[wanabidii] Press Releases: U.S. Department of State To Offer Second Massive Online Course for English Language

Friday, May 09, 2014

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05/09/2014 03:52 PM EDT

U.S. Department of State To Offer Second Massive Online Course for English Language


Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 9, 2014


The State Department is launching Part II of Shaping the Way We Teach English, a massive open online course (MOOC) for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) educators, on May 12, 2014. By strengthening the quality of English teaching around the world, the Department of State hopes to open economic opportunities in science, business, technology, and higher education for more of our international partners and offer skills for a better future.

Part I of the Shaping the Way We Teach English MOOC, completed in April 2014, successfully enrolled over 18,000 participants worldwide. Designed both for professionals already working in the area of EFL and for those pursuing the field as a career, both MOOC sessions assist EFL educators worldwide in updating and augmenting their teaching methods. When educators employ the teaching methods and technologies learned throughout the course, they improve leaning outcomes for their students and build leadership among their peers.

The Shaping the Way We Teach English MOOC is being offered globally and free of charge. Participants must be computer literate and follow lectures and reading in English without support. The multimedia-rich learning environment of the course gives EFL educators the chance to join others from around the world in a unique learning experience. Those who complete the course will gain expertise in choosing appropriate materials, creating lesson plans, and better evaluating EFL practices. The Part II five-week session will be available on Coursera.org. Students are not required to participate in Part I in order to enroll in Part II. Part II will specifically cover the following topics: integrating skills, alternative assessment, learning differences, classroom management, and reflective teaching.

Select U.S. embassies and consulates will also host facilitated discussions for EFL teachers taking the course as part of the State Department’s “MOOC Camp” initiative. These workshops and discussions will give course participants the chance to collaborate, clarify issues raised in the lectures, and get answers to questions. Facilitators of these MOOC Camp sessions may also conduct supplemental activities related to the current week’s topic, and are encouraged to fill out a form to confirm their intentions to hold facilitated discussions, located here and a brief survey located here.

For further information, please contact the MOOC working group at MOOC-wg@state.gov.


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