English Language Programs

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Are you interested in improving your English while practicing the essentials of journalism with a U.S. professor? Improve your English grammar, vocabulary and writing skills through exciting topics in journalism and world news.

Press Club Belarus and the U.S. Embassy Minsk are pleased to announce a free online course “English for Journalists”. Sponsored by the Department of State and developed in partnership with the Voice of America and the University of California, Berkeley, this 8-week course will help you improve your language skills and learn about key topics that are essential to journalists working around the world. Self-paced individual work will be supplemented by weekly online sessions with a local English language instructor and a guest lecturer Dr. Maggie Sokolik, Director of the College Writing Programs at University of California, Berkeley.

English for Journalists is available through edX, a platform that joins leading universities worldwide. Facilitated online sessions will be available via Zoom.

The deadline for applications is January 10, 2021. The course starts on January 18, 2021. Please see more details here: PDF file.

The English Language Fellow Program, supported by the U.S. Department of State, provides professionally trained American teachers and teacher trainers for universities, teacher training institutes, and other institutions of language education worldwide. Fellows teach English language and implement special teacher training, methodology, and curriculum development projects.

Belarusian institutions can invite highly qualified American English language teaching professionals for up to one academic year.  Teachers at host institutions receive professional tools from the EL Fellows that promote educational effectiveness and expand their ability to provide English instruction for a wider variety of student populations in a larger number of educational contexts.

The English Language Specialist Program, a program within the U.S. Department of State English Language Programs Office, provides training for schools, universities and other academic institutions conducted by American academics in the fields of English as a Foreign Language and Applied Linguistics. English Language Specialists support two-week to five-month projects at a variety of institutions and levels. Workshops, seminars and conference keynotes on topics such as curriculum development, teacher training and education, textbook development, English for Specific Purposes, and program evaluation can all be facilitated by these American experts. The program can also provide specialists via digital video conference (DVC) or webinar, as a standalone program or as one element of a multi-phase program.

Belarusian educational institutions can invite recent college graduates and young professionals as English teaching assistants (ETAs) for one academic year to provide native English language support to the local educational institution in primary and secondary schools or universities. You can find more info at: http://exchanges.state.gov/us/program/fulbright-english-teaching-assistant-program 

The English Teaching FORUM magazine is a quarterly journal published by the United States Department of State for teachers of English. You can access current and previous issues of FORUM magazine online at the American English website http://americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum

We’re excited to announce that we are accepting applications to participate in the winter 2022 term of the Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program.  The OPEN Program is an online, professional development tool for international English language teaching professionals. It offers 8-week professional development courses developed by U.S. universities.

Course Titles:

Winter Term Start Date: January 11, 2022

PLEASE NOTE: This announcement is valid for Belarusian citizens only.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Application Deadline: October 14, 2021

Please write The OPEN Program in the subject line of your email, otherwise your application will not be considered!

The opportunity to take the course will be offered to the strongest candidates that will be notified by November 1, 2021.

Winter 2022 application form (DOCX)

The American English team is pleased to offer American English Live: Teacher Development Series 6 on the American English for Educators Facebook page. The six online seminars of the series cover a variety of topics intended for teachers of English or future teachers of English around the world.  At the end of each event, participants will have the opportunity to earn a digital badge that verifies their participation. Viewing group hosts, Public Affairs Offices, and Regional English Language Offices also have the option to issue e-certificates for those who attend four out of six sessions.

American English Live Announcement (pdf)

American English is a website that provides resources for teaching and learning English and American culture. The website offers free downloadable materials teachers can easily adapt in their own classrooms. americanenglish.state.gov

If you are interested in participating in one of the above described programs, please contact the Public Affairs Section staff by e-mail: belarusprogram@state.gov or telephone: +375 17 2101283/5610

On International Games Day, November 21, we invite groups of English learners all around Belarus to play Activate Board Games.  You can play at your school, with your English club, or at home with your family. Take a photograph and email us to be part of the Activate the World! video that we will make soon after November 21.

What are Activate Board Games?

There are 11 board games designed to get English learners speaking.  They are really simple and easy to use.  And they work for most levels.

Where do we get Activate Board Games?

All the games are available for free download from AmericanEnglish.state.gov. If you live in Belarus and you want to host a game session, we will do our best to get you a hardcopy.

Do we have to play on November 21?

No.  You can play on Friday November 20, if, for instance you have a class.  Our goal is to get everyone playing on International Games Day, but November 20 is close enough.

How can we be part of the Activate the World video?

Glad you asked!  After November 21, please send an email with a photo of your group playing Activate games.  Tell us the name of your town, and how many people played.  If you make a video, send us the link.

We will include your photo in a video showing all the groups who played Activate across all of Belarus.

How do we play Activate Board Games?

It’s easy.

  • Gather players
  • Get (or make) a die/ dice
  • Get each player a game piece—a coin a button, a paper clip, etc.  Put these on the space that says “Start.”
  • Take turns.  Each player rolls the die and moves on the board.
  • Talk a lot.

Here’s a sample.  Let’s say I am on START and I roll a four.  I move to the space that says “Hot Drink.”  I answer, “My favorite hot drink is coffee.”  But I might want to add some more information.  For instance, “I drink coffee every day.  Several times.  It just makes me feel good.  It’s probably the best drink ever.  Although I like teas too…”

So you see, the answer can be very short, or it can be very long.  There is never a single correct answer in Activate Board Games.  If other players ask questions, and conversations occur, that’s fine.   That’s Activate!

Can we have more instructions?

Sure.   You can

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