On February 23 – March 16, 2019, Lidia Aizikova, a teacher of the Department of Foreign Languages, participated in the Program of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of English Language Programs implemented in cooperation with FHI 360.
This teacher exchange program was intended for international university level English language educators and teacher trainers to exchange perspectives and experiences on English language instruction, curricula, trends, and developments. This is a program for educators from partner institutions for the English Language (EL) Fellow Program, and V.O.Sukhomlynskyi National University of Mykolaiv is a part of this noble community as a host institution for an EL Fellow during 2017-2019. 24 participants from 23 countries from all over the world attended a two-week professional development program at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and then traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to attend a week-long program organized in conjunction with the 2019 International TESOL Convention.
The two-week academic exchange program was designed around the theme of Developing 21st Century Skills for Globalizing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classrooms with an emphasis on incorporating culture as a core element of language learning; using technology to connect classrooms; and teaching EFL with a focus on service learning, democracy and tolerance. Activities during the program included: experiential learning and interactive workshop sessions; site visits and active participation in local high school, community college and university classroom settings; meetings with students, teachers and educators focusing on the development of English language programs; cultural excursions designed to enhance the participants’ understanding of U.S. culture and values; and a culminating project that showcased the participants acquired knowledge.
During the program organized in cooperation with the 2019 International TESOL Convention, the participants had the opportunity to take part in various events: roundtable discussion with educators, administrators, and English Language Fellow alumni; American English E-Teacher Alumni Event, site visits to local secondary schools; visit to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change; 2019 TESOL International Convention keynote and invited speakers’ talks, panels, workshops and presentations, Electronic Village and Technology Showcase Events, teaching tips presentations, poster sessions, etc.
