The “Visual Guide to Building Teachers’ Associations” is a labor of love. Since the very inception of U.S. Embassy Moscow’s English Language Office in 1993, teachers’ associations have been at the heart of our work. The network of now over 40 associations in cities and regions throughout Russia have united English language instructors, future teachers, administrators of English language programs, policy makers and teacher educators at all levels of education, and provided an effective environment for professional development. This material is for this dedicated group of professionals as well as for teachers hungry to learn more about this network and, hopefully, begin their own association.

The “visual” aspect of the Guide consists of film clips, Power Point files, and photos. As the famous Russian proverb puts it, “It is better to see one time than to hear 100 times.” Texts and additional documents supplement the visuals and provide a background or additional detail. The Guide’s goals are to showcase the history and current activities of teachers’ associations, highlight the range of support mechanisms available to all associations, and provide step-by-step instructions for those who wish to join an association or establish an association in a city or region that does not yet have an association.

We suggest you begin your exploration of the Guide with these three informative video clips to the left. U.S. Embassy Moscow Ambassador John Beyrle gives an overview of the importance of English in the world and addresses the important work of associations in providing professional development opportunities. He was filmed while giving the opening address at the National Association of Teachers of English (NATE) Conference in Kazan in June 2009. Dr. Ter-Minasova, the president of NATE, talks about her work with NATE over the years and about its involvement in the rich landscape of English language teaching in Russia. Dr. Galina Lovtsevich, the president of the Far Eastern English Language Teachers’ Association (FEELTA), represents the eastern edge of Russia and talks about the unique orientation of their association.

Please keep in mind that with the exception of Dr. Ter-Minasova’s and Dr. Lovtsevich’s addresses, all of the video clips were collected from a number of professional development events. They are largely unedited and are meant to give you a “visual” feel for the work of teachers’ associations in Russia.

We hope that the information in the Guide informs and inspires you and your colleagues. We look forward to seeing you and your association play active roles in two important online environments: http://www.eltrussia.ru and
http://elt-russia.ning.com.

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	John Beyrle U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Speech at NATE Conference, Kazan, 2009
	Click here for the transcript

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	Svetlana Ter-Minasova Professor, Lomonosov MSU, Dean of Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies, NATE President

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	Galina Lovtsevich Professor, Institute of Foreign Languages, Far Eastern National University, President of FEELTA