Costa Rica
2 English Teaching Assistant Award
Accepted Degree Levels
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Grant PeriodJanuary StartGrant Length10 Months |
Award Type
Award Profile
The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grantees are placed in classrooms of 25 to 30 students to provide assistance to the local English Teachers. ETAs help teach English and support host institution teachers with various classroom activities, while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S.
In Costa Rica, ETAs teach to students at high-school, technical education, and higher education levels, outside of the capital. ETAs should expect to be placed at very rural communities, about 3 to 4 hours away from the capital city.
Grant Length
Grant Period
Grant Length: 10 months.
Grants begin in mid-January or early February 2025.
Orientation
As a condition of the grant, all grantees to Costa Rica are required to actively participate in the Pre-Departure Orientation in the U.S. prior to the grant.
Candidate Profile
Candidates with degrees in English, Spanish, Education or TEFL/Applied Linguistics with experience teaching or tutoring and who have an interest in working in an international educational environment are preferred. Other fields will be seriously considered if combined with teaching experience and/or coursework in pedagogy.
Eligibility
12 Months
Accepted Degree Levels
- Bachelor's
- Master's
Foreign Language Proficiency
Additional Information: Applicants should discuss plans for language study between time of application and the commencement of the grant on Application Form: Language Self-Evaluation. A Foreign Language Evaluation by a college level Spanish language instructor is also required.
Successful candidates must be articulate English speakers with native fluency.
Placement Type
- Secondary School
- University/Post-Secondary Institution
Teaching placements will be made by the U.S. Embassy. ETAs are usually placed at Costa Rican universities outside the capital of San Jose. The sites of the program are in rural areas, so grantees must be willing to live in communities far from the capital.
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, leading conversation clubs and/or encouraging students to communicate in English.
Placement Locations
- Rural
Supplementary Project
ETA grantees will also pursue an independent research, study, or volunteer project. The project is a secondary activity that will supplement the grantee's ETA responsibilities. Applicants should briefly describe this project in the Statement of Grant Purpose and may address some or all of the following: 1) why the activities are appropriate for Costa Rica; 2) skills, talents or other qualifications that they bring to the project plan; 3) how they view this plan as contributing to their professional or educational development; and 4) if and how the plan contributes to the Fulbright goals of mutual understanding and host community engagement. Remember that the primary activity for ETAs is in the classroom and not carrying out this project.
Housing Arrangements
ETAs are responsible for making their own housing arrangements with the guidance and support of the contacts at the host institution. ETAs may also contact ETA alumni, who may be able to offer recommendations for housing.