Remarks by the U.S Chargé d’Affaires a.i.  Brian L. Goldbeck
Nationwide English Language Teachers Conference

May 4, 2007
Ulaanbaatar

It gives me great pleasure to be here with you today. Students are the future, and, thanks to the efforts of you as teachers, I believe the future of Mongolia looks very bright.
My government and the American people have provided financial support to this conference because we want to support and encourage you, Mongolia’s English language teachers. Also, we support the conference goals of exchanging ideas, reviewing current pedagogy and classroom practices, and to foster communication among you, the members of this EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching community. 

You may know that this year marks the 20^th anniversary of US-Mongolian relations. We believe that the fostering of English language instruction is of interest and benefit to both Mongolia and the US. We support the Mongolian government's policy to make English an official 2nd language as we believe this will contribute to Mongolia’s economic growth, integration into the international community and the well-being of its people.  It will also facilitate contact as few Americans, this one included, have the gift of speaking Mongolian.  Additional information on all the programs I’m about to describe can be obtained from the Embassy’s website or from the Embassy’s public affairs office.

The USG supports English language development in Mongolia in many ways.  I will describe six of them.

First, the U.S flagship Fulbright Student Fellowships are part of a U.S. Government-funded academic exchange program which funds graduate-level and research studies at U.S. Universities. Since 1995 over 30 Mongolians have pursued long-term study in the U.S on this prestigious program including Hongorzul and Mira, who are English Language teachers and who are on the organizing committee of this conference, so I encourage you to talk with them if you are interested in these programs.

Second, the Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program is for English Language Teachers and a part of the Fulbright Student Program.  The program is aimed at strengthening foreign language instruction at U.S colleges and universities while providing teachers of English with the opportunity to refine their skills increase their English language proficiency and extend their knowledge of the cultures and customs of the United States.  The program started in Mongolia in 2005 and we have a  returned FLTA graduate, Ms. Bayarmaa, the English teacher at Otgontenger University) and another is currently in the US.  This year we hope to send two FLTAs to U.S. universities.  

Third, the Access Micro scholarship program stemmed from President Bush’s November 2005 visit to Mongolia. On November 14, 2006, Ambassador  Minton presented scholarships to provide special after-school English classes to 20 students from Ulaanbaatar’s ger districts.  Students will receive two years of training focusing the first year on pre-intermediate and intermediate levels of English who now have beginner level skills and the second year on advanced English to prepare them for the TOEFL and SAT exams. Additional special activities to enhance the program include lessons on the U.S. and its culture.   Our goal is to give more young people from countryside opportunities to study abroad, gaining world class educations at respected universities and colleges.  This year, scholarships are also being provided to ten students in Dornod and ten students in Khovd.

Fourth, the State Department also funds a Senior English Language Fellow here in Mongolia.  Many of you know the current Fellow, Marjorie Friedman.  Hopefully you have or will have the chance to participate in one of her English Language/Methodology training sessions for EFL teachers. You will hear her keynote address in just a few minutes.

Fifth, the American Cultural and Information Center is a mini U.S.-style library run with support from the U.S. Embassy at the City Central Library.  It offers various reference services and weekly programming on U.S culture and English Language such as the weekly Thursday lecture series "Lets Talk about America" given by native speakers – I’ve participated in two of the programs so far and recommend it.  There are also English Language/Methodology training sessions conducted by Senior English Language Fellow Marjorie Friedman.   The State Department “Books in a Box project stocks the American Centers with reading materials.  And many Embassy diplomats donate books and magazines as well – my personal collection on the American Revolutionary period is on loan there now thru the end of August, for example.

An American Cultural and Information center branch has been opened in Khovd last year.  It’s aimed at serving people living in the western part of Mongolia.  The branch provides accurate and official information about U.S culture, society, government, history and education, as well as programs thru Peace Corps Volunteer participation or visits by Embassy officials.

And sixth, many of you are familiar with the Peace Corps program here.
English Education and Community Development is the largest of Peace Corps Mongolia’s projects, with 70 percent of the 101 Volunteers serving in the project.  I would add that the remaining 30 percent also contribute their English skills as part of their projects.  Peace Corps builds capacity in English language skills at two levels.  First, Volunteers provide a skilled human resource for the future education of Mongolian students by training Mongolian English teachers.  Additionally, volunteers directly support Mongolian students through individual sessions or co-teaching with Mongolian teachers.  In 2006, over 20,000 Mongolians benefited from this program.

Thank you for this opportunity to meet with you.  Thank you for your hard work and effort on behalf of so many young people.  The impact you have on their lives and the opportunities that will open up to them due to your English-language instruction will have a greater impact beyond the individual student.  You are contributing to a better future for Mongolia and thus for all Mongolians as well as to an even better and closer relationship between Mongolian and the U.S.  On behalf of Ambassador Minton and the U.S. Embassy, congratulations and thank you.