Exchange Student Attends Workshop for Aspiring English Teachers

Each year, American Councils for International Education hosts the Workshop for Youth Leaders in English Teaching (WYLET) for select exchange students on the FLEX and YES programs. WYLET builds on the U.S. experience through an intensive, week-long training program for aspiring English language teachers in Washington, DC. Participating students also develop and practice important leadership skills such as public speaking, team-building, and goal-setting. Participants are expected to organize or participate in teaching English upon returning to their home communities. 

Sali, an STS Foundation student from Palestine and recipient of the YES Scholarship, was one of the students invited to attend this year’s WYLET workshop! She shares what her experience was like and the positive impact it’s had.

“I’m Sali, an exchange student from Palestine. Going to the WYLET workshop was the highlight of my exchange year!! I learned so much about English teaching, I visited cool places around D.C., it was really awesome.

I’m super thankful for my teachers and staff members who helped make this happen. I also want to give a special thanks to the people from the American Councils who took time out of their schedules to come and have a meeting with us. It was a great experience hearing from them.

And lastly, I want to appreciate all my peers who were there with me. I learned a lot from the 20 students coming from 28 different countries, we got so close in such a short period of time. Each one of them has something special, I know they are going to do great things in the future, and I wish them the best of luck. I’m going to miss everyone. 

It was an experience I’m going to remember my whole life!”

Sali is a recipient of the prestigious Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program scholarship sponsored by the U.S. Department of State which provides high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations the opportunity to live and study for an academic year in the United States. YES students serve as “youth ambassadors” of their home country, promoting mutual understanding by forming lasting relationships with their host families and communities.

Hosting an exchange student is more than having a guest in your house, and many have grown large international families over the years. High school exchange students are eager to share their culture and experience life with a typical American family. The impact of hosting goes beyond the family that opens their home to them. Exchange students bring a new perspective to the whole community that welcomes them.  Learn more about our students and where they come from to find the best student for your family!

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This post was written by Morgan Tondreault