Russian Language Instructor for The School of Language Studies (SLS) at the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) Foreign Service Institute (FSI) provides language training and testing to DOS employees and other government agencies in over 70 foreign languages. Enrollments in the School surpass 2000 students annually including up to 1000 distance learning enrollments.
General Requirements, but are not limited to:
Language Instruction
Plan and/or conduct small and/or large group language classes using a wide variety of language teaching methodologies and techniques, stressing speaking, listening comprehension, and reading skills. In most cases, the Government will provide the teaching materials. Using the foreign language as a tool to accomplish United States Government objectives is the ultimate goal of the training that SLS provides.
Use established training materials and work collaboratively and closely with other instructors, under the direct guidance of the COR, ACOR, or GTM, who is usually the Language Training Supervisor (LTS), on training and/or testing matters.
In collaboration with the COR, ACOR, or GTM and others, adapt teaching techniques and approaches to the students’ individual learning styles and needs. ·
Provide feedback and analysis of the students’ progress and problems to the COR, ACOR, or GTM and to instructional and other staff as appropriate.
Provide students with encouragement and constructive feedback.
Apply classroom management techniques to provide a respectful, student-centered environment conducive to learning.
Conduct informal or formal progress evaluations and/or administer weekly quizzes and assessments to evaluate student progress.
Attend all section and other meetings as appropriate.
Incorporate the use of instructional technology into the instructional program as appropriate and in collaboration with the COR, ACOR, or GTM.
Serve part-time as a mentor to distance learning students with COR, ACOR, or GTM approval. (Part-time DL instruction will supplement in class instruction on occasions where the amount of students cannot accommodate a full-time DL instructor provided in CLIN 7).
Collaborate with staff in the Learning Consultation Service (LCS) in whatever way deemed appropriate by the COR, ACOR, or GTM. The LCS is a unit in SLS with specialists who assist language students with their learning by providing counseling and administering and interpreting diagnostic instruments which assess learning styles and preferences.
With pre-approval by the COR, ACOR, or GTM, plan and/or participate in non-classroom activities in the Washington area. Participation is strictly voluntary. Activities may include visits to foreign embassies, local community organizations, community centers, neighborhoods, shopping areas, and restaurants where heritage speakers live and congregate, and often involve pre-visit training and after-action follow up.
Participate in the planning and delivery of language immersions. Participation is strictly voluntary. Immersions may consist of one or more days of activities that take place outside of the Washington area, either domestically in the United States or overseas, and contain substantial non-classroom-like activities that foster practical, natural use of the language. Contractors will be compensated at their normal hourly rate for hours worked during normal daily working hours for the time zones in which the work is completed and will additionally receive compensation as follows:
Contractors may earn up to a total of twelve (12) hours per weekday and up to eight (8) hours per weekend day.
Domestic Immersions: up to five days actual Meals and Incidental Expenses (M&IE)
Overseas Immersions: up to 14 days actual M&IE * Lodging, travel, and other expenses may be covered by SLS in certain rare circumstances.
According to the Defense Base Act (DBA), Contractors are required to have travel insurance when traveling overseas. The Contractor Company must provide DBA insurance policy information to FSI before planning for any foreign immersion takes place. FSI will reimburse the Contractor Company for the direct expenses of the DBA insurance policy if the foreign immersion travel is approved in the SLS Travel Budget.
Contractors may be requested to purchase language-training materials. The COR/ACOR and GTM must approve such purchases in advance. Reimbursement shall be submitted on the Contractor’s invoice. Contractors must submit copies of all receipts and currency exchange rates with their invoice.
Travel or materials acquisitions must be duly authorized in a task order prior to any travel or other reimbursable expenditures.
As required by the COR, ACOR, or GTM, follow techniques, methodologies, and approaches used by the office/section.
As required by the COR, ACOR, or GTM, maintain attendance records for students.
Materials and Curriculum Development (If Needed)
Collaborate with the COR, ACOR, or GTM to participate in and support, on a part-time basis, the development of language training materials or SLS-relevant reference materials, including but not limited to text, audio, video, and technology-based media. All materials become the property of the United States Government, and the Contractor may not copy or reproduce them in any way for use outside of an FSI class, share them by any means outside of FSI, or publish them in any way without the express permission of the Government.
Assist with the creation and field-testing of new teaching, study, student advisory, and/or testing materials.
Assist with the recording of audio or video materials to be used in conjunction with established language training curricula or as ancillary resources for student self-directed study.
Assist in in-service staff development and orientation activities, including giving presentations or facilitating a workshop sponsored by FSI.
As needed, assist with the development of SLS-relevant research and development projects, including but not limited to instructional research and development and institutional (management) data handling and analysis.
As needed, assist with reviewing and editing foreign language and/or English in instructional materials.
Adhere to all copyright guidelines and restrictions and follow FSI and SLS procedures regarding copyright.
As needed, assist with drafting required documents in the curriculum development project approval process as well as provide status updates on approved projects on request.
Testing (If Needed)
As needed and on a part-time basis, assist with testing for language proficiency examinations, interacting with the examinee in the instructor’s native language or language in which the instructor has near-native proficiency. Support for proficiency tests may be face-to-face or by telephone or other technology-based medium (recorded audio, recorded video, videoconferencing). The instructor may support testing by providing information to an examiner about the examinee’s performance on various parts of the test and about the content of the texts used in the test, and assists with the selection and/or preparation of reading test materials.
