Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) Program for 2020-21
The American Center at the U.S. Embassy Dhaka is pleased to announce the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) program for 2020-21. The primary goal of the FLTA program is to strengthen foreign language instruction at U.S. colleges and universities, while providing teachers of English and related fields with the opportunity to refine their skills, increase their English language proficiency, and enhance their knowledge of the United States. The FLTA is a nine-month non-degree program that is non-renewable.
FLTAs from Bangladesh typically teach Bangla-language classes to American students. Teaching Assistants and their students will have a unique opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures and to build mutual understanding between the United States and Bangladesh. Fulbright FLTA participants may assist in up to twenty hours of language classes a week and are required to enroll in at least two courses per semester, one of which must be in U.S. Studies. Coursework is offered on either an audit or credit basis. Fulbright FLTA participants will also be expected to facilitate cultural events, language clubs, discussion groups, and language tables. They will also interact with their host community through other extracurricular activities and community outreach projects.
Eligible candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Be teachers of English and related fields (e.g. American Studies, Journalism and Media, and American/English Literature) at the university level, and must have complete fluency in English;
- Have completed either a master’s degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree, or both, no later than June 1, 2020;
- Have a valid minimum TOEFL score of 80 or IELTS score of 6.0;
- Be a resident in Bangladesh throughout the nomination and selection process.
Applicants must demonstrate maturity, dependability, integrity, and professionalism. Material misrepresentation (e.g., plagiarism) at any time during the application or grant period is grounds for removal from further consideration during the selection process or grant termination, as well as ineligibility for future participation. Family members are not permitted to accompany participants during the program. 
The online application is available at: https://apply.iie.org/FLTA2020.
Detailed application instructions are available here.
The online application submission deadline is Saturday, August 31, 2019. All required documents, including the following supplemental forms must be submitted online by the same deadline:
- Three letters of reference;
- Attested copies of academic transcripts and certificates from each post-secondary institution (Bachelor’s and Master’s); and
- Valid TOEFL or IELTS score.
The FLTA program will begin in August of 2020. Participants will be required to attend a U.S. based orientation during the summer of 2020 before arriving at their host institutions in August. They will also be required to attend a mid-year enrichment conference in the United States to share best practices in foreign language instruction and discuss their current teaching experiences with other Fulbright FLTA participants.
Fulbright FLTA participants must return to their home countries upon completion of the program. Participants must fulfill the two-year home residency requirement required by exchange participants’ J-1 visas, in which they pledge to demonstrate their commitment to enhancing mutual understanding by returning to their home countries and sharing the skills and knowledge that they have gained as program participants.
Applicants are encouraged to contact Ms. Raihana Sultana at the American Center, at sultanar1@state.gov with any questions regarding the application procedures.
