The U.S. Department of State has selected Spencer Salas, a Cato College of Education professor, for a weeklong project as an English language specialist; he will focus on curricular innovation and building teacher capacity in Tunisia.
Salas, a faculty member in the Department of Middle, Secondary and K-12 Education, is among a select group of approximately 80 U.S. citizens each year chosen to complete an English language specialist assignment.
His February program will begin with a plenary and workshops at TESOL Tunisia followed by consultations with the Ministry of Education as the country moves to introduce English for one contact hour per week in the fourth and fifth years of primary school at the national level.
The State Department’s English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. embassies in more than 80 countries, specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions and communities in the United States and overseas.
Since 1991, the English Language Specialist Program has sent hundreds of TESOL scholars and educators abroad to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity and foster mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through cultural exchange.
Specialists may conduct intensive teacher training, advise ministries of education or participate in high-level educational consultations and offer plenary presentations at regional, national or international TESOL conferences. These projects are challenging and those selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers back home.