ENGLISH LANGUAGE OFFICER (ELO) |
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VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
United States Department of State
An Equal Opportunity Employer
How to Apply
Announcement No: ELO-06-01
Opening Date: August 7, 2006
CLOSED
Position Title: FOREIGN SERVICE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OFFICER (ELO)
Grade and Starting Salary Range: FP-03, $62,631 - $91,976 per annum
Additional Benefits: Tax Free Housing Overseas, Tax Free Educational Allowance for eligible dependents, etc. (See Compensation and Benefits for more information.)
Number of Vacancies: The Department of State is developing a rank ordered List of Eligible Hires to fill a limited number of Foreign Service English Language Officer (ELO) vacancies. The specific number to be hired will depend on the needs of the Foreign Service.
Area of Consideration: All Sources
Location: Foreign Service English Language Officers will spend approximately 75 percent of their careers stationed abroad, moving at two-to-four year intervals. The remainder of their time will be spent at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Individuals must be willing to serve worldwide.
All potential applicants are strongly urged to read this entire Vacancy Information to ensure that they meet all the requirements for this position before applying. Applicants must be American Citizens and at least 20 years old to apply. They must be at least 21 years of age to be appointed. By law, all career candidates must be appointed to the Foreign Service prior to the month in which they reach age 60.
DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:
The Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is responsible for the cultural and educational exchange programs that support strategic State Department policies and goals.
The Office of English Language Programs through its corps of approximately 24 Foreign Service English Language Officers (ELOs) serves as a catalyst for enduring positive change via its active commitment to high quality education, access to information, and effective global dialogue. English Language Officers develop sustained partnerships with English language professionals, encourage their membership in a mutually supportive global network, support their professional growth, and enhance their ability to influence positively the lives of their students. They enable teachers to teach more effectively vital communication skills, offer a window on U.S. society, history, and culture, and encourage analytical thinking, tolerance for difference, and increased understanding among themselves and their students.
I. A CAREER IN THE FOREIGN SERVICE
Regional English Language Officers (RELOs) assigned overseas have regional responsibilities. RELOs are currently based in Amman, Bangkok, Budapest, Cairo, Dakar, Jakarta, Kiev, Lima, Mexico City, New Delhi, Pretoria, Rabat, Santiago, and Tashkent. Country-specific ELOs are based in Ankara and Moscow. All ELOs work closely with the Public Affairs Sections of their home embassies and regularly visit all the U.S. embassies within their areas of regional responsibility, which may include five to ten countries. ELOs based in Washington provide administrative support for the ELOs overseas, design and administer exchange programs, develop English teaching materials, and may travel abroad to conduct training and consult about English language programming.
While the preference of an applicant for a particular post or area of assignment is given every possible consideration, assignments are dictated by the needs of the Foreign Service.
II. FOREIGN SERVICE SELECTION PROCESS
The Foreign Service selection process is lengthy, multi-staged, and due to the limited number of appointments available, highly competitive. For detailed information about the process, see the link Selection Process at careers.state.gov/specialist/selection.html.
A complete application package contains the materials listed in Section V of this vacancy announcement. Materials submitted become the property of the Department of State and will not be returned. An application may be terminated whenever any materials do not meet the eligibility requirements for employment in the Foreign Service.
III. THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE OFFICER CAREER
Foreign Service English Language Officers (ELOs) provide professional expertise and program support to U.S. embassies and consulates around the world through a variety of responsibilities:
- Counseling and assisting U.S. mission officials in determining and developing the most effective use of English language programs and services to meet the post's Public Diplomacy and Mission goals.
- Establishing and cultivating professional relationships with academic institutions, other government agencies, and NGOs in areas of policy and program development for English language programs both in Washington and in the field.
- Establishing and maintaining contacts with host country education officials and academic institutions involved in delivering English language programs, especially programs training teachers of English.
- Evaluating and reporting to Washington on the English language programs in the geographic area of regional responsibility and recommending new programs.
- Providing academic and programmatic guidance for Embassy-sponsored English Teaching Programs for certain embassies in Africa, the Near East, and East Asia.
- Providing administrative and logistical support from Washington for the ELOs overseas.
- Providing policy guidance for the English Language Specialist, English Language Fellow Program English Access Microscholarships and E-Teacher programs.
- Acting as liaison to Department regional bureaus to explain policies and provide guidance on the development and implementation of programs in the regions.
- Providing guidance and expertise to bureau officers in the development and administering of bureau exchange programs through which foreign teachers of English visit and observe English teaching programs in the United States.
- Researching, developing, or supervising the development of printed, audio, visual, and electronic media English teaching materials.
- Assisting with the editing and production of the Department's journal for English language professionals, English Teaching Forum.
- Traveling abroad at the request of embassies to conduct seminars or workshops and to consult about English language programs.
IV. INITIAL SALARY, SALARY INCREASE AND TENURE
The salary grade for entering Foreign Service English Language Officers is FP-03. The actual salary is dependent upon such factors as additional graduate-level education and directly related specialized experience beyond that necessary to satisfy basic qualification criteria. To be creditable, such education and specialized experience must be in excess of that which is required to qualify as described under Section V. Qualifications and Requirements. Salary level will be determined at the time of a conditional offer of employment. Individuals already working in government positions may be appointed based on highest previous U.S. rate as a Federal employee, which will be determined at the time of a conditional offer of employment.
| Grade Level | Salary Range | Education | Experience Teaching ESL/EFL | Experience in Teacher Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FP-03 | $61,102 - $89,730 | Master's Degree in the field of TESL, TEFL or applied Linguistics from an accredited United States Graduate program. | 5 years At least two (2) years in an overseas setting; experience in program administration;(2) years preferably in a multi-cultural setting; At least two (2) years experience in teacher training |
5 Years |
- One in-grade step increase may be given for a second Master's degree in a work- related field, awarded before the date of appointment.
