The US Embassy in Dhaka on Saturday organised a one-day conference at the National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM) to commemorate 60 years of English language teaching resources published by the US Department of State’s Office of English Language Programs English Teaching Forum magazine.

Established in 1962, the English Teaching Forum is a quarterly journal aimed at supporting English teachers and educators around the world through the publication of innovative and practical teaching tips.

The conference was the first in-person English teachers’ conference held in Bangladesh since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

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Over 200 English teachers and educators across Bangladesh participated in the programme with the theme of “60 Years of Impact: From the Classroom to Community and Beyond.”

US Embassy Public Affairs Counselor Sean McIntosh, Secretary for Secondary and Higher Education Md. Abu Bakr Siddique, and NAEM Director General Md. Nizamul Karim inaugurated the conference.

The conference included interactive workshops, presentations, and panel discussions on teaching strategies, curriculum development design, and utilizing digital tools to improve the quality of classroom engagement.

US English Language Specialist, Dr Lawrence N Berlin, delivered a plenary presentation on the second phase of a six-month-long project to assist with modernizing a critical English language course for 1,120 secondary and higher secondary English teachers.

Launched in January 2022, Dr Berlin began remotely working with NAEM over the span of three-months to support English educators in identifying gaps in curriculum design.

Funding from the US Agency for International Development and a partnership with the University of Chicago helped establish NAEM in 1959.

Since 2004, 1,300 Bangladeshi students have participated in the English Access Microscholarship programme aimed at providing talented students with after-school classes and intensive sessions to improve their English language skills.

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2022 marks the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-US people-to-people ties as well as the resumption of in-person English Language Specialists and Fellows programs in Bangladesh.

In October 2022, two English Language Fellows will join BRAC University and North South University to support the improvement of the quality of English teaching and learning.