english language office of the u.s. embassy in moscow ... · 4 in-service training opportunity for...

English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Russia

SUCCESS STORIES

Promoting Mutual Understanding through English Language Teaching

August-December 2014

Revised October 20, 2014

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Contents (in case we need it)

Teachers’ Association Support

English Language Fellow Program

English Access Program

ELO Post-Specific Projects

Online Courses

Social Media

Working with Alumni


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Teachers’ Association Support

Moscow ELO meets English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Group at Far Eastern State

Fisheries University and holds Workshop for Teachers

On October 20, Moscow ELO met with instructors from Far Eastern State Fisheries University to

discuss issues related to teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP). The teachers chronicled

their cooperation with the English Language Office in Moscow and demonstrated how outcomes

of this collaboration have had a positive impact on ESP practices at their university and the

overall level of professional development of ESP teachers in the Russian Far East. ELO

discussed other programs, resources, and materials available through the a Office of English

Language Programs that can enhance continued professional development for this community

and conducted a workshop on some "best practices" in teaching English as Foreign Language.

Moscow ELO gives Workshops for Members of the Far East English Language Teachers'

Association (FEELTA)

On October 18 Moscow ELO gave two presentations for members of FEELTA at Far Eastern

Federal University. The ELO shared with the group some practical ways to raise student

awareness of tolerance and inclusion and a session on ideas of how to include a cultural

component into broader Foreign Language curriculums. The presentations were followed by a

lively discussion and concluded with the ELO sharing resources and opportunities available to

teachers and students through the Office of English Language Programs.

In-Service Training Opportunity for Russian English Teachers in the Far

East/Khabarovsk

On October 13, more than one hundred teachers of English in Khabarovsk, the capital of the Far

East, came together for an in- service teacher training seminar organized by the local teachers'

association. The program included presentations by the Moscow English Language Officer and

local English Language Fellow John Flynn. The event brought secondary school and university

teachers together to discuss topical issues and to provide a unique opportunity for professional

development.


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In-Service Training Opportunity for Russian English Teachers in the Far

East/Birobidzhan

On October 15, some fifty secondary school teachers from Birobidzhan and nearby settlements

gathered at the local in- service teacher training center to participate in a diverse program that

included presentations from the Moscow ELO and local Access students. Birobidzhan, the

capital of the Jewish autonomous republic near the Chinese border, is a remote area with few

opportunities for professional development opportunities with American trainers. The Access

students, who have only been in the program for six months, amazed teachers at the ease with

which they communicated in English and with the variety of activities they are involved in. After

the presentations, the Access students had an interactive class with the Moscow ELO over tea

and Halloween treats!

Moscow English Language Officer uses Target of Opportunity to Engage with Young

Audiences in Blagoveshchensk

On October 12, more than sixty university students and thirty secondary school students from

Blagoveshchensk enjoyed impromptu English lessons from the Moscow English Language

Officer. The ELO took time between regularly scheduled conference presentations to hold a

master class for this younger audience. Through a series of communicative activities, the

students learned the value of intercultural communication, team work, and new approaches to


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language learning. The secondary school students who came to the conference to make

presentations about the U.S., Great Britain, and Russia, were able to get acquainted with a bit of

"real" America, reconstructing the map of the USA, and demonstrating what they knew about its

regions.

Moscow English Language Office presents at Biannual Cultural Conference in

Blagoveshchensk

On October 11-12, Moscow ELO gave two presentations at the biannual conference, "Current

Problems of Languages and Culture Interaction" at Amur State University in

Blagoveshchensk. More than 130 participants from Amur Oblast as well as 7 more cities from

throughout Russia had a chance to listen to presentations from leading Russian experts who

traveled to this remote Chinese border city through an ELO grant. Live in- depth discussions on

issues related to cross-cultural communication were complimented by remote presentations from

the U.S. and Korea. The conference was a great success and garnered broad support for the local

teachers' association.


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English Language Office Holds the 15th annual Umbrella Conference

From September 25-27, 2014, the English Language

Office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow in collaboration

with the Russian National Association of Teachers of

English (NATE) held their 15th annual Umbrella

Conference in Kolomna. The theme of this year’s

conference was “Excellence through Collaboration.”

More than 60 leaders from 34 cities presented on topical

issues important in EL teaching in Russia today. Two

days of dynamic brainstorming sessions resulted in action

plans, recommendations, and well developed integrated

proposals in six new areas: research and academic

writing, the establishment of a network of academic writing centers, appreciating diversity

through the English language curriculum, teaching English for the blind and visually impaired,

English for Specific Purposes, and the integration of online education (including MOOCs). This

networking event led to the formation of new consortiums that hope to carry project ideas to

realization through the support of the English Language Office. Representatives of the Embassy

(ELO and IRC) made presentations and consulted with attendees on various professional

development opportunities. Of note, 45 of the leaders of regional associations in attendance were

alumni of U.S. exchange programs.

