Individualized Arabic Language and Culture Program

Program News

• Building on Experiences with Educational Seminars: Uruguay Educator Exchange Program 02/25/13
  Ten teachers from Uruguay recently completed a two-week stay in their U.S. counterparts' host schools and communities. Throughout the U.S., these Uruguayan teachers and their colleagues worked together to gain a deeper understanding of pedagogy best practices, and to learn from one another in a classroom environment. After the U.S. portion of the program concluded, the teachers traveled to Washington, D.C., for a Student Centered Methodology Workshop, which provided them with an opportunity to reflect on their exchange experiences while discussing new ideas on how to apply their attained knowledge to more effectively instruct their pupils.
• American Councils St. Petersburg Celebrates 20 Years of Success 02/22/13
  To start the New Year off in a memorable way, on January 25, 2013, American Councils Russia celebrated its 20th anniversary! A large audience, including American Councils employees, program alumni, regional partners, and more than 50 guests, gathered at the American Councils St. Petersburg office to mark this joyous occasion, and to reminisce on the past 20 years of American Councils’ remarkable success and growth in Russia.
• American Councils Signs Memorandum of Understanding to Design Technical and Vocational Training Programs in Kazakhstan 02/20/13
  American Councils for International Education and Holding Kasipkor have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the implementation of an advanced system of vocational technical training in the Republic of Kazakhstan. American Councils and Kasipkor will collaborate in several areas, including: 1) introducing new vocational-technical training models into state colleges in Kazakhstan, 2) training faculty in advanced teaching and methodology, and 3) implementing a system-wide program in English as a Second Language for Kazakh students and faculty. This agreement complements and augments other efforts already underway by the government of Kazakhstan to establish a world-class, countrywide vocational training system.
• American Councils Moldova Publishes EFL Teachers Journal 02/19/13
  The American Language Center, a subsidiary of American Councils Moldova, recently published its first edition of the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Teachers Journal to provide Moldovan EFL educators with a practical teaching resource. This first edition, titled “Modern Trends and Resources for Teachers of Foreign Languages Journal,” aggregates a collection of cross-disciplinary articles in areas including psychology, sociology of language learning and teaching, testing and evaluation, professional preparation, curriculum design and development, instructional methods, materials, and techniques and professional standards.
• Former President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbayeva Visits American Councils 01/31/13
  At the end of her weeklong tour of the U.S., Her Excellency Roza Otunbayeva, Former President of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, visited with American Councils for International Education at their Washington, DC, office location to share her experience on leading one of Central Asia’s most progressive countries. In the presence of American Councils staff, Kyrgyz dignitaries, and a host of colleagues and friends, she briefed the group on her political experience, shared her perspective on the role of international education as a tool for societal change, and reaffirmed the premise that Kyrgyzstan will emerge as a world leader across a multitude of industries. Those in attendance, many of which had worked with the Kyrgyz leader, were moved by her inspirational words.
• The Capital Club Takes on the Capitol for the 2013 Presidential Inauguration 01/30/13
  Nearly one million people gathered at the National Mall on Monday, January 21, to witness the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama. A small group experienced this revered event from a different vantage point—applying their international perspectives and experiences as they took part in this American tradition. Led by American Councils staff, 88 attendees from the American Councils Capital Club walked the streets of DC to the National Mall to view the Inaugural Ceremony from outside of the Smithsonian Castle. The 88 attendees included 40 participants representing the Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX), the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES), and the American Serbia and Montenegro Youth Leadership Exchange (A-SMYLE), National Security Language Initiative for Youth Program (NSLI-Y), placement organization representatives, and host family members. A representative from the U.S. Department of State also joined the group for this momentous occasion.
• American Language Center Instructor in Moldova Designs a Successful Business Romanian Course 01/23/13
  News from Daniela Munca-Aftenev, Legislative Fellows Program and Open World Coordinator, American Councils Moldova The American Language Center, a subsidiary of American Councils Moldova, signed an official partnership with The Kishinev Jacobs Jewish Campus, the largest Jewish Community and Ethnic Centers in Moldova, to collaborate on a special project entitled “Business Mom.” American Language Center Instructor Cristina Cornovan was in charge of designing the curriculum for the project, which included social adaptation training and development skills for 150 unemployed women.
• American Councils Executive Vice President David Patton Presented at the International Conference on Russian-American Cooperation in Education 01/15/13
  David Patton, Executive Vice President of American Councils for International Education, welcomed participants at the 2012 international conference, “Russian and American Educational Systems: Exploring the Differences and Discussing the Possibilities of their Convergence,” recently held in Washington, DC.
• The Russkiy Mir Center Hosts a Dynamic Conference 01/10/13
  At the end of December 2012, a group of Russian and American educators, researchers, and local Russophiles, gathered at the Russkiy Mir Center in Washington, DC, to discuss several important events in Russian-American history, marked by a number of anniversaries this past year. Over 80 conference attendees gathered in-person or virtually to participate in this dynamic and interactive conference, where they were provided with in-depth insight into the two countries significant impact on the world, as well as with an overview of mutually memorable moments in history.
• American Councils' RLASP Alumnus Profiled on Voice of Russia Radio 01/08/13
  What can an American Councils study abroad program to Russia do for you? For Joseph DeVeny, his study abroad experience was an introduction to Russian life and culture that later would bring him back to Moscow. An alumnus of American Councils' Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP), DeVeny leveraged the close relationship he developed with his Russian host family to return to Moscow for several professional opportunities.