English Language Fellow Program / Ukrainian Teacher Trainers / English Language Specialist Program / English Teaching Resource Center in Kyiv / Books for Sale / Regional RELO Resource Centers / TESOL / FORUM / Events / Contacts

English Language Fellow Program

The 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.

Ukrainian Teacher Trainers

The Public Affairs Section sponsored the first Training of Trainers Course (TOT) in 2003. The trainers completed this training and are available to conduct training sessions at schools throughout Ukraine. They can be requested through the Public Affairs Section.

Speakers and Specialists

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 to schools and universities on a short term basis. 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.

CALL FOR REQUESTS FOR AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPECIALIST The RELO office calls for requests from higher and secondary educational institutions in Ukraine to invite an English Language Teaching or Applied Linguistics expert to support ten- day to four-week project in the area of teacher training, materials writing, and curriculum development in the period from December 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010. Deadline for submission of applications is October 5, 2009. More about the Program Request Form

English Teaching Resource Center in Kyiv

The English Teaching Resource Center (ETRC), located at the English Department of National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Kyiv is a multi-purpose pedagogical center supported by the Regional English Language Office and the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy. It functions as a lending library and reading and seminar room. Any English teacher may become a member of this center at no charge. The ETRC has an inventory of over 4000 books and 1,000 audio and videocassettes on topics related to English teaching and English language learning.

Books for Sale

English teaching books and publications produced by the Office of English Language Programs of the U.S. Department of State are available for purchases through the Public Affairs Section.

Regional RELO Resource Centers for Ukrainian Teachers of English

During this past year, the RELO Office has been establishing and providing book donations for six resource centers for teachers of English outside Kyiv. These centers are open to English teachers of all levels. More detailed information is available at each site.

TESOL-Ukraine

Ukraine's professional organization for teachers of English is TESOL-Ukraine. Membership is open to all teachers of English. National conferences and regional conferences are held annually, with assistance from the RELO office and Public Affairs Section.

English Teaching FORUM Magazine

The English Teaching FORUM magazine is a quarterly journal published by the United States Department of State for teachers of English. In Ukraine, issues of the FORUM are included in annual membership fees for TESOL-Ukraine and are distributed by the organization. Teachers may also order the FORUM directly through Alta Book Center in Burlingame. Current and previous issues of FORUM magazine can be accessed online. The Office of English Language Programs also publishes an electronic journal called the Language and Civil Society Journal which contains content-rich material for language instruction.

HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT EVENTS

Ukrainian children discover artistic talents through English

From June 8-12, 2009 middle school students from Chernivtsi, Ukraine and neighboring villages convened at a campground in the Carpathian Mountains for a weeklong English language drama camp, sponsored by the RELO office.  

Supervised by local English language teachers and three Peace Corps Volunteers, the fifty student participants were divided into six acting troupes. Each troupe composed an original script in English and created their own costumes. Three professional actors were on hand to teach the campers about acting and to guide them in their creative endeavors. The camp also included hikes in the Carpathian Mountains, a day of swimming, and an education "mock auction" that rewarded campers for successfully completing tasks in English. On the final day of the camp, the campers performed their original plays to a packed audience of parents, friends, and relatives.

14th TESOL-Ukraine National Conference

From April 23-25, 2009 English teachers from 18 Ukrainian oblasts gathered for their major professional conference. This year it was hosted by the Kharkiv National Academy of Municipal Economy and became a great success with the theme of Content-Based Instruction (CBI). The event was funded by the Regional English Language Office (RELO) of the US Embassy Kyiv, the conference covered three days with the addition of a two-day pre-conference seminar. The English Language Specialist program in cooperation with the RELO office sponsored specialist Brian Long to conduct the two-day training and also to be the keynote speaker at the conference. Participant reaction to his training and keynote speech as very positive, helping teachers understand better what CBI is and how it can benefit their students learning.  

The conference had more than two hundred registered participants. Presenters included Ukrainian educators, Peace Corps volunteers, American academics, a guest from Colombia, and Department of State English Language Fellow. Thomas W. Santos, RELO Kyiv, welcomed participants at the opening plenary encouraging TESOL members to take ownership of "their" organization. The opening ceremony also included greetings from the Vice Rector Anatoliy Kuznetsov and TESOL-Ukraine President Alisa Mykolaichuk. The general atmosphere was one of enthusiasm and cooperation. Many participants commented on how valuable the conference is to them every year and how this particular conference was of high quality due to the efforts of the team of teachers from the Foreign Languages Department. Representatives from various local and international publishing companies were in attendance displaying and selling their English language education books. RELO Kyiv also offered materials published by the Office of English Language Programs at very affordable prices. These publications were very popular.  