Russian English Teachers Attend Conference Hosted by Russian University and the

English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy

On September 26th, some 100 English language teachers from Moscow Oblast attended a

conference organized by Moscow State Regional Institute for the Humanities and Social Science

in Kolomna and the English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The event,

“Challenging Change in Teaching, Learning and Testing,” featured presentations by the English

Language Officer and USG programs alumni that gave attendees up-to-date information on the

hot topics of national standardized testing and assessment. Through presentations made by U.S.

Embassy representatives, attendees were also able to learn about USG supported resources such

as eLibrary and the Smithsonian project. The conference was highlighted on local Kolomna TV

which covers the huge South-East portion of Moscow Oblast and included an interview with the

English Language Officer. The conference led to a series of discussions that sparked attendees to

actively participate in future collaborations.


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Moscow ELO is Teacher for a Day at the Far Eastern State University of Humanities in

Khabarovsk

On October 16 Moscow ELO was invited to be a guest lecturer at the Far Eastern State

University of Humanities in Khabarovsk. The ELO worked with a packed house of third and

fifth year university students from three departments. The ELO introduced students to a wide

variety of communicative activities designed to raise awareness of issues related to tolerance and

inclusion. The students were highly engaged and enjoyed the opportunity to use their English

skills in a practical way concerning issues and challenges people in all societies face today.

Caption: ELO Jerry Frank with the students in Khabarovsk


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English Language Fellow Program

Moscow-based English Language Fellow Hosts Two-Day Workshops on Best Practices

The English Language Office and Moscow’s newest English Language Fellow John

Kotnarowski teamed up to offer a two-day series of workshops on best practices in ELT for 22

Fulbright ETAs. The workshops included topics related to classroom management, using social

media in the classroom, effective lesson planning, teaching the four skills in the ELL classroom,

and how to incorporate and share resources from the Office of English Language Programs. The

Fulbright ETAs were broken into regional groups and each was assigned to one of Russia’s five

English Language Fellows to act as a mentor throughout their time here.

Kazan-based Fellow Meets Access Students

EL Fellow Paul Spitzer met the local group of ACCESS students last Sunday at one of their

weekly meetings, held at the Energy University here in Kazan, Russia. The lively, energetic

bunch of 15-16-year-olds had just finished voting on their list of activities for the coming year.

After introducing himself, Spitzer asked the students to describe what they wanted to do at some

of the activities e.g. ice hockey, paintball, holiday parties, etc. Then they sang some traditional

American folksongs for him and demonstrated a few dances they’ve put together. After that

warm-up, the group all walked down the street to a park overlooking the Kazanka River, right

next to the City Archives building –an unusual piece of architecture which locally is called The

Cup. Group coordinator Yuliana Amanova, from the university’s International Office, had

arranged for a videographer to video the group as they danced in front of The Cup. After a few

takes, they headed over the bridge to the Kazan Kremlin and repeated their performance at that

location, using several of the impressive buildings there e.g. the minarets of the Kul Sherif

Mosque as dramatic backdrop.

Khabarovsk-based English Language Fellow Conducts Translation Class at the Art

Museum of Khabarovsk, Russia

Khabarovsk-based English Language Fellow John Flynn travelled by bus with 10 students to the

art museum where they awaited the arrival of another teacher and her Russian Culture class of


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about 20 students. They were led through the museum by a guide who highlighted paintings and

sculptures and icons from the museum’s permanent collection, before she led them to the special

exhibition. While the guide spoke in Russian, Fellow had his students take turns, one at a time,

translating her explanations to him. Because the focus of this class is on methods of translation,

the visit worked well as practice in real time for each of his ten students. They found the

translating difficult, but they all said they enjoyed the challenge. They will now write in Russian

an essay about their favorite work of art in the collection. This will be turned in to their Russian

Culture professor, and one copy will be turned in to the Fellow. John will use these essays in

class, exchanging them with students so that they can translate each other’s essays in class.

Novosibirsk-based Senior English Language Fellow Greets Public with a Visit from Ireland

and the UK

On September 27, the senior fellow in Novosibirsk shared her adventures traveling, learning and

getting lost in Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England. Some of the literary highlights of the

presentation included the search for ancient treasures including the illuminated Book of Kells in

Trinity College in Dublin, the Red Book of Hergest in the Bodlian Library, Oxford and the

Rosetta Stone in the British Museum in England. Jennifer was also sure to entertain the attendees

with legends related to historical artifacts, stories about legendary writers such as Sir Walter

Scott as well as incidents related to communication breakdowns among English language

speakers. Of equal interest to the audience was the planning involved in the trip. The audience

was intrigued to learn how to plan a treasure-laden and cost-effective trip. The audience also

shared their experiences traveling to these countries and their knowledge of the history.


