to come into full compliance with the Bologna process. A parallel reform effort by the MOES will initiate the accreditation of schools throughout Georgia; thereby doubly ensuring the quality of education in Georgian schools. There are 2,300 schools and 4,600 English teachers in Georgia. To date, the current EL Fellow has developed a package of materials to prepare English-language teachers for the English National Exam (teachers’ national certification test) which will be administered in 2010. Over the course of seven separate trips to the regions of Georgia, the EL Fellow has trained 270 teachers in six-hour workshops on Reading Comprehension, Listening, Grammar in Context, and Writing Skills. By doing this, the EL Fellow has ascertained the overall level of expertise in English language among Georgian teachers, and is able to extrapolate their ability to pass the English-language (subject matter) certification exam. The EL Fellow has also identified a number of co-trainers with whom the AY 2009-2010 EL Fellow will work on certification test preparation in the future. A conservative estimate indicates that up to 90% of teachers will need intensive preparation to pass the certification exam. Beginning next September, the EL Fellow and his/her co-trainers will conduct additional workshops in other areas of Georgia as well as organize a second round of workshops for teachers who need additional practice skills. In general, listening and writing are the skills most in need of attention. The EL Fellow will prepare CD listening materials based on the feedback of the co-trainers for use in the second round of trainings. Academic year 2009-2010 will be devoted to ensuring that all English teachers participate in at least one workshop led by the EL Fellow and 30-40 co-trainers on the specific skills which will be tested in the English National Teacher Certification Exam. A second round of workshops should ensure a higher pass rate for English language teachers. The scope of this vast project in and of itself forms the basic justification for this renewal request. The Georgian Ministry of Education and Science has asked the US Embassy to expand its English-language activities in Georgia. The Ministry sees English-language education as a cornerstone for developing a Western or Euro-Atlantic mentality among Georgian citizens, especially after years (if not centuries) of Russian/Soviet influence; as a vehicle for civic education in Georgia; and as a means to encourage tolerance and minority integration within Georgian society and enable Georgians of non-Georgian ethnicity (20% of the population) to become more competitive for higher education and work opportunities. Secondary project duties will include working with: Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will work closely with the English Teacher’s Association of Georgia (ETAG) to plan and organize an annual National ETAG conference in the spring 2010. This conference will give Georgian EL teachers the opportunity to enrich their knowledge in modern teaching methodologies and establish new contacts. The EL Fellow will serve as a key note speaker at the conference.
 
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 quality training in preparation for the 2010 teacher certification exams as well as introduce them to modern teaching techniques and methodologies. This proposal strengthens educational reform in Georgia.

About the Host Institution
The Georgian Ministry of Education and Science (MOES) is the governmental body responsible for the education system and for children’s services in Georgia. It employs 155 staff (65% women, 35% men) whose average age is 38. A significant percentage of Ministry Employees have Western Master’s degrees funded through the USG’s Muskie scholarship or through the MOES’s own exchange program implemented through the Soros Foundation. The MOES has been a primary engine for reform in Georgia; education reform in Georgia has been the model for reform in other sectors. The MOES successfully met the challenge last summer of starting the school year in a timely fashion after up to 180,000 persons displaced from the Russian-Georgian conflict in August 2008 sought shelter, mostly in schools, universities, and kindergartens in Tbilisi and elsewhere. Nevertheless, this crisis was a major set-back to ongoing efforts at school renovation and at school certification after the MOES had to return a percentage of their annual budget to the central government to support extraordinary requirements after the crisis. The mission of the Ministry is to assure the increasing welfare and wellbeing of citizens via reforms in education and science; create a solid basis for developing a knowledge-based society; assure equal access to education; foster life-long and life-wide learning opportunities; initiate civic integration processes and implement the official language policy; facilitate freedom of choice in education; safeguard creativity, innovation, academic freedom and institutional autonomy; and develop an education system that meets the local and international labor market demands.

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Hungary
City: Pecs
Host Institution: Gandhi Secondary School/Romaversitas Foundation               
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: Late August 2009 – Late June 2010

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

Project Description
Two institutions in Hungary have emerged to address the problems of educational access, quality, and attainment for Roma youth: the Gandhi Secondary School in Pécs, 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 would 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:
a. Team teach with English language instructors, offering instructive feedback regarding their overall methodology, lesson planning, and teaching approach.
b. 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
c. Teach 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; short- and long-term individual and group projects; and take trips to English-speaking places (if funding is available).

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 would offer English classes during the evening. The EL Fellow would live and teach in Pécs during the bulk of the week and would teach in Budapest one day per week, offering a mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes, depending on the abilities of the students. Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Culture, English Club Programming, and Workshops/Seminars.  Ideally the EL Fellow will also organize and conduct American culture-related programs/workshops at the local American Corner such as but not limited to:
· visiting local primary and secondary schools to deliver talks and workshops on US society, civilization, culture, etc.
· providing seminars on American holidays for local community
· being a part of other regular American Corner programs such as sessions on US society, films, etc.
· contributing to the English conversation and book club
· actively attending job fairs with students
· contributing to International Education Week activities

Project Objectives
Ambassador to Hungary, Ms. April H. Foley, is strongly interested in and consequently supports this and other EL programs (such as "Teaching Tolerance" and "Roma and Friends" summer camps) that focus on and include Roma education components. In more detail, 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 student’s village, school, and world, which helps to open minds, build skills, and create dreams.
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 US 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 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. Please note that Romaversitas has recently been facing major financial difficulties and their institution's future is uncertain at this particular juncture.

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Kosovo
City: Pristina
Host Institution: Pristina University, Faculty of Education
Type of Project: Senior Fellow
Project Dates: Mid-September 2009 – Mid-July 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
There is no visa requirement in Kosovo. The US Embassy is still a danger and hardship post, but no EL Fellows have experienced any problems up to this point. Family members under 21 may not accompany the Fellow.

Project Focus
Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques 

Project Description
The EL Fellow will be responsible for conducting teacher training seminars in the major cities of Kosovo (Pristina, Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, Ferizaj, Gjilan and Mitrovica) and conducting hands-on school site visits and workshops in smaller towns and villages. The need for expertise in language teaching is great. Interest has been expressed in seminars and workshops that range from classroom management, materials development and behavioral difficulties to assessment, writing, and teaching grammar. In the cities, this can be done with the help of the Kosovo Education Center, a non-profit organization that is focused on improving the quality of education in Kosovo. In the villages, the EL Fellow can collaborate with local teacher and school directors directly through the Kosovo Teachers' Association (KETA) as well as through the Kosovo listserv to pinpoint requirements.
 
Project Objectives
One of the greatest challenges for Kosovo, as a new nation emerging from decades of ethnic strife and war, is economic growth and stability. Kosovo's economy is in such shambles that natives joke about the global economic crisis not hitting Kosovo--because the economy is so poor already. One of the US Embassy’s goals is economic stability. It is a known fact that knowledge of English is a ticket that enables people to get better jobs. As such, any program which invests in a country's ability to provide its students with higher quality English will aid Kosovo in the long run. This EL Fellow position could make a real impact on Kosovo's English Language Teaching capacities, and, in turn, its economy.
 
About the Host Institution
The Faculty of Education has four campuses in various cities in Kosovo; the Pristina campus is the main campus. The Faculty of Education began to phase in a four-year BA program in September 2003. The new curricula and programs are based on the tenets of the Bologna Declaration, including the use of credit hours, continuous assessment, and electives, 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 Applied Linguistics. They also focus on the application of knowledge and could of be of great use to new teachers. 

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Kosovo
City: Pristina
Host Institution: High School of Medressah/American Corner Pristina   
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
There is no visa requirement in Kosovo. The US Embassy is still a danger and hardship post, but no EL Fellows have experienced any problems up to this point. Family members under 21 may not accompany the Fellow.

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

Project Description
The Pristina EL Fellow will have three major responsibilities. In order to put some focus on both Muslim and minority outreach, Pristina’s EL Fellow will teach Muslim students at Pristina’s Islamic Medressa, and Albanian and Serbian students at the multi-ethnic Access English classes held at the Pristina American Corner. In addition, the EL Fellow will plan events and assist with programming at the American Corner in Pristina.

First, the EL Fellow will teach one class for girls and one class for boys at the Medressa in Pristina. 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 are growing numbers of people who are more conservative about their faith. This is a central piece of the US Embassy’s efforts to forge ties with Kosovo’s Islamic Community. Secondly, the EL Fellow will teach two (twice-weekly) English Access classes in Pristina. Made up of Albanian and Serb students, these classes play a critical and unique role in the 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. Since the U.S. supports the creation of a democratic society in Kosovo, including building reconciliation and promoting respect for minority rights, a focus on minority outreach is critical. Thirdly, the EL Fellow will have responsibilities at the American Corner in Pristina, which is located in the National and University Library, on the campus of Pristina University. In addition to planning events at the Corner, the EL Fellow will aid the staff of the American Corner in developing and scheduling programming that reaches out to the Corner’s mainly youthful clientele.

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 EL Fellow’s work at the American Corner plays a major role in fostering mutual understanding between the US and the people of Pristina.

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.

The American Corner, where the EL Fellow will conduct Access classes, plan other activities, and assist with programming, is the first and largest among Kosovo’s three American Corners. Its location within the National and University Library means that it is heavily used by students, a natural audience in this country, 60% of whose population is under the age of 25. In addition, the Corner is often used by the Embassy for programming. With a small office at the Corner, the EL Fellow is well placed to assist Embassy personnel with planning events connected with American holidays, elections, etc. The current EL Fellow spends much of his time at the Corner; he teaches, hosts activities, keeps the Corner’s calendar of activities, assists clients in finding materials, and updates the Corner website.

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Macedonia
City: Skopje and Bitola
Host Institution: SUMNAL American Corners                   
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture, American Literature, Democracy/Civics, English for Speaking

Project Description
The overall objective of the program would be to raise English language skills so that Roma students are more motivated to finish primary, secondary school and attend university; to improve English communication skills; to create a stimulating environment for increasing the number of students who will pursue university education; and to develop critical thinking skills among Roma students. The EL Fellow will be hosted by Citizens Association Sumnal, a leading Roma NGO that focuses on education and capacity-building in Skopje, particularly in an underprivileged neighborhood called Topaana where the New Embassy Compound (NEC) is located. (The Embassy is slated to open in spring 2009.) The Roma face significant barriers to achieving success in school and in society. In Topaana, approximately 90% of families live at or below poverty level, which of course impedes parents from purchasing the required textbooks for their children. One of the main reasons for the high poverty rate is the low educational level of the Roma. Ten percent of the children are never enrolled in school; of those who are, 50% drop out by 5th grade. Topaanas primary school drop-out rate is five times higher than surrounding communities. The children and youth of Topaana have very few opportunities to leave their community, even to visit the center of the city, let alone to participate in extracurricular activities and sports, develop hobbies and talents, see historical landmarks and museums, or take part in other enriching activities. Sumnal is a bright spot in the community. It has been a partner of USAID; its busy facility is very welcoming and comes equipped with computers and a well-furnished classrooms. In addition, Sumnal also hosts a Peace Corps volunteer, who could work as a liaison and help ensure sustainability of the EL Fellow Program after s/he leaves Macedonia. Macedonia is a country fractured by languages, as evidenced by its school system, which is segregated by language (and hence ethnicity). While instruction is available to most native speakers of Macedonian and Albanian, there are no schools that teach in Romani. Roma children, then, inevitably begin school as second-language learners; they begin school marginalized in a way that very few of their fellow citizens face. English is the neutral language here, and if Roma children can learn English early, it will, simply put, change their lives. The main duties of the EL Fellow will be to provide regular English language classes for groups of students and the development of an English language curriculum. The EL Fellow will be at Sumnal 30 hours per week (these hours include teaching, prep time, curriculum development, and operational setup). Age groups may range from preschool to high school, and might also include adult education classes. In addition, Sumnal has satellites in other neighborhoods in the city and links to other Roma NGOs throughout Macedonia where the EL Fellow could hold demonstration classes and consult regarding curriculum. By the end of his/her stay, the EL Fellow would also have designed an English language curriculum so that the project could continue after his/her absence. The EL Fellow will also serve as a link between Roma students and community resources, such as the American Corners. Sumnal provides regular activities for various age groups of students, and the EL Fellow will participate in these activities and/or organize and implement other activities related to her ideas and interests. Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars.

