Russian Educators to Visit Scottsdale Community College on Monday, March 24

Scottsdale, AZ (March 20, 2008) -- On Monday, March 24, 2008, Scottsdale Community College will host a delegation of twelve Russian educators as part of the program -- American Studies and English Teaching Curricula: Best Practices -- A Project for Russia.

The Russian educators (and two interpreters) are coming to Arizona under the auspices of the Department of State's International Leadership Program and the World Affairs Council in Phoenix, with the primary goals of gaining insight into SCC's ESL program, becoming familiar with the use of technology in education settings, and to provide first-hand experience of life and culture in the U.S.

The International Education Department at SCC works with foreign guests to ensure that the curriculum and learning experiences on campus will be globalized in today's world.  As the only community college in the country to provide ESL for Hospitality, SCC was selected by the Russian educators specifically for its expertise in this area.

The delegation will be greeted by Dr. Daniel Corr, SCC's Vice President of Academic Services, followed by Dr. Dean Hermanson, Vice President of Occupational Programs.  Therese Tendick, Director of International Education will speak to the visitors followed by John Liffiton, English as a Second Language Coordinator. 

Campus officials will host a tour of SCC's Culinary Arts department, Writing Center, Film School and Fitness Center.

Twelve Russian educators are scheduled to visit SCC, including:

Ms. Yelena Nikolayevna Galichkina, Associate Professor, English Language Department, Astrakhan State University

Dr. Galichkina specializes in courses relating to the impact of 'netspeak', computer-mediated communication, business communication, and philology.  She is recognized as being the most knowledgeable teacher in her department concerning 'netspeak' and the impact of e-mail on twenty-first century English.  Dr. Galichkina has commenced work on an innovative manual called "The Electronic Era and Linguistics" which will be used both within her department and by other educational institutions.

Mr. Mikhail Yuryevich Brodskiy, Professor of English, Head of Translation Chair-Institute of International Relations, Yekaterinburg

Mr. Brodskiy is very active in the EFL community. He also has organized preparation courses for TOEFL and has organized and hosted a citywide student competition for Interpreter of the Year. He often invites guests to his classroom to speak about America and American values, and organizes for his students to have cooking parties with American families living in Yekaterinburg. As a community leader, he has launched an initiative to translate local maps, street signs and restaurant menus into English as a means to encourage tourism in the area.

Ms. Yelena Vladimirovna Gromushkina, Editor-in-Chief, English educational newspaper

Ms. Elena Gromushkina is the editor-in-chief for the educational newspaper English, which is distributed to about 8,000 schools across the Russian Federation and is the main medium through which teachers can access new ideas for their English language lessons.  Ms. Gromushkina also reaches out to English language teachers in the Moscow region through the well-known "EFL Marathon," a training event that she started several years ago and which now attracts about 1,500 professionals in the field.  She also plays a key role in the Moscow English Language Teachers' Association, a registered NGO that develops professional development opportunities for teachers.

Ms. Irina Leonidovna Lebedeva, Senior Professor, Institute of Foreign Languages, Far Eastern National University, Vladivostok

As a Senior Professor and an active member of the Far Eastern English Language Teachers' Association (FEELTA), Dr. Lebedeva has promoted English language in her local community and has worked with English teachers from all over the Far East. She has been a prolific author with 21 publications, in particular the coursebook "Major in English" for first year students at the Institute. In her role at FEELTA, she is responsible for publishing the FEELTA quarterly newsletter, organizing the annual English language Talent Show for over 400 children in the region, and participating in the selection committee for students that are sent to represent the Russian Far East at the Pan Asian Conference on language teaching each year.

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