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English Access Program

Moscow ELO and Vladivostok PAO Engage Audiences in Nakhodka

On October 17 Moscow ELO and Vladivostok PAO made the journey to Nakhodka to meet local

English language teachers and Nakhodka Access students. The ELO shared with a group of local

English language teachers some practical techniques that they can use in their classrooms as well

as materials, resources, and opportunities available through the Office of English Language

Programs. Following the talk for teachers, the ELO and PAO were treated to a number of

presentations by Access students that highlighted what they have been doing in their program

and giving them the opportunity to showcase their English language skills. The trip concluded

with a guided tour by the Access students of the many wonderful local attractions in Nakhodka.

Caption 1: ELO and Vladivostok PAO having tea with Nakhodka Access students

Caption 2: ELO and Vladivostok PAO with Nakhodka Access students conducting a city tour

Caption 3: ELO making presentation for teachers in Nakhodka

Russian Access Camps 2014


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The 2014 Russia Access summer camping season has come to a close. Twenty-two camps, both

in-city and out-of-city, took place in various cities and towns all over Russia. Twelve Americans

participated in the camps this year to add invaluable face-to-face interaction and provide

exposure to “real” Americans and American culture. The Americans attending camps this year

were represented by Embassy staff (CAO, consular and political sections representatives),

Fellows, ETAs, and the American Councils director. Most of the Access teachers, coordinators

and counselors who worked with Access campers this year are alumni of various USG exchange

programs. This model ensures a real synergy between exchange programs. Just add a

communicative camp curriculum incorporating the study of American English and American

culture through sports, games, technology, movies, songs, leadership skills, civic and

environmental education – and the outcome is about 500 happy campers, real leaders, with

improved English language proficiency and desire to learn more about the U.S.!

Access in Russia Develops Program Handbook

Elena Babina, Access coordinator in Gubkin, Russia, and an alumna of the TEA and E-teacher

programs, developed a Handbook on Access Program in Russia, titled “Future Change Makers”.

The handbook contains materials on Access best practices, samples of training events schedules,

camp ideas, and useful links. It was warmly received by Access teachers from 22 sites and will

be reprinted with lots of additional materials that the teachers think useful for Access program.


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Russian Access Students Celebrate “Talk like a Pirate Day”

Access students in Samara, Russia celebrated “Talk like a Pirate Day” on September 19th.

Together with Access alums from the 2010-2012 cohort, students studied some basic information

about pirates and the history of “Talk like a Pirate Day.” The real fun began when students gave

themselves pirates names and gave reasons why. They spoke about countries they visited and the

oceans they sailed. It was a very unusual Pirates Day! After a discussion about pirates and their

stories, the students came to a decision that they would like to be different kind of pirates. Anti-

pirates! Pirates that would like to help people and to be rescuers. That is why they gave

themselves names like Mike Free Eagle, Julia Free Dolphin, Anna the Light, Lada Easy-Speaker,

Anastasia Light Foot, Nadia Strong Arm, Vika Fast Foot, and so on. All this was facilitated by

our wonderful Access teacher in Samara, Scary Yulia Broken Leg.

Access Russia conducts language and leadership training in Orlyonok (needs editing)

90 Access students, 3 counselors-alumni of US sponsored programs (FLEX and Access), and 6

teachers participated in language and leadership training at the premier Russian children’s center

“Orlyonok” on the Black Sea cost on October 6-27, 2014. They spent three weeks their

developing their English language and leadership skills, working on various community and

volunteer projects. Three alumni of the USG programs were with the students telling them about

their exchange experience and speaking as much English as possible throughout the day. This

training provided a unique opportunity for Access students and teachers from 9 various locations

in Russia to meet each other and share Access experiences. English Language Office of the U.S.

Embassy in Moscow and National Association of Teachers of English had been supporting this

activity for five years and 520 students had already visited “Orlyonok”. The friendships between

Access students that started there last far beyond the time in “Orlyonok” and they stay in touch

through social media. The highlight of the first days of the training was the event devoted to


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Access students’ home cities and cultures. Students presented in English on cultural and cross-

cultural issues, sang songs and danced. Another highlight was "Neversmila", a joint creative

project developed by Access and camp staff as a special gift for American guests who came to

Orlyonok on Campers-to-Campers Program. Participants of the international program were

actively involved in the performance. Orlyonok administration provided opportunities for several

Access students with special needs to participate in the program. Dialogue of Cultures

Orlyonok program is a unique opportunity for Access students from different parts of Russia to

get together and enjoy exciting atmosphere of friendship, cooperation and creativity.

