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Country: CHINA
Seminar Title: Native and Foreign Language Instruction and Training
Duration: Four weeks from late June through July 2009
Participants: U.S. secondary educators and administrators whose sole responsibility is curriculum and instruction in foreign language and/or ESL/EFL/ESOL
Program Content:
English is now a required subject for all Chinese students beginning in the third grade. How are elementary, middle, and high school students taught English? How are teachers trained to teach English? These are the two core questions that will be addressed during this month-long program in the People's Republic of China.
There are specialized and highly segmented teacher training institutions in China: national-level universities such as Beijing Teachers University and Huadong Teachers University in Shanghai train university level educators. Teachers colleges produce educators for secondary schools and teachers schools (post secondary two- or three-year vocational schools) train teachers for primary schools. Differences in the training of foreign language teachers across these various types of teacher training institutions in China will be one focus of the seminar.
Another focus will be the methods used to teach English (and other foreign languages) in China and how these might differ from each other and from American pedagogy. For example, in addition to foreign language instruction in public and a growing number of private schools, there are special Foreign Language Schools, first established in 1956 to provide interpreters for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The seminar will explore differences among these schools.
As a character-based language, how is Chinese reading taught? What are some of the similarities and differences between the teaching of reading in English in the United States and of Chinese in China? How are teachers trained to teach reading in China?
Some of China's ethnic minorities learn Mandarin Chinese only when they enroll in primary school and many areas face bilingual education issues similar to those in the United States. How is Mandarin taught to non-native and dialect speakers in China? How is native language proficiency maintained? Who are the teachers of minority students (are they Han Chinese or are they members of minority groups, or both), and how are they trained?
To expose program participants to as much of the wide spectrum of teacher training institutions and the variety of schools in which foreign languages are taught as possible, the itinerary is expected to include Beijing, home to China's foremost teacher training institution; Xi'an, the "cradle of Chinese civilization," long-time capital of ancient China, and eastern terminus of the Silk Road, with many ethnic minorities; Changzhou, a medium-sized city in eastern Jiangsu Province; and a city in northeast China that might include instruction in Russian, Japanese, and/or Korean because of its proximity to native speakers of those languages. At the end of the seminar, it will be possible for delegation members to choose to visit Hong Kong, partially at their own expense. Those who do so will spend three to four days attending meetings to discuss aspects of Hong Kong society of most interest to the group members.
The National Committee on United States - China Relations and the China Education Association for International Exchange will administer the seminar on behalf of the United States Department of Education.
Country: POLAND
Seminar Title: Two Decades after the Fall of Communism
Duration: Late June through July 2009
Participants: U.S. educators, administrators and media resource personnel at the secondary education level
Program Content:
After twenty years of transformation in Poland which turned out to be remarkably successful there is a strong need for the continuation and extension of the process of economic, political, legal, and social reforms. Having become a NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) member and having accessed the European Union, Poland has moved much closer to its goals but it still faces many challenges: some barriers are yet to be overcome, some ties to be built. Therefore, further transformation steps are still to be made. Despite excellent progress in integrating Poland with the rest of Europe, many threats to democracy exist, and the dissatisfaction, unrest, lack of tolerance and other antidemocratic attitudes are still evident. Thus the role of education is crucial at the present time if these negative tendencies are to be counteracted by broad and high-quality educational initiatives for Polish citizens.
The academic program in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, will include lectures by renowned professors on the political system, social affairs, gender related issues, civic society, reform of education, Polish culture and globalization. Polish politicians and high ranking civil workers will deliver presentations on the Polish economy, home and foreign policy as well as education during visits to the Ministries of Economy, Education, Science and Higher Education, Labor and Social Affairs, as well as Foreign Affairs. Special visits will be paid to the Parliament, Warsaw Stock Exchange, and Institute of International Affairs as well as to the secondary and primary schools. Other visits will include two not-for-profit organizations, Transparency International and Pro-Women Foundation, to enable the participants to better understand the process of building a civic society in Poland.
The next phase of the seminar will be held in Krakow, the former capital city of Poland and a major cultural and academic center. Before reaching Kraków, we will visit the Jasna Gora Monastery in Czestochowa. The academic program will consist of a series of lectures on current political events, Polish literature and language, Polish-Jewish relations, education, foreign and home policy, history and culture, and the Holocaust (followed by a visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi Concentration Camps). The cultural enrichment component will include visits to the 642-year old Jagiellonian University (the fifth oldest university in the world), the Royal Castle of Wawel, the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, as well as the site trips to the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow and a two-day visit to Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains with exposure to Polish folk dances and music and some old customs and traditions. The raft ride and lunch on the Dunajec River in the Pieniny Mountains is also planned for the program.
Wroclaw is located in the Lower Silesia region in the southwestern part of Poland. It is the fastest developing region in Poland with great human potential and excellent administration. We plan meetings with municipal authorities, including the city mayor and local management executives. One of the highlights of our visit in Wroclaw will be the 300-year old University of Wroclaw and a meeting with the University Rector. We will also visit one of local high schools as well as an American Corner in the heart of the old town, a place of meetings, presentations and exhibitions. A field trip to the Sudety mountains will be organized during the Wroclaw portion of the seminar.
Country: TURKEY
Seminar Title: Exploring a Western Country with an Eastern Heritage
Duration: Late June through July 2009
Participants: U.S. educators, administrators and media resource personnel at the secondary education level
Program Content:
The purpose of the seminar is to acquaint the participants with the culture, traditions, history and the current agenda of one of the largest countries in this part of the world.
Turkey has always been a bridge across continents and cultures. While the country boasts a glorious past encompassing the remnants of such diverse cultures as the Hittites, ancient Greeks, and Romans, for nearly a thousand years it has been the home of the Turks. Since the early part of the 20th century, Turkey has embarked on a serious effort of Westernization and modernization. As a candidate nation in negotiations to join the European Union (EU), Turkey has changed many of its ways and legal and societal standards to harmonize itself with the EU. Today one can see the most advanced examples of Western culture and technology along with the basically Eastern cultural heritage of the Ottoman past. The centuries old mosques, palaces and bazaars provide an exotic backdrop for the busy and modern parts of the high-rise dotted downtown areas of its large urban centers. Turkey has a history that goes back over 10,000 years. Starting with the Hittites, empires have been created, destroyed, consolidated, and segmented. The influence of the peoples that have inhabited the land is present in everyday society.
The four week seminar will comprise two phases. The first phase will last about one week and will take place in and around the capital, Ankara. This will give the participants in-depth background information on the history, politics, religion and the cultural life of the country. The following two weeks will involve a tour of the most important places around the southern and western parts of Turkey including visits to many ancient and historical sites, secondary schools, universities and cultural heritage centers. The seminar will conclude with the participants spending a week in Istanbul, where they will again visit schools and universities as well as cultural and historical treasures and museums.
During the lecture phase, Turkey's role in the region especially vis a vis the recent turmoil in the Middle East will be reflected on [or perhaps "considered"]. Competent guides and academic staff of the universities will give lectures throughout the tour. During the Summer Seminar, ample opportunity will be provided for the participants to pursue their cultural and curriculum interests.
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