As a secondary duty, the EL Fellow will work closely with our three American Corners and with the Ministry of Education on curriculum design and demonstration teaching. The project will incorporate seminars and sessions at the Corners for English language teachers in the country from private and state- owned schools who have a great need for a native speaker and English-language teaching expert, particularly with regard to young learners (from the age of 6 and upwards). The Ministry of Education introduced English language learning starting at the age of six from September 2007 and the teachers in the state schools have little training in teaching these young children. They would like to bring a professional who would be able to hold workshops and seminars for these teachers as well as actively participate in the teaching process by observing lessons and giving advice and tips to the teachers so that they could improve their performance in the classroom. This activity would take about five hours of the EL Fellow’s time per week, on average.

Draft weekly schedule:
1. Providing regular English language classes for groups of students 20 hours per week + 10 hours of preparation and grading
2. Serving as a link between Romani students and community resources (e.g. the American Corner) three hours per week
3. Organizing or participating in extracurricular and enrichment activities; the host organization provides regular activities for various age groups of students; the EL Fellow may participate in these activities and/or organize and implement other activities related to his/her ideas and interests three hours per week
4. Increasing sustainability of the EL Fellow position: The EL Fellow will work with the host organization throughout the year to create an English language curriculum that can be utilized in the English Fellows absence for four hours per week
 
Project Objectives
By incorporating the EL Fellow into the exiting educational programs and initiatives in SUMNAL such as: “Every child in School”, a local initiative for enrolling Roma children in the schools or/and involving the EL Fellow in the educational campaign against trafficking in persons “Don’t beg, help yourself”, the US Embassy will actively serve several goals such as: mutual understanding, human rights and prosperity. Another unique situation the Embassy is facing currently is the moving to the new embassy compound. The new embassy building is located in a predominantly Roma neighborhood. One of the current Embassy goals is to present itself as a good neighbor to the community. Placing the EL Fellow in SUMNAL to help the young Roma students in the community will perfectly fit these goals. Designing a project as a secondary duty to the EL Fellow, in the American Corners in the country, Embassy would like to reach to the non-elite young audience from other Roma organizations located outside the capital. At the same time Embassy would like to promote each of the American Corners which serve as a tool to promote US Government Public Diplomacy. EL Fellow Program could assist in designing a future English language program which could help in creating a sustainability opportunity for the American Corners.
 
About the Host Institution
Association of Citizens Sumnal is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Roma students and their families, from preschool to age 18, in their drive to improve their lives and living standards through education. Sumnal was established in June 2004 in response to the needs of the predominantly Roma community of Topaana, including extremely poor school performance, high dropout rates, illiteracy, lack of knowledge of school registration procedures, and a host of other challenges. To combat these problems, Sumnal organizes and performs various educational, social, and character building activities in close relation with the proposed and taught material in the regular schools and curricula prepared by the Bureau for Development of the Ministry of Education and Science. Sumnal’s daily programming includes: Educational assistance from Sumnal’s professional teachers in a small-group setting for approximately 150 students in 1st - 8th grades. Early intervention and grade school preparation for children aged two through six and their mothers. Individualized assistance for youth not currently enrolled in school, with the aim of integration into the school system. Also, Sumnal provides many educational and enrichment activities, such as after-school dance lessons, the Keys to Success guest speaker program, workshops on various topics, cultural activities, local outings, mentoring, computer lessons, and much more. To make sure the basic needs of students are met, Sumnal cooperates with other organizations to provide hundreds of children and their families with free physical exams, medications, dental exams and cleanings, toothbrushes and dental hygiene lessons. Although there is great need in Topaana, the students of Sumnal are rising above these challenges. Through the leadership of the organizations founder, Fatma Bajram, one of the only Roma women in Macedonia to pursue a post-graduate education, considerable gains have been made. In the short time the center has been open, the number of secondary school students has jumped from zero to almost seventy, many of whom now gain experience volunteering at Sumnal. Additionally, students who regularly attend Sumnal, experience an average grade point increase of 40%. Due to these successes, a second educational center, modeled after Sumnal, has been opened in the largest Roma community in Europe, Shuto Orizari, which is just outside Skopje. Sumnal also hosts Peace Corps volunteers. Ms. Jessica Mangskau is a PC volunteer who has worked together with PAS Skopje in designing the foundation of the English Language Program. She will be the primary point of contact from the host institutions that will assist the EL Fellow in creating the classes and adjusting to the challenging but rewording duties in the new environment. The New Embassy Compound’s location in Topaana has been controversial. Many Roma fear that they will be displaced as local businesses seek to buy land nearby to capitalize on the Embassy’s presence. While the Embassy has a good neighbor committee and is doing everything it can to ensure a smooth transition, this EL Fellow will have a true opportunity to be a citizen-diplomat, to be the face of America to the people of this neighborhood.

There are three American corners in Macedonia. All of them are created in partnership with the local government or the Ministry of culture. The purpose of the Corners is to provide free information to the general public about the United States through books, magazines, CD-ROMs, and complimentary access to the Internet. There is a specialized area for information about anti-trafficking and anti-terrorism efforts. The Corners also host a wide variety of events: such as cultural programs and guest lecturers from US Embassy officials, Fulbright scholars, and others, film and video showings, poetry readings, conversational hours, Readers’ Club, children's story hours, seminars and many other activities. An important mission of American Corners is to build bridges of understanding between people of the United States of America and the Republic of Macedonia.

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Moldova
City: Balti
Host Institution: Aleccu Russo State University              
Type of Project: Fellow 
Project Dates: Late August 2009 – Late June 2010

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 to Alecu Russo University students, particularly MA level students. Many of these students wish to study abroad, particularly in the U.S. The EL Fellow will also provide monthly seminars for professors who also teach English students, and will assist in developing and enhancing English Language studies curriculum. Access to a native English speaker and exposure to interactive American teaching methodologies have already shown an impact on students, both in terms of increased comfort in using the language and increased willingness to experiment with a variety of methodologies.

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, Support Mentoring, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will also provide seminars and consultations for the regional English Teachers Resource Center (ETRC) in Balti. This will enhance the capacity of this center to provide ongoing support for English teachers in the region. The EL Fellow will continue to support the ETRC in Chisinau on a limited basis, via seminars once per month, including participation in their fall and spring schools which each attract over 50 English teachers from throughout Moldova. Staff of both ETRC’s will be able to make specific requests to enhance their programming. Prior investment by the US Embassy, which 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), has significantly enhanced Moldova’s progress toward improved quality and availability of English teaching. The ability to assist the regional ETRC in Balti and maintain limited ongoing support for the national center will maximize the benefits of the EL Fellow's presence in Moldova. One or two visits a year will be programmed for the Moldovan American Corners to enhance Embassy’s ability to assist English teachers in rural areas of Moldova. The EL Fellow's existing reputation will ensure a good turnout.
 
Project Objectives
The continuing presence of an EL Fellow at Aleccu Russo State University in Balti will support goals of Building and Reinforcing Democratic Institutions and Promoting Economic Growth and Prosperity. 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 education and 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 of integration 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. In 2008, as part of the Embassy’s long term vision for supporting economic development, an EL Fellow was placed in Moldova's second largest city. Exposure to interactive American teaching methodologies modeled by a native English speaker have already begun to enhance the skills of the future English teachers with whom he has interacted. However, the effort to decrease the difference in capacity between the capital city and the rest of the country is a long term goal. It will take some time to erase the situation in which the vast majority of successful applicants for study in U.S. (i.e. Fulbright candidates) come from Chisinau.

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. Both BA and MA level degrees are offered. The regional English Teaching Resource Center is an institute of the University. This will be the second year in which Aleccu Russo University has hosted this ELF, so they have a clear idea of the responsibilities and benefits involved.

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Montenegro
City: Podgorica
Host Institution: Ministry of Education and Science, Bureau of Education   
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The US Embassy highlights Montenegro’s relative success in maintaining harmony and achieving social and economic advancements among the various ethnic groups present in the country. The Roma are an unfortunate exception. Over 3,000 Roma came to Montenegro as refugees following the wars in the former Yugoslavia. In addition, Montenegro has its own indigenous Roma population. Both groups face widespread discrimination and local authorities often ignore or tacitly condone their intimidation or mistreatment. According to a local NGO, 70-75 percent of Roma are illiterate, 50 percent do not speak the predominant local language, 90 percent are officially unemployed, 40 percent have no access to public utilities, and 90 percent live below the poverty level. Most Roma children receive little or no education beyond the primary school level, and the government has not yet undertaken adequate efforts to monitor or encourage continued school attendance of Roma. The primary duty of the EL Fellow will be teaching English to elementary school children in a refugee camp that hosts Roma displaced primarily from Kosovo. Approximately 266 children are educated at a satellite school located in the camp. Most of them do not make it past 8th grade and their English skills are poor or nonexistent. English at the Camp/school is taught by one local teacher. The EL Fellow will teach basic English, including listening comprehension, writing, speaking and reading.

