Global Resources:
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program
Welcome to the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program. This site is primarily meant to complement the in-person orientation(s) you will attend either in the U.S. or in your host country. You will learn how to connect with your fellow ETA grantees and ETA alumni prior to your departure, as well as your host country program administrators. You will also learn about the Fulbright ETA program’s role in the U.S. Department of State's wider effort to promote English speaking around the world. Finally, you will be provided a list of English teaching resources. Please familiarize yourself with these resources before you begin your program. You may wish to return to this site for ideas about instructional activities after you arrive in country.
Additional Information
In-Country Program Contacts
Please visit your regional landing page and country drop-down for country program contact information. In countries with Fulbright Commissions, your main point of contact will be the Commission. For those without Commissions, your point of contact will be the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy.
On the individual country drop-downs you will also find links to blogs and other online resources maintained by current and former Fulbright ETAs.
English Teaching Resources
Department of State English Teaching Resources:
- American English Online: AE will connect you to vetted resources for teaching and learning English and about American culture. There are free downloadable songs with teaching activities, board games, audio books, webinars on how to teach, and the archive of the English Teaching FORUM magazine. Students can also play Trace Effects online, the video game for learning English and exploring America. More webinars on teaching English are available at the AE YouTube channel. Encourage your students to explore the resources on this site for self-directed language learning and their own cultural reference.
- English Teaching FORUM Magazine: A quarterly journal published by the U.S. Department of State for teachers of English as a foreign or second language. Over 82,000 copies of the magazine are distributed in more than 125 countries. Contact your local U.S. Embassy or Regional English Language Officer (RELO) to learn how you can obtain hard copies of the magazine. The FORUM site contains articles from issues of English Teaching Forum dating back to 2001.
- American Spaces: American Spaces are vibrant, active places that offer interactive, engaging programs to capture the interest of visitors. ETAs can review American Spaces' thematic resources on American Culture and History; Study in the U.S.; English Learning; Democracy, Human Rights, and Diversity; Economic Prosperity & Entrepreneurship; Environment & Health; Media Literacy/Countering Disinformation; and Science, Technology, and Innovation for use and/or adaptation in their Fulbright classrooms. American Spaces provides programming kits, movie kits, diplomacy simulations, a calendar of observances, planning tools, and a guide on how to plan an event or program as well. Regional resources are also available. ETAs are encouraged to utilized these great tools and resources from ECA's Office of American Spaces and to work with their local American Spaces.
Peace Corps TEFL Training Resources
These Peace Corps Pre-Departure Training materials are part of teaching preparation required of people joining the Peace Corps TEFL Certificate Program. The training is facilitated by Peace Corps staff and requires Peace Corps Volunteers to complete assignments on each module. Your Fulbright ETA role will vary based on your placement, and unlike Peace Corps Volunteers, you are not completing a TEFL certificate through the program. The content from these modules is provided here with no requirements or assignments, but rather as a tool to prepare you for your Fulbright ETA grant.
You may find you will need to teach English grammar and will want to have a good foundation in it before arriving in-country. You may want to reflect on the qualities of good teaching and practice your own skills. You might not regularly design lesson plans, but you will probably present classroom activities and will want to have a plan for those activities just like your classroom teacher. You may want to know some good tips for delivering classroom activities well and have a couple of English activity handouts that can be used in a variety of classrooms with a variety of students. All of these topics are offered in this module as a way to provide a comprehensive teacher training foundation, no matter what your Fulbright ETA placement looks like.
Classroom Ideas:
- Using English: Lesson plans, handouts, worksheets, printable materials.
- Breaking News English: Lesson plans on current events.
- Enchanted Learning: Lesson plans and educational activities for children.
- Newsela.com: re-writes real news articles into Advanced, Intermediate, Pre-Intermediate, and Beginner English levels
- Peace Corps Lesson Plans
- Voice of America Learning English
Professional Associations, Clubs, and Publications:
- TESOL: A Global Education Association: This is the official website for the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Global Education Association, the largest organization focused exclusively on English language teaching for speakers of other languages. The association offers a wealth of information and resources through professional interest sections, professional development programs, publications, and advocacy efforts.
- English Club.com: This site provides numerous ESL teaching resources focused on grammar, pronunciation, reading, writing, speaking, and vocabulary acquisition. Materials are available for learners at varying levels of English and include lesson plans, worksheets, handouts, activities, games, quizzes and more. Authentic listening and written materials are also available and feature songs, videos, films, radio programs and television shows, as well as harder to come by materials such as recorded phone conversations, airport announcements, pilot's announcements.
Networking
Fulbright ETA Community on International Exchange Alumni
Visit the page: https://alumni.state.gov
- Share teaching tips and resources (such as lesson plans)
- Discuss your experiences in the classroom and pose questions to others;
- Post news and photos about your experience; and
- Network with current ETAs and alumni of the program.