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George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Technology with a Human Touch Distance Learning in Persian and Pashto
Ajmal SherzuyeHomeira Bahadorani
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Foreign Service Institute
• Primary training institution for the U.S. State Department
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
School of Language Studies
• Teaches approximately 70 languages to American diplomats and eligible family members
• Develops distance learning courses in several languages such as Arabic, Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Persian, and Pashto.
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Distance LanguageLearning Students
• Located at over 300 posts worldwide
• Have full-time jobs
• No mandated training time
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
• A 28-week course divided in 2 parts
• Self-paced course
• Students spend average of 4-6 hours a week
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Main Features
• Course Materials on CD-ROM
• Language presented via audio, text, photos, video
• Bilingual Glossary: Pashto, English
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Course Structure
• Present material through readings and dialogues
• Practice material through a variety of activities
• Produce language responding to prompts and
talking to the Mentor on the telephone
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Flow of Contents in Each UnitFlow of Contents in Each Unit
Unit Objectives
Reading and Dialogue/Video
Reading Activities Grammar Activities
Lexical Activities
Culture Notes
Glossary
Language Resources
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Pashto Distance LearningPashto Distance Learning
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Alphabet
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Dialogue
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Additional Features
• Cultural notes • Language Resources
• Weekly session with Mentor over telephone
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Basic Greetings
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Presentation of the Verb to be
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State Fill in the Blank
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Directions
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Drag and drop activities
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Students not only spend time Students not only spend time studying CD-ROM-based content…studying CD-ROM-based content…
……but they are also mentored by but they are also mentored by native speaker FSI instructorsnative speaker FSI instructors
Persian Introductory CoursePersian Introductory Course
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Communicating with StudentsCommunicating with Students
TelephoneTelephone E-mailE-mail ForumForum ChatChat Weekly e-mail to studentsWeekly e-mail to students
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
ChatChat
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State ForumForum
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
E-mailE-mail Weekly group e-mailWeekly group e-mail
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Purpose of Telephone CallsPurpose of Telephone Calls
Directed practice (students are given Directed practice (students are given work ahead of time to prepare)work ahead of time to prepare)
Review of past materialReview of past material Conversation practice Conversation practice Role-playing exercisesRole-playing exercises Student progress/level evaluationStudent progress/level evaluation MotivationalMotivational
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
For some students, the phone call For some students, the phone call from the mentor is the only time from the mentor is the only time during the course that they will during the course that they will converse with a native speaker of the converse with a native speaker of the language. language.
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Telephone Calls are very helpful in:Telephone Calls are very helpful in: Providing immediate feedback to students.Providing immediate feedback to students. Allowing students to self-assess their Allowing students to self-assess their
language ability (based on what they are language ability (based on what they are able to say).able to say).
Giving structure to the course of study.Giving structure to the course of study. Helping the students pace themselves Helping the students pace themselves
during the course.during the course. Helping mentors assign students Helping mentors assign students
appropriate follow up work.appropriate follow up work. building a community of learners building a community of learners
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Purposes of Telephone CallsPurposes of Telephone Calls
Directed practice (students are given work ahead of time to Directed practice (students are given work ahead of time to prepare)prepare)
Review of past materialReview of past material Conversation practice Conversation practice Role-playing exercisesRole-playing exercises Student progress/level evaluationStudent progress/level evaluation MotivationalMotivational Providing immediate feedback to studentsProviding immediate feedback to students Allowing students to self-assess their language ability (based on Allowing students to self-assess their language ability (based on
what they are able to say).what they are able to say). Giving structure to the course of studyGiving structure to the course of study Helping the students pace themselves during the courseHelping the students pace themselves during the course Helping mentors assign students appropriate follow up workHelping mentors assign students appropriate follow up work Students will converse with a native speaker of the language. Students will converse with a native speaker of the language.
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Mentors Take the Initiative to Keep Mentors Take the Initiative to Keep Students on TrackStudents on Track
Using various communication toolsUsing various communication tools
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Coaching Strategies for MentorsCoaching Strategies for Mentors
Praise and encouragePraise and encourage Offer helpOffer help Address student by nameAddress student by name Nudge without nagging; prod without Nudge without nagging; prod without
pushingpushing Use “active listening” strategiesUse “active listening” strategies Engage the student – follow up with a Engage the student – follow up with a
question or a taskquestion or a task Nurturing positive feedback that keeps Nurturing positive feedback that keeps
students engagedstudents engaged
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Praise and encouragePraise and encourage Offer helpOffer help Address student by nameAddress student by name Nudge without nagging; prod without Nudge without nagging; prod without
pushingpushing Use “active listening” strategiesUse “active listening” strategies Engage the student – follow up with a Engage the student – follow up with a
question or a taskquestion or a task Nurturing positive feedback that keeps Nurturing positive feedback that keeps
students engagedstudents engaged
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
The ResultsThe Results
80% of the students completed the 80% of the students completed the pilot sessionpilot session
Students gave positive feedback Students gave positive feedback concerning the mentoring…concerning the mentoring…
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Student FeedbackStudent Feedback
What was most helpful What was most helpful about the course? about the course?
85% of students 85% of students responded: The mentorresponded: The mentor
George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State
Student FeedbackStudent Feedback
““The assistance of instructor, [Name] The assistance of instructor, [Name] who kept me motivated, answered all who kept me motivated, answered all my questions, and worked around my my questions, and worked around my often changing schedule. She sent often changing schedule. She sent exercises by e-mail that specifically exercises by e-mail that specifically addressed pronunciation and addressed pronunciation and conjugation problems I was having, conjugation problems I was having, and she sent rapid rote lists that are and she sent rapid rote lists that are extremely valuable extremely valuable .”.”