US embassy cable - 05ABUDHABI2195

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 002195 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PPD; NEA/ARP; ECA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OEXC, SCUL, XF, TC 
SUBJECT:  UAE ACCESS STUDENTS: "I THOUGHT THAT AMERICANS 
ARE AFRAID OF ARABS" 
 
REF: ABU DHABI 000097 
 
1.(U) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: AMBASSADOR SISON HANDED 
CERTIFICATES OF GRADUATION TO 100 UAE ELEVENTH-GRADE STUDENTS AT 
THE MICROSCHOLARSHIP GRADUATION CEREMONY ON MAY 8, 2005.  AT THE 
CEREMONY, ELS LANGUAGE CENTERS AWARDED $700 SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 60- 
HOUR TOEFL PREPARATION CLASSES TO EIGHT STUDENTS FROM TWO 
SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE EMIRATE OF AJMAN AND TWO IN THE EMIRATE 
OF ABU DHABI.  THE STUDENTS WERE CONFIDENT WITH THEIR NEW ENGLISH 
LANGUAGE SKILLS, RELAXED WITH THE AMERICAN TEACHERS AND EMBASSY 
STAFF, AND PROUD OF THE ATTENTION FROM THE PRESS AND MINISTRY 
OFFICIALS.  ELS LANGUAGE CENTERS WAS THE PERFECT PARTNER OF THE 
EMBASSY IN THIS INNOVATIVE AND SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM. 
 
2. ACTION REQUEST: POST STRONGLY RECOMMENDS EXPANSION OF THE 
PROGRAM TO 500 STUDENTS AND WOULD LIKE TO ADD $700 
TOEFL-PREPARATION SCHOLARSHIPS FOR 2 OUTSTANDING STUDENTS FROM 
EACH CLASS. 
 
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Non-Elite Emirati Students 
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3. Equal numbers of 11th grade boys and girls were selected to 
participate in the Microscholarship ACCESS program.  The Ministry 
of Education helped Post select secondary schools in needy areas 
of the country that could be reached by American teachers working 
for ELS Language Centers, the implementing partner chosen for the 
project.  After agreement was reached with school administrators 
and educational zone officials, Post provided letters for 
students to bring home to their families to explain USG 
involvement in the program. The students selected had beginner- 
level English skills and little opportunity to improve their 
skills outside of their local government schools. 
 
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Innovative Teaching Methods 
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4. TRADITIONAL ENGLISH TEACHING IN THE GULF WAS PREVIOUSLY VOID 
OF CULTURAL CONTENT. IN THIS COURSE, HOWEVER, THE CULTURAL 
CONTENT WAS THE CORE OF THE LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE.  ELS USED POST- 
PROVIDED "ALL ABOUT THE USA," SUPPLEMENTED BY LONGMAN'S 
"COMMUNICATION SKILLS" AND EXPRESSWAY'S "READY TO READ/READY TO 
WRITE".  COURSE MODULES INCLUDED INFORMATION ON US SOCIETY AND 
CULTURE, GEOGRAPHY, SYMBOLS, CAREERS, BIOGRAPHIES OF PEOPLE, AND 
US HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONAL FOOD. FOR EACH MODULE, THE STUDENTS 
TALKED ABOUT THE SUBJECT, READ, COMPARED, WROTE AND PRESENTED. 
THE COURSE ENCOURAGED CRITICAL THINKING RATHER THAN COPYING OR 
MEMORIZING.  THE COURSE INCLUDED A GUEST SPEAKER EVERY MONTH, A 
FIELD TRIP, AND A DISCUSSION GROUP ON A SPECIFIC ISSUE. ALL 
ACTIVITIES INCLUDED ENGAGING WITH AMERICANS.  THE COURSE RAN FOR 
2 HOURS AFTER SCHOOL 4-5 DAYS A WEEK. 
 
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Graduation at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
5.  Students from all four participating schools came together 
for the first time on May 8 for the graduation, traveling up to 
three hours to come to the capital.  The ceremony was attended by 
parents as well as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of 
Education, the Directors of the Abu Dhabi and Ajman Educational 
Zones, ELS Middle East Director, ELS teachers, school principals 
and members of the media.  During the ceremony, ELS played a 
power point presentation showing the various field trips and 
activities that students participated in as part of the program. 
(Note: These included visits to the US Embassy and Consulate, the 
American Community School, and US Education College Expos; 
participation in a focus group on Hi Magazine with Alex Feldman; 
visits to schools by junior officers; and career sessions 
conducted by embassy educational advisor.  End note.)  After 
certificate presentations, a representative from each of the 
classes gave a speech in English.  The Ambassador congratulated 
the students on their commitment and accomplishments and reminded 
them that they were always welcome in the United States and had 
friends in the Embassy and Consulate.  The Undersecretary urged 
them to continue their studies.  PA staff took group photos of 
participants which were sent to each of the students, and the 
day's program finished with lunch, at which students had a 
further opportunity to speak with PA officers. 
 
