Calendar & FAQs

This section of the website contains answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Q: What are the dates for online registration and 10-week courses?

Calendar

Summer – Fall 2015
 Online Registration 10-week Courses Begin 10-week Courses End
Summer 2015: Closed: May 22, 2015 June 22, 2015 August 28, 2015
Fall 2015: Round #1 opens: August 17, 2015
Round #1 stops:  August 27, 2015
Round #2 opens: August 28, 2015
Round #2 stops:  September 04, 2015		 October 05, 2015 December 11, 2015

Please see the UO AEI eLearning Calendar for dates beyond Fall 2015 for other UO AEI online courses. (Fall 2015 is the final term in the current E-Teacher funding cycle.)

Q: Who is eligible for the E-Teacher Scholarship Program?

Answer: Courses are open to EFL educators worldwide (except the USA). All participants must be nominated through U.S. Embassies or Consulates. A minimum of 1200 educators annually receive scholarships worldwide, with representation from more than 100 countries.

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Q: What are the prerequisites for taking online courses?

Answer: We welcome individuals who are new to online learning. However, course participants should be familiar, at a minimum, with:

  • Email (no shared accounts, please).
  • Web browsing (e.g., Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome).
  • Word processing and basic file management (creating new files, saving files, spell check, document formatting, etc.).
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader for PDF files [free download available].

Regular access (once a day is ideal but 4-5 times a week can work, if need be) to a computer with an Internet connection is a must. Mobile phones are not recommended for full access to all course materials and successful completion of all tasks.

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Q: How can I apply to be a candidate for the E-Teacher Scholarship Program?

Answer: Courses are open to English educators worldwide. Interested educators should contact local U.S. Embassies and Consulates or Regional English Language Offices to ask about the process for submitting nominations each summer. 10-week online E-Teacher courses are offered 4 times per year: Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. We use a rolling enrollment system and place candidates on the E-Teacher Master List—generated by ECA/A/L in Washington, DC—as spaces become available. All candidates need to complete the online registration process in order to secure their places in the course.

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Q: Do I need to be online at the same time as my instructors?

Answer: Participants live in time zones and locations all around the world. Therefore, most E-Teacher courses are delivered in asynchronous mode (not in real-time). For asynchronous courses, participants should plan to be online on a daily basis in order to complete assignments and contribute to discussion threads. However, so long as they meet weekly deadlines, they can do their online work any time and any place at their convenience. The Practical Applications for Listening and Speaking Skills (PALSS) is the one course that does require real-time Skype participation of all participants.

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Q: What is the general time commitment required?

Answer: Participants should expect to spend 8-10 hours per week in course work. Factors which may add more time to course work include slow Internet connectivity locally, a level of English language proficiency which not adequate to handle university-level work, or other local factors related to teaching, family, etc.

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Q: What if I’ve applied but have not yet heard back?

Answer: Be sure to check your spam or junk folder if you think we have not responded to you, as some email services automatically deliver unknown mail in this way. You may also contact your local U.S. Embassy or Consulate sponsor.

Q: What if I must withdraw from my course?

Answer: Please contact your instructor any time you are experiencing difficulties. Participants who complete online registration and enroll in courses and then forfeit their E-Teacher scholarships may not be eligible for future such funding.

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Q: What are the grading criteria and outcomes?

Answer: These are non-credit, professional development, Pass/No Pass classes. Participants receive certificates upon completion of their course projects and other assignments with a score of 70% or higher. Certificates also include a statement indicating 10 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) have been earned. Each CEU is equivalent to 10 hours worth of work.

Late work is not accepted and “incomplete” grades are not an option. All course work must be completed within the term in which a participant is enrolled. There is zero tolerance for plagiarized (copied) work of any kind. Participants will not receive credit toward passing the course on work which has been plagiarized. This includes discussion postings as well. For information on acceptable quotation practices, see Quotations, Paraphrases and Summaries from The OWL at Purdue (OWL = Online Writing Lab).

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Q: What can I do while I am waiting for my course to begin? May I study ahead?

Answer: While you are waiting for your course to start, we invite you to join our social and professional E-Teacher Ning networking site. This is not a requirement and is not meant to take the place of any coursework here at the UO. You will not be graded on any posts on the Ning. The Ning contains links to resources and networking with current and previous course participants and instructors at the University of Oregon. Only fully registered current or previous course participants will be approved for membership on our Ning.

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Q: How will I get my certificate at the end of the course?

Answer: At the end of each 10-week session, UO AEI will express mail certificates to U.S. Embassy and Consulate sponsors. Participants should contact local sponsors directly in order to make arrangements to receive their certificates. Please allow 6-8 weeks after the course ends for certificates to arrive at U.S. Embassies and Consulates.

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Q: Is the University of Oregon accredited?

Answer: University of Oregon (UO) is a fully accredited public university located in Eugene, Oregon, USA. The American English Institute (AEI) is a Prgram of the Linguistics Department at UO. The AEI is fully accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) and agrees to uphold the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a reliable authority concerning the quality of education or training offered by the English language institutions and programs it accredits. AEI is also a member of the American Association of Intensive English Programs (AAIEP) and University and College Intensive English Programs (UCIEP).

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