Embassy Information
Program
 | TEACHER AMBASSADOR PROGRAM |
INTRODUCTION
The Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, the Texas Intensive English Program (TIEP), are pleased to submit this proposal to the Embassy of the United States, Public Affairs Section, Buenos Aires, Argentina, for an Institute for Secondary School Teachers of English from Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and Uruguay. TIEC is highly qualified to offer this innovative program, having conducted 20 successful institutes for secondary school teachers of EFL in Austin since 1989.
This multi-faceted Institute emphasizes instruction in EFL methodology and techniques and is designed to provide a challenging academic experience for each participant that will enhance English-language skills and promote an increased understanding of U.S. culture and society and of the state of the art of teaching of English as a foreign language.
Participating Organizations
The Texas International Education Consortium is a private, non-profit corporation chartered under the laws of the State of Texas in 1985, whose purpose is the development, coordination, and implementation of international education projects and programs. TIEC is an association of 32 public universities in Texas, whose presidents comprise the TIEC Board of Directors. In carrying out its projects and programs, TIEC utilizes the human and physical resources of its affiliated universities.
The mission of the Texas Intensive English Program is to provide exemplary English language training and cultural orientation to individuals whose native language is not English. TIEP’s experience spans 40 years, having trained more than 27,000 students from 122 countries. TIEP is fully accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA).
Of particular relevance to this project, TIEC and TIEP have conducted 20 intensive training programs in Texas for non-U.S. teachers, ranging in length from 7 weeks to 15 weeks -- for Japanese and Taiwanese secondary school EFL teachers, sponsored by their respective ministries of education; and for Korean secondary school EFL teachers, sponsored by the Korean-American Educational Commission (Fulbright). Groups have ranged in size from 8 to 42 participants.
TIEC has also conducted on-site educational programs in Indonesia, Qatar, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Hungary, Malaysia, Azerbaijan, Senegal, Malawi, Germany, Russia, Panama, and Mexico; as well as programs in the U.S. for public administrators from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay; journalists from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Venezuela; and employees of the South American Ministry of Home Affairs.
Course Content and Methods
1. Seminar on Applied Teaching Techniques and Materials for EFL (19 hours)
The methodology component of the academic program, Seminar on Applied Teaching Techniques and Materials for ESL, will incorporate the following topics:
• Exploring the essential elements of communicative language teaching
• Teaching listening, speaking, and pronunciation
• Teaching reading and writing
• Evaluating, adapting, and expanding EFL materials
The textbook for this class will be The Practice of English Language Teaching (Third Edition), by Jeremy Harmer, published by Pearson Longman. TIEP’s Professional Reference Library (currently numbering more than 500 titles) will serve as a resource for both the instructors and the participants.
2. Seminar on American Culture and Teaching Culture (19 hours)
A special Seminar on American Culture and Teaching Culture has been designed to provide the participants with an overview of the historical origins of contemporary cultural realities in the United States, such as America’s ethnic composition and the resulting pluralistic society. Topics to be covered include:
• Traditional American Values and Beliefs
• American Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Cultural Pluralism
• Ethnic and Racial Assimilation
• The American Family
• Incorporating Cultural Content in Foreign Language Classes
The basic textbook for the Seminar is American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture (Third Edition), by Datesman et al., published by Pearson Longman.
3. Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation (12 hours)
This course includes a variety of listening and speaking activities and pronunciation practice to enhance the participants’ proficiency in these areas in order to be more effective teachers of these skill areas.
Participants will receive Clear Speech: Pronunciation and Listening Comprehension in North American English (Third Edition), by Judy Gilbert, published by Cambridge University Press.
Course Goals
• Enhance the knowledge and expertise of the participants in best practices in the instruction of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the secondary level, including the use of participatory teaching techniques to develop active learning in the classroom.
• Provide opportunities for the participants to interact with Americans from diverse backgrounds in order to foster awareness and understanding of each other’s culture, traditions, and lifestyle.
• Provide opportunities for the participants to become acquainted with American teachers of English and lay the groundwork for ongoing professional collaboration with American colleagues with whom they interact during the course of the Institute.
• Provide a cadre of EFL professionals with skills and knowledge that will equip them to conduct follow-on presentations on Institute topics in their home countries in order to contribute to the effort to build a leadership network for high quality EFL instruction and to incorporate first-hand experiences in the U.S. into their EFL classes.
