Title: English Language Specialist Program U.S. Department of State
1English Language Specialist Program U.S.
Department of State
- Julia Walters Office of English Language
Programs, Washington DC - Kay Westerfield - University of Oregon
- Michael Krauss Lewis Clark College
- Michael Rudder Regional English Language
Officer (RELO), U.S. Embassy in Jakarta,
Indonesia
2Definition
- U.S. academics in ELT and/or Applied Linguistics
to support U.S. Embassy-initiated programs
worldwide - Average of 85 2-wk Programs annually
- http//englishprograms.state.gov
3Projects Include
- Assessment
- Curriculum Development - Institutional and
National - Workshops and Conferences
- English for Young Learners
- ESP / CBI
- Materials Writing Revision
- Program Evaluation
- Teacher Training
- Technology and ELT
4Grantees receive
- Honorarium of 200 a day
- Intl Airfare Visa
- Food and Lodging
- Miscellaneous 100
- Reporting 100
- Materials Allowance 150
- Health Insurance
5Process
- U.S. Embassies invite specialists
- Requests Submitted to WDC in July/Aug 2007 for
Oct 07 Sept. 08 - Specialists are selected at U.S. embassies or in
WDC year around
6Be a Specialist
- Review Past Programs http//englishprograms.state.
gov - Send resume and cover letter highlighting your
expertise to WaltersJL_at_state.gov - Write an article for English Teaching Forum
7Invite a Specialist
- Contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S.
Embassy in your country http//usembassy.state.gov
/ - Review Past Programs http//englishprograms.state.
gov
8Benefits and Useful Tips
- Kay Westerfield
- University of Oregon
9Professional Development Learning from
colleagues around the world
- ESP workshop
- participants in
- Dakar,Senegal
10Professional Development Collaborating with
Other Specialists
- Shaping the Way We Teach English
- Riyadh,
- Saudi
- Arabia
11Other Benefits for the Specialist
- Expanding your professional network
- Making new friends
- International travel
- Delicious food
12Benefits for the Specialists Institution
- Professional development for faculty
- International and national visibility
- Opportunities to build relationships for future
partnerships / exchanges
13Sample Benefits for Host Institutions
- Specialists that target specific language
teaching needs - Excellent materials for teachers or teacher
trainers - Shaping the Way We Teach English multimedia
teacher-training materials - Arabic/English MiniMax series for business
communication skills - Opportunities to build networks for future
partnerships and exchanges
14Helpful Tips for Specialists
- Be flexible.
- Become familiar with the local culture in
advance. - Tailor your sessions to the needs of the host
institutions. - Take a carry-on with materials and professional
clothing -- just in case - Enjoy!
15Michael Krauss
- Academic English Studies
- Lewis Clark College
- Portland, Oregon, USA
- krauss_at_lclark.edu
- http//www.lclark.edu/krauss/
16Specialist Trip 2004 - Russian Federation
- Moscow
- Orientation and Sightseeing
- Irkutsk
- Summer Institute
- Vladivostok
- FEELTA Conference
17Specialist Trip 2005 Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- Workshops consultations with three university
faculties - Constructivism
- Discourse Analysis
- Computer Integration
- Plenary and workshops delivered at Honduran
National Conference for Teachers of English
18Specialist Trip 2005 - Russian Federation
- Moscow
- Orientation and Sightseeing
- Petrozavodsk
- Summer Institute
- St. Petersburg
- ESPAcE Workshop
19English Language Specialist Benefits
- Travel and contribute to host community
- Form new professional relationships
- Host country colleagues
- Other EL Specialists
- Motivates professional development
- Gain new cultural insights
- Provide a positive image of the U.S.
- Excellent D.O.S. support
20English Language Specialist Challenges
- Analyzing/meeting host country needs
- Getting ducks in a row
- Jet lag/sleep issues
- Pacing to avoid burnout and to stay healthy
- Adjusting to available technology
- Accommodating cultural expectations (the vodka
toast dilemma) - Re-entry/playing catch-up
- IT IS WORTH IT !
21U.S. Embassy Perspective
- Dr. Michael Rudder
- U.S. Department of State
- Regional English Language Officer (RELO)
- Jakarta, Indonesia
22USG Interest in Program
- Support ELT programs as part of U.S. Embassy
Mission goals - Fulfill client requests/needs in ELT
- Quality cost-effective training/programming
23Creation of Program at U.S. Embassy
- Request by host institution to RELO or Public
Affairs Section - Contact Specialist for availability
- Set up program
- Send online request to WDC Office
24Requisites for Successful Program
- Match needs of hosts to expertise of specialist
- Pre-arrival communication between hosts and
specialist - Follow-up with post
- Departure consulting
25Extension of RELO Work
- Support ELT programs in the region
- Fill knowledge and information gaps
- Mutual understanding between U.S. and host
countries