Each year, Azusa Pacific University’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program equips graduates for education work around the world. The Master of Arts in TESOL degree provides opportunities to acquire the values, attitudes, concepts, and skills required for teaching English to diverse student populations in a variety of educational contexts – locally and internationally, in a manner marked by professional innovation, intercultural sensitivity, and spiritual passion. The program prepares students to become exemplary classroom teachers committed to continued professional development within a variety of adult contexts. Graduates of the program currently serve in the United States and several foreign countries in public and adult schools, colleges, universities, private institutions, and businesses.
Anna Grigoryan and Kay Sung are two such graduates. The U.S. Department of State sponsors the English Language Fellow Program within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It places highly qualified educators with master’s degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language, Applied Linguistics, or related fields, in various regions across the globe. Through U.S. Embassy projects, fellows gain international experience as they work to promote English language learning, and to foster mutual understanding between the United States and other countries. Serving as EL Fellows, Grigoryan and Sung each brought their TESOL experience to 10-month fellowships at overseas academic institutions.
Making My Mark on the Global Market
by Anna Grigoryan
Since September 2006, I have served as an English Language Fellow, teaching at the Academy of Languages in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. I chose the field of English language teaching because I had always dreamed of a career that would allow me to live in different countries, learn new languages, and grow both personally and professionally. Throughout my two years of study at Azusa Pacific University, I constantly explored possible routes of escape from my job as an office worker. When I first read about the EL Fellow Program on the U.S. Department of State website, the possibility of becoming a fellow seemed a distant dream. The program sounded very prestigious, and hence, very competitive. However, during my second and final year at APU, I applied for three opportunities that promised an international adventure – the EL Fellow Program, the Fulbright Program, and the Peace Corps.
I believe that your education is what you make of it, and APU provided all the resources, human and otherwise, to help me prove successful in the global market. The professors in the Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) department, despite their busy schedules, always gave me advice on my research proposals, or wrote recommendation letters. Thanks to the guidance of Mary Wong, Ph.D., director of the TESOL Program, I developed a proposal that was accepted to the TESOL conference, and I presented at the 2006 conference with my classmates from APU. As a part of my teaching practicum, I co-taught a graduate seminar with Michael Chamberlain, assistant professor in APU’s American Language and Culture Institute, and gained valuable university teaching experience that helped me during my application to the EL Fellow Program. My presence at the 2006 TESOL conference, which allowed me to interview for the EL Fellow position and to network with the decision-makers of the program, also positioned me as a future fellow.
The story of how I ended up in Kazakhstan includes a maze of twists and turns, much like many of the stories you hear when speaking to professionals whose careers take them outside their native country. I originally wanted to go to Lebanon, and won the position, but because of the ensuing war, was unable to go. I believe my background in Russian helped me win the position here in Kazakhstan.
So what sense can I make of my professional life here after three months of work? I believe that earning a master’s degree in TESOL at APU allowed me to land my dream job. I use films and critical media literacy to teach my students English, to help them understand American culture, and to encourage them to become socially responsible critical citizens. I have learned to redefine success, not by the amount of students who attend my class, but by that the amount of learning those few, interested students attain. I have also discovered that it is okay to be a perfectionist as long as you can live with constant imperfection. However, I practice the art of staying flexible, and try not to get discouraged or grow cynical and tired.
In order to keep energized and focused, I initiated “Arabic Nights at Club Joy” – something I hope will become a monthly or bimonthly event that will attract all the young girls who share my passion for Arabic music and dance. I have managed to not only connect the promotion of the event with the critical media literacy component of my classroom activities, but also work with the university director to find a sponsor for the event. The inaugural meeting proved to be a great success, despite the fact that the electricity went out for 45 minutes, leaving us without light or heating. The students were determined to stay and have fun.
I never dreamed I would someday be in a position where I could stretch my wings and accomplish all I have as an EL Fellow. I will always remain grateful to APU for giving me the education I needed to pursue my dream of being an international English teacher and a socially responsible citizen of the world.
Anna Grigoryan, M.A. ’06, will remain in Kazakhstan until June 2007. annagrig13@yahoo.com
