ISLAMABAD: Fifty Pakistani English language teachers who successfully completed the US Embassy-sponsored 10-week E-Teacher Scholarship Programme talked about their experiences at a four-day conference in Islamabad.
Participants graduated from courses focused on topics such as critical thinking, assessment, TESOL methodology, education technology, teaching reading and differentiated learning.
American Embassy Regional English Language Officer Maria Snarski met with Pakistani educators during the conference and encouraged them to meet one another and reflect on their day-to-day education practices to develop new ideas to improve their classrooms.
“The E-Teacher Program and this alumni conference not only offers educators the opportunity to develop their own methodology and expertise but it also allows them to think critically about the way they are preparing the youth of Pakistan for the future,” she said.
Rabiah, an E-Teacher alumna based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) said, “The course on critical thinking has helped me to transform my classroom pedagogy from slow spoon-feeding to active reasoning.”
The US Embassy sponsors English language programmes in Pakistan for both teachers and students. Each year, the programmes educate over 3,000 students via direct teaching to help them develop employability and leadership skills. Additionally, English language programmes support approximately 300 teachers annually via face-to-face training and online courses. There are more than 15,000 English language programme alumni in Pakistan.
