FLTA Mid-Year Meeting a.y. 2017/18 raccontato da Elena Sottilotta

Elena Sottilotta, borsista FLTA 2017/18 ci ha inviato alcune foto scattate durante il Mid-Year meeting per i borsisti FLTA 2017/18.

La testimonianza di Elena parla dell’incontro come un’ottima opportunità formativa, in cui si è potuta confrontare con le colleghe italiane e con insegnanti di vari paesi nel mondo sparsi in tutti gli Stati Uniti.

Le foto testimoniano la ricchezza dell’incontro, lasciamo parlare loro.

Our Italian FLTAs – Foreign Language Teaching Assistants – were in Washington D.C. last week for the Fulbright Mid-Year Conference, where they reunited with about 400 Fulbright Teaching Assistants from all over the world. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), this four-day conference was a unique opportunity for their professional and cultural development.

From left to right, Alessandra Bottacin, Sarah Vassos, me -Elena Sottilotta- and Valentina Zaccarelli. We are immensely grateful for this extraordinary experience, which allowed us to expand our cross-cultural knowledge and to meet other mindful and dedicated teachers who teach over 30 different languages across the United States.

Not only did we have the chance to share our different views and cultural backgrounds, but we also attended workshops on various topics and took part in volunteering activities, an international talent show and an intercultural fair. Moreover, on the third day of the conference, Sarah and I presented the effective teaching techniques implemented in our language courses during the first semester as teaching assistants in Oberlin College, Ohio, and at the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. It was a heart-warming and illuminating experience for all of us.

All FLTAs were involved in volunteering activities with various organizations. Here are some teaching assistants who volunteered with Salvation Army, sorting and packing Christmas gifts to be donated to children.

This is me

presenting a paper entitled Mimes, Memes, Tweets: Fostering Creative Storytelling Skills in the Language Classroom. It was a wonderful experience and a great honour to share my teaching strategies with other enthusiastic FLTAs.

The Fulbright FLTA Program is designed to develop the knowledge of foreign languages and cultures by supporting teaching assistantships at hundreds of U.S. institutions. Here I am with the FLTAs who are teaching their native languages at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul: from left to right, Agustina Yapura from Argentina, Lily Semo from France, me from Italy and Melanie Uyarte from Argentina.