Language Proficient spoken and written Spanish is required at the time of application.
Academic year Semesters begin in July and January.
Grant period 10 months. The Commission requires that grantees begin their grants on August 1st. Attendance at the Arrival Orientation is mandatory. Alternate start dates may be permitted with the approval of the Commission under very exceptional academic circumstances.
Candidate profile Preference for candidates with specific program objectives: (1) Ph.D. candidates who plan research related to their dissertations as approved by their U.S. universities; (2) Graduating seniors, recent graduates, and graduate students who will pursue coursework at a Colombian university and whose preparation meets university requirements for admission; (3) Candidates with solid experience in the creative and performing arts who want to study and/or conduct research in Colombian institutions or with Colombian specialists.
Factors affecting eligibility U.S. citizens holding dual U.S.-Colombian citizenship are not eligible for a Fulbright U.S. Student grant to Colombia.
Restriction Security considerations preclude projects whose research methodologies or field work are considered to pose security risks. Applicants wishing to conduct research activities are advised that certain rural areas of the country may be designated as restricted areas for security reasons. Proposals requiring students to be in these areas will not be approved.
Affiliation Applicants should have an affiliation letter or a prospective letter of affiliation from the host institution. If selected, the Fulbright Commission in Colombia will confirm the definitive status of affiliation with tuition included. Affiliation with a non-academic institution should be arranged by the grantee.
Website www.fulbright.edu.co
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8 FULBRIGHT ENGLISH TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS
Language Proficiency in Spanish is strongly recommended. Successful candidates must be articulate English-speakers with native fluency.
Grant period 10 months. Grant dates will correspond to the academic year, August 2010 to April 2011. The grant period starts with an orientation organized by the Fulbright Commission in late July 2010. Attendance is required of all ETA grantees.
Candidate profile Applications are welcome from graduating seniors and Master’s level graduate students with an interest in working in an educational environment. Candidates with degrees in English, Spanish, education, or TEFL/applied linguistics with some experience teaching or tutoring are preferred. Other fields will be seriously considered if combined with teaching experience and/or coursework in pedagogy. Because this is a student program, candidates with more than three years teaching experience and/or a Master’s degree in TESOL at the time of application may be considered overqualified and not eligible for this program.
Nature of assignments The Commission in Colombia and the Colombian government’s Institute for Study Abroad, ICETEX, match the grantee with the appropriate university, based on the ETA candidate’s academic profile and the specific needs of the host institution. These will be made by early June at the latest. Affiliations will be at universities in Bogotá and in other major cities including Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Bucaramanga and Manizales. A program benefit is that the university will provide a tutor and a primary contact for all academic and administrative issues, one of which is housing. One of the ETA grants is arranged through a special agreement of cooperation between the Fulbright Commission and El Cerrejon, a coal mining company that operates in the region of La Guajira. This ETA will engage in language-learning activities in two public high schools associated with the Cerrejon Foundation in La Guajira, and will be monitored by an educational specialist in the Foundation.
ETAs will be assigned as language-learning assistants, but will not be responsible for teaching entire courses. Responsibilities may include giving presentations on different topics related to the United States, preparing classroom activities, and/or encouraging students to communicate in English. Details of assignments will be subject to communication between the Fulbright Commission and the host institution and based on the academic profile of the selected candidate and the host institution’s needs.
Supplementary project Teaching assistant responsibilities will be up to 20 hours per week; therefore, grantees are expected to engage in other activities related to their personal, career, and/or educational interests. Applicants should consider a project that they intend to pursue if awarded the grant. Applicants should keep in mind that these activities should be flexible with respect to geographic location, since they will not know where they will be placed. Grantees may pursue a course of study, conduct research into topics or issues relative to Colombia, engage in specific volunteer activities, or a combination of these. The Commission will discuss project alternatives with the grantee when the placement is made.
Website www.fulbright.edu.co