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Evaluation of Program: Language Skills and Trust-Building 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
6. Language skills were tested at the beginning and at the 
conclusion of the course. The majority of girls started at level 
102 or 103 (beginner level on the ELS scale of 101 - 109) and 
reached level 105 and 106 (upper intermediate). The boys were 
true beginners at level 100, but most of them tested 104 and 105 
by the end.  The emphasis on speaking and active learning and 
many hours of interaction with native speakers resulted in this 
enormous jump in tested level. 
 
7. The change in comfort level and trust by the parents of the 
participating students was palpable.  At the beginning of the 
course, the school principals and the parents required that 3 or 
4 chaperons would accompany the students on any field trip and 
only after letters were sent home to the families. By the end, 
parents allowed students to be accompanied by only their English 
teacher. The level of trust in ELS, the US Embassy, and the 
program in general increased tremendously. 
 
8. One of the most exciting activities for the students was a 
visit to the American Community School in Abu Dhabi where the UAE 
boys played a soccer game with the American boys and the girls 
joined in an art activity with their American hosts. At the end 
of the visit the UAE students invited the American students to 
visit their schools to return their hospitality and share with 
them "the other side of the coin" as one student put it.  By 
graduation, students eagerly had their photos taken and easily 
chatted with the American officers. 
 
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Quotes by students 
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9. "I thought that Americans are afraid of Arabs." 
 
"The US history is not as short as we thought. There are 
similarities between our history and the American history. Both 
societies had tribes." 
 
"What happened in the 60's and 70's in the US is what is 
happening in our country now in terms of development, women going 
to school, boys getting education instead of going to work with 
their fathers." 
 
"There was an Emirati citizen from Ras Al Khaimah with 
Christopher Columbus when he traveled for the first time to 
discover America." 
 
"I need an extra book for my sister. She wants to learn about 
America." 
 
"Evenings at home will be so boring without the class to attend." 
 
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News reaches the Arab public 
---------------------------- 
 
10. THE THREE MAJOR ARABIC DAILIES, "AL-BAYAN" (CIRCULATION 
35,000), "AL-ITTIHAD" (CIRCULATION 45,000), AND "AL-KHALEEJ" 
(CIRCULATION 65,000) HAD GOOD COVERAGE OF THE EVENT ON MAY 9, 
WITH PHOTOS OF THE AMBASSADOR AND MINISTRY OF EDUCATION OFFICIALS 
WITH THE GIRLS AND BOYS IN TWO OF THESE NEWSPAPERS. STORIES USED 
A POST-PREPARED FACT SHEET. 
 
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Assessment of Partner Organization 
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11. ELS Language Centers, the local implementer, did an 
outstanding job. They worked closely with Post from the beginning 
to sell the program to skeptical officials at the educational 
zones and the Ministry.  They understood that the purpose of the 
program was to change attitudes as much as to improve language 
skills.  They sent warm and friendly teachers into the 
classrooms.  A curriculum superviser designed a unified structure 
for the four classes, which led to the dramatic improvement in 
the students' language skills and their confidence in using the 
language.  ELS communicated on a daily basis with the 
administrators of the participating schools and worked closely 
with Post to develop extracurricular activities. 
 
12. ELS awarded two scholarships to each school for outstanding 
students who had the highest attendance rate and commitment, 
highest participation, and highest test scores. The scholarship 
will pay for 60 hours of TOEFL preparation course at ELS. Each 
scholarship is for UAE Dirhams 2500 (US $700). 
 
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Future of the Microscholarship ACCESS Program 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
13. The Embassy and program implementers are unanimous that they 
have never seen a program which gives so much return for a very 
limited sum of money.  For $1,000 per student, a relationship of 
trust was built between the students, their families, the 
schools, the educational zones and the Ministry with the American 
teachers, ELS, and the US Embassy.  Young, impressionable Emirati 
nationals who had little or no previous personal connection to 
Americans and the United States are now positively inclined and 
have a positive picture to substitute for repetitive negative 
images in the media. 
 
14. Because of the success the program, the Ministry of Education 
and Educational Zones at the different Emirates have already 
inquired about next year. Subject to availability of funds from 
ECA, Post would be able to give scholarships to 500 students for 
the new school year. We would offer the program at five locations 
(Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Ajman, Al-Ain, and Shahama) with 100 
grade 10 and 11 students at each location, 50 boys and 50 girls. 
They would use the same books and materials as this year. In 
addition, Post recommends funding two students from each class of 
25 to get a TOEFL Scholarship at the conclusion of the course, in 
addition to the two scholarships which ELS has committed to 
giving as cost sharing. At $700 for 20 scholarships, this would 
add $14,000 to the grant. 
 
SISON