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, and American Culture. 20% allotment of EL Fellow’s working time will be for giving workshops and other forms of teacher training to the Montenegrin English teaching community as a whole. The EL Fellow will, in conjunction with the local English Teacher's Association, organize seminars or trainings depending of the needs of the teachers. 10% of the EL Fellow’s time will be dedicated to giving presentations on American culture and society and other topics as appropriate at the two American Corners in Montenegro. With a small US Embassy staff and a small American community resident here, the addition of an American who can be programmed at the American Corners will help the Public Affairs Section greatly in its outreach efforts

 
Project Objectives
The program directly supports goal of supporting Just Governance by working in cooperation with the Government to promote the integration of this largely underserved portion of the population. The English Language Fellow Program is an opportunity for the Government of Montenegro to directly encourage and promote, with the strong support of the USG, the integration of Roma in local society. The EL Fellow’s work will provide Roma children with a strong basis in the English language, a skill that they should continue to develop in order to improve their chances of combating poverty by possessing the skills necessary for gainful employment. Additionally, the EL Program supports the overarching goal of expanding Montenegro’s human capacity by expanding the number of top-level English teachers here. Sustainability will be achieved through an agreement made with the Ministry to increase the number of local English teachers present at the camp. These local teachers will have the opportunity to learn from the EL Fellow by direct classroom observation and teacher trainings. The Ministry has also committed to maintain at least one of these teachers at the camp after the EL Fellow leaves. The US Embassy requested these commitments from the Ministry as a condition of the program to ensure that the results from the EL Fellow’s work are long term. The Government of this small nation has expended considerable resources over the years to support a still-large refugee population here. Nonetheless, it has clearly not invested sufficient resources in the field of education of Roma, as seen by the huge disparity in all measures of achievement between Roma children and the rest of the population. There is much work to be done in the regard, but the Embassy regards the Ministry’s decision to support this program as a positive signal. The Embassy is further encouraged that the Minister plans to designate an advisor for minority affairs within the Ministry and that this individual will be the project coordinator on their side.
About the Host Institution
The Ministry of Education and Science of the Government of Montenegro has agreed to provide significant cost share for this program and to dedicate the human resources necessary for its success. The Ministry has also agreed to integrate this program into their broader efforts to improve the level of education for Roma. Because of the essential role the Ministry will play in this program and in the education of Roma children in general, it will be considered the host institution, despite the fact that the majority of the EL Fellow’s work will take place in the refugee camp. The US Embassy has enjoyed excellent cooperation with the Ministry in many other fields over the years, including a civic education project and the Fulbright Program. Many officials in the Ministry are alumni of various USG programs, including the Minister who was in the US as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar. The conditions in the camp will make the EL Fellow’s work challenging, but also rewarding. Because the EL Fellow will spend a significant percentage of his/her time in the camp, the Embassy is including some details of its interactions with Roma who reside there in this section. The USG has, within the last year, donated heating/cooling units and school textbooks to improve the environment within the camp. The Embassy has a good relationship with the NGO `Roma Scholarship Foundation', which works in the camp, and which will help promote buy-in among the Roma. Nonetheless, the physical conditions within the camp and the low level of education received by the children heretofore will present significant challenges for the EL Fellow that should not be understated. Many of the children will be from families living below the poverty line, with all the obstacles that present to an educator.

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Romania
City: Mures, Miercurea Ciuc, Baia Mare, Bistrita, Cluj-Napoca  
Host Institution: Mures County Teacher Training Center/County Inspectorates for Education
Type of Project: Senior Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques 

Project Description
The EL Fellow will conduct teacher-training workshops on teaching techniques/methodologies. The main audience for the workshops will be formed of teachers of English at the beginning of their career (mostly up to 5 years of service). In Romania, English is taught from the 2nd grade to the 12th grade, and in many cases even kindergartens provide English classes to very young learners. Although English is widely taught, and the need for qualified teachers very high, university students who study to become teachers receive too little training on using theoretical knowledge of teaching methodology in their actual classroom activity; as a consequence, young teachers find themselves at a loss in the classroom. Also, teachers from rural areas have scarce opportunities to attend teacher-training programs (although teacher-training centers offer such courses), demonstrate classroom teaching and receive pair critique to help improve their teaching style. The main areas where there is a large demand for the EL Fellow's expertise are: working with mixed-ability classes, multiple intelligence, learner motivation, materials to complement the textbook, and classroom management/maintaining student behavior. The EL Fellow will address these issues via teacher-training workshops and will also visit the schools of participant teachers, observe their teaching, and provide suggestions for improvement. The workshops schedule will be decided in consultation with the County Inspectorates for Education from each county; the workshops will be organized on weekends and/or one weekday (as county inspectorates can decide to allow one day/ week for participation in professional development programs). The EL Fellow will be based in Tirgu Mures, where s/he will work with the Mures County Inspectorate for Education and the Mures County Teacher-Training Center. S/he will also offer workshops for teachers in an additional four counties neighboring Mures, namely Bistrita-Nasaud, Harghita, Maramures, and Satu Mare counties. All these counties are rather underserved in economic terms and more importantly in terms of opportunities for professional development programs. There are teacher-training programs offered by the county teacher-training centers, but not sufficient to cover the need, since the majority of English teachers are young, and not native speakers of English and with an international experience. The Teacher-Training Center in Mures county, where the EL Fellow will be based, is very active and many times takes the lead in organizing teacher-training programs for the neighboring counties. It is an ethnically and culturally diverse region, with a large Hungarian community, as well as German and Roma population.

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, Support Mentoring, and Teachers Association/Organization. The EL Fellow will also work with the regional English teachers' association and with experienced teachers who serve as mentors for student teachers and young teachers at the beginning of their careers. S/he will offer workshops for mentors and certified teacher-trainers, who conduct professional development programs through the teacher-training centers. The purpose is to update teacher-trainers and mentors on latest teaching methodologies that they can include in their own teacher-training courses, creating a multiplier effect. The schedule of these few workshops will be decided by the EL Fellow, in consultation with the teacher-training centers. Time permitting, the EL Fellow will conduct activities at the American Corner in Baia Mare, one of the assignment cities, and, if possible and there's interest, at the American Corner in Cluj (another county neighboring Mures).
 
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow Program will help advance the goal of improving English language teaching in Romania. The US Embassy would like to continue to support professional development of Romanian teachers of English, especially by providing a service to teachers in underserved areas, who have few scarce opportunities for professional development. Improved English teaching will help Romanian students acquire the language skills that will enhance their competitiveness on the labor market. They will also have improved access to information and a better chance for communication and intercultural understanding via English language. Past experience has shown that the EL Fellow Program not only helps improve English teaching, but it also creates highly positive impressions of the United States and its society, culture, and values.
 
About the Host Institution
Mures Inspectorate for Education is one of the 41 regional offices of the Ministry of Education. The Inspectorate is responsible for the management of the educational activity at county level. The English Inspector supervises ELT activity, organizes and supervises competitions for filling English teacher positions, inspects teachers in the classroom and evaluates their teaching, and recommends professional development courses for teachers to take. The Inspector also works closely with the Teacher-Training Center, with the Ministry of Education-certified teacher-trainers in the region, and with mentor teachers on designing relevant professional development programs and criteria for teacher evaluation. Since the Ministry of Education, as a central structure, supervises County Inspectorates and Teacher-Training Centers, the English Inspector in Mures and the other counties works closely with the Inspector General for English, proposing improvement in EL teaching, use of materials, curriculum development, etc. The US Embassy has a very strong positive relationship with the Teacher-Training Center in Mures; the director of the institution is an IVLP alumna and very dedicated to the professional development of teachers. The director appreciates Embassy’s support for improving English teaching and understands the importance of having good language and communication skills; that said, and given the very positive experience the Embassy has this year working with the Teacher-Training Center in Iasi, where the director took all the necessary steps for the EL Fellow course to be accredited by the Ministry of Education and included in the Center's offer for the year, the Embassy knows that the director of the Teacher-Training Center in Mures will be happy to make every effort towards the accreditation of the course in her region too. This will add value to the program as, according to the new Ministry regulations, teachers need to acquire a number of credits from professional development programs every year.

The American Corner in Baia Mare was opened in 2004 and since then it has been very active in proposing and conducting relevant programming to reach out to large, especially young, audiences. The American Corner coordinators are highly dedicated and very resourceful people, who would be happy to assist the EL Fellow in designing and carrying out programs that would educate youth on American culture and values, contributing thus to an improved mutual understanding. The American Corner(s) function all the year round.

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Russia
City: Vladivostok
Host Institution: Far Eastern National University
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009-June 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
The Russian Federation requires that all visa requests be accompanied by HIV test results

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, IT in the Classroom, Teacher Training

Project Description
The host institution, Far Eastern National University, maintains strong relations with the Far Eastern English Language Teachers Association, FEELTA, and expects the EL Fellow to play a pivotal role in furthering the association’s professional development programming effort. Ideally, the EL Fellow will help establish a calendar of regular events for FEELTA, with an emphasis on integrating IT and American Studies into lesson preparation and class work. The American Corner is an ideal place to hold such events. The EL Fellow should make a concerted effort to build a core group of qualified trainers who feel confident spreading the methods and techniques developed by the EL Fellow, and to add their own unique insight to the training process. The Shaping the Way We Teach English material should be used to this end. Trained teachers should be part of the monthly FEELTA training events.   Through FEELTA’s web of teacher associations in the Russian Far East, the EL Fellow will work on teacher development seasonal `institutes in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Komsomolsk-na-Amure, Nahodka, Khabarovsk, Birobidzhan, and Blagoveschensk. These institutes are often the combined effort of local Ministry of Education in-service programs, local universities with strong English teaching faculties and local associations. The role of the EL Fellow will be to focus on enhancing teachers’ use of IT in the classroom and to support their effort to teach American studies. The EL Fellow will have access to funds for programming and travel in the region and he or she should take appropriate steps to maximize this budget by coordinating travel and programming with the English Language Officer (ELO). The EL Fellow will have approximately one outreach trip each month, in-country program allowance funds permitting, and should set aside funds for mid-year and end-of-year conferences and for supporting participation in Access summer school programs.

The scope and content of the EL Fellow’s primary responsibilities at the university will be negotiated in close coordination with the ELO within the first month of work. The majority of the course work will focus on teaching methodology to future English language teachers, but could include teaching American studies and general English language classes to the same group of students. The EL Fellow should work with the university on making the most out of each lesson by developing a class observation and feedback system or a team-teaching system that involves other faculty. This will enable the EL Fellow to share practices with other teachers at the university.
 
Secondary project duties will include work with American Corner Programming, English Camp, Teachers Association/Organization, Workshops, and Seminars.  The regional branch of the Ministry of Education In-service Training center provides re-certification programs for all secondary school teachers in Vladivostok and nearby towns. All teachers are scheduled to attend refresher courses every five years to confirm their status. The EL Fellow should play an active role in this effort, running workshops that highlight the use of ELO materials in the training program and help develop confidence in using authentic sources, such as film, newspapers and those from the internet, in the ELT classroom. Other secondary duties include:
1) co-authoring an article for English Teaching Forum
2) helping ELO identify appropriate candidates for the five E-Teacher courses (Teaching English to Younger Learners, Business English, Legal English, Critical Thinking, Assessment), the Integrating the Internet into the Classroom online course, and IV programs
3) supporting the English Access Microscholarship Program through active involvement in the summer school program.
 
Project Objectives
The US Embassy in Moscow is able to reach out to teachers in universities and schools throughout the region, and thus potentially to tens of thousands of students. Teaching materials about the US, exchange program information, and content-specific projects, such as in the areas of health and the environment, are among that which is shared by the Embassy. In return, the Embassy has access to numerous voices that are not typically accessible, such as teens, university students and teachers, in order to better inform Embassy Public Diplomacy (PD) programming and policy. Also, through strong associations, the Embassy ultimately empowers teachers to make their own choices about what and how to teach. This influences education policy and supports a healthier language learning environment. The concept of having and making choices also filters down to the students and builds critical and creative thinking skills, cornerstones of rule of law.
 
About the Host Institution
The EL Fellow’s host institution is the Far Eastern National University, one of the Russian Far East’s anchor universities, both in terms of research and academics. It is home to a progressive Philology Department, which trains hundreds of interpreters, teachers and linguists each year. It is also home to one of Russia’s most active professional teachers associations, the Far Eastern English Language Teachers Association (FEELTA).   The Vladivostok American Corner regularly hosts ELT and American Studies events throughout the year. It has excellent computer and a/v equipment as well as internet and DVC capability.

