COUNTRIES: India
DURATION: 09/30/2021 - 06/30/2024
FUNDER: U.S. Embassy in New Delhi
PARTNER: Cengage Learning
CONTACT[email protected]

Program Description

The Madrassa English Language Teacher Training Program is a blended online and in-person teacher training program supporting madrassa English teachers in India to develop as professionals and teach English in English using learner-centered, communicative methods.

Through MELTT, World Learning aims to increase the capacity and effectiveness of madrassa English language teachers and teacher trainers in India, support inclusive education of students and professional development of teachers, and promote interactive, learner-centered education practices. Participants of the program complete two self-paced online courses developed by National Geographic Learning: English for Teaching and Professional Knowledge for English Language Teachers. Peer Learning Hubs (PLH) integrate experiential learning, practical activities, and reflection into the online courses. They support teachers taking the online courses and provide a professional learning community for teachers to interact with as they complete the curriculum. In this iteration, World Learning will support the professional development of four coaches, 40 teacher trainers, and 166 madrassa teachers in India, enabling them to increase their competency in teaching English using communicative, learner-centered methods and enhance the learning experience and English fluency of students in India.

The second phase of the MELTT Program, referred to as Professional Skills in ELT and Teacher Training, is a blended learning program designed for MELTT alumni who are well-prepared to further develop as teacher trainers. Through this program, World Learning aims to strengthen the abilities of 60 MELTT alumni teachers, building their capacity to train over 600 English teachers to use more communicative and learner-centered methods in the classroom. The program has three stages: stage one is six weeks of virtual review and practical application of English language teaching pedagogy; stage two is a six-day in-person workshop introducing teacher training design and delivery skills; and stage three is a three-month teacher training practicum run with virtual support. As a result of this additional investment in the madrassa community, madrassa English teachers will produce tested workshop plans for facilitating successful teacher training workshops; train teachers in their communities by conducting these workshops; and get the opportunity to improve their workshops with feedback from U.S.-based training experts.

Program Goals

  • Enhance the capacity and confidence of madrassa teachers to teach English language lessons in English.
  • Promote communicative, learner-centered, experiential teaching practices.
  • Increase students’ critical thinking skills and their capacity to use English to access and evaluate information.
  • Provide madrassa youth with increased access to higher education and job opportunities, to help further their societal integration.
  • Build the framework for a scalable, sustainable Training of Trainers program.