Can mobbing relate to student-to-student relations? How to raise funds for a school event? – these and other subjects were discussed by English teachers from all over Poland who participated in the 13th “English Teaching Market” organized as part of the PAFF’s “English Teaching” Program. The meeting was held in Stare Jabłonki near Ostróda on June 29 – July 1.
Organized for 13 years now, “English Teaching Market” educational meetings give the opportunities to develop teaching skills, improve competence in English teaching methodology as well as integrate and establish cooperation of teachers from villages and small towns. This year’s “English Teaching Market”, a three-day conference held at the turn of June and July and participated by almost 400 English teachers from villages and small towns, was opened by Agnieszka Mazur, the PAFF Program Officer and Krzysztof Margol, President of the “NIDA” Development Foundation, the organization that manages the “English Teaching” Program.
The opening speech on “Stop teaching! Help your students learn” was given by George M. Chinnery, Regional English Language Officer for Central and South-Eastern Europe of the U.S. Embassy in Budapest. Next, during a series of intensive workshops and training, the participants could learn how to use ICT for teaching, how to cope with difficult word pronunciation, weave elements of theater into a lesson, and how to raise funds for school events. English teachers had also an opportunity to learn about educational materials prepared by publishing houses printing materials in English as well as NGOs and assistance programs under which the schools may solicit additional funds for educational initiatives.
“It was for the first time that I took part in that event and I am impressed by organization, workshops and atmosphere,” one of the participants says. And the other adds: “Meetings in small groups allow us not only to get into direct contact with the instructor but also share views and experiences with other participants.”
During this-year event, Ambassadors of the “English Teaching” Program – a group of the most involved and having the biggest achievements program participants, established in 2014 – initiated the “English Teaching” English Teachers Association. President of the organization Andrzej Wnuk emphasized that the mission of the Association shall be development and improvement of English teaching skills, especially of teachers from village schools.
So far, a total of almost 7,000 participants have taken part in nation-wide meetings of English teachers. The 2015 event was organized by the “NIDA” Development Foundation as part of the “English Teaching” Program of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation. The Partner of the meeting was the European Fund for the Development of Polish Villages and TVP Olsztyn was a media partner.
The “English Teaching” Program was launched in 2000. It’s main objective is to support activities aimed at improvement of the quality of English teaching and learning in small towns and rural areas, as well as to promote English among students, their parents and whole local communities. At the same time, the program contributes to professional development of English language teachers working in small localities. The program offer includes methodological training and provides teachers with the possibility to participate in a small grants competition, with assistance in project preparation in the form of training and individual consultancy.
