Deo Mar E. Suasin, a Senior High School faculty of Silliman University, received a full scholarship to study in the United States as one of four fellows chosen for the 2023-2024 Philippines Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program.
Suasin will begin the program at the University of Pennsylvania by August this year.
The Philippine-American Educational Foundation announced the “cohort of outstanding Filipino students and scholars” for the 2023-2024 FLTA Program on June 23, 2023 through the Fulbright Philippines Facebook page.
According to the Fulbright Philippines website, the program aims to strengthen foreign language instruction at American colleges and universities while providing scholars the opportunity to increase their English language proficiency, refine their teaching skills, and extend their knowledge of the culture and customs of the U.S.
Under the program, scholars are also expected to work as Filipino language teaching assistants at their host university for one academic year or an equivalent of nine months.
Suasin, who has been teaching English at Silliman University since 2016, said participating in the program is a great opportunity to introduce the Filipino language and culture to others.
“Teaching English and Filipino is not that different since these two are both languages, and the concepts and skills taught are basically the same; the main difference is just the medium of instruction. However, since culture plays a significant role in language teaching and learning, it is also important to consider the context and culture of the students in the US who will be studying the Filipino language,” he added.
When he applied for the program, Suasin said he submitted three essays about his objectives and motivation in applying, the teaching methodologies that can be effective in teaching a foreign language, and his role as a cultural ambassador of the Philippines to the US.
He said he also went through a panel interview and took an English proficiency test.
“I hope to gain emerging ideas and interesting practices in language pedagogy from a different setting or culture. By immersing myself in a new environment, I hope I will be able to gain new perspectives on how language learning and intercultural communication work,” said Suasin, who will be returning to Silliman University after the program.
Suasin teaches the following subjects in Senior High School: Reading and Writing Skills, English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Practical Research 1, and Oral Communication.
Suasin finished his degrees in Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in English in 2016, and Master of Arts in English in 2023 at SU.
Funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, the FLTA Program is a full scholarship program for early career English language teachers.
Scholars of the program will have the opportunity to take classes on teaching methodology and other topics, such as American studies, and are expected to participate in programs at their host university and share the Filipino culture with their colleagues and students.
The FLTA Program is open to Filipino citizens based outside of Metro Manila who teach the English language, with no more than seven years of teaching experience; or those who are training to be English teachers. – NWI
