Job Discussion Forums

[dan]

Has anyone out there participated in this program? I was accepted last year but declined, in part because I had difficulties gathering first-hand experiences from current or former participants. I would very much like to hear from anyone who has first-hand knowledge about this program.

[SandyMcIvor]

The ELF program is like EF: some posts suck, some rock and some just float by like a ballon on a lazy day....

Just remember that you will be under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Officer at the embassy, because there are only like 7 RELO's in the whole world and they are not around for day-to-day management. If your CAO is a bootlicking toady for the ambassador and all his/her pet programs, your life can be one long stream of worthless time-wasters. IF your CAO has a backbone and/or brain, you could have a meaningful, fufilling job.

If your RELO (Regional English Language Officer) is cool, you will have some recourse, but if not, you are stuck.

DEMAND the email addresses of SEVERAL people who are STILL IN COUNRTY. Any RELO can come up with one warm body who will swear they are in heaven on earth. Ask the tough questions; "Is the CAO a dorkhead?" "Is there WORK to do or is it all x-treme thumb-twiddling with the CAO's favourite flavour of politicos?"

Might want to re-word those questions, though.....

[Kent F. Kruhoeffer]

Recruitment for the 2006 - 2007 English Language Fellow Program

is now in the hands of CIED at Georgetown University,

for anyone who may be interested:


http://elf.georgetown.edu/