Virtual Intern Project Starts in Samara (needs editing)

On October 10th

, Samara Access students had two Skype meetings with American university

students who volunteered to serve as virtual interns. The participants introduced themselves and

discussed their hobbies and studies, asked and answered questions about native cities and travel.

The goal of the virtual intern program is for the Access students, many of whom live in

underserved areas of Russia, to have a chance to interact with an American.


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ELO Post-Specific Projects

Bridging the Gap in International Academic Writing in Russia

On September 26th

, participants of the Moscow English Language Office (ELO) supported

project met in Kolomna, Russia to share their ideas with the ELO and to discuss future projects.

One of the major challenges Russian scholars and teachers face today is the number of

publications in foreign journals that have become requirements in performance ratings. The

problem is, many teachers and scholars here are unfamiliar with the culture, structure, and

conventions of academic writing in English for internationally peer-reviewed journals. The

“International Breakthrough in Research and Academic Writing" provided a unique opportunity

for fourteen leading Russian scholars in foreign languages to enhance their skills in research,

academic writing, editing. The six month long project resulted in new "academic writing hubs" at

six Universities in diverse regions of Russia and three manuscripts submitted to international

journals (with 11 in the refinement stage).This pilot project revealed the need for creating writing

centers where specific assistance and training for faculty and students can be held. Based on the

feedback from participants, ELO Moscow is developing a second phase of this project to

enhance the expertise of a broader range of participants who will have a better understanding of

English academic writing as they advise their home institutions on issues related to curriculum

and the establishment of writing centers.

Teaching English to Blind and Visually Impaired Students in Russia

On September 26th

, a team of participants of the Moscow English Language Office supported

project "Equal Opportunities: Teaching English to Blind and Visually Impaired Students" ( BVI

project) met to discuss further steps in enhancing the ideas of the program. “Inclusion” as a new

Russian government mandate has created a great number of challenges for English language

teachers as many do not have even basic knowledge on how to work with students with special

needs in regular or inclusion classes. The team has developed a set of "first - aid" rules for

teachers and a curriculum for a crash in- service course. The materials are posted at the

http://www.english4blind.ru website. With the English Language Office, the team also hopes to

develop future materials for teachers and students and design more in-depth courses for teachers

struggling to meet the needs of special populations in their classrooms and schools.

http://www.english4blind.ru/


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Online courses

Russian Students participate in the Office of English Language Programs’ College Writing

MOOC: Principles of Written English 2.1x

458 students at the Moscow Higher School of Economics enrolled in the Office of English

Language Programs’ College Writing MOOC: Principles of Written English 2.1x, a surge in

popularity that has resulted in a number of requests to the English Language Office at the US

Embassy for guidance in organizing and administering facilitation groups.

College Writing 2.1x, an introduction to academic writing for English Language Learners, is the

first of three five-week courses designed to help learners improve their academic writing skills. It

focuses on essay development, grammatical correctness, and self-editing. The five-week course

comprises a review of basic grammar terminology and understanding; writing effective sentences

and paragraphs; introductions and conclusions; strategies for writing longer texts; and thesis

statements.

Webinars

YCLC


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Social Media

Embassy Moscow Hosts Contest on International Translators’ Day

In recognition of International Translators’ Day held annually on September 30th, the English

Language Office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow sponsored a translation contest through the

Embassy’s Facebook page. Readers were invited to translate Virginia Moore’s poem Psyche

from English into Russian. More than thirty readers responded to the challenge and winning

entries were chosen by a panel of judges including professional translators from the Embassy and

staff from the English Language Office. All participants received a certificate from the RELO

and winners were awarded prizes from the Office of English Language Programs.

ELO Promotes English and American Culture through Embassy Social Media (needs

editing)

English Language Office is increasing its presence in the Embassy social media providing

learning opportunities for those interested in American culture and learning English (American

idioms, American holidays, etc.). Lots of materials on teaching and learning English and

American culture can be also found at ELO-supported Access Russia FB page

https://www.facebook.com/AccessRU

https://www.facebook.com/AccessRU


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Working with Alumni

E-Teacher Alumna Olga Katsap Attends Conference, Shares Best Practices

Olga Katsap, secondary school teacher from St.

Petersburg, successfully completed the E-teacher

course in Special Education in 2014. She is using

the skills and knowledge acquired during the

course while teaching blind and visually impaired

students at her school and conducting workshops

for teachers. On September 25-27, 2014, she

participated in the Umbrella conference in

Kolomna where she shared her experiences with

the broader Russia ELT community.

YCLC - ?

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