2007
Russian Far East hosts English Language Conferences in Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Birobidzhan
During the first half of October the Consulate participated in a series of conferences and roundtables devoted to English language teaching practices sponsored by the English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. The events began on October 1 with a week-long conference hosted by the Far Eastern English Language Teachers' Association in Vladivostok, and continued the following week with additional sessions in Khabarovsk and Birobidzhan. The goal of the program is to share best practices and new methods of teaching through new technologies and on-line resources. Two prominent specialist in teaching English as a foreign language, J.D. Brown of the University of Hawaii and Michael Krauss of the University of Lewis and Clark (Portland, OR), were key-note speakers at the Vladivostok conference. Public Affairs Officer Bridget Gersten also presented two new American studies publications for students, "American Potpourri" and "America Lifestyle Mosaic." Both books were developed through the cooperation of Russian and American specialists within the English Language Office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.