TESL Basics with Kristina Scholz

By Mary Kazarian

 

AUA Communications and Social Media Intern

 

It is automatically assumed that native English speakers can teach the language comfortably in most settings, yet experience can tell that it is both an art and a science. As a skilled ESL teacher both overseas and in the U.S., Kristina Sholz led the recent webinar on best practices for TESL and success in the classroom. She is currently working at the Educational Testing Service and will also be joining AUA for a second webinar on ESL techniques during the month of May!

As a volunteer or teacher in a different country or even at home, you as a teacher are the center of your classroom, your class, other teachers, and administration. These four worlds will pull you in different directions and give you different responsibilities. Therefore, you have to be aware of what is going on and your short time as volunteers will mean that you need to be more cognisant than usual.

The first day in the classroom can be intimidating, but some important advice before even stepping foot into your workspace is to create a “Needs Analysis”. This will help you better asses where your students are and where they want to go as a learner of the English language which then sets you as a teacher up for success, gives your students a goal, and provides and overall plan.

Analyzing need first begins with basic questions: who, what, why, where, when, and how. The list below goes into the details of these seemingly simple questions:

What: Learning English!

Who: You will most likely know nothing about your class until you step into your classroom on the first day. But thinking ahead of time will help tremendously especially about what settings you will be teaching in. An informal setting includes friends, host family, passers-by, or school clubs. Formal settings are typically enrolled students, professors, business professionals; people who are expecting results.

Why: Informal settings includes understanding others, building a social network, traveling internationally, watching TV, movies, or even finding love! Formal settings can be understanding others, participating professionally, advancing a career, traveling internationally, or perfecting a skill/job.

Where/When: Informal settings are outside the institution, casual/spontaneous (whenever), or one-on-one. Formal settings are part of an institution, part of a larger program/planned (regular), or one-on-one as well.

How: Materials such as pencils and paper, Resources such as libraries, Goals, Expectations such as attitudes (take note of cultural stereotypes about Americans and be positive and engaging!), and Budget/Fees.

Packing for your volunteer experience will need some prior thought as well. Good items to bring that can spur conversation are pictures and other personal items. Media including movies and music are excellent and knowledge gaining through art and singing is proven to work extremely well! Leave-able items can be used during your time as a teacher and after you leave such as books, notebooks, and utensils. Fun items to bring are stickers, markers or crayons, and games which can include mad libs or a comic book and whiting out the word bubbles so students can fill the words in themselves!

On your first day entering the classroom, remember  to breathe! Have a plan and talk slowly, repeat information as necessary and ask questions! For the rest of your time teaching, remember that you can never talk slow enough and structure your class in a way that makes sense for you.

Overall, be relaxed and be open to engagement. Below are some more tips on teaching in a different country as well as some resources for TESL:

-Dress conservatively and similar to people around you. Teachers are seen as having a leadership role in some communities and Americans typically are more laid back in dress and attitude compared to other cultures

-Avoid comparing humans to animals, especially in Muslim societies

-Remember: No Sex, Politics, Religion. However talking about age, ethnicity, money, marital statues are OK!

-Share yourself: be honest, but not alienating

-Bring pictures, take pictures

-Keep your word and keep in touch

Resources:

English Teaching Forum

Voice of America

BBC Learning English

Storytelling with Video and Ryan Kushner

By Mary Kazarian

AUA Communications and Social Media Intern

 

During the month of May, the AUA Network will be holding a series of skill-building webinars with leading practitioners who will share their expertise and insights on teaching English as a second language and storytelling as a volunteer! In this storytelling is included tips on writing blogs and effective video and interview sessions.

This past week Ryan Kushner, who has worked in media production for the past decade and runs the San-Francisco based creative services firm Intelligent Design, led the webinar for effective storytelling through the video medium. He was able to give keen pointers and explained that just as a story has a basic beginning, middle, and end structure, so does a video. The video should also have an “angle” or a “story hook” such as setting up an expectation at the beginning and maybe it knocking down at the end. Videography also includes a lot of editing, so a good piece of advice would be to use as much film as possible and take as many pictures, because as the old adage goes, “it is better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.” Some other technical tips include having a framing and focal point and following the “rule of thirds”, especially during interview sessions, as well as good audio quality.

