More ESN Participants Win Fulbright TEA Program

The Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program brings secondary-level teachers of English, English as a Foreign Language, math, science, and social studies, including special education teachers in those subjects, to the United States for a six-week program to take academic seminars for professional development at a host university and to observe and share their expertise with teachers and students at the host university and at local secondary schools.

The program consists of general academic seminars focusing on new teaching methodologies, student-centered learning, content-based instruction, lesson planning, and instructional technology training for teachers.

Bakhadir Mambetkarimov, an ESN Core Trainer from Karakalpakstan, always dreamed of becoming a Fulbright program finalist. In his opinion, this program would help him to improve his English language teaching skills along with language proficiency. Bakhodir’s lifelong motto is “Learn effectively and teach effectively. Bring out the best in your students.” 

"I am happy to share that I was awarded a fellowship for the Fulbright TEA program. I am going to Appalachian State University in North Carolina for six weeks (September 13 – October 27, 2022). I have high hopes for this trip. I am sure I will return with new skills, and inspired to continue helping my students in their English language-learning journey. 

The ESN program plays an important role in my success, because it created a unique learning atmosphere for me. Through this program, I met many enthusiastic teachers, coaches and TESOL instructors. Through various program activities, I could improve my teaching skills. Exchanging ideas and sharing experience were always important for me, and within the program, I had a chance to interact with English language professionals not only from Uzbekistan, but also across the globe. This experience broadened my professional horizons.

The fact that I applied for the program earlier, and had several unsuccessful attempts, the application submission process was easy for me this year. I felt more confident while going through the selection stages. With this, I need to note that the biggest motivation for me was the positive-minded teachers I met within the ESN program. Many of them encouraged me to apply for the program. This support together with my persistence and motivation eventually helped me to achieve my goal.

Adiba Parpieva, an ESN Core Trainer from Namangan, believes that participating in a teacher exchange program is a perfect opportunity for teachers, especially for English teachers, to visit the country, where they can explore a new culture, acquire new skills, and expand their professional network. Following her beliefs, Adiba actively applies for educational exchange programs.

"When I found out about the Fulbright TEA program for the first time, I applied for the program without any hesitation. Two years in a row, I have not been selected as a program finalist. Despite this fact, I continued working on my development and keeping in mind that things would come to me at the right time. This year I have applied once again for the Fulbright TEA program (Media Literacy Cohort), and I was selected as a finalist. I chose the Media Literacy course, since information dissemination has been a key in many social processes (including educational processes). In our community, students have access to various types of information. However, finding accurate information, and being able to use critical analysis are very essential in my opinion. In September, I am going to study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for six weeks. I hope I will learn many useful methods and ways of teaching. I also hope that I will improve my creativity, collaboration and communication skills, as well as increase my digital literacy skills through interacting with various information and technology,” she says.

"Without any doubt, I can say that the ESN Program helped me to be selected as a finalist. ESN Program gave me a chance to improve my self-confidence and communication skills. I became more experienced, and I was confident while answering the questions during the interview.

Participation in an exchange program is not a one-time event, but the beginning of an exchange of ideas that continues throughout life. The experience that I am going to gain will change me not professionally, but also personally. Educational and cultural exchange programs support personal growth, lead to a deeper understanding of foreign cultures and strengthen international relationships. That’s why I recommend all my colleagues to participate in educational and exchange programs and be a leader teacher of Uzbekistan," Adiba notes.

Billura Ikramova, an ESN Core Trainer from Bukhara, is excited to share her success on her professional achievement.

"I have applied for the Fulbright TEA Program three times during the 10 year period, not counting the years I was on maternity leave. I am grateful to the ESN program, as it made me more competent and confident. Consequently, this led to the success of being selected as the finalist of Fulbright TEA program," she recalls.

Her course will start this fall. Billura is going to study at Applachian State University in North Carolina State. "I am going to study a pedagogy program there. I had the opportunity to choose elective courses and I chose the gender-equality classes. I think that by learning more about gender equality, I would be able to make my contribution to the improvement of gender-equitable education in my home community.  

I am also thankful to the ESN program for connecting me with the community of EFL teachers who have experience in various fields. I learned a lot from colleagues and peers within the ESN program. Now I am sharing my experience with other teachers who are interested in applying for the Fulbright TEA program or want to be a part of the ESN program. All I achieved happened after I started improving my teaching and training skills with the courses that the ESN program provided. I would like to separately highlight that my experience attending and presenting at the TESOL Regional Conference provided me with invaluable insights. 

My advice to my peers is to believe in yourself, use the opportunities, connect to the community of EFL teachers globally and do your best to achieve your long-term goal!" she notes.