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Russia
City: St. Petersburg
Host Institution: Herzen State Pedagogical University for the Humanities
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009-June 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
The Russian Federation requires that all visa requests be accompanied by HIV test results

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Teacher Training

Project Description
The EL Fellow’s main responsibilities will be at Herzen State Pedagogical University for the Humanities. The EL Fellow will work specifically with the Pedagogy and Interpreting faculties and the department in charge of staff development. A maximum number of 12 teaching and consulting hours per week will primarily focus on teaching general methodology and American Studies courses to future teachers and translators. Where possible, the EL Fellow is expected to co-teach and/or open the classroom to other teachers interested in observing the lessons with the ultimate goal of establishing a peer observation and feedback system for staff. St. Petersburg hosts one of three U.S. Consulates in Russia. The Public Affairs Officer looks forward to the EL Fellow playing an active role in outreach programs throughout the region. The EL Fellow should work closely with the Consulate and the English Language Officer (ELO) to establish a list of priorities, a budget and a calendar for trips outside of St. Petersburg, maximizing the travel budget and linking training to other Public Diplomacy (PD) efforts where possible. The EL Fellow will have access to funds for programming and travel to such regions as Pskov, Cherepovets, Vologda, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Petrozavodsk, Velikiy Novgorod, Arkhangelsk, and Kaliningrad. Programming should be arranged through the local teachers associations and should focus on general methodology, American Studies and IT. The EL Fellow will have approximately one outreach trip each month, in-country program allowance funds permitting, and should set aside funds for mid-year and end-of-year conferences and for supporting participation in Access summer school programs.
 
Secondary project duties will include work with American Corner Programming, American Studies, English Camp, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars.  The EL Fellow will work with the St. Petersburg English Language Teachers' Association (SPELTA) by helping them organize outreach events with secondary school and university level instructors in the St. Petersburg area. The EL Fellow should also have a keen eye for how best to turn teachers into trainers and make a concerted effort to build a core group of qualified trainers who feel confident spreading the methods and techniques developed by the EL Fellow, and to add their own unique insight to the training process. The Shaping the Way We Teach English material should be used to this end. There are also two other important opportunities in which the EL Fellow should get involved. The St. Petersburg Academy of Pedagogical Mastery is a local In-Service Training Institute where secondary school teachers undergo mandatory re-training every five years. The second, the American Corner, hosts numerous events sponsored by the Consulate and should be considered a professional `home away from home’ by the EL Fellow. At both the in-service venue and the Corner, the EL Fellow should approach this work with flexibility and creativity, and consider how best to expose teachers to American studies issues through ELO materials and various authentic sources, such as film, newspapers, and those from the internet.  Other secondary duties include:
1) co-authoring an article for English Teaching Forum
2) helping ELO identify appropriate candidates for the five E-Teacher courses (Teaching English to Younger Learners, Business English, Legal English, Critical Thinking, Assessment), the Integrating the Internet into the Classroom online course, and IV programs
3) supporting the English Access Microscholarship Program through active involvement in the summer school program.
 
Project Objectives
The US Embassy in Moscow is able to reach out to teachers in universities and schools throughout the region, and thus potentially to tens of thousands of students. Teaching materials about the US, exchange program information, and content-specific projects, such as in the areas of health and the environment, are among that which is shared by the Embassy. In return, the Embassy has access to numerous voices that are not typically accessible, such as teens, university students and teachers, in order to better inform Embassy PD programming and policy. Also, through strong associations, the Embassy ultimately empowers teachers to make their own choices about what and how to teach. This influences education policy and supports a healthier language learning environment. The concept of having and making choices also filters down to the students and builds critical and creative thinking skills, cornerstones of rule of law.

About the Host Institution
Herzen State Pedagogical University for the Humanities, is one of the leading teacher training universities in Russia. The English Language Department of the university is well-known for the professionalism of its faculty and its high level of research and academic work and has hosted several Fellows in the past. The Department boasts an American Studies Resource Center that was created as the result of a long and fruitful cooperation with Fairfield University in the U.S.

The St. Petersburg Academy of Pedagogical Mastery is a local In-Service Training Institute tied to the Ministry of Education where secondary school teachers undergo mandatory re-training every 5 years.

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Russia
City: Kazan
Host Institution: Kazan State Power Engineering University/Tatar Ministry of Education  
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009-June 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
The Russian Federation requires that all visa requests be accompanied by HIV test results

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, In-Service Teacher Training

Project Description
The Tatar Ministry of Education has requested assistance from the US Embassy in Moscow specifically in the area of training for its cadre of English language teachers. Due to Russia’s new visa policy, the EL Fellow is required to be based at a host institution. Kazan State Power Engineering University has therefore agreed to sponsor the EL Fellow due to its involvement in the Tatar EFL Teachers Association, TELTA, and to its experienced and proactive team of English language teachers and trainers. The EL Fellow may be asked to teach up to 4 hours per week at this university to students studying in one of the science faculties. The class will be team taught and/or made open to other staff for observation. Ideally, the EL Fellow will take this opportunity to build a peer observation and feedback system within the university. In addition, the EL Fellow will be asked to provide several series of professional development workshops for English teaching staff, especially in the area of using authentic materials in an ESP environment and applying IT tools and resources to lessons.   The main activities of the EL Fellow will revolve around the Ministry of Educations in-service training program. In addition to the president’s goal to have all youth trilingual, in Russian, Tatar and English, Kazan is to play host to the 2013 international Universiade games in 2013. With these goals in mind, the EL Fellow is expected to support an effort to overhaul the regions in-service training program by working closely with the Ministry and area trainers and with TELTA. The EL Fellow will also be responsible for delivering several series of workshops on general methodology as well as on American Studies and IT applications to the language classroom. The Ministry plans to launch an English teaching program on a local state-owned TV channel. The Fellows involvement would include ensuring the program is pedagogically sound. The EL Fellow will have access to funds for programming and travel in the Kazan region and in other nearby regions and should take appropriate steps to maximize this budget by coordinating travel and programming with the English Language Officer (ELO). Regions to be visited include Samara, Kirov, Nizhni Novgorod, Saratov and Ulyanovsk. Programming should be arranged through the local teachers associations and should focus on general methodology, American Studies and IT. The EL Fellow will have approximately one outreach trip each month, in-country program allowance funds permitting, and should set aside funds for mid-year and end-of-year conferences and for supporting participation in Access summer school programs.
 
Secondary project duties include work with American Corner Programming, American Studies, English Camp, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow is also expected to work closely with the Kazan and nearby Samara Access sites and, in cooperation with the Rostov-based Fellow, develop a training module and online component for a Student-generated Stories project. The EL Fellow is also expected to support the Access sites by establishing an open classroom model that allows area teachers to come and observe the Access unique blend of student-centered, fluency-based instruction. The EL Fellow is expected to work with teachers on enhancing the programs with a strong U.S. cultural component and should use a team-teach approach while working with students.  Other secondary duties include:
1) co-authoring an article for English Teaching Forum
2) helping ELO identify appropriate candidates for the five E-Teacher courses (Teaching English to Younger Learners, Business English, Legal English, Critical Thinking, Assessment), the Integrating the Internet into the Classroom online course, and IV programs
3) conducting monthly workshops for teachers at the Kazan American Corner.
 
Project Objectives
The US Embassy in Moscow is able to reach out to teachers in universities and schools throughout the region, and thus potentially to tens of thousands of students. Teaching materials about the US, exchange program information, and content-specific projects, such as in the areas of health and the environment, are among that which is shared by the Embassy. In return, the Embassy has access to numerous voices that are not typically accessible, such as teens, university students and teachers, in order to better inform Embassy PD programming and policy. Also, through strong associations, the Embassy ultimately empowers teachers to make their own choices about what and how to teach. This influences education policy and supports a healthier language learning environment. The concept of having and making choices also filters down to the students and builds critical and creative thinking skills, cornerstones of rule of law.

About the Host Institution

Kazan State Power Engineering University will be the primary site as this site also hosts the Tatar EFL Teachers Association and the Access Project. The university’s rector has a progressive outlook and maintains a well-equipped and modern campus.   The Tatar State Pedagogical University for the Humanities trains future EFL teachers and interpreters and the University regularly conducts training for the University teachers and local secondary school teachers.

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Russia
City: Novosibirsk
Host Institution: Novosibirsk State Technical University
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009-June 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
The Russian Federation requires that all visa requests be accompanied by HIV test results

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, IT in the Classroom

Project Description
Novosibirsk is located in the heart of Siberia and covers an area far larger than any other area in the Russian Federation. While the population is sparse outside of a few key cities, it is spread out into remote corners that range from towns that have changed little over the past 50 years to booming oil towns. One thing all towns and cities have in common is their lack of exposure to Americans, to American Studies, and to an American `take on English language teaching. The EL Fellow will work in close cooperation with the Novosibirsk State Technical University and with the Novosibirsk English Language Teachers Association, NOVELTA, to reach university instructors and secondary teachers throughout the city, conducting methodological workshops and weekly workshops with educational establishments of Novosibirsk and Academgorodok. The institutions include the Pedagogical University, NSTU, and SiBOSK. The majority of training projects will focus on using information technology in the classroom and communicating trends in ELT methodology. The EL Fellow will use English Language Officer (ELO) materials where possible and use the materials to enhance American studies components in schools and universities. The EL Fellow should approach this work with flexibility and creativity, and consider how best to motivate teachers to also use authentic sources, such as those from the internet, film, and newspapers. The EL Fellow should emphasize building peer observation systems within schools and universities. The EL Fellow should also have a keen eye for how best to turn teachers into trainers and make a concerted effort to build a core group of qualified trainers who feel confident spreading the methods and techniques developed by the Fellow, and to add their own unique insight to the training process. The Shaping the Way We Teach English material should be used to this end. With the growing importance of internet use within schools and among university faculty, the EL Fellow is expected to run a series of workshops that introduce `Web 2.0’ applications to the ELT classroom. The EL Fellow will work closely with graduates of various online courses, including E-teacher and Lewis and Clarks Exploring Web 2.0, and through NOVELTA to identify the proper audience. Follow-on programming should include an enhanced website for NOVELTA as well as several classroom-specific projects for teachers and students.
 
Secondary project duties include work with American Corner Programming, American Studies, English Camp, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars.  The EL Fellow will travel extensively throughout the region and build a strong relationship with associations, universities, especially those training future teachers, in-service training facilities, and American Corners. The EL Fellow will have access to funds for programming and travel in the region and should take appropriate steps to maximize this budget by coordinating travel and programming with the ELO. Programming should be arranged through the local teachers associations and should focus on general methodology, American Studies and IT. The EL Fellow will have approximately one outreach trip each month, in-country program allowance funds permitting, and should set aside funds for mid-year and end-of-year conferences and for supporting participation in Access summer school programs.  Other secondary duties include:
1) co-authoring an article for English Teaching Forum
2) helping ELO identify appropriate candidates for the five E-Teacher courses (Teaching English to Younger Learners, Business English, Legal English, Critical Thinking, Assessment), the Integrating the Internet into the Classroom online course, and IV programs
3) supporting the English Access Microscholarship Program through active involvement in the summer school program.