During interview sessions, a relaxed and humorous attitude should be employed to keep the interviewee comfortable. The interviewer should also be aware of where the interviewee is looking, a consistent gaze should be at either the camera lens or at the interviewer’s eyes. For some more tips check out Vimeo’s Video School and for good examples of video interviewing and film, check out AUA’s YouTube page or Intelligent Design’s website. The whole webinar session on conducting effective interviews and video can be viewed here. Stay in touch with the AUA Network for more skill-building webinars this May!

Aceh Beatbox Community

By Mary Kazarian

AUA Communications and Social Media Intern

Many of us know the power music and arts hold in the realm of education and culture; current AUA volunteers in the field are using a musical outlet to teach their students about different subjects. Starting in the fall of 2013, volunteers will have the opportunity to teach English with AUA’s partner in Aceh, Indonesia, the Sekolah Sukma Pidie Boarding School and come up with creative ways to teach the universal language. English is not the only commonality between countries, but the art form and hobby of Beat Boxing has traveled its way across the globe and landed on the lips of the Aceh Beatbox Community (ABC). This may seem like a group of young adolescents at first sight, but if you lend them your ear for a few seconds, they will have you moving to the power of vocal percussion. Take a look at the ABC in their video below and check out the rest of their videos on their YouTube channel here!

Pitched to Perfection

 

The following post is from contributing blogger and social media intern Mary Kazarian. Mary is an undergraduate at George Mason University studying the Middle East and International Relations and hopes to one day move to her native land of Lebanon.

New classroom techniques and learning methods are some of the many things that teachers think over, especially in such an internet based world today. International education is gaining new grounds as well, and the progression that is made abroad is interesting and music to ones ears. A relative of a Creative Associates team member is currently in Indonesia teaching for the Empowering Indonesian Women for Poverty Reduction (MAMPU) program. You can take a look at a bit of what he is doing on his blog and how standard teaching methods are replaced by stimulating and creative ways to learn another language and connect to a different culture. The video below is of his students singing a song from the movie Pitch Perfect (2012). You could do the same by teaching English in Indonesia this summer with AUA’s Summer Service Program! To find out more click here.

Not A Cheesy Valentine’s Day

 

The following post is from contributing blogger and social media intern Mary Kazarian. Mary is an undergraduate at George Mason University studying the Middle East and International Relations and hopes to one day move to her native land of Lebanon.

 

       As much as we love holidays, most of us can agree that Valentine’s Day is the one that receives the most love. Over here at AUA, we felt the love! During the past fundraiser held on the notorious holiday, Creative Learning and America’s Unofficial Ambassadors raised approximately $2110 dollars to fund the plane tickets for our volunteers and Unofficial Ambassadors for the upcoming School-2-School program.

       School-2-School is a unique program that facilitates partnerships between schools in America and schools abroad. This summer, S2S  is bringing together schools in Indonesia and Bangladesh with schools in Texas and Pennsylvania. The excitement is building as AUA continues to spread messages of volunteering to create mutual understanding and overall peace between America and the Muslim world.

We Can Not Rewrite History…

 

The following post is from contributing blogger and social media intern Mary Kazarian. Mary is an undergraduate at George Mason University studying the Middle East and International Relations and hopes to one day move to her native land of Lebanon.

“There is more, much more to America than its imprudent foreign policy in the Muslim world.” In an recent article on Huffington Post by Dr. Muqtedar Khan, the Associate Professor at the University of Delaware and a Fellow of the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, Islamophobia is brought into contemporary scholarly criticism.  Current discussions on the West’s relationship with Islam is described through what Khan calls “historical Islamophobia” in that our relations with “the other” is solely because of our perpetual bitterness towards Islam. However, Khan would say that this is not necessarily the case and argues that current politics add fuel to the fire of Islamophobia. For example, the recent Benghazi attack on the American Embassy was associated with violent crime under the name of Islamic terrorism. This term is used more widely than any other term to describe any other groups that have committed extreme actions.

