US embassy cable - 04AMMAN2057

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002057 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR ECA/A/L/W KERR/JENSON; NEA/PPD 
MCINNES/BOURGEOIS/DAVIES 
BEIRUT FOR CAO WHARTON, CAA BITAR 
TEL AVIV PLEASE PASS TO ACC JERUSALEM ICD AND CA STEIN 
JERUSALEM FOR APAO GREGONIS AND CAA BARGHOUTI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC, SCUL, JO 
SUBJECT: TESOL 2004 CONVENTION NOMINEES 
 
1.   Amman-based Regional English Language Office and in 
  cooperation with PA Beirut, PA Jerusalem and ACC Jerusalem 
  nominates the following candidates to attend the TESOL 2004 
  Convention at Long Beach, California March 30 - April 4, 
  2004: Dr. Elias Ghazal, Lebanon; Ms. Edith Bitar, Lebanon; 
  Mr. Shukri Kandeel, Jordan, Mr. Mahmud Abdel Fattah Ismail, 
  Jerusalem; and Ms. Inas Deeb, Jerusalem. This program 
  supports MPP goals of promoting mutual understanding, 
  regional stability, and support of English teaching as well 
  as forming the basis for people-to-people programs in their 
  respective countries and the US specifically, the 
  participation of all candidates will strengthen the local 
  organization supporting English teaching professionals in 
  each country. 
 
2.   The following is short bio of each nominee. 
 
3.   Dr. Elias Ghazal - Lebanon: Dr. Ghazal is the head of 
  the English Department at the University of the Holy Spirit 
  at Kaslik (USEK) that offers English courses for the 
  faculties of letters, agronomy, business management, 
  medicine, philosophy and humanities. In addition to his work 
  at USEK, Dr. Ghazal is affiliated with several private 
  schools as a teacher trainer and curriculum coordinator that 
  branches out all over Lebanon where English is taught either 
  as a foreign language or as a second language. To add to his 
  list, he is also affiliated with the National Center for 
  Educational Research and Development in Beirut that is in 
  charge of authoring and producing the national curriculum 
  for the Lebanese public schools where he was a teacher 
  trainer as well as national textbook writer for the English 
  subject textbook. 
 
4.   Ms. Edith Bitar: Ms. Bitar is the Cultural Affairs 
  Assistant at the Public Affairs Section Beirut. She has been 
  in charge of the English teaching programs in Lebanon since 
  2000 when Lebanon was added to RELO Amman regional countries 
  and has been a very active key role player in promoting RELO 
  programs in Lebanon since then. Also, Ms. Bitar will part of 
  panel committee to present a session on "Spotlight on TESOL 
  in the Middle East no. 3036 at TESOL 2004. Ever since the 
  launching of English teaching programs at Post, Ms. Bitar 
  has been one of key player in promoting and advancing the 
  program. She is in charge of planning, promoting, and 
  executing Beirut PA English Language programs which includes 
  scheduling visits and workshops of RELO Amman, coordinating 
  visits of English language specialists, assisting outreach 
  program to universities, and disseminating English language 
  materials. 
 
5.   Mr. Shurkri Kandeel: Mr. Kandeel, Educational 
  specialist at United Nation Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA): 
  as an EFL vocational as system-wide EFL analyst, Mr. Kandeel 
  will be able to represent effectively the goals and purposes 
  of the UNRWA schools, the largest UN-operated education 
  system in Jordan. As part of his attending the TESOL 2004 
  Convention, Mr. Kandeel will be presenting the UNRWA 
  experience with secondary vocational English and producing a 
  supplementary textbook for vocational English at UNRWA 
  vocational schools in Jordan and the region. 
 
6.   Mr. Mahmud Ismail: is the Head of the Languages and 
  Translation Department at Birzeit University. The Department 
  has 29 English Language instructors teaching courses that 
  help students use English texts in their advanced study. The 
  courses that the department offers are both communication 
  and English for Academic purposes, which are requisite 
  courses for all majors at the university. Mr. Abdul Fattah 
  is very keen on developing and advancing the Languages 
  Department, especially on the aspects of using technology 
  such as computer assisted language learning and online 
  training.  In addition to his current at Birzeit University, 
  Mr. Abdul Fattah is contributing to the English language 
  teaching as a foreign language through voluntary activities. 
  This included participating in the British Council Seminars 
  on English for Academic purposes, and organizing the 
  Palestinian Association for Teachers of English as a Foreign 
  Language (PATEFL). Attending TESOL 2004 convention is going 
  to be an excellent opportunity for Mr. Abdel Fattah to 
  connect with the professional community of EFL, at the same 
  time learning about the best and the latest methodologies, 
  researches and material that he can facilitate to help both 
  his Palestinian colleagues and students. 
 
7.   Ms. Inas Deeb: Ms. Deeb is a teacher trainer and 
  advisor working in the Jerusalem area schools assigned 
  initially by the Center for Educational Technologies and 
  subsequently by the Ministry of Education and Jerusalem 
  Municipality. In addition to that, she plays a key role in 
  building the Pedagogic Center for English teachers that 
  includes the co-organizing of the yearlong methodology of 
  English teaching course, which is mandatory for all teachers 
  seeking employment with the Ministry of Education. Among 
  many of the projects that Ms. Deeb is involved in is the 
  TETEC (Teaching English Through Experiencing Culture) course 
  for in-service teacher education, where Ms. Deeb has 
  developed a program of studies and meetings where literally 
  the East meets West: between native Arabic or native English 
  speakers from East Jerusalem meet native English or native 
  Hebrew speakers from West Jerusalem. Thus awarded her an 
  invitation from TESOL 2004 Convention to present and to tape 
  record the session which is based on field notes and 
  reflections noted in the course of planning the methodology 
  course and the TETEC course that are contrasted or measured 
  against issues of cross cultural communication that were 
  experienced. 
 
8.   RELO Amman thanks ECA support in providing funds to 
  help these participants to attend such a conference to 
  benefit from. 
Gnehm