Kazakhstan
10 English Teaching Assistant Award
Accepted Degree Levels
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Grant PeriodSeptember StartGrant Length10 Months |
Award Type
Award Profile
Since 2006, Kazakhstan has hosted over 75 American students as part of the Fulbright Program, the flagship international exchange program of the U.S. Government. As unofficial cultural ambassadors, these grantees live and teach English in cities and villages throughout Kazakhstan. Through their exchange, these Americans form powerful and enduring people-to-people ties with Kazakhstani students, colleagues, and community members.
In January 2018, the United States committed to assist the Government of Kazakhstan to achieve its goal to establish a tri-lingual (Kazakh, Russian, and English) society by 2050. Fulbright ETAs will help to increase the English language proficiency of students and faculty, and assist in English language programming to enhance access to English and other educational and exchange opportunities throughout Kazakhstan.
Grant Length
Grant Period
ETA assignments will generally last from early September through June in accordance with Kazakhstan’s academic year.
Orientation
Grantees will be required to participate in a mandatory In-Country Orientation in Astana at the end of August or early September 2025. Grantees should arrive 1-2 days prior to the start of the orientation. The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy will arrange for airport pickup and make hotel reservations for all grantees.
Candidate Profile
Applications are welcome. Post is seeking flexible graduating seniors, recent graduates or Master’s degree students who demonstrate a high level of maturity and initiative to identify opportunities to improve the quality of English language teaching at the tertiary level. Post seeks native English speakers who are resilient and who can teach university students and/or faculty. Higher education institutions and faculty accustomed to rote memorization benefit from innovative approaches to teaching, student-centered classrooms, project-based learning, and other pedagogical approaches to enhance English Language proficiency. Successful candidates must be articulate, fluent English speakers without dependents. Candidates with degrees in English, Education, TEFL/Applied Linguistics, or teaching STEAM in English are preferred, but candidates from all majors are welcome to apply. Some previous teaching/tutoring experience is preferred. Russian language skills are also desirable.
What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?
Fulbright English Teaching Assistants are engaged with English teaching activities at primary host institutions - universities throughout the country in regional cities of Kazakhstan. Fulbright ETAs teach or co-teach up to 10-14 hours at their host institutions. In addition to host institutions, Fulbright ETAs offer language activities for audiences at American Spaces/Corners and other community oriented non-commercial entities. They have opportunities to develop their own language skills in both formal and informal settings. Grantees are eligible for individual Russian and/or Kazakh tutorials. Serving as cultural ambassadors of the United States is another important mission of the Fulbright ETAs to Kazakhstan. Equally, the ETAs have opportunities to enrich their cultural awareness through visiting concerts, museums, arts exhibits and family events of their students and local counterparts.
Eligibility
Degree Level of Applicant
- Bachelor's
- Master's
Foreign Language Proficiency
ETAs will have access to a stipend (by reimbursement) for language lessons (Russian and/or Kazakh).
Placement Type
- Vocational/Technical School
- University/Post-Secondary Institution
ETAs will be placed at higher education institutions and vocational schools outside Almaty and Astana.
Placement Locations
- Regional City
All Fulbright ETAs are placed at regional universities in all geographical regions of the country.
Supplementary Project
Grantees are allowed to do supplementary research projects of interest. However, English teaching is a primary responsibility of an ETA and, therefore, the ratio of teaching and research activities should be balanced accordingly.
Award Benefits
- A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
- International travel benefits
- Accident & sickness health benefits
- 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
- 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
- English language teaching preparatory course
Stipend Amount
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
One-Time Allowances
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
- Excess baggage fees
- Language training allowance
- Local transportation allowance
The ETA grantees are eligible for one-time allowances.
Base amount of $1,500 is intended to cover baggage fees, in-transit costs, and relocation expenses. Round trip travel is included as a grant benefit and grantee flights are coordinated and pre-approved by the Fulbright program's approved travel agency.
English language materials allowance: $500 (included in 1st grant payment)
In-country orientation allowance: $600 (included in 1st grant payment)
In-country travel allowance: $1,500 (included in 1st grant payment)
Language study: Up to $1,500 in costs allowed, paid as reimbursement.
Additional Grant Benefits
- Diplomatic pouch
- Housing placement
- Mid-year seminar
All U.S. Fulbright grantees are eligible to use country-bound diplomatic pouch to send project-related educational materials to Kazakhstan.
Estimated Cost of Living
Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.
The cost of living in the country depends on many factors inluding capital vs regional cities, location within the city, apartment quality and size etc. Oblast cities vs capital cities in the Kazakhstan have lower living cost rates. Housing costs in Almaty and Astana are highest in the country.
For grantees in Almaty the average monthly cost of living is reflected below:
Housing: $1,000
Food and local transportation: $1,200
Utilities: $60
Dependents
Dependents are not allowed to accompany Fulbright ETA grantees.
Housing Arrangements
The Public Diplomacy Section of the U.S. Embassy will work with the grantee host institution to find suitable lodging options. Upon arrival, the grantee will choose their housing arrangement out of the available options.
Fulbright Program Management Contact
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
Research Clearance and Visa Information
The U.S. Mission in Kazakhstan will provide grantees with diplomatic notes to apply for Kazakh visas. No research clearance is required for Fulbright ETA grantees.