New Heights in English Language Teaching in Turkmenistan: A Historic Symposium
On March 3, a symposium was held at the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages, opening a new chapter in the history of the country's education system. The forum, titled "Accelerating English Language Teaching in Central Asia: Implementing Inclusive Methodologies at the PRESETT Symposium," focused on modern trends in English language teacher training in accordance with international standards.
This event was more than just an academic conference; it provided a genuine academic platform for direct interaction between Turkmen educators and specialists from the world-renowned Nottingham Trent University. The opening of the symposium, organized as part of the educational project to enhance the quality of English language teaching in Central Asia (AELLCA), was held at a high diplomatic and academic level.
In his speech, the Rector of the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages emphasized that holding this forum is an important step in improving foreign language teaching in the country. The event was also attended by the British Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Stephen Conlon, who noted that education is a key area of cooperation between the two countries, and this symposium will give new impetus to this collaboration.
A distinctive feature of the symposium was that all presentations and discussions were held exclusively in English. This created a truly international scientific and methodological environment and allowed participants to test and strengthen their professional competencies in practice. Martin Sevior, a representative of Nottingham Trent University, presented an overview of the symposium's objectives, emphasizing that its primary objective is to improve the professional standards of training future English language teachers (PRESETT).
The integration of international experience and national initiatives was the central theme of the symposium. Dr. Sarah Khan of Nottingham Trent University presented a paper on "Inclusive Methodologies in English Language Teaching," presenting the latest technologies used on leading global educational platforms. Members of the curriculum improvement working group at the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages introduced participants to new teaching modules and teaching aids developed jointly with Nottingham Trent University. These presentations significantly contributed to the international recognition of the Turkmen education system and the development of a national "educational model."
The second part of the symposium was interactive and practice-oriented. Led by Martin Sevior and Sarah Khan, teachers were divided into small groups to analyze various inclusive teaching scenarios and defend their solutions, bringing them to life on large posters. At the end of the day, a Q&A panel discussion provided teachers from across the country with the opportunity to engage in direct academic dialogue with international experts and receive answers to their professional questions.
The strategic partnership with Nottingham Trent University provides a solid foundation for elevating English language teaching in Turkmenistan to a new international level of quality.
ORIENT
