Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistantships (FLTA)

The FLTA program is open to current English teachers or students in their final year in an institution of higher education studying to be an English teacher.

This program allows Kyrgyz teachers of English (or students studying to be teachers) to gain teaching experience by teaching Kyrgyz language on U.S. university campuses up to 20 hours per week while taking two courses per semester. Fellows are also expected to interact with their host community in conversation groups and involved in extracurricular activities and community outreach projects. Upon completion of the program, the Fellows return home and teach English at the secondary and university level.

The FLTA program is a nine-month, non-degree program that provides young teachers of English an opportunity to refine their teaching skills, increase their English language proficiency and extend their knowledge of the society and culture of the United States, while teaching Kyrgyz language to U.S. students. FLTA participants also interact with their host communities in conversation groups, extracurricular activities, and community outreach projects.

FLTA teaching assistants are expected to teach their language/culture for up to 20 hours per week while taking two courses per semester. The grant is for one academic year and is non-renewable. The program is designed to have native language and cultural informants who are close in age to undergraduate students. Each institution assigns duties that will best meet the needs of their school's unique circumstances.

Participants will be recruited through a merit-based, open competition and chosen based upon their  leadership potential, academic excellence, maturity, ability to teach Kyrgyz language classes, adjust successfully to life in the U.S., strong interest in engaging Americans, and potential to promote mutual understanding between the United States and Kyrgyzstan.

Program Requirements:

• Applicants must be citizens or nationals of Kyrgyzstan or permanent residents qualified to hold a valid passport issued by the nominating country;
• Be no younger than 21 and no older than 29 at the time of application;
• Applicants must have completed their undergraduate education and hold a degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor's degree by the start of the grant period;
• Applicants must be teachers of English or be  training to become teachers of English; teaching experience is preferred;
• Applicants must be able to teach KYRGYZ  in U.S. universities.
• It is required that applicants have a strong command of the English language. All candidates invited to the second round of the competition will be required to take the iBT-TOEFL exam; the Fulbright program will pay for the test for all candidates.
• Applicants must be creative and self-reliant team players, maintain excellent relationships with faculty, staff and students
• Strong preference will be given to applicants who have little or no prior experience in the U.S.

Important: All grantees are expected to return to their home countries for at least two years at the conclusion of their grant in compliance with the J-visa requirements and to promote mutual understanding.

Candidates with U.S. citizenship or dual citizenship with the U.S. and another country cannot be included in this program.

Program Provisions:  All grantees receive a monthly stipend, health and accident coverage, and travel support.

Application Procedures and Deadline:

The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program application should be completed online at the Embark website:

https://apply.embark.com/student/fulbright/flta/

You must read the application instructions that are provided on this website very carefully.

A complete application package includes the on-line application, academic transcripts, letters of reference.

DEADLINE – 5:00 pm on May 31, 2013.

Please address your questions to: Aziz Kudaibergenov, Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, Phone: 551241 ext. 4434, e-mail: kudaibergenovak[at]state.gov.