TESOL 2004 CONVENTION NOMINEES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002057

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR ECA/A/L/W KERR/JENSON; NEA/PPD
MCINNES/BOURGEOIS/DAVIES
BEIRUT FOR CAO WHARTON, CAA BITAR
TEL AVIV PLEASE PASS TO ACC JERUSALEM ICD AND CA STEIN
JERUSALEM FOR APAO GREGONIS AND CAA BARGHOUTI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL JO
SUBJECT: TESOL 2004 CONVENTION NOMINEES


1. Amman-based Regional English Language Office and in
cooperation with PA Beirut, PA Jerusalem and ACC Jerusalem
nominates the following candidates to attend the TESOL 2004
Convention at Long Beach, California March 30 - April 4,
2004: Dr. Elias Ghazal, Lebanon; Ms. Edith Bitar, Lebanon;
Mr. Shukri Kandeel, Jordan, Mr. Mahmud Abdel Fattah Ismail,
Jerusalem; and Ms. Inas Deeb, Jerusalem. This program
supports MPP goals of promoting mutual understanding,
regional stability, and support of English teaching as well
as forming the basis for people-to-people programs in their
respective countries and the US specifically, the
participation of all candidates will strengthen the local
organization supporting English teaching professionals in
each country.


2. The following is short bio of each nominee.


3. Dr. Elias Ghazal - Lebanon: Dr. Ghazal is the head of
the English Department at the University of the Holy Spirit
at Kaslik (USEK) that offers English courses for the
faculties of letters, agronomy, business management,
medicine, philosophy and humanities. In addition to his work
at USEK, Dr. Ghazal is affiliated with several private
schools as a teacher trainer and curriculum coordinator that
branches out all over Lebanon where English is taught either
as a foreign language or as a second language. To add to his
list, he is also affiliated with the National Center for
Educational Research and Development in Beirut that is in
charge of authoring and producing the national curriculum
for the Lebanese public schools where he was a teacher
trainer as well as national textbook writer for the English
subject textbook.


4. Ms. Edith Bitar: Ms. Bitar is the Cultural Affairs
Assistant at the Public Affairs Section Beirut. She has been
in charge of the English teaching programs in Lebanon since
2000 when Lebanon was added to RELO Amman regional countries
and has been a very active key role player in promoting RELO
programs in Lebanon since then. Also, Ms. Bitar will part of
panel committee to present a session on "Spotlight on TESOL
in the Middle East no. 3036 at TESOL 2004. Ever since the
launching of English teaching programs at Post, Ms. Bitar
has been one of key player in promoting and advancing the
program. She is in charge of planning, promoting, and
executing Beirut PA English Language programs which includes
scheduling visits and workshops of RELO Amman, coordinating
visits of English language specialists, assisting outreach
program to universities, and disseminating English language
materials.


5. Mr. Shurkri Kandeel: Mr. Kandeel, Educational
specialist at United Nation Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA):
as an EFL vocational as system-wide EFL analyst, Mr. Kandeel
will be able to represent effectively the goals and purposes
of the UNRWA schools, the largest UN-operated education
system in Jordan. As part of his attending the TESOL 2004
Convention, Mr. Kandeel will be presenting the UNRWA
experience with secondary vocational English and producing a
supplementary textbook for vocational English at UNRWA
vocational schools in Jordan and the region.


6. Mr. Mahmud Ismail: is the Head of the Languages and
Translation Department at Birzeit University. The Department
has 29 English Language instructors teaching courses that
help students use English texts in their advanced study. The
courses that the department offers are both communication
and English for Academic purposes, which are requisite
courses for all majors at the university. Mr. Abdul Fattah
is very keen on developing and advancing the Languages
Department, especially on the aspects of using technology
such as computer assisted language learning and online
training. In addition to his current at Birzeit University,
Mr. Abdul Fattah is contributing to the English language
teaching as a foreign language through voluntary activities.
This included participating in the British Council Seminars
on English for Academic purposes, and organizing the
Palestinian Association for Teachers of English as a Foreign
Language (PATEFL). Attending TESOL 2004 convention is going
to be an excellent opportunity for Mr. Abdel Fattah to
connect with the professional community of EFL, at the same
time learning about the best and the latest methodologies,
researches and material that he can facilitate to help both
his Palestinian colleagues and students.


7. Ms. Inas Deeb: Ms. Deeb is a teacher trainer and
advisor working in the Jerusalem area schools assigned
initially by the Center for Educational Technologies and
subsequently by the Ministry of Education and Jerusalem
Municipality. In addition to that, she plays a key role in
building the Pedagogic Center for English teachers that
includes the co-organizing of the yearlong methodology of
English teaching course, which is mandatory for all teachers
seeking employment with the Ministry of Education. Among
many of the projects that Ms. Deeb is involved in is the
TETEC (Teaching English Through Experiencing Culture) course
for in-service teacher education, where Ms. Deeb has
developed a program of studies and meetings where literally
the East meets West: between native Arabic or native English
speakers from East Jerusalem meet native English or native
Hebrew speakers from West Jerusalem. Thus awarded her an
invitation from TESOL 2004 Convention to present and to tape
record the session which is based on field notes and
reflections noted in the course of planning the methodology
course and the TETEC course that are contrasted or measured
against issues of cross cultural communication that were
experienced.


8. RELO Amman thanks ECA support in providing funds to
help these participants to attend such a conference to
benefit from.
Gnehm