George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center School of Language Studies Foreign Service...

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


Foreign Service Institute

• Primary training institution for the U.S. State Department


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.


Distance LanguageLearning Students

• Located at over 300 posts worldwide

• Have full-time jobs

• No mandated training time


• A 28-week course divided in 2 parts

• Self-paced course

• Students spend average of 4-6 hours a week


Main Features

• Course Materials on CD-ROM

• Language presented via audio, text, photos, video

• Bilingual Glossary: Pashto, English


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


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


Pashto Distance LearningPashto Distance Learning


Alphabet


Dialogue


Additional Features

• Cultural notes • Language Resources

• Weekly session with Mentor over telephone


Basic Greetings


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


Directions


Drag and drop activities


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


Communicating with StudentsCommunicating with Students

TelephoneTelephone E-mailE-mail ForumForum ChatChat Weekly e-mail to studentsWeekly e-mail to students


ChatChat

George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training CenterSchool of Language StudiesForeign Service InstituteU.S. Department of State ForumForum


E-mailE-mail Weekly group e-mailWeekly group e-mail


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


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.


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


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.


Mentors Take the Initiative to Keep Mentors Take the Initiative to Keep Students on TrackStudents on Track

Using various communication toolsUsing various communication tools


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


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


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…


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


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 .”.”

George P. Shultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center School of Language Studies Foreign Service...

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