VZCZCXRO2073
RR RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHAH #0303/01 0651253
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061253Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2420
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ASHGABAT 000303 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, SCA/PPD, ECA/A/L, IIP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SCUL KPAO TX
SUBJECT:  TURKMENISTAN: WHY ENGLISH MATTERS 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: English Language programs continue to play a vital 
role in achieving Embassy Ashgabat's MSP goals of assisting civil 
society development and promoting democratic and economic reforms in 
a predominantly Muslim country in which the government severely 
curtails educational opportunities and free speech, and cultural 
space is still dominated by adulation of the President and official 
state ideology.  Demand for English language programs continues to 
increase and is far higher than what is available domestically. 
Post's English programming remains critical to long-term engagement 
with the Turkmen government and people.  With the removal of Russian 
as the primary language of instruction in schools and higher 
educational institutions, English language acquisition has become a 
top priority for local citizens who wish to gain access to 
better-paid jobs, educational opportunities abroad, and access to 
unbiased media.  END SUMMARY. 
 
FREE ENGLISH CLASSES FALL FAR SHORT OF DEMAND IN THE CAPITAL 
 
¶3.  (U) English language is becoming increasingly popular with the 
Turkmen population, and post is doing its best to meet the demand 
and satisfy interest.  In early 2008, Post started its first free 
PAS-run 5-month English language courses for about 100 students 
total.  The course was taught through a PAS grant in the total 
amount of $1,383 to an Amcit, Hungarian-educated English teacher. 
The program continued and expanded in the fall of 2008 with the 
involvement of post's English Language Fellow, Sherie Henderson, and 
a local teacher, a JFDP alumna, teaching now more than 100 students 
at the cost of $5,685 per year. In January 2009, four more teachers 
(two American teachers paid through a grant and two volunteer EFM 
American teachers) started giving classes to an additional 235 
students.  The program was announced only in PAS and more than 500 
people applied.  Due to the limited space and number of teachers, 
post was able to enroll only 235. Overall, currently, PAS has around 
350 students learning English through these two grant programs. 
Every day, PAS receives numerous calls from local citizens asking 
how they can enroll in English programs.  These programs only 
operate in the capital and post is aware of signficant demand 
throughout Turkmenistan. 
 
"HELLO FRIENDS" - POST'S TV PROGRAM FOR LEARNING ENGLISH 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The Turkmenistan government turned down proposals for 
broadcasting existing English-learning programs on tightly 
controlled, state-owned Turkmen TV.  Therefore, starting in the fall 
of 2007, PAS came up with an idea to start running a 
locally-developed English language and American Studies TV program, 
called "Salam Dostlar" or "Hello, Friends" designed specifically for 
Turkmen audiences.  PAS, an English Language Fellow, and a local 
private video studio worked on the program design and started airing 
the weekly Sunday program in March 2008. The program is extremely 
successful, and is, according to some, the only program worth 
watching on state TV.  PAS also distributed 1000 copies of a DVD 
with the first 10 episodes in the fall of 2008 and an additional 500 
DVDs of the following 10 episodes in early 2009.  With only $16,000 
contributed to this project, the U.S. Embassy was able to be the 
first non-Turkmen source to broadcast a regular program on Turkmen 
TV, attracting thousands of viewers every week and teaching English 
language and American culture at the same time.  All the scripts and 
lesson plans are designed in-house by PD staff and post's ELF.  PD 
staff and FLEX alumni are the principal actors as well, bringing 
real, everyday spoken American English and insight into American 
culture to Turkmen audiences through TV. 
 
ENGLISH LANGUAGE FELLOW 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Post enjoys hosting an English Language Fellow each 
academic year in Ashgabat, who is co-hosted by the Supreme Council 
for Science and Technology and PAS this year.  The ELF's guidance 
and expertise is invaluable for PAS Ashgabat's numerous English 
language programs.  Currently, ELF Janet Adams teaches Intermediate 
English to two groups of graduate students and a conversation class 
to a group of scholars at the Supreme Council, Intermediate English 
to two groups of students at PAS, and Business English to a group of 
entrepreneurs through a democracy alumni outreach grant which funds 
a Business Center.  PAS continually receives inquires for an ELF at 
several other projects; having one ELF in Ashgabat is not enough. 
Post has been struggling to get a second ELF to host in a major city 
outside the capital, with no success.  Despite the approval and 
funding allocated for the requested two slots two years in a row, it 
is almost impossible to find applicants to fill both slots.  Post 
hopes to be able to host at least two fellows in order to meet 
 
ASHGABAT 00000303  002 OF 003 
 
 
requests for a long-term specialist or other consultations on 
English language learning. 
 
FULBRIGHT AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPECIALISTS 
 
¶6.  (SBU) In order to fill the gap, post tried to host ELSPECs and 
FULSPECs in the past, but this year the cost-sharing requirement of 
both programs prevented post from applying and requesting them, 
because of the scarcity of funds.  Turkmen host institutions do not 
have any resources to contribute in bringing the specialist and 
those which fall under the Ministry of Education are often unable to 
openly cooperate with Embassy programs.  The first FULSPEC Deborah 
Norland, a TEFL professor, conducted an highly successful program at 
the Turkmen State University's English Language Department in late 
2008, and would like to come back, but post does not have any means 
to follow-up on this program. 
 
