Collaborative partnership between two TESOL affiliates.

1. TexTESOL V and Yakut TESOL
Partnership:
2008-2014
Larisa Olesova
Elizabeth Smith
Jey Venkatesan
Portland, OR
March 27 5, 2014
TESOL Annual Convention

2. Agenda
• Background
• Partnership by years
• Why this partnership?
• How it works
• Projects Overview
• Plans
• What is there for next
decade?

3. TexTESOLV and Yakut TESOL
Partnership

4. Signing Partnership Agreement
Yakutsk, July 2008

5. • 14 July 2008: Formal agreement signed in Yakutsk
• July 2008: Yakut TESOL Summer Institute of English
• January 2009: UNT book donation to Yakut TESOL
• 2009: Online Collaboration, the Hockaday School and Gymnasium #8
• 2009-2011: Online Colaboration, Collin College and Yakutsk State University
• Summer 2009: Elizabeth Smith participation in Summer Camp in Yakutsk
• Summer 2010: Classes held at the Hockaday School for students from Yakutsk
• June-July 2010: Invited Don Weasenforth for teacher training session in Yakutsk
• July 2010: Jayme Lynch participation in EFL Summer Camp in Maya (9-12 year
olds)
• May 2011: Jey Venkatessan participation in English Conversation Class in Yakutsk
• October-November 2011: Evgeniya Yadrikhinskaya from Yakut TESOL visited
schools and colleges in Dallas, TX and participated in TexTESOLV Conference
• March 2011: Partnership Presentation at TESOL Arabia Annual Conference
• October 2008-2013 TexTESOL V and Yakut TESOL Annual Conferences
Presentations
• Newsletter and web site collaboration, pen pals, virtual meetings

9. WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP?
• Collaboration
• Teaching experience
oversees
• Cross-cultural
awareness
• Cultural adventure
• Tourism
• Friendship
• Publication
• Online teaching and
learning
• And more …..

10. HOW IT WORKS?
• Agreement
• Financial support
• Initial contact with Yakut TESOL or
TexTESOLV
• Negotiations with Yakut TESOL or
TexTESOLV
• Planning
• Visa and tickets
• Trip
• Report
• Collaborative presentation at annual
conferences

11. English
Summer
Camps

12. English
Summer
Camps

13. English School
and
Professional
Development

14. Professional
Development

15. PLANS:
 On-site summer
teaching in Yakutsk
 Online teaching
 Online collaboration
 Publication
 Professional
development
 One-year teaching
contract in Yakutsk
 Students exchange

16. What is there for next
decade?
• Hope that the face-to-face meetings will continue in
spite of increasing travel expenses.
• More online communication is needed to maintain
relationships.
• More virtual connections between American schools
and Yakut schools.
• Hope and wish the partnership between TexTESOL V
and Yakutsk TESOL continues to flourish.
• We should continue to exchange teachers to share
ideas in teaching. When this is not possible, we should
continue to collaborate online with students and
teachers.
• We need a renewed understanding of how the two
affiliates can support each other.

17. Partnership
• TexTESOL V: www.textesolv.org
• Yakut TESOL: http://yakuttesol.blogspot.com/
• Essential Teacher article:
http://yakuttesol.blogspot.com/2009/01/yaku
t-tesol-and-textesolv-partnership.html

18. PARTNERSHIP CONTACT:
Larisa Olesova (Yakut TESOL)
lolesova@gmail.com
Don Weasenforth (TexTESOLV)
dweasenforth@collin.edu