Special Programs

This program collaborated with Fulbright Taiwan to provide a tailored experience for educators and professionals aiming to enhance their skills in using English as a medium of instruction. The seminar was held at the University of Maryland (UMD) and offered a blend of workshops, cultural immersion, and teaching practice.

The program covered key topics, including strategies for clear communication in English, methods for effective classroom management, techniques for handling technical terms and visual aids, and principles of inquiry-based instruction. Participants engaged in microteaching sessions, received constructive feedback on their teaching, and explored innovative teaching practices such as problem-based and just-in-time instruction.

Cultural experiences were integral to the seminar, featuring guided tours of Washington, DC, and visits to UMD’s Discovery District and Art Museum. Additionally, participants observed UMD courses, gaining insights into American university pedagogy.

The two-week seminar was designed to foster professional growth and intercultural exchange, and culminated in a debrief session to consolidate learning and discuss future applications.

This program worked with universities in Baden-Würtemberg, Germany and was tailored for professors and professionals who lecture or present in English.

The seminar focused on strategies to improve English pronunciation, methods for eliminating common grammatical errors, language for university classroom speech acts, and principles of excellence in teaching in English.

Through the seminar, participants were able to gain new ideas and inspiration for teaching, observe university lectures presented at UMD, receive detailed feedback on English language skills, and experience American university culture.

The seminar was hosted during middle to late September and ran for two weeks. The cost was $1,250 per participant.

Participants also had opportunities to visit UMD classrooms to observe university lectures in practice. Social activities included outings to Washington, DC, and to Annapolis, the Maryland state capital, for a crab feast on the Chesapeake Bay.

This was a professional development program for Suzhou secondary English teachers. It included specially designed advanced English language courses.

The program was tailored for the Suzhou Ministry of Education, Suzhou, China. Its goal was to help middle school and high school English teachers from Suzhou to improve Chinese-speaker pronunciation errors and control over English grammar, and introduce new teaching methods and strategies.

The program ran during MEI’s Summer Semester (June and July). Courses were three weeks long.

Participants also enjoyed a series of professional development seminars led by leading scholars in the field. Topics included:

• cross-cultural communications
• second language acquisition
• language policy
• comparative linguistics
• second/foreign language pedagogy
• language testing and assessment
• classroom technology
• A day-long teacher workshop was also scheduled near the end of the program.

Participants also had opportunities to visit local schools to observe expert English teachers in practice. Social and cultural activities included outings to the nation’s capital, Washington, DC, and to historic Philadelphia, New York, and Annapolis, the Maryland state capital, situated on the nearby Chesapeake Bay.