ELI teachers Leslie Criston, Naomi Migliacci, Joe Matterer and Ian Palmer joined forces with the University of Delaware's International Programs and Special Sessions (IPSS) office in a six-week summer program for 70 English teachers from the former Soviet Union. These recipients of the Excellence in Teaching English and American Studies Award brought their expertise and dynamic methods with them from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
ELI teachers met their international colleagues each week for Language Practice and Materials Development, a course developed to provide participants with an opportunity to use and improve their already excellent language abilities while discussing U.S. culture, specifically historical and current events related to U.S. government, economics, diversity and education. In addition, participants presented successful language-learning activities that demonstrated why they were chosen for the teaching excellence award.
Funded by the United States Information Agency and administered by the American Council for Collaboration in Education and Language Study, the program was developed by Baerbel Schumacher of IPSS, who hopes to expand the program next year to include English teachers from additional countries.
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English teachers from the former Soviet Union enjoyed classes in English and pedagogy with teacher Leslie Criston (seated center) |
ELI continued its well-established tradition of intensive EFL teacher training programs this year with the 1998 Delaware English as a Foreign Language Teacher Training Institute (DEFT), held from July 19 to August 15. This year's participants came from two prominent English-speaking universities in Turkey: the Middle Eastern Technical University (METU) in Ankara and Fatih University, a new institute of higher learning near Istanbul.
The instructors and administrators from both groups distinguished themselves with their remarkable level of fluency in English, as well as their exceptional professionalism and dedication to the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Besides the intensive program of seminars and workshops which participants attended, the Turkish teachers also conducted extensive independent research during their four-week stay, which culminated in a series of workshops which they developed, practiced and prepared for presentation to colleagues in Turkey. ELI faculty and staff are eagerly looking forward to further collaboration with these talented and energetic Turkish friends.
Four English teachers sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education (Mombusho) participated in an eight-week language and culture program at ELI in June, July and August. The Mombusho program included regular ELI classes as well as a special grammar class and cultural excursions.
English teachers themselves, the participants in the Mombusho program were intrigued by the opportunity to become students again. They were able to refine their language skills, which were very good to begin with, and enjoyed working with their international classmates. As educators, they were able to evaluate the teaching methods and techniques used by their ELI teachers and were pleased to participate in class activities which they can use themselves in the future. The program participants were also able to share their teaching experience with teachers from Turkey, who were in Newark for ELI's DEFT program.
Eighty-two graduate students joined the International Teaching Assistants Program this past summer. The four-and-a-half-week program, coordinated by Associate Director Kathy Schneider, screens international teaching assistants from all University of Delaware departments for oral language proficiency and helps them to prepare for their instructional duties at the University.
This year's participants included ITAs from such departments as biology, chemistry, civil and mechanical engineering, English, linguistics and political science. Classes in this program included oral intelligibility, culture and pedagogy as well as tutoring. The majority of students came from China and India. Other countries represented were Germany, France, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and Korea.
The program has been very successful over the years, both in insuring that undergraduates have TAs they can understand and in guaranteeing that ITAs succeed in the classroom.
In June, three Fulbright exchange scholars, two from China and one from Chile, participated in rigorous language training in preparation for academic study at American universities. Two of the participants have since joined the University of Pittsburgh, one as a visiting scholar in instructional technology and the second as a doctoral student in education. The third is studying for a master's of law at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.
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The summer Colfuturo
group gathered in August with coordinator Ricka Grollitsch
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ELI again hosted three groups of Colombian professionals, who arrived in January, June and September. The 37 participants were selected in Colombia by the Fundación Para el Futuro de Colombia, a.k.a. Colfuturo. Program coordinators Susan Edgell, Ricka Grollitsch and Patience Phillips supplemented the language instruction provided by ELI with a variety of workshops and seminars on academic, cultural and professional topics. Students also became listeners in University of Delaware courses.
Eleven Kobe Shoin Women's University students, along with their faculty escort, Professor Noriko Shibatani, successfully jumped into the final three weeks of the regular intensive program in August. Following their classroom study, the group went on a whirlwind cultural tour organized by academic coordinator Janet Louise, which took them from the White House to the Statue of Liberty, from the Amish farmland to Baltimore's Fort McHenry and from the Liberty Bell to Longwood Gardens. Host families and students met throughout the month and enjoyed a farewell dinner together, at which program participants presented ELI with a signed and framed memento of their appreciation.
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Shoin students discussed the Yen with a "stand-in" for President Clinton outside the White House. |
Eleven students from Universidad Central de Chile and two from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies joined regular ELI classes in January and February. Program coordinator Melody Holm-Terasaki organized a number of cultural outings, social gatherings and host family get-togethers for both groups, helping to make their stay a memorable one.
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A group of UAE students
met with coordinator James Slater (seated, third from left) at the beginning
of Session VI in July.
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A major Arabian Gulf oil producer, UAE is rapidly diversifying its economy. ELI appreciates the opportunity to share in the development of prospective UAE professionals who will play a role the country's future.
