YEREVAN, Armenia — The American University of Armenia (AUA) Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) program recently held a professional development program for novice English language teachers from public schools across the Republic of Armenia. The program brought together 13 teachers from Yerevan and various regions of the country, creating a diverse and dynamic professional learning community.
One of the aims of the training was to equip participating teachers with strong theoretical foundations and practical, classroom-oriented strategies, including the communicative approach to language teaching, instruction of language skills, project-based learning, and effective lesson planning. These approaches were designed to be immediately applicable in real teaching contexts. Particular emphasis was placed on fostering reflective teaching practices to address common challenges faced by novice teachers. The workshops were conducted by Margarit Gevorgyan (MATEFL ’18) and Anna Avetisyan (MATEFL ’17), AUA alumni with extensive experience in English teaching and in-service teacher professional development.
Reflecting on the training, one of the participants, Tatev Poghosyan from Qaghsi Secondary School in Hrazdan, Kotayk, shared: “The training program was well organized and highly informative. It helped me develop new skills and gain a clearer understanding through practical activities and discussions. I especially valued the collaborative atmosphere and the opportunity to exchange ideas with other participants. Overall, the project was a meaningful and enriching experience that positively contributed to my professional growth.”
Another participant, Elen Vahanyan from the Mkhitar Sebastatsi Educational Complex, added: “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to participate in this program. The skills and knowledge I am bringing back to my classroom are immeasurable and will benefit both me and my students for years to come. I have significantly improved my approach to teaching and gained valuable practical skills, especially in classroom management and in making lessons more engaging and informative through the various activities and methods we discussed during our meetings.”
In addition to building the capacity of school teachers, this project researched novice teachers’ reflective practices. It was developed as part of the AUA Professional Development Grant, awarded to senior lecturer Talin Grigorian, who, together with her colleague, AUA lecturer Anna Gevorgyan, supported the project with data collection and analysis to address the research questions guiding this project.
Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.
