US Embassy concludes English-language workshop In collaboration with the Ministry of Education
A six-day English-language workshop concluded yesterday at the Ministry of Education Training Center in Jabriya. The workshop was organized by the US Embassy in Kuwait in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The event was attended by the US Embassy Counselor for Public Affairs Charles G Cole, who lauded the role of Kuwaiti English teachers in molding pupils in proper English and preparing them for a more challenging reality, especially if they want to continue their studies in the United States.
“This was a workshop for English teachers conducted for six days. It was for public school teachers, so they can easily prepare their students for standardized tests in the US, such as TOEFL, required for students to study in America,” he said.
About 30 teachers participated from various schools in Kuwait, mostly high school and senior high school teachers. “We want to prepare Kuwaiti student for exams that they need to pass. They are teaching English, and this is part of our collaboration projects with the Ministry of Education in Kuwait and the Education Department in America, just a few of many education exchanges between us,” Cole said.
In mid-Feb, the US Embassy brought a wellknown director who conducted an acting workshop for Kuwaiti youth. According to Cole, 15,500 Kuwaiti students are studying in America, and the Kuwaiti government sends students to universities as scholars.
“The students and parents are taking this option, while the ministry of education in Kuwait is also taking decisions. For example, it recently increased the number of approved registered schools for women in the US. So the chance for women to study in the US has increased, as only 20 percent of students studying in the US are women. The new development to increase the number of registered schools can encourage more women to register and get a US education,” he said.
Liz England, of Liz England and Associates, conducted the workshop. “I made the workshop more relevant for today’s students’ needs for communicating using English. The participants were all veteran English teachers - they shared their experiences and I was also able to get information I needed during the six-day workshop,” she said.
England admitted though that it is not surprising to learn why the students are not so eager to learn English. “We are talking about students from public schools. It is difficult learning a second language and students expect something quickly, for example to pass their English exams, so some will cheat. These were just a few problems we talked about with regards to students. The project we worked for in this workshop was higher standards, so they learned a lot,” she said.