In addition to the English Speaking Nation: Secondary Teacher Training Program, launched in 2018, American Councils has added a second component to the initiative, the English Speaking Nation: Coaches Program. Seven highly specialized Coaches came from the U.S. to Uzbekistan through funding provided by the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent to support the English Speaking Nation Initiative in Uzbekistan. This initiative aims to improve English language knowledge and teaching skills of more than 15,000 secondary school English teachers across Uzbekistan through intensive training and certification. The ESN Coaches are now an integral part of this process and initiative.
The newly arrived Coaches went through a rigorous two-week orientation training period. They took Uzbek language courses, learned about Uzbekistan's education system, and met their Uzbek regional counterparts. Afterward, they attended an official ceremony with the U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Daniel Rosenblum, and Minister of Public Education Sherzod Shermatov. The ceremony, held on February 9, celebrated the 580th birthday of famous Uzbek poet Alisher Navoi. To welcome the Coaches, Ambassador Rosenblum remarked, "We are thrilled to host you here and celebrate your arrival along with the Government of Uzbekistan. You have embarked on an important journey to strengthen relations between our two countries." Both Ambassador Rosenblum and Minister Shermatov wished the Coaches well on their upcoming year of service in the regions of Uzbekistan.
Following recitations of Alisher Navoi's poems in Uzbek and English, the Coaches departed from Tashkent to seven different regions where they will conduct teacher-training workshops to strengthen methodological and pedagogical standards for English language teachers at the secondary school level. Spread across Uzbekistan, the Coaches will have the opportunity to work with regional education leaders and training centers to support English language teaching standards and best teaching practices.