ANNUAL CATEC (CENTRAL ASIAN TEACHERS OF ENGLISH CONFERENCE) 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Another successful and critical annual event that 
definitely deserves support is the Central Asian Teachers of English 
Conference, which gathers at least 100 English teachers from Central 
Asia for two to three days to learn from each other and from 
American specialists.  Funding has always been an issue, and can 
limit the number of participating teachers and the diversity of 
those who attend.  This conference is one way to help otherwise 
isolated Central Asian countries to integrate and share common 
problems and interests.  For Turkmenistan, this conference is also 
critical because of the almost complete absence of any other 
retraining or certification programs for English teachers to keep 
up-to-date with the current EFL teaching trends and methodologies. 
Turkmen teachers are extremely isolated often by their own Ministry 
of Education, and the need for professional development is dire. 
 
ACCESS ENGLISH MICROSCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 
 
¶8. (SBU) Given the absence of traditional extracurricular activities 
for youth through the schools, the ACCESS program in Turkmenistan 
provides much more than simply English language training - and thus 
serves as an integral component of Post's public diplomacy efforts. 
Post has developed creative methods to implement English language 
programs, often involving substantive integration of the arts and 
sports and the active participation Turkmenistan's USG exchange 
programs alumni.  The ACCESS program enables us to reach out to more 
youth in Turkmenistan and exposes more youth to American and English 
Language studies in a country where educational opportunities are 
severely limited but where demand for such programming is great. 
Access English Microscholarship program is very successful in 
Turkmenistan, currently having 75 students learning English in 4 
major cities of Turkmenistan, with more than 100 alumni.  More than 
a dozen of Access alumni were chosen and participated in FLEX High 
School Exchange program, and further continued their studies at 
American Universities in the US, or AUCA and others.  Many others 
were able to enroll at universities abroad, and all thanks to their 
participation in Access Microscholarship program.  For the cost of 
about $20-$30 a month per student, this program really gives a hope 
and an opportunity for change to most of these otherwise 
underprivileged and disadvantaged children.  More on ACCESS will be 
provided septel. 
 
WHY ARE ALL THE EFFORTS NEEDED? 
 
¶9. (SBU).  Post is facing difficulties with finding qualified 
applicants with adequate English skills for USG exchange programs, 
especially the degree and research programs.  Although English is 
gradually being introduced to all schools and higher educational 
institutions, with no adequate teacher training, revised textbooks, 
authentic materials, or engagement with native speakers, the goal of 
the Turkmen Education Ministry to develop fluent English speakers 
has thus far been a failure.  It is also difficult to host US 
Fulbright researchers and scholars at Turkmen institutions because 
of the lack of English speakers.  Therefore, Embassy-hosted English 
programs focused on teaching English and training English teachers 
is essential for the adequate number of applicants who can speak 
English well enough to apply for a rigorous academic program. 
 
¶10. (SBU).  Because of the government's focus on Turkmen as a 
national language, and its limits on other sources of information 
and education, the majority of Turkmen citizens are fairly isolated 
and limited in educational and professional opportunities.  This is 
a serious issue with the new generation of Turkmen, who completed 
fully "Turkmenized" secondary schools after 2005.  These are 
students who graduate speaking only Turkmen, and who were raised 
 
ASHGABAT 00000303  003 OF 003 
 
 
under the Niyazov-era of minimal education.  It is extremely 
important for post to be able to engage these generations of new 
school graduates, who are vulnerable to biased or even extremist 
views.  This is also important to support efforts of the new Turkmen 
presidency to bring international standards and international 
experience to Turkmen practices in all spheres and help Turkmenistan 
integrate into the international community. 
 
RUSSIAN MEDIA AND VIEWS DOMINATE 
 
¶11. (SBU) Bringing up good English speakers is essential for 
counteracting Russian propaganda, received through Russian satellite 
TV - the primary source of alternative information or entertainment 
for locals.  The often anti-American, anti-Western bias of these 
outlets exerts a strong influence on Turkmen views.  Many either 
watch Russian channels themselves or hear from their 
Russian-speaking relatives or neighbors who rely on this alternative 
to the limited information available in state media.  Therefore it 
is critical to develop English language skills among Turkmen to be 
able to provide them access to other TV or Radio channels, broadcast 
in English. 
 
WHAT RESOURCES ARE NEEDED? 
 
¶13. With such a great need, post could easily share one more Central 
Asian RELO, and a local English language programs coordinator-FSN 
would definitely be a great asset to support existing programs, as 
well as to expand the English language programs.  More funds for 
programs like the "Hello, Friends" TV program, English courses, 
especially those run in the regions, resources for teacher-training, 
more funds for procuring English language learning books and 
programs for the American Corners, IRC, other resource centers, and 
higher educational institutions, as well as funds for the revision 
of the local English language textbooks at secondary schools and 
higher educational institutions.  Post would appreciate funding to 
host ELSPECs and FULSPECs, as well as English Language Fellows. 
Absent a coodinated or competent Government of Turkmenistan policy 
to improve English Language learning, Embassy resources remain one 
of the most significant English language learning options for the 
average Turkmen citizen. 
 
MILES