English Language Specialist Program U.S. Department of State

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English 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

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Definition

• 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

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Projects 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

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Grantees receive

• Honorarium of 200 a day
• Intl Airfare Visa
• Food and Lodging
• Miscellaneous 100
• Reporting 100
• Materials Allowance 150
• Health Insurance

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Process

• 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

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Be 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

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Invite 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

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Benefits and Useful Tips

• Kay Westerfield
• University of Oregon

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Professional Development Learning from
colleagues around the world

• ESP workshop
• participants in
• Dakar,Senegal

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Professional Development Collaborating with
Other Specialists

• Shaping the Way We Teach English
• Riyadh,
• Saudi
• Arabia

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Other Benefits for the Specialist

• Expanding your professional network
• Making new friends
• International travel
• Delicious food

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Benefits for the Specialists Institution

• Professional development for faculty
• International and national visibility
• Opportunities to build relationships for future
  partnerships / exchanges

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Sample 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

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Helpful 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!

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Michael Krauss

• Academic English Studies
• Lewis Clark College
• Portland, Oregon, USA
• krauss_at_lclark.edu
• http//www.lclark.edu/krauss/

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Specialist Trip 2004 - Russian Federation

• Moscow
• Orientation and Sightseeing
• Irkutsk
• Summer Institute
• Vladivostok
• FEELTA Conference

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Specialist 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

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Specialist Trip 2005 - Russian Federation

• Moscow
• Orientation and Sightseeing
• Petrozavodsk
• Summer Institute
• St. Petersburg
• ESPAcE Workshop

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English 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

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English 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 !

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U.S. Embassy Perspective

• Dr. Michael Rudder
• U.S. Department of State
• Regional English Language Officer (RELO)
• Jakarta, Indonesia

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USG 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

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Creation 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

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Requisites for Successful Program

• Match needs of hosts to expertise of specialist
• Pre-arrival communication between hosts and
  specialist
• Follow-up with post
• Departure consulting

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Extension of RELO Work

• Support ELT programs in the region
• Fill knowledge and information gaps
• Mutual understanding between U.S. and host
  countries