R 231451Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 0067
INFO AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 
AMEMBASSY ASTANA 
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 
AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 
AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 000225 
 
 
DEPT FOR SCA/PPD MERRIE BLOCKER 
FOR R, ECA, E 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO TI
SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS: THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN 
TAJIKISTAN 
 
REF: A) 08 DUSHANBE 1105; B) DUSHANBE 744 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: Programs that teach English language and develop 
the skills of local English teachers are among the most popular 
and necessary public diplomacy offerings in Tajikistan. Learning 
English is viewed as the key to a better life for many young 
Tajiks, and U.S. programs fill the gap created by the 
government's lack of resources in this area. Post has shifted 
focus toward English programming but will need more resources to 
meet a growing need in a country where the majority of the 
population is younger than 20 years old. The rise in population 
together with the steady decline of educational infrastructure 
and English curricula mean an ever-shrinking pool of English 
speakers for State Department exchange programs.  To counter 
that, post will seek an increase of $100,000 for the English 
Access Micro-scholarship Program in FY10 and three additional 
English Language Fellows to prepare the next generation of 
English teachers in Tajikistan.  English language programs and 
our broader Public Diplomacy efforts are critical in this former 
Soviet Muslim country which shares a border and language with 
Afghanistan. End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) PAS currently supports its own development program for 
English teachers, known as the English Teaching Mentor program. 
Post oversees 11 English Access Microscholarship Program 
providers with a total annual budget of roughly $102,000. Two 
English language fellows teach university students in the 
country's urban centers, Dushanbe and Khujand, and at least one 
English Language Specialist visits annually. In FY08, post 
supported a visit from a U.S. Fulbright Scholar from Russia to 
lead workshops for English teachers. Additionally, a local 
cultural center receives post funds for a weekly English coffee 
hour; Embassy officers visit between five and ten universities 
per month for English discussion; and the three American Corners 
host movie screenings, discussion clubs, and TOEFL prep courses. 
 
¶3. (U) Ambassador Jacobson considers English programming 
integral to progress in all mission strategic goals, expansion 
of Tajik citizens' access to information, and their connection 
to potential trading partners. "English Language is critical to 
all of our programs, across the whole spectrum of mission goals. 
Improved English ability would broaden and improve the quality 
of the applicant pool for all our education and exchange 
programs, whether conducted by Public Diplomacy, USAID, or the 
military.  English language is the key to accessing information 
on the internet and from credible news sources - without it, 
Tajik citizens receive their news and information mainly from 
Russia and Iran.  Better language skills are necessary for 
Tajikistan to develop its economy, and establish effective 
trading relationships beyond the former Soviet Union.  It's 
remarkable how English language programs also broaden cultural 
knowledge and critical thinking skills - both will be necessary 
if Tajikistan is to be stable and prosperous, a partner rather 
than a challenge to our efforts in one of the most complicated 
regions of the world." 
 
¶4. (U) Deputy Chief of Mission Necia Quast noted the broader 
context that English study brings. "We have seen that students 
learn not just the language itself, but also acquire new 
information, ideas and values along with the language. This, 
among other reasons, is why we now include an English language 
component in most of our Law Enforcement and Security training 
programs. English language programs support virtually every goal 
we have here." 
 
¶5. (U) The English Access Microscholarship program has been an 
unqualified success. Post has increasingly focused on rural, 
underserved areas. Six of the 11 current programs are outside of 
Dushanbe. In 2008, students from the Rasht valley (the center of 
opposition to the central government, and one of the most 
isolated regions of the country), participated in the selection 
process for the Future Leaders Exchange Program for the first 
time. All are Access participants. One student became a 
semi-finalist and may be a finalist. Many students at Access 
programs in the Khatlon region have never received English 
instruction before. Most programs receive at least 200 
applicants for 20 or fewer spaces. The Ministry of Education has 
allowed Access programs to recruit in schools, an unusual 
concession. 
 
¶6. (U) While demand for English instruction is overwhelming, 
there are few qualified English teachers in Tajikistan. Given 
widespread corruption in schools and salaries of $40 or less per 
month, proficient English speakers prefer to work for foreign 
Embassies or international organizations. The Tajik visa regime 
does not allow enterprising foreigners to teach English on a 
freelance basis. 
 
¶7. (U) Post has sought to address this need with the English 
Teaching Mentor program, which provides 20 teachers from around 
Tajikistan with four training sessions during their year of 
participation. In 2008, post cooperated with INL to bring two 
English teachers from the University of Montana to Dushanbe for 
three weeks to teach a seminar for program participants. Post 
has requested an English Language Specialist to fill this role 
for 2009. Mentor program alumni train teachers in their home 
districts and are noticeably better teachers and speakers of 
English after their participation in the program. 
 
¶8. (U) All 27 USG-sponsored programs at post are managed by a 
single LES cultural affairs assistant and an entry-level 
officer. Post has been assured of additional funding to support 
a new position for English Language Programs and would like to 
see that funding integrated into its base allocation. 
 
¶9. (U) Concurrent with the steady rise in population, 
educational infrastructure is decaying and English teaching 
skills are declining along with the overall literacy rate.  Post 
already is struggling each year to identify qualified English 
speaking candidates for many of our exchange programs.  Simply 
put, without dramatic and sustained efforts to reverse these 
trends, our pool of applicants will dry up.  To forestall that 
possibility, post requests an increase of $100,000 for the 
English Access Microscholarship Program in FY2010. Post would 
benefit from up to three additional English Language Fellows, 
who would prepare the next generation of English teachers in 
Tajikistan. 
 
 
JACOBSON