American English E-Teacher Program
The American English E-Teacher Program offers foreign English teaching professionals the opportunity to take innovative, online university-level classes and online professional development programming for teachers through FHI360.
American English E-Teacher Courses:
- Introduce and explore current methodological concepts and issues in the English as a Foreign Language field
- Provide an innovative distance-learning experience that uses the latest technology
- Connect participants with U.S. English language teaching experts and creates a professional network of international colleagues
The American English (AE) E-Teacher Scholarship Program offers foreign English teaching professionals the opportunity to take university-level professional development courses through various university partners in the United States. The AE E-Teacher Program is funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by FHI 360.
All AE E-Teacher courses use the latest in instructional technology to provide participants with an interactive distance-learning experience, and are designed to familiarize participating teachers with current methods and issues in the field of English as a Foreign Language.
The AE E-Teacher Program also connects participants with U.S. English language teaching experts and creates a professional network of international colleagues.
Courses Offered:
- Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting
- Teaching Grammar Communicatively
- Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom
- Teaching English to Young Learners
- Professional Development for Teacher Trainers
Course Descriptions:
Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting: Exploration of culture in an EFL setting requires helping students engage in authentic situations to develop the ability to navigate across a variety of cultures. This intercultural ability requires language choices and awareness of oneself as a cultural being. It also requires critical thinking skills, which are themselves culturally defined. Using experiential learning as the organizational model, this course will engage participants in analyzing personal experiences, media, EFL textbooks, and classrooms to develop the capacity to think critically about the cultural assumptions and viewpoints embedded in their teaching content and process. After examining themselves as cultural beings and assessing learners’ needs and goals, participants will develop a concrete teaching lesson that reflects their view of teaching critical thinking and intercultural competence in their particular context.
Teaching Grammar Communicatively: In this practice-oriented course, participants will explore how to adapt grammar instruction to meet their students’ needs. They will also focus on integrating grammar instruction with teaching language skills, varying grammar instruction to meet the needs of large, mixed ability classes, and using available technology effectively to enhance grammar learning inside and outside the classroom. Participants will discuss different challenges their learners may have with learning grammar, and discover how they can help learners use grammar to improve fluency and accuracy.
Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom: This course is designed to help English language teaching professionals around the world acquire and maintain basic knowledge and skills in technology for professional purposes through hands-on learning. It will help teachers integrate pedagogical knowledge and skills with technology to enhance their language teaching and learning through their reading, discussion, and creation of new learning activities. The course will help participants apply technology in record keeping, feedback, and assessment, and use technology to improve communication, collaboration, and efficiency by participating in online discussion and presentation.
Teaching English to Young Learners: This course is designed to introduce participants to the theory and practice of teaching young learners (7 – 12 years old) and very young learners (under 7) in the EFL classroom. Participants will investigate approaches for teaching language within a meaningful context as well as different techniques for making language input comprehensible and encouraging student participation. They will also look at the major principles that govern language teaching based on all four skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Through individual learner-centered activities, virtual collaborations and discussions, and group activities with learning teams, participants in this course will explore various aspects, from theory to practice, of teaching EFL to children.
Professional Development for Teacher Trainers: This course is designed for both novice and experienced teacher trainers. Participants will develop and polish their skills and knowledge base of evidence-based methods for delivering comprehensive, engaging, and relevant teacher trainings. Learners will be introduced to methods for crafting, presenting, and evaluating effective teacher training workshops so they can apply concepts and theories to the production of impactful teacher training in their local context.
Eligibility and Application Overview
Candidates should be highly motivated teachers, teacher trainers, or ministry officials who are both dedicated to their own professional development and willing to share their knowledge with colleagues. Qualified candidates should:
- Have the ability to complete academic work at a U.S. university level (an advanced level of reading and writing in English, roughly equivalent to a minimum TOEFL score of 525/iBT 70)
- Have an understanding of English technical terms relating to computers and the Internet
- Have regular access (4-5 times/week) to a reliable, up-to-date computer with high-speed internet connectivity
- Have basic technology skills related to email, internet searches and downloads/uploads, logins/passwords, and e-file use (e.g., pdf, MS Word, Excel). Practical Applications in Listening and Speaking Skills participants require access to real-time tools such as Skype
- Have the ability to type in English well enough to perform online tasks in real-time and submit written assignments in a timely manner
- Have at least 8-10 hours per week to devote to the coursework
- Be a citizen of and reside in the nominating country at the time of the course
- Not hold dual citizenship in the United States
The American English E-Teacher Program is open to non-U.S. citizens living outside the United States. The program is open by nomination only. Interested English language professionals should contact the Public Affairs section of their local U.S. Embassy for up-to-date information. U.S. Embassies manage the selection and nomination of candidates.
The Office of English Language Programs does not accept direct applications.
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.