Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) – Over 33,000 teachers of English language in secondary schools of Uzbekistan will have the opportunity to improve their knowledge and skills within the new English Speaking Nation: Secondary Teacher Training project, implemented by the Ministry of Public Education of Uzbekistan with the participation of American organizations.

English Speaking Nation: Secondary Teacher Training (ESN: STT) is a program for teachers of the public education system, aimed at developing a favorable ecosystem of teaching and learning in Uzbekistan by strengthening the English language skills and teaching methods of school teachers.

ESN: STT is a program of the Department of Information, Culture and Education (PAS) of the US Embassy in Uzbekistan. The project is implemented by the Center for Innovation, Technology and Strategies at the Ministry of Education and Science with the participation of the American Councils (American Councils for International Education), RTI (Research Triangle Institute) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The ESN: STT program provides professional development opportunities for trainers teaching English teachers as well as English teachers in secondary schools in Uzbekistan.

Under the program, 15,000 secondary school teachers and more than 1,000 trainers will learn teaching methods and practices for teaching English on the job. One of the ultimate goals of the program is to improve the knowledge and quality of English among students.

The three-year program is a cascading model for the training of trainers, instructors, includes measures to improve the professionalism of English teachers in secondary schools and the introduction of a mentoring program to support colleagues among teachers.

ESN: STT works together with the Ministry of Public Education (MoPE) of Uzbekistan, regional centers for teacher training and other key participants in building the Corps of English teachers and trainers focused on developing language skills among students and possessing modern pedagogical tools to provide the youth of Uzbekistan with the necessary level English language knowledge for the effective development of the country's economy in the 21st century.

The implementation of the project is divided into three stages. In the first stage, two groups of 40-45 English teachers will be created, selected to participate in an intensive training program conducted by the international association TESOL and George Mason University (GMU).

Each group of teachers will participate in the 140-hour TESOL core certificate program, including a 20-hour compulsory workshop and two-week training for trainers by TESOL and George Mason University.

The training will consist of seminars followed by event planning and visits to trainers by consultants at George Mason University to analyze the lessons and provide feedback.

Upon completion of the full retraining course, successfully completed participants will receive the TESOL Basic Certificate and become members of the Corps of Primary Trainers-Trainers of Uzbekistan (CT). They can be invited to additional training, and become ESN Master Trainers to train their colleagues in the 140-hour TESOL core certificate program.

At the second stage of the program, each member of the CT, on the basis of the knowledge gained at the Institute for the Training of Trainers, will train and mentor 10-12 regional co-mentors (RPMs).

In Phase 3, CT-led RPMs will train 10 English teachers throughout the program to retrain 15,000 teachers by the end of the third year of the program.

During the program, the best 300 RPMs will be invited to the ESN Master Trainers training and will be able to obtain the TESOL Basic Certificate and become a member of the Corps of Primary Trainers-Trainers of Uzbekistan.

The Corps of Principal Trainers and Trainers will also develop an action plan and training materials that will be recommended by the MOPE for continuing education courses for teachers. As a final event, CT and RPM will have the opportunity to participate in the TESOL regional conference to be held in Uzbekistan in 2022.

The Minister of Public Education of Uzbekistan Sherzod Shermatov noted: “In 2019, the Concept of development of the public education system until 2030 was adopted. The ministry presented the concept to international partners, and the American side supported this program. English is one of the international languages. Uzbekistan is becoming more open to the international community. To develop cooperation with other countries of the world and the country's competitiveness, our graduates must know foreign languages. This program is the first step to improve the teaching of foreign languages in schools. Knowledge of a foreign language will provide an opportunity for additional earnings for graduates, including via the Internet, which is important in the "Year of the Development of Science, Education and the Digital Economy."