English Language Fellow Program in Turkey

UNCLAS ANKARA 000528 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR ECA/A/L: JCONNERLEY, CWILLIAMSON, EWILLIAMS, PESTEP; EUR/PPD: ABARBARO, MOKEEFE, LDAVIS, JRICKERT; INFO ECA: A/S POWELL, DAS FARRELL, EUR: DAS CGRAFFY, EUR/SE, R - ARUPPE, KPOSNER-MULLEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OEXC KPAO SCUL TU SUBJECT: English Language Fellow Program in Turkey ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The English Language Fellow (ELF) Program has proven to be a valuable public diplomacy tool for reaching younger and broader audiences across Turkey, at a time when US foreign policies are viewed with suspicion by Turkish opinion leaders and citizens. ELF access to educators, officials, university students, and the common kid on the street has tremendous positive impact on Turkish perceptions of America and Americans. ELF programs, and their daily interaction with Turkish counterparts, has also directly improved the content and methodology of English language instruction in Turkey. Post greatly appreciated ECA and EUR support for the Turkey ELF program in FY-07, and would welcome and strongly support a sustained or increased program that continues to overcome negative stereotypes of the US. END SUMMARY ¶2. (U) BACKGROUND: The English Language Fellow Program is a valuable Public Diplomacy tool that reaches thousands of Turkish youth and educators. Since 1995, Turkey has hosted 38 Fellows at 22 different educational institutions throughout the country. The English Language Fellow Program in Turkey has grown from one Fellow in 1995 to ten each in 2005 and 2006, with outstanding support from ECA and EUR Bureaus, plus a significant contribution of post public diplomacy funds. In 2006, the 10 ELFs directly reached over 6000 students and teachers in classrooms and workshops throughout Turkey with hands-on activities and thematic training focusing on critical thinking, civic education, and democratic practices ¶3. (U) The English Language Fellow Program remains Post's largest single outreach tool in Turkey. Often serving in smaller, more distant cities, the English Language Fellows become akin to "American Presence Ambassadors." They are often the only American younger Turks ever meet, serving as single-person resources of information on all things American for the local populace. Six of the ten current English Language Fellows teach undergraduate students at universities in cities with very little to no American presence. ¶4. (U) Content is Key: The Fellows teach university classroom courses ranging from literature and lexicology to speaking and teaching film. Outside of their regularly scheduled courses, Fellows design and facilitate supplemental English language programming such as workshops for colleagues, deliver presentations for secondary school students on aspects of American culture, host conversation clubs, and give culture presentations to anyone interested in or curious about the United States. The English Language Fellows also have a very real and positive impact in the classroom. Their democratic, learner-centered teaching style is appreciated by their audiences and admired (and emulated) by their colleagues. ¶5. (SBU) Education Inroads: The Fellows have gained impressive access to, and credibility with, their counterparts. Working within an often suspicious bureaucratic culture (which requires a cumbersome clearance process for even public school visits by embassy officials),the ELF working with the Ministry of Education in Ankara regularly visits public classrooms. This access marks an enormous stride in our working relationship with the Ministry of Education. Because of this ELF's innovative work , the Ministry of Education is currently considering adopting the Office of English Language Programs' new offering, "Shaping the Way We Teach English," as part of its national teacher training program. No Turkish educational institution has turned down an offer to host an English Language Fellow and many institutions have asked for more than one. ¶6. (U) Comment: 2007 is a critical year for US-Turkish relations, marked by Turkish suspicion of US policies and actions concerning Iraq, the Middle East, PKK terrorism, and a possible "Armenian genocide" resolution in Congress. A recent BBC World Service Survey reported that only seven percent of polled Turks currently have a positive opinion of US influence. While our Mission gives high priority to explaining and advancing US policies through public diplomacy, we are also in vital need of cultural, exchange, and English-language programs that broaden and deepen the relationship with the Turkish public. The English Language Fellow Program has been our number-one program for face-to-face interaction between Turks and Americans in the arena of education, and remains popular regardless of Turkish opinion on specific USG policies. The ELFs provide exceptional outreach to youth and distant areas of Turkey, with activities that promote democratic values and positive presentations of America. It is now more important than ever to offset the negative image of Americans in the Turkish and international media through access to real Americans serving in the classrooms, interacting with youth, and sharing resources with local educators. We therefore strongly support a sustained or increased English Language Fellow program for Turkey in the coming fiscal year. End Comment. WILSON