Nevertheless, there are some major developments and connections being made between those advocates of Western-Muslim relations, groups such as AUA! Most groups fostering discourse among anti-Islamophobists are surprisingly in the West, where Muslim communities are growing and being influenced every day by Western traits and vice versa. Dialogue is more important now especially  in a post 9/11 world. Because as globalization and human rights infiltrate most parts of the globe, the West should realize that they hold the responsibility of influencing many communities, therefore the easy and superficial answer of generalizing Islam is as lethal as another world war.

As Marie Curie would advise, “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” AUA Director Benjamin Orbach will be visiting the University of Delaware today to foster this understanding between Americans and the Muslim World.

Tomorrow’s Youth Organization

 

The following post is from a former intern at Tomorrow’s Youth Organization (TYO) in Nablus, Palestine. In the Summer of 2012, Jay Saper taught Music and Drama for underprivileged youth, IT for their mother’s in The Women’s Group, Community English, and Professional Competency at the local university. Five months after his summer in Nablus, Jay reflects on his internship with TYO. To find an amazing volunteer opportunity, search the AUA Directory of Recommended Organizations© today.

What was your favorite moment/story from your time with TYO? 

Music and Drama was always a class filled with energy and imagination. When the youth combined these two elements, they produced phenomenal art. Whether it was developing songs with complex layers from found instruments or creating puppets and props to perform original plays, the youth of Nablus demonstrated they possess a powerful voice to the world through creative forms of expression.

What do you miss most about TYO or Nablus?

The Women’s Group was comprised of meticulous students. It was incredible for a wide range of women to form a community and support one other as they engaged with the course material. They truly made me feel welcome as part of the community as well, which always made me excited to enter class with a smile.

 

What have you been up to after leaving Nablus and what are your plans for the future?

I am currently finishing up my last year at Middlebury College in Vermont, where I study Sociology and Education. I am extremely excited to begin as an elementary school educator in Philadelphia next fall. There, I will also be continuing my studies at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. I look forward to continuing to support the potential of youth to be positive agents of change for a better world.

How do you think TYO affected you personally and professionally?

The Center Director, Internship Coordinator and Women’s Empowerment Programs Coordinator were thoughtful leaders whose tremendous concern for the community of Nablus translated into a passionate professional environment where I felt supported and always capable of improving. On a personal level, I also grew tremendously from making friends with the amazing volunteers at TYO. I appreciated their stories, humor, and brilliant ways of engaging students. My experience at TYO contributed to me becoming both a better teacher and a better, more compassionate human.

Do you have any advice for anyone considering applying for a TYO internship?

TYO cares deeply for the hearts of those with whom it works. Everything is embedded within the community and constantly adapting to better fit community needs. It is inspiring to see an organization work with such tremendous dedication. Of course, the people of Nablus deserve nothing less! If you believe you can work with your whole heart and whole lot of humility, while being eager to learn, grow, be challenged, and eat way too much of the best kanafeh in the world, TYO is perfect for you.

TYO is currently recruiting International Interns for their Spring II, Summer I and Summer II sessions here in Nablus! The application deadline for Spring II is March 15, 2013, for Summer I is April 1, 2013 and for Summer II is April 25, 2013.

And the Winner Is…

The Presidential Citizens Medal is the nation’s second-highest civilian honor which Senator Harris Wofford received at a White House ceremony. He is recognized and honored as an American citizen who has performed outstanding deeds of service for his country and fellow citizens.

Senator Wofford and President Obama

Senator Wofford with his grandson Gabe and his daughter Susanne

The Presidential Citizens Medal

The medal being pinned to the man of honor

“We Are Citizens”

The following post is by Director Benjamin Orbach who was able to meet with former Pennsylvania Senator Wofford, a noted advocate of volunteering and national service.                   