- Two additional steps may be given for a doctoral degree in a work-related field, awarded before the date of the appointment.
Foreign Service English Language Officers are considered for promotion annually in competition with others in their specialty. A member must meet the two-year eligibility requirement before promotion consideration, and only two years experience are required for tenure consideration.
V. QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
Candidates must be U.S. citizens and have a native speaker command of English. As Foreign Service Officers, they must be willing to serve in any U.S. mission as well as in Washington, D.C. Most positions require travel, usually from 40 to 60 % of the time, according to program needs and budget restrictions. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age but not more than 60 on the date of the appointment.
A qualifications evaluation panel will review all applicant files and recommend only the most competitive applicants. Selected applicants will participate in an examination that assesses the applicant's writing skills. The ability to draft an essay demonstrating a strong command of English grammar, spelling and punctuation is essential. A passing grade on the written essay allows the applicant to proceed to the personal interview and oral assessment portion of the candidate selection process, all to be carried out in Washington, D.C.
Prior to appointment, English Language Officer candidates must undergo a thorough background investigation to determine eligibility for a security clearance, undergo an extensive medical examination to obtain a medical clearance for worldwide service, and be determined suitable for appointment to the Foreign Service.
EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
In addition to the general requirements for employment in the Foreign Service, an applicant must have a Master's degree in the field of TESL, TEFL, TESOL, or Applied Linguistics from an accredited United States graduate program. Substantial advanced academic work beyond the M.A. is preferred. Candidates must have substantial formal experience in studying a foreign language or demonstrated ability to use a foreign language in an international setting.
SPECIALIZED REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must have a minimum of five years of recent, progressively responsible experience in academic programs for teaching and learning English. A minimum of two of these years must have been in an overseas setting.
- Knowledge of current U.S. theory and practice in the teaching and learning of English, with special emphasis on the training of teachers of English.
- Experience in teaching ESL and/or EFL skills, preferably at a variety of levels with at least two years of that experience in an overseas setting.
- Experience in pre-service and/or in-service teacher training programs.
- Experience in supervising or coordinating programs for teaching English language skills.
- Experience in the administration of an English language program including needs analysis, student and faculty evaluation, policy development, curriculum development, materials development, and budgeting responsibilities.
- Skill in oral communication, including public speaking and conducting workshops and seminars.
- Skill in written communication, including writing concise evaluative reports and program development plans.
- Ability to work effectively with professional colleagues to design, implement, evaluate, and promote English language programs in a cross-cultural environment.
- Ability to supervise and effectively manage the activities of subordinates involved in English language programming and related public diplomacy activities.
- Ability and stamina to carry out extensive travel, including long international flights, as well as regular travel in overseas areas of varying climates and conditions.
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE
The ideal candidate will have some or all of the following knowledge and experience:
- Knowledge of area studies in one or more international areas.
- Proven ability in leadership and management, preferably in a multi-cultural setting.
- Experience in teaching critical thinking, conflict resolution, problem solving, etc.
- Knowledge of and experience with applications of information technology to language teaching and learning.
SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONNAIRE
Purpose: To provide an opportunity to describe your experiences that relate to the required skills which best show your ability to accomplish the work of the Foreign Service English Language Officer.
Instructions: Using plain white paper and either a typewriter or word processor, individually address each of the two items listed below, limiting your responses to 250 words or less for each item. The writing should be double-spaced. Examples can be drawn from any part of your experience, but must reflect personal accomplishments.
- Leadership and Managerial Abilities: Describe a specific example or examples of your leadership and managerial abilities in an English language program; evaluate the impact of this action and project how these experiences might apply to your job as an English Language Officer.
- Functional Experience: Describe specific examples which demonstrate your experience in planning and implementing significant English language programs in teacher training, curriculum design, or materials development. Describe how you evaluated the success of the program and assess the long-term effects, if any, of the program.
The following materials are required for a complete application package. These materials become the property of the Department of State and will not be returned. All items listed must be submitted together.
- Completed Application for Federal Employment (DS-1950) at foia.state.gov/forms/Employment/ds1950.pdf.
- Completed Employment Data Form. This is an optional form, which requests information to be used for statistical purposes only.
- Official transcripts, plus any other documentation which includes courses taken, grades, semester or quarter hours earned, cumulative grade point averages for all courses taken, class standing, and major (copy of diplomas, certificates, and graduate level degrees).
- Completed Supplementary Questionnaire.the two essays described in Section V above.
All applications, postmarked no later than September 15, 2006 should be sent only by Federal Express or Courier –no USPS– addressed to:
U.S. Department of State
Application Evaluation Branch
Attn: English Language Officer Program
2401 E Street NW, Room H-518
Washington D.C. 20522
For additional information please telephone (202) 619-5869.
Applications received through the Department of State's inter-office mail system or mailed in Government-franked envelopes will not be accepted.
Executive Branch agencies are barred by 5 USC 3303 as amended from accepting or considering prohibited political recommendations and are required to return any prohibited political recommendations to sender. In addition, as mandated by 5 USC 3110, sons and daughters of federal employees cannot be granted preference in competing for these employment opportunities.
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE IS COMMITTED TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND FAIR AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT FOR ALL WITHOUT REGARD TO RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEX, RELIGION, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, DISABLING CONDITION, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, MARITAL STATUS, OR PRIOR STATUTORY, CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED ACTIVITY. THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION TO APPLICANTS WITH DISABILITIES. APPLICANTS REQUIRING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ANY PART OF THE APPLICATION OR HIRING PROCESS SHOULD SO ADVISE THE DEPARTMENT. ALL DECISIONS FOR GRANTING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS ARE MADE ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.