Colorado State University Welcomes Three Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants for 2010-2011

Colorado State University’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures welcomes three Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants from Russia, Egypt and China for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Ani Kazaryan, a Russian language teacher; Fatma ElZahraa Mohamed, an Arabic language teacher; and Hui Zhang, a Chinese language teacher will refine their teaching skills, increase their proficiency in English, and learn the culture and customs of the United States through the Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant Program.

“Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants are chosen through a rigorous application process and we feel fortunate to have such qualified and enthusiastic young people coming to share their languages and cultures with us,” said Mary Vogl, associate professor of French and director of the Language and Culture Study Center at CSU. “We are proud to expose them to our vibrant Foreign Language, Literature and Culture programs and to the warm, small-town atmosphere of Fort Collins.”

Kazaryan is from Tomsk, in the Siberian region of Russia. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in 2006 and has completed two years of her doctorate program in the theory and teaching methods of foreign languages and cultures. She teaches English at the Institute of International Education and Language Communication in Tomsk.

Mohamed, from Giza, Egypt, has a bachelor’s degree in English language and literature and has completed one year in her master’s program. She wants to help dispel misconceptions Americans have toward Middle Eastern cultures.

Zhang, from Chengdu, China, has a master’s degree in English language and literature. She teaches English at the School of Foreign Languages for Economics and Trade in China. Zhang wants to share her passion for second-language acquisition, computer-aided teaching and Chinese culture.

In addition to their teaching opportunities at CSU, all three will serve as resources in conversation groups, and student language clubs as well as serve as guest speakers in courses.

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