EMU Today

YPSILANTI – Seventeen Eastern Michigan University students embarked on a fascinating and highly instructive journey this past summer when they travelled to Ulcinj, Montenegro, to teach English to 123 students at Marko Nuculović Primary School.

The students, most of whom plan to gain certification as English as a Second Language teachers in EMU’s TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program, co-taught seven groups of Montenegrin students, most of whom were already bilingual in the two locally spoken languages, Montenegrin and Albanian. Apart from the elementary school learners, there were also a group of parents who studied in the hopes of developing basic communication skills so that they improve their professional prospects.

The EMU students say they were given valuable classroom and international experience, as the visit challenged them to work with English learners while at the same time noting what it feels like to be in a place where they themselves were newcomers and not understood by most locals.

“It was an invaluable experience for these teachers; one that may forever shape their work with immigrant children in their own classrooms in south Michigan,” said Zuzana Tomaš, an Eastern professor of TESOL and ESL, and the supervising faculty member of the trip. “It’s one thing when you just read about culture shock or the needs and strengths of abstract English learners in a textbook. It’s something else when you actually experience it in an authentic context and process it with others around you.”

Tomaš was able to offer the program thanks to the involvement and support of Silvija Marniković, a Montenegrin teacher who first came to Eastern in 2016 as a Fulbright Scholar, after which she decided to stay on as an MA student in the TESOL Program.

“As someone who has years-long experience in teaching EFL/ESL it didn't take me much to understand the valuable professional advancement that this program offers,” Marniković says. “The TESOL faculty are also great in offering guidance and encouragement. They are there to support my professional aspirations, to give a constructive advice, to offer support when it comes to professional development and growth such as conducting a research or presenting at conferences.

“And what’s most important for me as an international student, is how they simply ask how I am, and how I cope with the work and adapting to my new environment. It very important to me when you sense a genuine human care and empathy on top of a dedication to professional development. That type of good communication and cooperation is what led to the idea to launch a study abroad program in Montenegro.”

Marniković worked directly with TESOL faculty to develop and launch the program, which she conceived through the collaborative efforts of her faculty at EMU and at the school in Montenegro where she works as an English teacher. She also worked to advertise the benefits of the exchange program to her fellow students long before the trip.   

“Last year, Silvija came to two of my classes to advertise for the trip to Montenegro. Her enthusiasm and love for the people of the country was so evident and captured my attention,” said Hannah Reynolds, an undergraduate student studying elementary education with minors in math and TESOL, and an additional double major in dance performance.

With her busy schedule, Reynolds never thought she would be able to study abroad, but with the help of her advisors, she made a plan and was able to receive course credit for her minor.

On the trip, Reynolds worked with a classroom of 26 third and fourth grade students, co-teaching alongside another undergraduate peer, Maureen Lynch, and a graduate student, Maggie Wunderlich, who already works as a K-12 teacher.

Reynolds says she was delighted to be able to use her experience as a dancer to bring movement into her classroom, to retell the stories of Pete the Cat that she used in the classroom. 

“I will always remember the enthusiasm of every student that walked through the doors of the school, their excitement to show us their culture in and out of the classroom and their ability to (welcome) us with open arms,” Reynolds said.  

The Eastern Michigan contingent also participated in sightseeing trips, where members learned about Montenegrin culture, traditions, and enjoyed the natural environment of the country.

Many of the students report already thinking of ways to do more teaching abroad, traveling back to Montenegro or learning a foreign language, Tomaš says.

“Meaningful traveling can be really contagious that way,” she said.

The Summer 2019 Study Abroad to Montenegro is currently accepting applications. Both undergraduate and graduate students pursuing any program of study may apply. Credit in TESOL (TSLN) and FLAN (Foreign Languages) will be awarded.  

The TESOL Programs at Eastern Michigan University are housed under the Department of World Languages. In addition to the new undergraduate BA in TESOL, students can also elect a minor in TESOL, as well as a Master’s program or certificate with specialization in international teaching, K-12, or elementary/secondary education.

For more information, please contact the program advisor, Professor Ildiko Porter-Szucs, at iporters@emich.edu or 734.487.6487.  

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest public university in Michigan. It currently serves 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.