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“We have a lot of programs here and we consider Iraq a very important country,” says John Scacco, the English Language Officer at the United States Embassy in Baghdad.
The United States has since the late 1950s been promoting English as a language of choice in other countries and Mr. Scacco says: “We are not promoting it just because it is English.”
“We are doing this to encourage people to study in the United States for example. Education is a huge part of America,” he explains in this interview with Rudaw. “We have very good universities and of course to study in America you need English.”
In some cases one Regional English Language Officer (RELO) is in charge of English programs in several countries, says Mr. Scacco, but in Iraq they have one program for the country and one officer specifically assigned for it which “Makes it is easier and possible to do more when you have someone based in the country,”
He points it out that “Access to information now so much of it is in English. At least 95 percent of the internet is in English.”
Participants for these programs are found through online advertisement and the alumni of previous programs. There is a screening process because the E-Teacher program, for example, is at a graduate level and people need to be able to take part and pass these levels. Sometimes they get referrals from ministries.
Mr. Scacco says that in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region he has come across many students pursuing English language studies to enhance their chances in the job market or find education opportunities abroad.
He argues that speaking English would put a country on the world map as in the case of Singapore and learning a new language will in no way threaten the local language or culture.
One of their new programs is on media literacy.
The English language officers at the US embassy in Baghdad and other countries also help representatives of governments and universities to visit American universities and educational institutions to see how certain topics such as sciences, technology and mathematics are taught in English.
All the material such as audio books, textbooks, teachers guides are provided free of charge for academics, teachers and students, says Mr. Sccaco, which could be downloaded and shared without copy right.
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