Project Objectives
The US Embassy in Moscow is able to reach out to teachers in universities and schools throughout the region, and thus potentially to tens of thousands of students. Teaching materials about the US, exchange program information, and content-specific projects, such as in the areas of health and the environment, are among that which is shared by the Embassy. In return, the Embassy has access to numerous voices that are not typically accessible, such as teens, university students and teachers, in order to better inform Embassy PUBLIC DIPLOMACY (PD) programming and policy. Also, through strong associations, the Embassy ultimately empowers teachers to make their own choices about what and how to teach. This influences education policy and supports a healthier language learning environment. The concept of having and making choices also filters down to the students and builds critical and creative thinking skills, cornerstones of rule of law.

About the Host Institution
Novosibirsk State Technical University is one of the largest research and educational centers of Russia and one of the major ones in Siberia. The University trains specialists in engineering, social-economic studies as well as in the humanities. The University has ten schools and two institutes with over 10,000 full-time students.   The Novosibirsk American Corner is one of the most proactive Corners in Russia. It regularly hosts ELT and American Studies events throughout the year. It has excellent computer and a/v equipment as well as internet and DVC capability.

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Russia
City: Rostov-on-Don
Host Institution: Rostov Institute of Management, Business, and Law
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009-June 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
The Russian Federation requires that all visa requests be accompanied by HIV test results

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, Computers, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, Academic Writing, ESP, Teacher Training

Project Description
The EL Fellow is expected to work closely with English teaching staff at the Rostov Institute of Management, Business and Law on a professional development program. This program should focus on a series of in-house workshops that aim to build the staffs overall professional application of new ideas, with an emphasis on American studies, academic writing and the use of authentic materials in the classroom, especially in ESP contexts. Staff development should include building a peer observation system that allows colleagues to share ideas in a constructive, formative manner. The EL Fellow may be asked to spend some time helping other teaching staff improve their speaking and writing skills, though this should be minimal. If the EL Fellow is involved in any teaching hours, the expectation is that the EL Fellow will open the classes for observation, thus turning the language teaching experience into a training opportunity. The EL Fellow will also work closely with the one or two colleagues at the institute who are involved with the in-service program for secondary level teachers. The content of these workshops should be developed in close coordination with area trainers and opportunities should be sought to share and replicate ideas among area trainers. Content considerations should include using English Language Officer (ELO) and authentic materials in the classroom, exposing teachers to internet applications and resources, and enhancing teachers understanding of American studies. Where possible, the EL Fellow should have a keen eye for how best to turn teachers into trainers and make a concerted effort to build a core group of qualified trainers who feel confident spreading the methods and techniques developed by the EL Fellow, and to add their own unique insight to the training process. The Shaping the Way We Teach English material should be used to this end.  The EL Fellow will play a key role in supporting various English ACCESS Microscholarship Program sites throughout southwestern Russia, with particular attention to be paid to new sites in Rostov, Sochi, Nalchik and Stavropol. More experienced sites nearby include Novocherkassk and Elista and, where possible, the EL Fellow should assist with the cross-pollination of successful practices. The EL Fellow is expected to work closely with the sites to develop a training module and online component for a Student-generated Stories project and to support Access teachers with this training project in their respective areas. The EL Fellow is expected to support the Access sites by establishing an open classroom model that allows area teachers to come and observe the Access unique blend of student-centered, fluency-based instruction. The EL Fellow is also expected to work with teachers on enhancing the programs with a strong U.S. cultural component and should use a team-teach approach while working with students.
 
Secondary project duties include working with American Corner Programming, American Studies, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow should travel to Access sites with general outreach programs in the Access site cities as well as in nearby cities. The EL Fellow will have access to funds for programming and travel in the region and should take appropriate steps to maximize this budget by coordinating travel and programming with the ELO. The EL Fellow will have approximately one outreach trip each month, in-country program allowance funds permitting, and should set aside funds for mid-year and end-of-year conferences and for supporting participation in Access summer school programs. Where possible, the EL Fellow should coordinate these trips through the local teachers associations. Content will generally focus on general methodology, with an emphasis on authentic materials, American Studies, and IT.  Rostov hosts an active American Center and is reviving its teachers' association. The EL Fellow should work with the Center director, the association board and ELO to build a calendar of professional development events for English language teachers. The EL Fellow should approach this programming with a creative eye, and include how best to use ELO materials, internet resources, films, newspapers and other authentic sources. Other secondary duties include:
1) co-authoring an article for English Teaching Forum
2) helping ELO identify appropriate candidates for the five E-Teacher courses (Teaching English to Younger Learners, Business English, Legal English, Critical Thinking, Assessment), the Integrating the Internet into the Classroom online course, and IV programs
3) meeting the need to train teachers on how to deal with the new Unified National Examination. 
 
Project Objectives
The US Embassy in Moscow is able to reach out to teachers in universities and schools throughout the region, and thus potentially to tens of thousands of students. Teaching materials about the US, exchange program information, and content-specific projects, such as in the areas of health and the environment, are among that which is shared by the Embassy. In return, the Embassy has access to numerous voices that are not typically accessible, such as teens, university students and teachers, in order to better inform Embassy PUBLIC DIPLOMACY (PD) programming and policy. Also, through strong associations, the Embassy ultimately empowers teachers to make their own choices about what and how to teach. This influences education policy and supports a healthier language learning environment. The concept of having and making choices also filters down to the students and builds critical and creative thinking skills, cornerstones of rule of law.

About the Host Institution Information
The Rostov Institute of Management, Business, and Law is the primary host institution for the EL Fellow. It was established during perestroika time and is one of the main private institutions of higher education in Rostov and in the area, with affiliates in all major cities in the south of Russia. Its young, dynamic administration pays much attention to developing the English languages and IT skills of their students. The Institute has an agreement with the local Ministry of Education In-Service program to re-train about 20 secondary school teachers each year.   The Rostov American Center is one of the larger American Centers in Russia's Corners and Centers system. It regularly hosts ELT and American Studies events throughout the year. It has excellent computer and A/V equipment as well as internet and DVC capability.

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Russia
City: Yekaterinburg
Host Institution: Urals State Pedagogical University/Yekaterinburg American Center  
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009-June 2010

Country/Project Specific Requirements
The Russian Federation requires that all visa requests be accompanied by HIV test results

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, Proficiency Exams, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques, IT, Teacher Training

Project Description
The EL Fellow will work with representatives of several faculties at Urals State Pedagogical University and will primarily be tasked with teaching methodology and American Studies courses to future teachers and translators. Where possible, the EL Fellow is expected to co-teach and/or open the classroom to other teachers interested in observing the lessons with the ultimate goal of establishing a peer observation and feedback system for staff.  In addition, the EL Fellow will help develop a new course for 3rd year students on `assessment and IT tools’. This course will provide a modern theoretical basis in assessment and expose students to the practical issues, including test design and item writing. The IT component will allow students to explore recent advances in computer-based language assessment. This course will compliment the Ministry of Educations efforts to support the new Unified National Exam, or EGE. The curriculum of the course will then be shared with other pedagogical universities and faculties throughout Russia. The EL Fellow should work closely with the Yekaterinburg Consulate and English Language Officer (ELO) to establish a list of priorities, a budget and a calendar for trips outside of Yekaterinburg, maximizing the travel budget by traveling with a representative of the Consulate where possible. The EL Fellow is expected to visit Perm, Chelyabinsk, Ufa, Krasnoufimsk, Izhevsk, Tobolsk and Tyumen, most of which have active teachers associations. The EL Fellow will have access to funds for programming and travel in the region. Programming should be arranged through the local teachers associations and should focus on general methodology, American Studies and IT. The EL Fellow will have approximately one outreach trip per month, in-country program allowance funds permitting, and should set aside funds for mid-year and end-of-year conferences and for supporting participation in Access summer school programs.
 
Secondary project duties include work with American Corner Programming, American Studies, English Camp, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will cooperate with the Sverdlovsk Oblast In-Service Teachers' training institute and support their in-service training program for teachers from remote cities and rural areas. The EL Fellow should focus on general methodology issues as well as testing and assessment. Both at the primary institution and at the in-service teachers' training center the EL Fellow should respond to the need to train teachers how to deal with the new Unified National Examination. The EL Fellow should also have a keen eye for how best to turn teachers into trainers and make a concerted effort to build a core group of qualified trainers who feel confident spreading the methods and techniques developed by the Fellow, and to add their own unique insight to the training process. The Shaping the Way We Teach English material should be used to this end.  Yekaterinburg hosts an active American Corner. The EL Fellow should work with the Corner director, the Consulate and ELO to build a calendar of professional development events for English language teachers, with a focus on American studies and with the end goal of turning teachers into trainers. The EL Fellow should approach this programming with a creativity and flexibility, and include how best to use ELO materials, internet resources, films, newspapers and other authentic sources. The EL Fellow should also use this programming calendar as a way of helping Yekaterinburg establish a teachers association. Other secondary duties include:
1) co-authoring an article for English Teaching Forum
2) helping ELO identify appropriate candidates for the five E-Teacher courses (Teaching English to Younger Learners, Business English, Legal English, Critical Thinking, Assessment), the Integrating the Internet into the Classroom online course, and IV programs
3) supporting the English Access Microscholarship Program through active involvement in the summer school program.
 
Project Objectives
The US Embassy in Moscow is able to reach out to teachers in universities and schools throughout the region, and thus potentially to tens of thousands of students. Teaching materials about the US, exchange program information, and content-specific projects, such as in the areas of health and the environment, are among that which is shared by the Embassy. In return, the Embassy has access to numerous voices that are not typically accessible, such as teens, university students and teachers, in order to better inform Embassy Public Diplomacy (PD) programming and policy. Also, through strong associations, the Embassy ultimately empowers teachers to make their own choices about what and how to teach. This influences education policy and supports a healthier language learning environment. The concept of having and making choices also filters down to the students and builds critical and creative thinking skills, cornerstones of rule of law.

About the Host Institution
The Fellow's primary site will be the Urals State Pedagogical University, an important university that trains future teachers for the entire Urals region. The EL Fellow will work at the Foreign Languages Institute, which has a long history of collaboration with American universities. One of their partners was Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, which resulted in a positive change in the professionalism of the faculty and the teaching materials.  The Yekaterinburg American Center is one of the larger American Centers in Russia's Corners and Centers system. It regularly hosts ELT and American Studies events throughout the year. It has excellent computer and a/v equipment as well as internet and DVC capability.

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Serbia
City: Belgrade
Host Institution: University of Belgrade
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
In collaboration with the host institution faculty members, the EL Fellow will develop and teach language skills courses for academic purposes, in the areas of writing and presentation skills. These courses should be based on experiential approaches that enable learners to use the language in meaningful ways. The writing skills course should be designed to further develop learners' skills in essay writing, writing using different registers and note taking. Critical thinking skills and American society/civic education component should be incorporated into all courses. The EL Fellow will be required to make continuous assessments of students' knowledge throughout the course and also participate in written and oral exams for the course s/he would teach during the examination periods. Since the Department is currently undergoing a reform of course curricula, EL Fellow's contribution to course design and material development will also be crucial. Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Culture, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will also be expected to schedule presentations at the American Corner in Belgrade so as to give workshops on American life and culture, language teaching methodology, etc. The EL Fellow will develop and maintain a productive relationship with the English Language Teachers' Association (ELTA) in Serbia. All this will ensure both a greater reach and a greater impact of the EL Fellow's work.
 
