Georgia | English Language through Civic Education | 15 Apr 2016

Success
INTEGRATION ACTIVITIES IN MINORITY REGIONS: 14 Armenian speaking and 5 Georgian speaking teachers attended 10 Workshops between September and April 2015-2016. English Language methodology and topics on elections, political systems, occupations, multiculturalism etc. were discussed and lesson plans were made in the mountain town in Akhaltsike, Georgia. This opportunity gave teachers to share each other's cultural traditions, knowledge of methodology and educational resources in the common language of English.

Overview
HIGHLIGHTS AND SUCCESS STORIES:
Use of Computers: At the beginning of the workshops in September, 12 out of 19 teacher had never used laptops for power point presentations, video clips, or listening skills.
By the end of April, all 100% of the teachers have presented at least two power point presentations. At least half of the teachers have used the lap top for listening skills. At 90% of the teachers are using the closed Facebook page to check for communication.
Integration of the Georgian and Armenian teachers: Only two Georgian teachers spoke Armenian when the workshops began. Communication in groups was all in English. Teachers formed close connections during the workshop. They shared mutual problems about finding links for listening skills that go with the textbooks. They shared email addresses and information [always written in Georgian] that came from the Ministry of Education website.
Use of the Internet as a Resource: Once all teachers had gotten their laptops in December, they began to learn how to use them at a January workshop. Marina Kazaryan, one of the teachers with excellent computer skills, taught teachers how make a power point and tips on making effective ones.
Teachers are sharing Internet sites where information about lesson plans and power points can be found. They are also searching job websites, TPDC, the US embassy, and NAEC.com for information about grants, jobs, educational programs and testing deadlines.
Speaking English in class: In the beginning I insisted that teachers use English in class. Instructions should be given first in English and then teachers can give a Georgian translation. Teachers were given a variety of methods to give clear instructions so that they didn’t have to rely on mother tongue. By the end of April, students speaking knowledge of English has shown real improvement. Since workshop conversation had to be in English, the teachers who live in isolated villages found that their confidence, vocabulary, and fluency in English had improved.