Focus Areas

The Soros Professional English Language Teaching Program (SPELT) seeks to bring modern teaching methodologies to the countries in the Soros foundations network by supplying MA-degree TESL/TEFL specialists to selected teacher training colleges and university departments.

SPELT Teaching Fellows are responsible for approximately 20 hours of classroom instruction a week. SPELT Teacher Trainers work closely with the national Soros foundations, teacher associations, and/or teacher training colleges or universities to develop a variety of activities which may include, but are not limited to pre- and in-service EFL methodology courses, teacher training curriculum development, textbook analysis, testing, and EFL materials development.

Both SPELT Fellows and Teacher Trainers provide support to country-specific English language programs run by the national Soros foundation. SPELT assignments are for one academic year and generally begin the final week of August. SPELT Teaching Fellows are committed until the end of the academic year, and trainers through July so that they may participate in a summer teacher training camp. An orientation is conducted by the national Soros foundation staff before the school year begins.