On a strictly voluntary basis, may have the opportunity to become a certified tester by the FSI Language Testing Unit (LTU). Duties of the tester are defined by documentation in the LTU (provided post-award). FSI/ SLS/LTU provides all training required for attaining FSI Tester certification. The training process takes approximately one year to complete and includes a 40-hour introductory workshop, approximately 25 hours of review classes and mentoring meetings with a Testing Mentor, a written assessment on testing processes, observations of at least three official exams, conducting mock practice exams, and conducting official exams observed by the Testing Mentor or LTU Operations Manager to complete certification. (To become a certified tester the contractor must submit a request to their PM and the PM is to then send the request to the COR/ACOR for approval).
Assist with the creation and testing of new reading kits to be used in face-to-face, telephone or field testing.
Participate in producing audio or video materials for use in conjunction with LTU testing training.
May be requested to conduct end of training tests at one of FSI’s field schools overseas.
Adhere to all guidelines and follow all procedures regarding testing material security and safeguarding test score data.
Required Qualifications:
Overall Requirements for all Language Instructor Positions:
Cultural Background: Candidates must possess the cultural background of the specific country or geographical region required by submitting proof of being raised or educated in said country, by living in a cultural enclave or heritage community in another country, or by demonstrating through work experience or academic preparation a deep understanding of the region. It is desired, but not required, that contractors should have spent their formal educational (secondary school and beyond) years in the cultural environment and have been schooled there through the equivalent of American secondary school.
Be eligible to work in the United States and must have a minimum of one year remaining in U.S. employment eligibility.
Follow all policies of the Language Section, the Administrative Unit, SLS, FSI, and DOS.
Follow the guidance provided in the FSI Language and Culture Instructor Guide.
Follow all administrative processes and procedures as detailed in the SLS Guide to FSI Administrative Procedures.
Work in a harmonious and professional manner with colleagues who represent cultures from around the world.
Requirements for Language Instructor I:
Foreign Language Proficiency: must be educated native or near-native speakers of the language preferably Level 4 or higher on the ILR proficiency scale.
English Proficiency: It is strongly preferred, but not required, that possess sufficient proficiency in English Level 2 or higher on the ILR proficiency scale.
Cultural Background: Candidates must possess the cultural background of the specific country or geographical region required by submitting proof of being raised or educated in said country, by living in a cultural enclave or heritage community in another country, or by demonstrating through work experience or academic preparation a deep understanding of the region. It is desired, but not required, that contractors should have spent their formal educational (secondary school and beyond) years in the cultural environment and have been schooled there through the equivalent of American secondary school.
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Companies can go to http://www.naces.org/members.htm to identify institutions recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials.
Requirements for Language Instructor II (Note -Candidate must meet all requirements for Language Instructor I to be considered for Language Instructor II):
A minimum of three (3) years of experience teaching adult learners the foreign language they will be providing to FSI in a classroom setting (2 or more students).
BA/BS, MA/MS, or Ph.D., or foreign equivalent degree(s) in any field.
A minimum of three (3) years of experience teaching foreign language with proficiency-based or task-based curricula.
A minimum of one (1) year of experience administering proficiency-based assessments (i.e., DLPT, ACTFL OPI, etc.).
A minimum English proficiency level of a 2:2 on the ILR proficiency scale.
Requirements for Language Instructor III (Note -Candidate must meet all requirements for Language Instructor I and II to be considered for Language Instructor III):
A minimum of seven (7) years of experience teaching adult learners the foreign language they will be providing to FSI in a classroom setting (2 or more students).
MA/MS or Ph.D., or foreign equivalent degree in relevant language education field with demonstrated expertise through experience or publications in one or more of the qualifications required for language instruction at FSI (i.e., curriculum development, proficiency assessment, task-based teaching and learning, adult language learning, educational technology in FLE, etc.)
A minimum of one (1) year of experience designing proficiency-based curricula.
A minimum English proficiency level of a 3:3 on the ILR proficiency scale. (TOEFL or CEFR scale equivalents are considered acceptable).
A minimum of three (3) years of experience teaching foreign language with proficiency-based or task-based curricula.
A minimum of one (1) year of experience administering proficiency-based assessments (i.e., DLPT, ACTFL OPI, etc.).
Additional Preferred Qualifications:
BS/BA or MS/MA or foreign equivalent degree in relevant language education field preferred. (BS/BA Required for Language Instructor II, MS/MA or foreign equivalent degree in relevant language education field required for Language Instructor III)
Experience teaching foreign language(s) to adult learners in a classroom setting preferred.
Experience developing foreign language instructional materials and/or curricula preferred.
Experience teaching with the communicative approach preferred.
Experience incorporating a variety of educational technology in teaching preferred.
Experience teaching blending learning activities valued.
Experience integrating social media applications for educational purposes valued.
Experience administering proficiency-based assessments valued. (Required for Language Instructor II and III)
Experience teaching with vocabulary-based language learning materials valued.
Experience delivering training targeted to needs of diplomatic community valued.
Clearance: National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI), background check
Location: The School of Language Studies (SLS) at the U.S. Department of State’s (DOS) Foreign Service Institute (FSI), Arlington, Virginia
Travel: Some Travel may be required
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