SIT alumnus Gregory Abrahams named U.S. English Language Specialist

Announcement Date: October 21, 2019

SIT TESOL alumnus Gregory Abrahams has been selected by the U.S. State Department to participate in a one-month English Language Specialist project in Brazil. He will visit eight cities in four weeks to prepare host institutions for future English Language Fellows. He will also provide academic workshops and a plenary for the institutions.

Greg is part of a select group, as one of approximately 80 U.S. citizens each year selected to serve on an English Language Specialist assignment.

Greg first taught English for two years in South Korea before getting his SIT TESOL Certificate in Ecuador. Two years later, he earned his MA in TESOL from SIT Graduate Institute and continued teaching in Turkey and Morocco. He was then selected by the State Department to be an English Language Fellow in Yangon and Naypyidaw, Burma, where he taught English at a university and developed English for Ministry Staff curriculum.

The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. embassies in more than 80 countries, EL Specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders, and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity, and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities in the United States and overseas.

Since 1991, the English Language Specialist Program has sent hundreds of TESOL scholars and educators abroad to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. On assignment, EL Specialists may conduct intensive teacher training, advise ministries of education or participate in high-level educational consultations, and offer plenary presentations at regional, national or international TESOL conferences. These projects are challenging and those selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers back home.

English Language Specialists are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Specialist Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.

For further information about the English Language Specialist Program, visit elprograms.org/specialist; call 202-632-6452; or e-mail [email protected].