All in all, the conference was a tremendous success and RELO office looks forward to next year to bring the English language teaching community of Ukraine together again.

Content-Based Instruction: Dual Commitment to Language and Content Learning

On April 21-22, 2009 the Kharkiv National Academy of Municipal Economy hosted a RELO invited English Language Specialist Brian Long, an education & training consultant from Brattleboro, VT. Professor Long conducted an intensive two-day seminar for a group of 25 university and secondary school teachers from different areas of Ukraine.  

The seminar focused on Content-Based Instruction and principles to guide teachers in integrating content- and language-learning objectives. The participants analyzed a shared experience in terms of a framework for experiential learning and reflective practice and theories. Attending ESP teachers were challenged with examples of lesson plans that apply experiential learning cycle principles and learner-centered approach when teaching English to the students of different subjects. The participants were reminded of the importance of student's input in theoretical/practical cycle in CBI class, as well as of use of visual support and development of task complexity and challenge.

Opening of the new American Studies Center at Zaporizhzha National University

On February 26, Thomas W. Santos, RELO Kyiv, attended the opening of the new American Studies Resource Center at Zaporyzhe National University. There were over fifty guests from the university and the Zaporyzhe education community. The university Rector offered a few words of welcome and explained how the center will help with the universities initiative to become leader in language study in the region. RELO Santos also spoke about the opportunities that the center offers and the potential for future cooperation between US Embassy Kyiv and Zaporyzhe National University.  

The center will be available not only to the population of the university, but also to teachers in the community at large. The plan is to hold regular free trainings and seminars for language teachers. In addition, the center hopes language teachers will come to the center for support in planning their lesson and developing themselves professionally.  

After the formalities of the center opening, RELO Santos conducted a workshop on effective teaching of speaking. About twenty teachers attended and participated with energy and enthusiasm.

RELO Proves that Teaching English Grammar Is Fun

Regional English Language Officer Thomas Santos gave a series of 4 workshops on effective techniques in teaching grammar. The sessions took place at the English Teachers' Resource Center at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy and attracted 60 teachers from Kyiv area. Participants looked at different ways of teaching grammar in fun and effective ways. Specific frameworks were introduced to assist teachers in their planning of grammar lessons. Participants took part in activities that focused on the form, meaning and use of grammatical structures.  

The overall aim of the workshop was to show how to teach aspects of English grammar in lively and engaging ways that would generate maximum student participation and learning. Judging by collegial and enjoyable atmosphere at the sessions as well as by the teachers' enthusiastic feedback, the goal was achieved.

Ukrainian Students Celebrate English

RELO Kyiv sponsored the 2nd TESOL-Ukraine Student Art Festival "Celebrate English" that was held at the Institute of Economics and Law in Sevastopol, Crimea, from January 12-14, 2009. 75 students from Lviv, Kyiv, Mykolayiv, Odesa, Simfeopol, and Kerch competed in drama, singing, musical performances, sketches, storytelling, and poetry reciting in English. Visiting student teams have demonstrated remarkable artistic talents, the spirit of creative cooperation and fun, and outstanding English language skills.  

EL teachers of the participants that also came to Sevastopol had a chance to exchange their ideas on using theatre in the language classroom and to discuss the benefits and challenges of the process.

Updating Assessment Procedures for Ukrainian English Teachers

On January 9-19, 2009 invited English Language Specialist Dr. Katherine Reynolds from University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire conducted two 5-day intensive training sessions on classroom assessment procedures in Kharkiv and Yalta. Secondary school English teachers learned how to use performance and alternative assessments, in addition to standardized tests, to measure English language learning. By the end of the course, teachers developed assessment criteria for oral presentations, portfolios, and diploma projects. They created their own rubrics for the unique classroom tasks they would like to assess more objectively and presented the project to the whole group.  


The issue of transparent and objective knowledge assessment was addressed. The training complemented activities focused on institutionalizing a testing system fire walled from corruption and supported by the government of Ukraine and international donors.

Archive of the Events

Regional English Language Office

Public Affairs Section
4, Hlybochytska St.
Kyiv, Ukraine 04050
Tel: (380-44) 490-4125
Fax: (380-44) 490-4050
Regional English Language Officer: Thomas Santos
Tel: (380-44) 490-4125
Email: kyivrelo@state.gov