U.S. Department of State to Offer Massive Online Course for English Language Educators

Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
March 27, 2014

The U.S. Department of State announces the launch of Shaping the Way We Teach English, a massive open online course (MOOC) for English as a foreign language (EFL) educators. The ten-week university-level course was developed by the University of Oregon and is currently available on the Coursera platform. By strengthening the quality of English teaching around the world, the Department hopes to open economic opportunities in science, business, technology, and higher education for more of our international partners and offer skills for a better future.

Designed both for professionals already working in the area of EFL and for those pursuing the field as a career, the MOOC aims to assist EFL educators worldwide in updating and augmenting their teaching methods. When educators employ the teaching methods and technologies learned throughout the course, they improve leaning outcomes for their students and build leadership among their peers.

The Shaping the Way We Teach English MOOC is being offered globally and free of charge. The course is divided into two five-week sessions, with the first scheduled to begin on April 7, 2014. The second five-week session will start on May 12, 2014. Participants are required to be computer literate and able to follow lectures and reading in English without support. The multimedia-rich learning environment of the course gives EFL educators the chance to join others from around the world in a unique learning experience. Those who complete the course will gain expertise in choosing appropriate materials, creating lesson plans, and better evaluating EFL practices.

Select U.S. embassies and consulates will also host facilitated discussions for EFL teachers taking the course as part of the State Department’s “MOOC Camp” initiative. These workshops and discussions will give course participants the chance to collaborate, clarify issues raised in the lectures, and get answers to questions. Facilitators of these MOOC Camp sessions may also conduct supplemental activities related to the current week’s topic.

For further information, please contact ECA Press at [email protected] or (202) 632-6552.