"Improved Skills for Stronger Societies" programme is an initiative aimed at supporting the English language and soft skills development of young people in remote communities, support their aspirations for future employment opportunities and contribute to prosperity and stability of their communities.

In Armenia, within the project English Clubs  were established in two high schools of Jermuk and Vayk towns in Vayots Dzor region and one in Berd town of Tavush region. The British Council had previously opened six English Clubs and two Development Centres throughout the country. 

This initiative was fully funded by the UK Government. By partnering with the RA Ministry of Education and Sciences, we aimed to increase our impact for the prosperity and stability of Armenia.

The English Clubs are equipped with the necessary teaching and learning resources, IT equipment to create an environment in line with the 21th century education requirements and conducive to effective learning and development The Clubs offer two extracurricular courses to students:   

  • English for Communication: English lessons focusing on verbal communication skills
  • Debating, Negotiating and Dialogue (DND) skills course

The project activities were offered from November 2018 to May 2019 for its first phase.

Programme aims

For young learners 

1200 students will have access to English programme activities. By improving their English language skills and core skills of debating, negotiating and dialogue, the participating students will improve their employment prospects leading to better careers, lives, and their capacity to enhance their economic prospects. An improved level of English will also provide young people with access to wider (online) sources of information and will give them the freedom to explore new cultures and learn about different perspectives. 

For teachers

300 teachers will have access to professional development opportunities and support. This will help them to develop their confidence, knowledge and skills. This will also help to improve the quality of teaching and learning of English for their students. We are also establishing Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) to  provide a platform so that teachers can come together to discuss new ideas and teaching practices. Additionally, we envisage using video observation technology so teachers can record their classes and share them with the British Council/mentors in order to receive expert feedback on their performance. 

English Club locations

  • Berd high school  Tavush region 
  • Vayk High school , Vayots Dzor region 
  • Jermuk High School Vayots Dzor region  
  • Yerevan, Siamanto Basic School No.162
  • Sevan, Basic school N3 after Vladimir Karapetyan 
  • Vanadzor, Basic school N3 after Hovhannes Tumanyan
  • Ashtarak, Basic school N2 after Smbat Shahaziz
  • Ararat, Basic school N3 
  • Hrazdan, Basic school N8 after Paruyr Sevak  

Programme activities in 2018/2019

Project Launch

  • 27-29 November 2018: Induction sessions with parents of the beneficiary high schools in Berd, Vayk and Jermuk schools
  • 8 - 15 January 2019: Establishment of English Clubs in Vayk, Jermuk, Berd high schools

Master Trainer and Teacher Training Courses

  • 25-30 November 2018: Teacher Activity Group” Train the Trainer Development Course (Kyev, Ukraine)
  • 4-7 December 2018: Teacher Training Course, Teaching for Success (Yerevan, Armenia)
  • 20-23 December 2018: “Debating, Negotiation and Dialogue Skills” Train the Trainer Development Course (Tbilisi, Georgia)
  • 8-12 January 2019: “Dialogue, Negotiation, Debating” Teacher Training Course, Teaching for Success (Yerevan, Armenia)
  • 1-3 February 2019: Teacher Activity Group” Teacher Training Course (Yerevan, Armenia)

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English Clubs' Activities Launch

  • 15 January 2019: Launch of established English Clubs activities: Englihs and Debating, Negotiation and Dialogue Skills courses for students
  • 1 February 2019: MoU signing between the RA Ministry of Education and Sciences and British Embassy Yerevan on co-operation within the scope of the project. Watch highlights from the ceremony here.  
  • 22 February 2019: Official opening ceremony of the English Club in Berd high school in Armenia's Tavush region. Watch the reportage of the Public TV company from the ceremony. 
  • 26 February 2019: Opening ceremony of the new English Club in Jermuk high school in Vayots Dzor region. Photos from the event can be viewed here.  
  • 28 February 2019: Official opening ceremony of the English Club in Vayk high school in Armenia's Vayots Dzor region. Read the press release (Armenian) by the RA Ministry of Education and Sciences here. 
  • 9 -23 March 2019: Teacher Activity Groups (TAGs) held in Yerevan, Ashtarak, Yeghvard, Sevan and Gyumri. Photos from TAG sessions are available here. 

English Clubs in Armenia 

The British Council launched its first English clubs in Armenia in January 2018. Since its inception, the geography and beneficiaries of the Clubs have dramatically increased, involving 8 regions and 9 cities across the country.  

Our Clubs give students a chance to develop their English communicative skills through interactive and game-like activities, while helping the teachers take responsibility for their professional development by offering both online and face to face teacher training courses and mentorship schemes. 

Currently we operate six English Clubs, including in capital Yerevan, Vanadzor, Hrazdan, Sevan, Ashtarak, Masis, and Ararat cities. Around 200 of teachers have received training in running English Clubs, while the total number of beneficiary students is around 1000.

 
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