English Language Programs

Mareena Olivier started a Scrabble Club for pre-service teachers at the University of . Teachers learned how to use the game to engage students in vocabulary and critical thinking development. Thanks to donations from the U.S. Embassy Lusaka and American Spaces, these teachers will bring Scrabble to rural teaching placements, where students can gain from the social and emotional benefits of gamified learning as they explore the English language.

Looking for a five-letter word that’ll fit nicely into your 2025 calendar? You can APPLY to be a Fellow today!

https://elprograms.org/fellow-program/

Serena Chu-Mraz led a 40-hour training for English teachers and vocational trainers in . They worked with the English Works curriculum, designed to help Angolan young adults (ages 17-25) improve their English for job opportunities. Chu-Mraz was “inspired by the teachers’ enthusiasm and dedication to promoting English for employability among youth,” and is excited for the next phase, where they will pilot the program this year.

all over the globe found ways to celebrate the holidays with students! From top (clockwise):

📌 In , Sarah Howe worked on holiday cards with Access Alanya students. The cards were sent to their peers in the Access Batman and Samsun programs;

📌 John Jordan held an American-style Christmas party with teachers and staff from the Access Batumi program in . Students decorated sugar cookies and watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas”;
📌 Nancy Lindberg and the young chefs in the Access Talgar program in worked in teams to build gingerbread houses before making cards and watching a holiday film.

Want in on the festivities next holiday season? The Fellow application is currently accepting applicants for the 2025-26 cycle. Start the new year off right–get an application started today!

https://bit.ly/40j9RXb

Professor, Mentor, Writer, Researcher - Meet Alumni Ambassador Dr. Quanisha Charles!

In her featured story, Dr. Charles details the exciting ways that her virtual English Language Specialist project in Lebanon in 2023 has impacted her career.

“Immersing myself in a different educational environment and collaborating with Lebanese English teachers not only fostered a greater empathy and understanding of global issues, such as challenges both students and teachers are facing in the classroom, but also made me a more effective educator and advocate for English language learning.”

Read Charles’s story here: https://bit.ly/AAQuanisha

English Language Programs has an exciting conference lineup for the new year! Are you interested in exploring cultural exchange through the Fellow, Specialist, and Virtual Educator programs? We’re eager to connect with the TESOL community and program alumni!

Check out our upcoming events schedule at the link below. Let us know if you’re attending these events in the comments!

https://bit.ly/3PmuQ5c

🕎 Wishing a joyous and bright Hanukkah festival to all who celebrate!

Happy Holidays from English Language Programs! Last year, Kiri Manookin directed an international Christmas choir for a crowd of 300 attendees in Yerevan, . Singing in the choir were locals from Armenia and expats from around the globe. Teachers – how do you celebrate the holidays with your learners?

A little holiday treat—there’s still time to apply to be a 2025-2026 English Language Fellow! The priority deadline is December 31.

https://elprograms.org/fellow-program/

With the English Language Fellow Program, you can make it all happen. Spend 10 months teaching abroad while earning a $40,000 stipend, a generous living allowance covering housing, food, utilities, and transportation, plus support for dependents. Fellows live and work from Bangkok to Batumi, from Lubango to Lima, and from Nukus to Nouakchott. Make your New Year's resolution count and apply to be an English Language Fellow!

The priority deadline for Fellow applications is December 31 for projects that begin in the fall of 2025, and it's not too late to start yours.

https://elprograms.org/fellow-program/

Michael Jefferson traveled over 8 hours to attend graduation ceremonies for students with the Institute of Rural Development Planning (IRDP) in Dodoma and Mwanza, . Michael was able to see the impact that work with the IRDP has had on its staff, students, and the surrounding community, and added that he is “forever grateful for this opportunity to see young Tanzanians live out their educational dreams.”

Jordan Brown teamed up with Tiffany Tillman to develop English teaching skills and build leadership capacity in Nakhchivan, . Brown developed materials and a model lesson for teachers in the American English for Nakhchivani Youth program, while Dr. Tillman used observations from the model in her feedback to local instructors.

The priority deadline for 2025-2026 Fellow applications is December 31, 2024. Why wait? Apply today!

https://elprograms.org/fellow-program/

Joshua Tilton met with students in Ashgabat, to lead an “Eco-Club.” Coinciding with the United Nation’s COP 29 conference, the group discussed international cooperation to combat climate change, as well as how to promote environmentalism locally.

For International Education Week, Heidi Demello hosted a discussion on the Internationalization of Publishing in ELT with her colleagues at Marmara State University in , . The group discussed how international publishing could promote cultural understanding and inclusivity, and empower marginalized voices. They shared their personal experiences and challenges related to submitting articles to peer-reviewed and foreign journals.

“My hopes were that by holding space for participants to share personal anecdotes and opportunities, such as co-authoring or submitting articles to English Teaching Forum magazine, we would all leave the session feeling motivated and encouraged to publish,” Demello said.

Virtual Educator Kelly Nault worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in to help staff improve their English skills for the country’s process of joining the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). This project highlights the importance of initiatives like the OECD and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, celebrated on .

Leah Fruechte traveled with the University of Burundi’s Institute of Applied Pedagogy to observe nine public secondary schools in Bujumbura. Leah provided one-on-one feedback sessions with the pre-service teachers, which evolved into rich and critically engaging conversations about teaching practices and beyond.

“My teacher-trainees came to our post-observation sessions with very thoughtful questions and, as the observations and sessions went on, I began to grow in understanding of the Burundian educational system and how my expertise could apply in this unique context,” she said.

Daniel Chavez, Chris Colwell, Astrid Lange, and Scott Robertson joined students from the Universidade Federal do Pará in Brazil for an academic conference focused on advancing EFL in the Amazon region. As an illustration of the size of their host country, these Fellows had to travel upwards of 3,000 miles to reach the two sites for this event!

The 2025-2026 Fellow application is open. Learn more, and apply today!

https://elprograms.org/fellow-program/

Join us for a 30-minute Q&A webinar on Monday, Dec. 9, at 7 PM ET to learn about the English Language Fellow Program, an exchange opportunity for U.S. educators with the U.S. Department of State.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3BdxuGM

Check out our FAQs page on our website to learn more about the program and application process. https://elprograms.org/fellow-program/faqs/

are celebrating the holidays with their learner communities across the globe!

In , Patricia Thornton teamed up with her students and local aid workers to deliver food to needy families in Ulaanbaatar;
Nancy Lindberg created a Gratitude Wall with her audience at the American Space in Almaty, ;
Matthew Gleason enjoyed a feast with the American Corner in Prizren, .

English teachers–how have you shared Thanksgiving with your learners? Let us know in the comments!

Melanie Gobert recently visited Universitas Pattimura in Ambon, , with Archipelago RELO Ruth Goode and Cultural Affairs Specialist Dian Safriti. They toured IAIN Ambon, IAKN Manado, and Politeknik Negeri Ambon to explore teacher training partnerships and future collaboration opportunities!