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow’s goals are to develop and teach interactive-experiential oriented skills courses and work with the faculty to help them do the same; to improve the local community's understanding of U.S. culture and society via university courses and American Corners programming; and to support a progressive, open-minded faculty in their efforts to develop the optimal course curricula. US Embassy’s sustained and creative assistance will continue to guide Serbia in the right direction as it implements economic reforms and strengthens democratic institutions. Through assistance programs aimed at providing the people of Serbia with tangible benefits and prospects for a better future -- e.g., jobs, a better business environment, education and training, and exchange programs. American Corners throughout Serbia are an important aspect of EL Fellow work as they provide Serbian citizens access to U.S. media and literature as well as serve as a platform for educational opportunities and events. Most importantly, Embassy's wide array of exchange programs, including the constant support of EL Fellows, continue to build a base of Serbs who have experienced life in the United States or who have worked directly with an American in an academic environment. Embassy priorities are interlocking and mutually reinforcing aimed at helping Serbia create a democratic, prosperous, stable Serbia, enabling Serbia to become a productive partner in bilateral, regional, European and international organizations.
About the Host Institution
The English Language Department of the Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade, is the oldest such department in Serbia. However, its leadership consists of a team of young and energetic professionals, who are truly committed to the cause of improving their teaching methods and adjusting the course curricula to the latest trends and requirements posed upon them within the new higher education reform currently under way at the University of Belgrade.

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Serbia
City: Novi Sad
Host Institution: University of Novi Sad
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
In collaboration with the host institution faculty members, the EL Fellow will develop and teach language skill courses for academic purposes under the newly reformed curricula within the integrated skills courses, but primarily focusing on writing and speaking skills. Critical thinking skills and American society/civic education component should be incorporated into all courses. The EL Fellow will be required to make continuous assessment of students' knowledge throughout the course and also participate in written and oral exams for the course s/he would teach during the examination period. Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Culture, Teachers Association/Organization, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will also be expected to present at the American Corner in Novi Sad on American life and culture, language teaching methodology, etc. The EL Fellow will develop and maintain a productive relationship with the English Language Teachers' Association (ELTA) in Serbia. All this will ensure both a greater reach and a greater impact of the Fellow's work.
 
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow’s goals are to develop and teach interactive-experiential oriented skills courses and work with the faculty to help them do the same; to improve the local community's understanding of U.S. culture and society via university courses and American Corners programming; and to support a progressive, open-minded faculty in their efforts to develop the optimal course curricula. US Embassy’s sustained and creative assistance will continue to guide Serbia in the right direction as it implements economic reforms and strengthens democratic institutions. Through assistance programs aimed at providing the people of Serbia with tangible benefits and prospects for a better future -- e.g., jobs, a better business environment, education and training, and exchange programs. American Corners throughout Serbia are an important aspect of EL Fellow work as they provide Serbian citizens access to U.S. media and literature as well as serve as a platform for educational opportunities and events. Most importantly, Embassy's wide array of exchange programs, including the constant support of EL Fellows, continue to build a base of Serbs who have experienced life in the United States or who have worked directly with an American in an academic environment. Embassy priorities are interlocking and mutually reinforcing aimed at helping Serbia create a democratic, prosperous, stable Serbia, enabling Serbia to become a productive partner in bilateral, regional, European and international organizations.

About the Host Institution
The English Language Department of the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Novi Sad, is a very progressive, relatively young department. The faculty consists of young, open-minded professionals, who possess great potential to carry out the recently instituted educational reform, and are already implementing most of the new teaching techniques and approaches in dealing with their students. They haven't had a chance to work with the ELT professionals who are also native speakers, and could thus greatly benefit from the EL Fellow Program, both in terms of their individual professional development and the improvements they could jointly make in the department itself. 

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Turkey
City: Erzurum
Host Institution: Ataturk University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow will be based in the Department of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. S/he will teach courses in American studies, American literature and speaking/listening to English majors. The EL Fellow will provide pedagogical support to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant who is teaching non-English majors required to pass an English proficiency exam before beginning their formal coursework. There is also the possibility of working this year with English majors in the Faculty of Education.   Secondary project duties will include work with American Corner Programming.  The EL Fellow will work with the Erzurum high school that is involved in the Junior Achievement "entrepreneurship and innovation" project.

S/he will also working with the newly established American Corner which is based in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. It should be noted that the new American Corner in Erzurum (along with the transferred American Corner in Kayseri) are the two targeted American corners in Turkey. Both will soon receive new technical equipment, including DVC facilities. The objective is to have a series of DVCs (at least weekly) through which audiences in Erzurum and Kayseri have opportunities to interact with American speakers based in Ankara, Istanbul and the U.S. on topics of mutual interest. The EL Fellow will work closely with the American Corner coordinator in Erzurum and the LES (Locally Engaged Staff) in Ankara responsible for American Corners to help develop such a program. In addition, s/he will work with the Corner in developing face-to-face programs including an American movies series, presentations on American topics and conversation clubs. Some of the face-to-face work has already begun under the incumbent. The opening of the DVC facilities still awaits the delivery of the equipment.
 
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow has proven to be effective in providing English majors with a better balanced view of U.S. society and culture. The EL Fellow has proven to be effective in increasing student and faculty interest in USG exchange programs, as well as in reaching out to the Erzurum community, as evidenced by the work done with the entrepreneurship and innovation school (which will be participating in the Youth Visitors' exchange program this year). These activities serve to reach out to younger audiences and expose them to U.S. society and the tenets of functioning democracies. The EL Fellow is also instrumental in helping with one of its most important American Corners.
 
About the Host Institution
Ataturk University is one of three "second generation" universities in Turkey (founded in 1956) and therefore one of the oldest. Initially an agricultural college, the university had very close ties with the University of Nebraska, which provided instructional staff, equipment and advice to the university for decades. The university is the largest and most important university in northeastern Turkey and is also home to a number of former Fulbright scholars. With the recent (August 2008) departure of the former rector (university rectors/presidents are only eligible to serve 2 terms of 4 years), the US Embassy in Ankara has lost a close contact who was a major proponent of U.S. studies, the American Corner and closer links with U.S. institutions of higher education. The newly appointed Rector's priorities and proclivities remain largely unknown. It is important for the U.S. mission to Turkey, particularly at this juncture, to maintain a physical presence at Ataturk University through the EL Fellow and Fulbright programs.

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Turkey
City: Kayseri
Host Institution: Erciyes University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, American Literature, English for Speaking, Technology in the Classroom

Project Description
The EL Fellow at Erciyes University will teach courses in American studies, American literature, and using technology in the classroom. The latter course, which is new to the department, would be developed in collaboration with the department chair. The EL Fellow will also provide pedagogical support to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant who will be assigned to the School of Foreign Languages (a pre-university program for students admitted to faculties that require English language for study). Finally, the EL Fellow will consult with faculty and staff at the newly formed Faculty of Education who are interested in setting up a Department of English. 

Secondary project duties will include working with American Corner Programming.  The American Corner in Kayseri was moved from a center of trade and commerce to the university in late spring 2008. The US Embassy in Ankara has invested heavily in this program and has purchased equipment for the corner, including DVC equipment. The Embassy hopes to make the Kayseri American Corner a showcase for the country. The EL Fellow will spend approximately 25% of his/her time at the American Corner, working closely with the corner coordinator in developing a dynamic and relevant program that reaches out to university students and beyond. One objective is to regularly involve American speakers based in Istanbul, Ankara and the U.S. in DVC based interactions with interested students, staff and community members on topics of mutual interest.
 
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow at Erciyes University will serve mission priorities of reaching out to potentially influential younger audiences. It would help dispel some of the widely held erroneous conceptions of US society and culture by reaching out to a new generation of teachers. It would help create a better balance in terms of content at the university's English language and literature program. It would also help the Embassy achieve its goal of having embassy/consulate-based and other American speakers engage in interactive programs on a regular basis with audiences beyond Ankara and Istanbul.

About the Host Institution
Erciyes University is located in the commercially vibrant city of Kayseri in central Anatolia. It has eight faculties, including a new faculty of Education (where they do not yet have an English department, although that might change). Until very recently, it also had branch campuses in Yozgat and Nevsehir. In 2005, the Yozgat branch was reconstituted as an independent university and, in 2008, the Nevsehir campus became an independent university. Both still depend heavily on Erciyes for expertise and instructors. Although neither Yozgat nor Nevsehir are quite ready to host an EL Fellow, both would benefit from having an EL Fellow at the "mother institution". In addition, Erciyes has a large and growing School of Foreign Languages. Students admitted into the faculties of medicine, architecture and business administration are required to pass an English proficiency exam or take a year long intensive English course at the School for Foreign Languages and then, hopefully, pass the exam.
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Turkey
City: Gaziantep
Host Institution: Gaziantep University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, American Literature, Oral Skills, Composition

Project Description
The EL Fellow will continue to teach English majors enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences courses including American literature, American society, oral presentation skills, and composition. The EL Fellow will continue to provide pedagogical support to the English Teaching Assistant working at the university's "School for Foreign Languages", a pre-university language preparatory program for students admitted into university degree program that require a more advanced level of academic English.   Secondary project duties will include working with American Corner Programming, and Workshops/Seminars.   The EL Fellow will work with the representatives of the mission (in particular, the public affairs staff at the US Consulate in Adana) to make the American Corner in Gaziantep an effective programming platform. The American Corner had been located at the city's Center for Industry and Trade but, due to a lack of demand, was closed. The plans are to re-open the corner at the university and focus its outreach efforts on topics relevant to students including study in the U.S., American studies, culture and education. The EL Fellow will play a key role in helping create a program at the American Corner, training the coordinator and giving seminars and workshops there. The EL Fellow will also continue to work with the high school in Gaziantep that is involved in the Junior Achievement "Entrepreneurship and Innovation" program.
 
Project Objectives
The EL Fellow Program contributes to the goals of engaging younger audiences in meaningful ways. By working with future teachers and focusing on American content, the project dispels false impressions of the U.S.. By engaging with the American corner, the project serves to provide information resources to targeted communities.

About the Host Institution
Gaziantep University is a public sector university in southeastern Turkey. Gaziantep is an important business center. Although originally a branch of the Middle Eastern Technical University in Ankara, Gaziantep University became an independent entity in 1987. It consists of 7 faculties, 4 schools of higher education, 3 graduate schools and 6 vocational schools. It also houses a cultural center. The university participates in a number of EU and Council of Europe exchange programs and attracts first class students from across the country.
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Turkey
City: Trabzon
Host Institution: Karadeniz Technical University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, American Literature, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies

Project Description
The EL Fellow's primary responsibilities will continue to include teaching American literature and American studies classes to third and fourth year undergraduate English majors enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The EL Fellow will also continue to teach advanced speaking and composition classes to first year and "prep year" English majors. The EL Fellow will continue to provide pedagogical support to the Fulbright Teaching Assistant who works with non-English majors in the university's large and growing "Hazirlik" (Language Preparatory) school.   Secondary project duties will include working with an English Camp, English Club Programming, Support Mentoring, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will continue to lead an ever-growing group of undergraduate students involved in the by now widely respected "English Club". These activities have included volunteering at local public institutions, giving free English classes to economically disadvantaged students and implementing a campus clean-up day. They have also organized the departmental library and held numerous workshops and presentations on American studies subjects (e.g. university life in the U.S.). The EL Fellow will also continue to promote various USG-funded exchange programs and educational development programs including the Opportunities Initiative Grants program, Fulbright Teacher Internship program, the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant program and the Youth Visitors' program. S/he will also work with selected students on a documentary filmmaking project.
 
