About project
The objective of the project was to create a group of 20 professionals in Artsakh who teach English and enable communication in English, and provide them with skills and incentives to improve their proficiency in a life-long format.
The project consisted of a series of three workshops with professionals from Yerevan on life-long learning of English using online tools and resources, written and oral translation skills and self-learning, and the use of English as a communication tool. Participants were young translators and students of translation; teachers/professors of English; communication officers from government and business. Best trainees were provided internship opportunities in Yerevan.
Workshops
The workshop were conducted in autumn-winter 2017/2018 and included lectures, discussions, games, various translation/interpretation exercises using text, video and audio materials. The focus was on inspiring the students and opening up avenues for learning and networking. The participants of the first workshop were also allowed to practice simultaneous interpretation in the main hall of the National Assembly of Artsakh. It was a first experience almost for all and inspirational for many. The second workshop was conducted by Steven Donatelle, an English professor from the U.S. teaching English at two universities in Yerevan. The third workshop focused on professional practices and life-long learning. It included interpreting various genres (science lectures, political speeches, business discussions, TV comedy, song lyrics, documentaries and feature films), playing with vocabulary and idioms, approaches to teaching and self-teaching, and ways to maintain this community as a tool for learning and professional networking.
Internship
The Workshops were followed by internships in spring-autumn 2018. A total of 7 course graduates took part. Internship placements included World Vision, the MFA, the Office of the Ombudsman, Yerevan State University, and Caucasus Institute.
Results
The group of 22 participants of the course became a tight-woven community, motivated to learn and communicate in English, boost their professional skills and network with colleagues. Its members created outreach for CI activities, and will hopefully play a part in forming the future of Artsakh. The group still has its own Facebook page where the participants exchange ideas on improvement of their professional skills, share relevant calls, etc.