This semester, Illinois State University will welcome its second group of guests from the Panama Bilingüe Program. Twenty-four English teachers from Panama will be taking part in a short term training program through ISU’s English Language Institute.
These teachers are part of a program developed by the Panamanian government to improve public education and foster economic development. The goal is to integrate English language education throughout the entire educational system in Panama.
The Office of International Studies and Programs (OISP) will host these visitors from January 10 through March 6, 2016. During this period, participants will be taking part in classes delivered by the English Language Institute, visiting local historic and cultural landmarks, and attending workshops on English language teaching methodologies. The expected outcome of this program is that these teachers will be able to take what they have learned at ISU and use these skills to enhance the educational experience of their students.
“Programs such as Panama Bilingüe help OISP achieve its internationalization goals, increase campus diversity, and raise revenue to maintain its operations,” says Luis Canales, OISP director. “At the same time, OISP is helping the Ministry of Education of Panama to build the human capacity of the country by training the teachers who are already educating the future generations of Panama.”
For many of these visiting teachers, this is their first time traveling outside of Panama. The Office of International Studies and Programs hopes to continue its partnership with the Ministry of Education of Panama in order to provide a quality educational experience to future groups of teachers.
For more information about this program, please contact Matt Schwab at mlschwa@ilstu.edu.