Project Objectives
This project serves the goal of reaching out to younger audiences outside Turkey's major metropolitan areas (Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir) by introducing them to aspects of US society and culture and providing them with alternative models of classroom behavior. The program serves to dispel widely held misconceptions of American society and the American people. The program serves to equip a new generation with English language skills and a more nuanced, well-informed and better balanced world view, thereby making Turkey better partners in various fields, most notably economic. The position provides the US mission to Turkey with an effective networking tool that attracts students and teachers to various USG exchange and educational development efforts who otherwise would not know of these programs. The position also reaches beyond the university community through its various outreach functions.
 
About the Host Institution
Karadeniz Technical University is a large, public sector university with 14 faculties. The university has a significant English language program with several faculties (medicine and engineering) delivering some or all of their courses through the medium of English. The university prepares future teachers through both it's faculties of Arts and Sciences and Education. It also has a growing faculty of communication that prepares future journalists and media specialists. The Department of English Language and Literature is a progressive department that attracts excellent students from across Turkey. Over 90% of the students are from outside Trabzon and therefore reside at the university.

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Turkey
City: Samsun
Host Institution: Ondozuz Mayis University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture, English for Reading, English for Speaking, Teaching Methodologies

Project Description
For the proposed project, the EL Fellow will teach courses to English majors in the faculty of education. At least two courses in public speaking and one course in Applied Linguistics will be included among the EL Fellow's duties. In addition, the EL Fellow might be teaching a course on language teaching methods. The EL Fellow will also work with students in developing an English conversation club.  Secondary project duties will include working with: English Club Programming and Workshops/Seminars.  The EL Fellow will work with the Turkish Education Association (TED) school based in Samsun on teacher development, classroom observation and English language curriculum reform efforts. The EL Fellow will also work with two youth-oriented NGOs that the US Embassy has recently worked with in supporting and extending their efforts in areas such as volunteerism, cultural preservation, and youth leadership.
 
Project Objectives
One of this mission's top priorities is to reach out to young people living and/or working outside the main metropolitan areas of Istanbul and Ankara. Via the ELF program, we hope to empower young people with some of the necessary language and intellectual/cognitive skills to compete for future leadership positions in a rapidly globalizing economy. In addition, we seek to dispel some of the misconceptions of American society and culture widely held by young people in Turkey by providing them with a better balanced and informed view of US society and its institutions. Finally, we hope to introduce young people via the ELF program to alternative information resources (particularly those found in virtual space), include them in other USG-sponsored efforts aimed at youth and link them to their American counterparts.
 
About the Host Institution

Ondozuz Mayis University was founded in 1975 as a medical school. Today, it is a large, public sector comprehensive university with 14 faculties including education, arts and sciences, business administration, religion and engineering. The university also includes 14 vocational schools located in ten different towns/districts in the central Black Sea region, five "schools of higher education" and four research institutes. The international affairs office facilitates a wide array of EU/Council of Europe sponsored exchange programs. The Faculty of Education (the official host for the proposed EL Fellow) is one of the larger faculties at the university and offers a full array of teacher education programs. The university rector is progressive and most interested in increasing formal ties with US educational institutions and sees the EL Fellow Program as a step in that direction.

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Turkey
City: Denizli
Host Institution: Pamukkale University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture and Studies, English for Speaking, English for Writing, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques

Project Description
The EL Fellow will continue to teach courses in academic reading and writing and speaking to future English teachers enrolled at the host university's Faculty of Education. The EL Fellow will continue teaching methodology and curriculum/materials development courses to advanced students in the department. The EL Fellow will also continue to provide pedagogical support to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant working at the university's new "School for Foreign Languages" (a pre-university language preparatory program for students accepted into university programs that require English language skills for academic purposes). Secondary project duties will include working with American Culture, Support Mentoring, and Workshops/Seminars.  The EL Fellow in Denizli will continue to work with the Cafer Sadek Abalioglu Holding Company's Education and Cultural division on a number of community-oriented projects including developing an English resource center for economically disadvantaged young kids (ages 5-10) and a Community Assistance Service (CAS) program for third year students interested in volunteering some of their time to helping out in orphanages, public libraries, health clinics, etc. in the community.
 
Project Objectives
This project serves to provide a new generation of English teachers with alternative approaches to teaching not only English but critical thinking skills. The academic program focuses on helping future English teachers think and write critically, thereby making them and perhaps their future students better equipped for life in an open, functioning democracy. The program serves to increase the pool of USG-funded activities and programs outside the major metropolitan areas of Turkey. Through its Community Assistance Service (CAS) program, the program gives young people direct experience in volunteering. This program benefits from working in collaboration with a progressive business conglomeration that helps fund some of the outreach activities.
 
About the Host Institution
Pamukkale University was founded in 1992 and consists of 6 faculties (Education, Engineering, Medicine, Public Administration, Arts and Sciences and Social Sciences), three research institutes, six schools of higher education and eight vocational schools. Over 90% of the students are from beyond Denizli and live on campus. The university has a cultural and sports center. The university also promotes a strong community-development ethos and seeks to involve students in community development projects.
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Turkey
City: Konya
Host Institution: Selçuk University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow will be based at the Departments of English at both the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of Education. It should be noted that most graduates from both programs generally prepare new teachers, although the former focuses more on literature and cultural studies whereas the latter has a more pedagogical focus. The EL Fellow will continue to teach courses in American literature and culture, advanced conversation and composition. The EL Fellow will also provide pedagogical support to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant working at the School of Foreign Languages (a year long program for non-English majors who are required to pass an English proficiency exam before beginning their formal course work).  Secondary project duties will include working with American Studies, English Camp, English Club Programming, and Workshops/Seminars.  The EL Fellow will continue working as a consultant and mentor at the nearby Turkish Education Association school (TED). S/he will also continue with community outreach activities, including promoting US exchange programs and working with high school English teachers through in-service seminars and workshops.
 
Project Objectives
The English Language Fellow Program at Selçuk University in Konya helps address the U.S. Embassy's interest in reaching younger audiences outside the metropolitan areas of Ankara and Istanbul. As the major university in central Anatolia, the program helps provide a new generation of teachers with a better balanced view of U.S. society and culture. It also helps increase the number of competitive applicants applying for various exchange programs. Finally, through its in-service teacher development program (facilitated by a particularly strong chapter of the national teachers' association, INGED), the program reaches into communities which otherwise would have no direct contact with Americans.
 
About the Host Institution
Selçuk University is Turkey's largest university, with over 40,000 undergraduates and close to 60,000 students if one includes the vocational schools associated with the university. The university is also well known for its cultural programs, particularly those focusing on Turkish traditional music and art. It is located in a conservative region but attracts students from across the nation. English teachers are prepared by both the faculties of Arts and Sciences and Education and, unlike in many other institutions, these two faculties cooperate on a number of programs, including the EL Fellow Program. The School for Foreign Languages, founded in 2000, provides a year long, intensive academic English program for over 2000 students who have been admitted into programs (e.g. medicine, engineering, business administration) that require English proficiency before the students begin formal course work.

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Turkey
City: Isparta
Host Institution: Suleyman Demirel University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow at Suleyman Demirel University will be based at the Department of English at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences where s/he will teach courses in conversation, American literature and American studies. In addition, the EL Fellow will provide pedagogical support to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant working at the School of Foreign Languages (a pre-university language prep program for students admitted into departments that require a higher level of English language proficiency). The EL Fellow will also work with the director of the School for Foreign Languages on the development of a self access language learning center and help train instructors on how to use the facility (which already exists in a basic form). S/he will also provide regular in-service teacher training seminars to the 50+ English teachers at the School for Foreign Languages. Secondary project duties will include working with: English Camps, Support Mentoring, Workshops, and Seminars.  Isparta is one of the cities where the US Embassy hopes to increase programming this year. It plans to include at least one group of Access Microscholarship students from Isparta in the Access program beginning in 2009. It also hopes to increase its level of involvement with non-governmental organizations. The EL Fellow will work with the new Access class(s) and help network with NGOs who are recipients of post-funded "youth empowerment grants". Egirdir near Isparta is also a proposed site for an Access summer camp and the Embassy would have the EL Fellow at Suleyman Demirel University work with the Embassy on this initiative as well.

Project Objectives
An EL Fellow at Suleyman Demirel University in Isparta serves the objective of reaching out to younger audiences outside Turkey's major metropolitan areas. The project serves to provide a new generation of teachers and young people with a better balanced view of U.S. society and culture. It also helps support Embassy’s outreach efforts in a region that has received little attention over the past years.

About the Host Institution

Suleyman Demirel University was founded in 1992. It is a large and rapidly growing university in south central Turkey that attracts students from across Turkey. The university has recently created an Office of International Affairs and is increasingly interested in forging international links. It is now participating in several EU and Council of Europe programs including the Erasmus program. English is now required by students enrolled at the faculties of business administration, journalism and communication and might be soon expanded to several other faculties. The School for Foreign Languages has over 50 teachers on staff and is interested in in-service teacher training. Although the school has no Faculty of Education, most of the students enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (Dept of English) plan to pursue careers in education and need enriched pedagogical input.

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Turkey
City: Van
Host Institution: Yuzuncu Yil University
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The EL Fellow at Yuzuncu Yil University in Van will be based at the English Department of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences where s/he will teach courses in American studies, American literature, composition and conversation to English majors. The EL Fellow will also be asked to give a regular series of sessions on English teaching methods and techniques to those students (a majority) who plan to enter the teaching profession. S/he will also teach a language teaching methods course in the Faculty of Education. The university does not have a School for Foreign Languages.   Secondary project duties will include working with:    English Club Programming, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will be asked to teach an English class for people working at several of the NGOs that the US Embassy has been working with over the last two years. Several of these NGOs are involved in women's rights issues and the EL Fellow could act as a link between their efforts and the efforts of sister organizations in the US.
 
Project Objectives
To date, the US Embassy has never had a longer term exchange program participant based at Yuzuncu Yil University in Van. For several years, the university has wanted an American who can teach American content courses and also provide pedagogical input for the large number of students planning on going into teaching. The program serves to address the objectives of reaching out to young audiences in eastern Turkey, providing a better balanced view of US society and culture and working with human rights organizations based in the region. It should also be noted that the present Minister of Education is from Van and is interested in supporting his hometown university.
 
About the Host Institution
Yuzuncu Yil University was founded in 1982. It is located in eastern Turkey, about 80 km away from the Iranian border. The university consists of nine faculties, three research institutes and thirteen schools of higher education/vocational schools. It also has close links with several of the newly founded universities in eastern Turkey, including the university in Hakkari. The EL Fellow may also be asked to consult with staff at one or more of these new universities regarding opening English language teaching programs.

