Five Bahrainis attending 2024 TESOL training program in US

TDT | Manama   

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Ashen Tharaka  

The First Regional English Language Officer (RELO) Symposium 2023 was held at the Westin Hotel in Manama last week to select Bahrainis for the English for Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programme in 2024.

As part of a regional English language programme conducted under the supervision of the US Embassy in Manama, the top five Bahrainis get a chance to participate in the training programme in the US.

The title of the symposium is "Preparing Students Today for Tomorrow’s World: A Holistic Approach to Language Education." This event aims to build teachers’ capacity and share best practises and innovative strategies in English language teaching.

The symposium supports the efforts of the Regional English Language Office to provide the English language teaching community in Bahrain with opportunities for professional development and field-related training.

The Bahraini teachers who attended the US teaching programme last year shared their experience and discussed the new trends in the English language with the new Bahraini teachers enrolled in this year’s programme.

"I went to the US in a programme called Exploring American Perspectives with American Culture, and it was a fantastic experience to see the amazing world," Ahmed Mahdi, a mathematics teacher in a private school, told The Daily Tribune. "I was able to learn about the US education system and its’ productivity."

"The Access Programme is a wonderful opportunity, and it is starting at the lower level," Alaa Al Najjar, an English teacher in a public school, said in his statement. Beth Clark-Gareca, Associate Professor of TESOL at Binghamton University in New York, was the guest of honour at the symposium and has been working in the field of TESOL for more than 25 years.

"Visual thinking strategy is the best way to learn a language, and I am happy to be in Bahrain." During the event, Foreign Service Officer with the US Department, Sandra Story, said: "We have sent more than four Bahraini participants to the US so far, and next year we are planning to send more than five participants because of the popularity of the programme in Bahrain."