E-Teacher Scholarship Program-English Teacher Professional Development Distance Learning Program

The application deadline for the fall semester has passed.  Please check our website again this winter for the new application cycle deadlines

The E-Teacher Scholarship Program offers English teaching professionals living outside of the United States the opportunity to take seven innovative, online, graduate-level classes through the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and the University of Oregon. The courses explore major areas of the academic specialty of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

In addition to specific knowledge of each of the seven major areas of TEFL, each course:

• Introduces participants to the most recent TEFL methods and techniques.
• Engages participants in an innovative distance-learning program, employing the latest in modern technology.
• Provides participants with direct access to U.S. experts.

Participation is open to teachers worldwide. The ten-week courses will be offered in the fall of 2012 and the winter, spring, and summer of 2013, though not all seven courses will be offered each term. Tuition and materials will be paid by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of completion directly from the course providers.

REQUIREMENTS:

Candidates for E-Teacher scholarships should be teacher trainers or teachers who are working, or plan to work, with one of the seven subjects covered by the courses. They should be highly motivated individuals who are dedicated both to their own professional development and to sharing the knowledge gained with colleagues through workshops or professional presentations. Candidates should also be committed to fulfilling the program requirements (dedicating on average 8-10 hours of work per week) and completing the course. In addition, candidates should meet the following criteria:

English language skills:

• ability to do academic work at a U.S. university (an advanced level of reading and writing, roughly equivalent to a minimum TOEFL score of 550 or IBT score of 79-80);
• general understanding of technical terms in English relating to computers and the Internet;
• good command of the necessary vocabulary for the topic of the course for which the candidate is nominated.

Computer fundamentals:

• regular access to e-mail and the Internet;
• ability to navigate in Windows or other appropriate programs and create a Word document;
• basic familiarity with the Internet and web browsers;
• ability to type in English well enough to perform online tasks in real-time and to submit written assignments in a timely manner.

COURSE TOPICS:

1. Introduction to Online Learning. (5 weeks only)
2. Introduction to Pedagogy and Practices for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL Methods).
3. Listening and Speaking Skills, Real-Time Practice and Application.
4. Assessment: Summative and Formative Practices in Language Learning and Teaching.
5. Building Teaching Skills Through the Interactive Web (Web Skills). 
6. Critical Thinking in Language Learning and Teaching (CT). 
7. English for Specific Purposes, Aligning Context with Practices and Materials (ESP). 
8. Special Education and Differentiated Instruction in EFL Contexts (SpEd TEFL)
9. Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL).

Course materials will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• downloadable or posted syllabi, assignments, and course readings;
• asynchronous contact between instructors and participants, between other experts and participants, and among participants;
• lectures via real-time, text, or audio-enhanced text;
• use of a bulletin board to post notes, assignments, feedback, etc.;
• information on additional web-based resources;
• ECA/A/L resources for English teachers.

All materials will emphasize a learner-centered approach and will be in English. When possible, courses will integrate appropriate Department of State materials, such as "English Teaching Forum" articles and "Shaping the Way We Teach English."

APPLICATIONS:

All courses are open for applications. For each course you are interested in, please mark your level of preference.

Applications will be reviewed by the Public Affairs staff at the U.S. Embassy and for each course, one principal and one to two alternates will be selected. Those interested in the E-Teacher program should submit a completed E-Teacher Nomination Form and a current résumé or CV to uzesem@state.gov. All principal and alternate nominees will be notified in August of their status. Final selection and registration for the E-Teacher program will be made by program administrators and advisors in Washington, D.C.