Peace Corps, Armenia

"Increasing the quality of English language education has been a priority of the Government of Armenia since its independence from the Soviet Union. In 1992, the Government of Armenia requested the assistance of Peace Corps Volunteers to teach English, and the United States and Armenian governments signed an agreement to send TEFL Volunteers to Armenia. Since then, nearly 600 TEFL Volunteers have served in base, secondary and high schools, colleges and universities, supporting teachers and students in gaining access to personal, professional, academic and leadership opportunities through enhanced English. 

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TEFL Volunteers partner with local English teachers, primarily in rural communities which have limited access to educational resources and opportunities. Through this partnership, counterpart teachers improve their own English language skills and acquire the confidence to employ new interactive, communicative methods in the classroom. The work of TEFL Volunteers promotes democratization of the teaching process through student-centered methodologies that emphasize critical thinking skills, cooperative learning, and greater understanding across borders.

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Also, Volunteers selected for Armenia's TEFL project are enrolled in the TEFL Certificate program, an externally-validated credential based on 120 hours of training and two years of supervised teaching experience. The program starts before arriving in Armenia with a 3-month online pre-departure course adn continues in Pre-Service Training throughout the service. After successful completion of the 27 months of service and satisfaction of the technical requirements, Volunteers will receive a TEFL Certificate."