Lecturers of the Tuvan State University have won a grant for teaching English to children from large and low-income families.

The selection process took place in the main building of the University on October 20.

More than 20 children supported by their parents gathered in the University auditorium. Just before the examination, the project felicitator, the Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Elena Baykalova asked parents to fill in the required papers for their children, to provide the certificates confirming their social standing and to indicate the phone numbers. The children who match all the criteria will have the opportunity for enhanced English language studying and for building leadership skills.

Elena Baykalova:

It is the second group of children. We won a grant last year as well; as a result, 10 children are studying English under this program. All of them are in the “Orlyonok” children’s camp now where they continue learning English

The children needed to answer eight questions on the given text for the English level assessment. It was easy to see the children being agitated about the test, and their responsible attitude to it. They tried not to rush with their answers, consider, and think of what they’d learnt from school.

The studying in the “Specialized English Language School” is free, Elena Baykalova says. It is funded by the US State Department, particularly, by the US Embassy in Moscow. Twenty-one regions of Russia work under this program now. The project is directed to the children of 14 to 16 years of age from large or low-income families, which is the main requirement for the applicants.

Professor Olga Khomushku:

Our University pays great attention to the international relations development, and we are glad having our lecturers participating in the grant programs on the regular basis. They have been winning grants for several years in a row for the children’s summer language camp setting. The key element of this program is English language availability for those children whose families cannot afford additional classes/