            I met Senator Harris Wofford, the godfather of national service, a couple of years ago. I was hurrying into a breakout session of a conference and plopped down into an empty chair towards the front. I turned to  nod hello to the older gentleman sitting to my left and to introduce myself, and I realized that the older gentleman was Harris Wofford. For all of us who spend our time thinking about America’s role in the world and figuring out what it is that we can do to serve our country and our ideals of social justice towards our fellow man — regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, or nationality – Harris Wofford is a hero. Shocked and a little star struck, I managed to tell Senator Wofford that I was a “child of his legacy.”

I had voted for him in Pennsylvania and served in AmeriCorps NCCC after graduating from college. I gave the Senator some material on America’s Unofficial Ambassadors, and we spent an hour after the session having coffee and talking about the Middle East. Since then, it has been my honor to count Senator Wofford as a supporter of America’s Unofficial Ambassadors and a privilege to call him a friend.

On Tuesday night, the television cameras captured Harris Wofford at the State of the Union. To me, the TV shot was fitting, as the President’s closing words embody Harris Wofford’s life work and the path that he and leaders like Martin Luther King and Sargent Shriver blazed for the rest of us.

The President concluded his speech by saying, “As Americans, we all share the same proud title — we are citizens. It’s a word that doesn’t just describe our nationality or legal status. It describes the way we’re made. It describes what we believe. It captures the enduring idea that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, that our rights are wrapped up in the rights of others; and that well into our third century as a nation, it remains the task of us all, as citizens of these United States, to be the authors of the next great chapter of our American story.”

We are thrilled that Senator Wofford will receive the Presidential Citizens Medal today at 10:45AM at the White House. To read more about the award and ceremony, click here . On behalf of America’s Unofficial Ambassadors, we wish Senator Wofford warm congratulations, and we thank him for leadership and strength that have made us a better country and a better people.

Here is a video of Senator Wofford discussing AUA!

An Understanding Underway

 

The following post is from Communications and Social Media Intern and contributing blogger Mary Kazarian. Mary is an undergraduate at George Mason University studying the Middle East and International Relations and hopes to one day move to her native land of Lebanon.

 

             The Summer Service partnerships have begun to take shape as Driss Ouaouicha, the President of Al-Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco signed the Memorandum of Understanding with AUA in December of 2012. The partnership will launch a unique service internship program for the summer of 2013 that will place in American students and professionals with schools and grassroots organizations in the Middle Atlas region for a 6-week term. Interns will serve as unofficial ambassadors, supporting local development initiatives while working to dispel some of the stereotypes that exist between America and the Muslim World.

          As citizen diplomats in Morocco, these unofficial ambassadors will have a substantive impact through their service while striving to build mutual understanding. At Al-Akhawayn, they will study Moroccan Arabic while taking part in a range of activities and local home-stays designed to broaden their exposure to Morocco and its different cultures. Al-Akhawayn’s Director of the Office of International Programs, Amy Fishburn, is excited about the new partnership with AUA, “Up until now, the connections we have established within our local community have for the most part been for the benefit of our own students. Now we are able to share and extend the strong ties that we have developed to create an in depth opportunity for American students. AUA participants will be encouraged to understand, engage and reflect upon the rich opportunities as well as challenges that they will encounter within Moroccan culture and society.”

            The Azrou Center for Community Development, one of the sites where AUA volunteers will serve,  is a social service initiative affiliated with Al-Akhawayn University that operates a host of education and job-training courses for more than 100 students and young people from primary school to the post-high school level. The center’s programs include computer literacy, business and management training, hairdressing and cosmetology courses, weaving and trade skills training, basic literacy tutoring and other education courses designed to help students who have left school continue their studies. Below is a picture of students at the center.

           For more information on different volunteer sites and internship placements in Morocco this summer, visit the Morocco placement page and Summer Service Program page!