Background, Part Two

During the TESOL conference I had several more opportunities to hear from ELFs and Regional English Language Officers (RELOs). George the current RELO in Egypt spoke. A young woman from Mexico talked about her experience. Another woman gave a brief overview of what she was doing in Russia, or thereabouts. Magdalena, the administrative assistant from Georgetown University (GU), described the partnership between GU and the DOS regarding the ELF Program. Each speaker seemed to be honest about his or her role in the program. They candidly answered questions from the audience. After one session, I made it a point to introduce myself to Magdalena. She, too, encouraged me to apply to the program, even though the deadline for applications was in just 9 days.

The night of the ELF reception, I had made plans to meet my daughter, Virginia (see photo) and her husband Dan for dinner at Ivar's, a great seafood place on the wharf. They live in Lynden, north of Seattle, and had driven down to spend a couple of days with me. After an early dinner, they took off for a Mariners' game and I sauntered up the hill to the Hilton. What kind of a party would be held in a soundroom? Well, the desk clerk pointed me toward the elevator, which took me up to the top of the hotel. It wasn't until I arrived in the Sound as in Puget Sound Room, that I understood the context of its name. It had a gorgeous view. The room was filled with congenial and regular people having a good time. I finished off my fresh halibut entree with a few sweets when the gentleman I had met at the exhibitor's booth, introduced himself as David Gifford, director of the GU portion of the program. He called attention to several key people in the room, which helped me put some names with faces. I think it was at that moment that I realized I was going to apply. I had no reason not to. Nor did I have reason to hope that I would be accepted, either. More later.

Background, Part One

In March, 2007, I attended the annual national convention for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. I know the acronym should actually be TOETSOOL, but that looks and sounds too much like a chocolate taffy-candy, so the leaders opted for the professional-sounding TESOL. It refers to the association, the actual profession and the field itself. However, there is some discrepancy as to the pronuniciation of the noun. One would think that those in the business of pronunciation would be in agreement about how to pronounce their mothership organization. But you'll hear it both ways: using the International Pronunciation Association

(IPA) /i/(or "long e"), and /E/(or "short e").

Approximately 5000 of us TESOLers meandered in the rain (yes, it did rain every day) through the streets of downtown Seattle carrying our oversized neon-turquoise bags, wearing matching nametags advertising some of the major sponsors: Hampton-Brown, ETS, Rigby, Amideast, Scholastic, U of Michigan, and Santillana.

Several presentations during the five-day conference were given by the U.S. State Department regarding English Language Fellow Program (ELFP). I sat in on one and was mildly intrigued by the idea of not only being able to travel, but also to be compensated for travel, housing and teaching. The more I learned, the more interested I became. During a break, I strolled through the exhibitors hall to see what booth #638, Department of State (DOS) had to offer. A middle-aged gentleman greeted me. We chatted a bit about the program and I surprised myself by saying that I was considering applying for the program. He didn't sound surprised at all and in fact, encouraged me to do so. Would I like to attend a little reception the DOS was hosting in the "Sound Room" of the Hilton later in the week? I told him thank you, took the photocopied invitation and his card.
To be continued. I've got to get packing!

Photograph: The original Starbuck's Cafe, Pike Street Market, Seattle, Washington

MeJane with Canon

This is me, Jane, practicing with my new digital SLR camera in preparation for Congo. The buttons and dials were a little intimidating at first, but when I just started shooting, I got over the jitters and really started having fun! I'm a little nervous that the camera will not make it to Congo and back, but I think it's worth taking the chance.

To give you a little background on the grant I received, it is through a program funded by the U. S. State Department, called the English Language Fellows Program (ELFP). The administrative work is conducted through Georgetown University (D.C). Approximately 140 English teachers, like me, are being sent across the world within the next several weeks to teach English to non-English speakers. Yes, we are paid. We are given a stipend, a place to live, transportation, and medical insurance. State Department personnel provided an extensive orientation prior to leaving and will continue to support our day to day activities during our stay in country. I'll tell you how I heard about the program later.

Congo Scenes

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO -- Here I come!

Kinshasa, Congo, will be my home for the next 11 months. I'm the recipient of a grant to teach English to pre-med students at the Protestant University. Keep informed of my experiences by regularly checking into this blogsite. You can contact me through this blogsite, too. I'd love to hear how you like my news and photos.