The U.S. Department of State has selected a faculty member from SLCL for their English Language Specialist Program.
John Kotnarowski, who teaches in the English as a Second Language program in the Department of Linguistics, was selected for an English Language Specialist project focusing on teaching academic writing in Kazakhstan. He's part of a select group, with only 250 projects supported by the program each year.
The 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, English Language 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.
During their projects, English Language 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. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers at home.
Kotnarowski was recently interviewed about his work and this new opportunity.
What are you currently working on in your role at the University of Illinois?
As a senior lecturer and the ESL undergraduate academic writing course specialist, I do three things: I teach our undergraduate academic writing courses (ESL 111, 112, and 115), I help coordinate the curricula and develop materials for those courses, and I support other instructors assigned to teach them. A big project I’ve been working on for the last few years is helping oversee our electronic textbook, “Academic Writing for English Language Learners.” From writing a few chapters to copyediting the work of other authors, integrating it into our curriculum, and troubleshooting technical issues, I’ve done a little of everything for our book.
What will you be working on as an English Specialist in Kazakhstan?
I will be creating and delivering a workshop series to Kazakhstani English teachers in Astana, Kokshetau, and Almaty. The participants will be selected by regional English teacher organizations. The goal of these workshops is to share strategies and “best practices” for teaching academic writing, especially at the high school level. Hopefully, if the participants find the experience useful/valuable, they will consider taking the materials and sharing them with their colleagues at the home institutions. In addition to these workshops, I will also have the chance to present at a regional conference of English teachers and participate in conversation clubs and other fun extracurriculars. I am scheduled to be in Kazakhstan for three weeks and I’m sure the time is going to fly!
What are you most looking forward to about this opportunity?
I’m excited to travel to Kazakhstan, a place I never thought I’d have the chance to visit, and get to work with and learn from Kazakhstani English teachers. I hope to take some of the lessons I’ve learned teaching at the University of Illinois for the past nine years and share them in a way that is useful to the specific needs and interests of the people I’ll be working with. Finally, I hope to learn as much as possible and embrace this as a once-in-a-lifetime chance for cultural and educational exchange!