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Ukraine
City: Kyiv
Host Institution: English Teaching Resource Center, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy  
Type of Project: Senior Fellow  
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
American Culture, Business English, Teaching Methodologies, Teaching Techniques 

Project Description
The English Teaching Resource Center (ETRC) at the National University “Kyiv Mohyla Academy” in Kyiv requests an EL Fellow to provide teacher training for university level and secondary school teachers with an emphasis on English for Special Purposes (ESP) and American Studies. The ETRC is a center for professional development of teachers of English and American Studies from throughout Ukraine that attracts from 40-100 teachers a day. It is not only a lending library with an inventory of over 5,000 items in its collection, but also offers regular teacher training seminars, presentations, and workshops for teachers’ professional development. The ETRC staff will coordinate the EL Fellow’s activities and schedule. The EL Fellow will be expected to provide training to teachers of Business English in order to improve students’ communicative use of up-to-date business language and introduce them to techniques for teaching oral and written communication in the context of Business English and other professional areas. Currently the demand for Business English is particularly high since Ukraine has become a member of The World Trade Organization (WTO), which has opened new opportunities for international businesses and foreign investments. Many teachers of general English are expected to teach English to professionals and need training in order to understand current aspects of international business, language, and culture as well as to learn communicative and social skills for teaching Business English. The EL Fellow will also provide training for English language teachers and university faculty who aim to include American studies content in the English language instruction and discuss current issues of American society, culture, and institutions. It will improve teachers’ understanding of the United States and enable them to enrich their teaching content and, possibly, initiate new courses.

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Studies, and Teachers Association/Organization. In addition to the regular teacher training workshops at the ETRC, the EL Fellow will also be invited to give professional presentations at nationwide and regional teacher training conferences. The US Embassy will coordinate EL Fellow’s outreach to other institutions, Window on America Centers, and RELO-sponsored regional teachers’ resource centers throughout Ukraine. The EL Fellow will work closely with TESOL-Ukraine and American Studies teacher associations to help develop their leadership and strengthen the network through professional conferences and activities.

Project Objectives
This project aims at fostering understanding between Ukrainians and Americans by deepening Ukrainian knowledge of educational and cultural aspects of American society, and exposing Americans to Ukrainian society. The knowledge and understanding that is generated encourage a global perspective and lead to the growth of democratic institutions. Since the democratic Orange revolution in Ukraine, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has expressed interest in close collaboration with the US Embassy and Embassy’s goal is to assist Ukraine in raising its democratic standards. The objective of the project is to support Ukraine’s efforts to provide equal access to quality education and to increase the overall quality of the education system by preparing graduates for the global economy and Euro-Atlantic integration. The EL Fellow will assist in facilitating changes in education and promoting improved relationships and closer professional contacts with the Ministry through educational programs.
 
About the Host Institution
The English Teaching Resource Center (ETRC) is a pedagogical center of a national scope located at the National University “Kyiv Mohyla Academy” in Kyiv. The US Embassy has had a longstanding relationship with Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s English Department and actively supports the development of various programs and activities for teachers. There are currently over 2,000 registered members, most of them Ukrainian teachers of English and American Studies from secondary schools and universities, graduate students, or scholars. Although most of the members are from Kyiv and the region, about 25% are teachers from other regions in Ukraine who plan regular trips to Kyiv to borrow English teaching materials and to attend teacher training workshops for their professional development. The ETRC also promotes English teaching materials produced by the Office of English Language Programs of the State Department and offers them for purchase through the Embassy recycling program. The ETRC also works closely with the MoE on various English teaching projects and invites secondary school teachers to its seminars and events through the MoE’s national network of branch offices. The number of ETRC members is increasing every year and the need for professional development of junior teachers grows. It is an ideal venue from which to network with the institutions for English language teaching throughout Ukraine.

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Ukraine
City: Luhansk
Host Institution: Luhansk East Ukrainian National University  
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

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

Project Description
The East Ukrainian Volodymyr Dal National University (EUNU) in Luhansk requests a classroom teaching EL Fellow to teach the English Conversation course and American Studies course to undergraduate and post-graduate students of the English Philology and Translation Studies Departments. In addition to classroom teaching, EL Fellow will be requested to conduct teacher training seminars on American culture and language for young faculty members of the university. This will enhance the teachers’ communicative competence and allow them to introduce more cultural content into their curriculum.

The English Conversation course is a practical English course based on all four language skills aimed at raising students’ communicative competence. It includes topics from standard university curriculum such as Human Life, Education, Cross-Cultural Communication, and Conflict Resolution. The EL Fellow also helps students to enhance their critical thinking skills by way of formal discussions, oral presentations, and debates in the classroom. The aim of the American Studies course is to introduce students to American history, politics, life and culture and to stimulate their critical thinking skills while teaching about the development of civil society and democratic institutions.

Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Studies, English Club Programming, and Workshops/Seminars. The EL Fellow will also work informally with students of the university’s English Conversation Club and s/he will participate in outreach events at the Window on America Center (American Corner) at the city library to talk about different aspects of American life and culture. These activities will enhance cultural awareness of teachers and students in this eastern Ukrainian city.
 
Project Objectives
Luhansk is a large oblast center, remote from the capital and Western Europe, and located in eastern Ukraine, an important target of US Embassy’s Public Diplomacy efforts. Its educational institutions still lack resources and information about current teaching approaches that are now becoming available at more centrally located institutions.  English Language Fellows have not been placed in this university before. The Embassy has a very strong commitment to promoting English language programs in Ukraine. This project aims at fostering understanding between Ukrainians and Americans by deepening Ukrainians’ knowledge of educational and cultural aspects of American society in a major city on the periphery of Ukraine that has little contact with Americans. It will also promote a better American understanding of Ukrainian society. The knowledge and understanding that is being generated by this program encourage a global perspective and contribute to the growth of democratic institutions. The Embassy also supports the Window on America Center (American Corner) at the Oblast Library that will be an ideal place for the EL Fellow’s outreach to teachers and students in the city.

About the Host Institution
The East Ukrainian Volodymyr Dal National University (EUNU) has had a successful cooperation with the US Embassy and hosted several of Embassy’s speakers including U.S. Ambassador Taylor. The university was also a recipient of Embassy Media Development Fund’s grant for opening a television studio. Their deputy rector is an honorary citizen of Texas (!). The Embassy supports a Window on America Center (American Corner) at the Luhansk Oblast Library.

EUNU located in the city of Luhansk is one of the leading higher education institutions in eastern Ukraine. The student body is over 20,000 with a faculty of about 1,500. All its students are required to study English. The university was founded in 1920. At present it is a large educational-scientific complex which includes the main university in Luhansk city and 16 branches in other cities throughout Ukraine. These branches prepare professionals for 124 specialties. EUNU has 24 departments including English Philology Department, a Department of Foreign Languages, and a Translation Studies Department, Philosophy, History and Political Science, Linguistics, Journalism, Sociology, Electronic Engineering, Law, Natural Sciences, Finance and Economy, and Computer Technologies Departments. It also includes two educational and scientific institutes, Institute of Postgraduate Education and Distance Education, Public Administration Master program, International Centre of Undergraduate Education, 97 sub-departments, the centre of managerial staff retraining for entrepreneurship sphere, Educational and Scientific Institute of Applied Ecology, Scientific Research Institute of Control Systems, more than 40 scientific research laboratories and engineering centers, scientific library, publishing house, and printing office.  EUNU was one of the first institutions in Ukraine which signed the Great Charter of universities in Bologna, Italy in 2004. In February 2007 East-Ukrainian National University was awarded a golden medal in the nomination “Modernization of higher education in conformity with the Bologna Convention standards” at the 10th International Exhibition.

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Ukraine
City: Sevastopol
Host Institution:Sevastopol Institute of Economics and Law  
Type of Project: Fellow
Project Dates: September 2009 – June 2010

Project Focus
English Conversation, American Culture, Business English

Project Description
Sevastopol Institute of Economics and Law requests an EL Fellow to teach Business English and English Conversational Courses to undergraduate students of economics.
a) The English Conversation course is a practical English course based on all four language skills aimed at raising students’ communicative competence. It includes topics from standard university curriculum such as Human Life, Education, Work, Community activities, and Cross-Cultural Communication. The EL Fellow will be expected to involve students in group activities/projects which will help them to enhance their critical thinking skills by way of formal discussions, oral presentations, and debates in the classroom.
b) Business English course aims at improving students’ communicative competence and communication in the context of Business and covers such topics as Companies, Retailing, Wholesaling, Banking, Marketing, Product Development, Pricing, Business Correspondence, etc. They need English as an instrument of communication in their future professional lives and academic studies.
c) In addition to classroom teaching, EL Fellow will be requested to conduct teacher training seminars on American culture and language for faculty members of the Foreign Languages Department. This will enhance teachers’ communicative competence in using English for professional purposes and will enrich their knowledge of different aspects of American society and culture.
Secondary project duties will include working with: American Corner Programming, American Culture, and Workshops/Seminars.  The EL Fellow will also be involved in the department’s TESOL-Ukraine activities, including preparing student forums and conferences that take place annually at this institution. In addition, s/he will be requested to do outreach to other universities and secondary schools on the peninsula, including the US Embassy-sponsored American Corner in Simferopol and American Children’s library in Sevastopol. Such activities would include workshops for teachers as well as presentations on American culture for students that will enhance understanding of American society and culture at Crimean educational institutions.

Project Objectives
Sevastopol is a strategically crucial site for Public Diplomacy engagement. Crimea has traditionally been skeptical of the United States, favoring Russia. Inhabitants of the region receive most of their news from Russian sources, and have only limited knowledge of Americans or the United States. This is particularly true of Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. In part to counter this lack of information, the U.S.-Ukraine Charter signed in December 2008 commits the U.S. to opening an American Presence Post in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea.
There has not been an EL Fellow at the Sevastopol Institute of Economics and Law previously, and the US Embassy would like to support the university’s endeavor to raise the professional level of teaching English to future lawyers and economists. This project aims at facilitating democratic institution building in Ukraine and encouraging participation in the global economy and integration into international institutions. It will also foster understanding between Ukrainians and Americans by deepening Ukrainians’ knowledge of democratic and cultural aspects of American society in a major city of the Crimean peninsula, inhabitants on which have little contact with Americans. The placement of the EL Fellow in Sevastopol will also help promote mutual understanding among minority cultures of the peninsula.
 
About the Host Institution
Sevastopol Institute of Economics and Law is an affiliate of the Moscow Academy of Labor and Social Relations that was opened in Sevastopol in 1994. The departments of Economics and Law are divided into nine chairs covering specialties in Civil Law, Labor and Social Security Law, Finances, Accounting and Auditing, Management, and World Economics. All students are required to study English. The institute prepares future professionals in the field of economics and law for whom knowledge of English is essential in adapting western methods and experience and in moving reforms forward in Ukraine. The faculty members of this institution have been actively involved in TESOL Ukraine activities and closely cooperated with US Embassy’s RELO (Regional Engllish Language Officer) office in organizing teacher conferences and student forums of national and regional scope. 

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Department of State
Georgetown University
Center for Intercultural Education and Development
3300 Whitehaven St NW Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20007 cied@georgetown.edu