Robert Emigh Selected for Extension of English Language Teaching Fellowship
The U.S. Department of State announced the selection of Robert Emigh of Connecticut State Community Colleges-Norwalk for a 10-month fellowship extension to continue his work training teachers and teaching English in Madagascar at the University of Antananarivo. Prof. Emigh is one of only 200 U.S. citizens selected for the 2023-2024 English Language Fellow Program. The country of Madagascar, situated off the southeast coast of Africa, has a population of 28 million and is the fourth largest island in the world. The University of Antananarivo has over 35,000 students and is the country’s flagship university.
Emigh is a tenured professor at Connecticut State Community Colleges-Norwalk in Norwalk, Connecticut and has been teaching English students as well as future English teachers for over 30 years. In addition to teaching at CSCC-Norwalk and in Madagascar, he has also taught English in New York City, Brazil, and Thailand. During the past academic year, Emigh partnered with faculty, staff, and students at CCSC-Norwalk and the University of Antananarivo to organize two highly successful virtual academic symposiums and one virtual cultural exchange between the two institutions.
The English Language Fellow Program is the premier opportunity for experienced teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. government. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, Fellows work directly with local teachers, students, and educational professionals to improve the quality of English language instruction offered at prestigious universities and other academic institutions.
Since 1969, the English Language Fellow Program has sent thousands of TESOL scholars and educators abroad to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the U.S. and other countries through cultural exchange. On assignment, Fellows teach English, conduct teacher training, develop resources, and organize events and conferences. These projects are challenging, and the teachers selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers back home.
English Language Fellows are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Fellow Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.
