Undergraduate / The sole intention of the education is to equip the students with as much knowledge as possible [5]

What knowledge, skills and abilities do you hope to gain as a result of participating in this program?

My name is Teba Mohammed Naqash, I was born on November15, 1988 in Mosul, Iraq. I am a junior Assistant Lecturer in the University of Mosul/ College of Arts. I completed my Master of Language and Linguistics, with my thesis in the area of translation. This, however, was and is not the end of my academic endeavours as I have yet to find all the answers. I am interested in applying for the Fulbright Visiting Scholars Program in terms of TEFL/Linguistics cohort. As I am a staff member at the Department of Translation as well as working at the University Presidency at the Department of Cultural Relations, hence your esteemed program would definitely contribute positively as far as building the students' capacity is concerned. The sole intension of the education process from my perspective is to equip the students with as much knowledge as possible. Such a goal can only be accomplished through adopting state to the art teaching methods. Unfortunately, the current teaching methods can the least be described as out of date. Years and years of blackout has cast a somber shadow on the whole education process. My university lacks not only the appropriate teaching methods but also the latest technology that are supposed to be employed inside the class. I strongly believe that participating in the Fulbright Program would be the holy grail for me. It would be an opportunity that would open up brand new horizon for me, for my students and my colleagues to whom I intend to convey my knowledge when I go back to my country.

I aspire to grow my knowledge of the English language and to make myself a more competent instructor. My ultimate goal is not to become just an ordinary English instructor but to lead by example and to become a role model for other teachers. To reach that end, it is imperative that I enrol in a reputable English teaching program in a country where English is the first language. The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program has those qualities. My ultimate goal is to be a key player in revolutionizing a change to this approach and to introduce a new, active teaching technique that is more robust and would accelerate and motivate the learning of English.

I would like to concentrate on curriculum development and use of technology which I consider as basic pillars in the education process. The current curricula are out of date and do not cover the recent educational trends in particular the translation major. It is a fact that language do crop up on a daily basis while the current curricula cover only the old fashion ideas comparing to the new ones. One of my goals, if I have the owner to be accepted in your program, is to work with university professors in the States in order to consider updated curricula.

In 2009, I joined an American English training course that addressed the problems of teaching English and why students dislike the subject of English. The reason for this was that the teaching methods were not motivating and were passive in nature. I believe that this is what the educational system of teaching English in Iraq is struggling with. It is the passive teaching methods that limit the absorption and grasp of students to the English language. At this point, this goal is still an aspiration as I have yet to enrol in a program that addresses and tackles this area. Technology in classroom should receive the same amount of attention as both aspects should be developed simultaneously in order for the outcome to be successful i.e. well equipped students. Enrolling with the FVSP will illuminate me and arm me with the tools needed to make the difference I am looking to make in my country. Going back to what I started with, my goal in life is to be a source of help and inspiration for others. My way of achieving that is by sharing knowledge. English being the language of knowledge, my aim is to teach and enhance the teaching of this language in a country where people aspire to learn but lack this tool to reach out to the rest of the world. Sharing ideas and connecting between the cultures are among my interests. I used to offer English sessions in the American Corner, a place which is related to the American Embassy, where different kinds of people attend for open dialogue, counteract negative preconceptions, and build bridges of understanding. It is a place where we can use technology to spread ideas and values of American democracy and civil society. I have presented various workshops and English teaching sessions besides offering educational programs for the youths. Also, we have welcomed native Americans in person or through Skype video call to share our cultures and to take part in the discussions being held. This place gives us as teachers and our students the chance to communicate with English native speakers. Through FVSP, I am looking to investing this place through the mutual relations I am looking to build with the U.S faculties. This is one of my objectives after returning from the program.

Conveying the knowledge would be like a chain reaction. Once I get back to my country, I will start first with publishing a paper entailing the teaching methodologies I received in order for the information to be documented. Furthermore, I shall organize workshops whereby a number of heads of different faculties shall be invited so as eventually they will take their part in dispersing knowledge among their colleagues. Being among the staff of the Cultural Relations Department, it will help me to held such workshops and to keep in contact with the U.S faculties for future joint endeavors.

Linguistics is one of the research areas that I would like to cover while in the States. General linguistics is one of the major topics that need to be covered well in my department. Again, lack of appropriate resources has hindered the endeavour to come up with a crystal clear approach to teaching linguistics. I hope to build up a sustainable network of connections with U.S faculty members to enrich my knowledge on a regular basis.

In my view, knowledge is a gift, and the best way to use such a gift is to share it. It is to make others armed with the tool they would need to pursue knowledge others have advanced and discover the world around them.

As an ambassador of my country, I aspire to maintain the communication channels widely open between me and the people that I will meet at the States in terms of sharing culture, history and background. For me, the only source of knowledge with respect to the American culture was only through movies and songs.

Based on my experience at the Department of Cultural Relations, I can proudly say that this section represents a cultural facade to explore new cultural dimensions. My country embraces cultural diversity which is something that I have experienced in person through working with NGOs. I came in contact with people from different cultural backgrounds and learned a lot from them and I will convey such cultural experience to the American people.

Working in the Cultural Relations Department will make it easier for me to connect between my university and the U.S universities. One of my objectives is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Iraqi/ U.S universities so we could let the channel always be opened for future initiatives.

Annually, my university is offered to participate for IREX small grants. This needs professional efforts to write a good proposal to get the approval of the staff being in charge. IREX assists in matching US/Iraqi universities and provide coaching for institutions as needed. I am looking to get this grant for the sake of building and fostering sustainable partnerships in priority areas to fully equip my university to engage globally. However, this needs to get an earlier partnership with the U.S universities ahead of submission. Through FVSP, I am looking to write a proposal in collaboration with one of the U.S universities before the grant will be launched for the next year. Together, we can come up with a proposal that can meets the needs of both parties.

FVSP seems to be an opportunity for me to travel to a country where English is the native language, where knowledge is shared with others for the betterment of people, where I can activate the initiatives that are yet under the process of discussing and where I can get exposed to other cultures and customs, learn, and share my values with others around the world. FVSP seems to be the perfect match for what I am looking for. I strongly believe that I have the aptitude to take on this role and I am the right fit for this program due to my solid academic background in English and my experience in teaching. I am hereby reaching out to the committee responsible for this program to grant me the opportunity to pursue this adventure.