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FACULTY KUDOS: U.S. State Department selects Dr. Christopher Hastings for specialist assignment

Dr. Christopher Hastings (front row, center) gathers with English teachers from Pakistani Madrasas.

Dr. Christopher Hastings (front row, center) gathers with English teachers from Pakistani Madrasas.

Congratulations to Southwest’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Coordinator Dr. Christopher Hastings who completed his assignment to train English teachers in Islamabad, Pakistan this past December. Hastings was one of 80 United States citizens annually selected by the Department of State for the 2-week ESL assignment.

Hastings worked in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad to deliver a series of training sessions for English language teachers from Madrasas (colleges for Islamic instruction) across Pakistan. Many of the teachers were from remote regions in Pakistan with under-resourced classrooms.

“Working with English teachers from Pakistani Madrasas was an opportunity to learn about a culture that is misunderstood and often misrepresented here in the U.S.,” Hastings said. “I was overwhelmed by the hospitality and respect that I was shown as a foreign guest.”

The program provided participants with instruction in current issues in English language teaching methodology. It sought to improve participants’ knowledge and professional skills in practical pedagogy through engaging activities that participants could use in their classrooms.

The state department’s ESL Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. embassies in more than 80 countries, English language specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders, and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions and communities in the United States and overseas.

Hastings conducts an ESL training session for participants in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Hastings conducts an ESL training session for participants in Islamabad, Pakistan.