AMIDEAST EL Coordinator Chris Ludlow (fourth from left) with the first students.

At the end of March, students were welcomed into the Acadia, Redwood, and Yellowstone rooms of AMIDEAST’s new English Language Training Center in Ainkawa, a suburb of Erbil, in Kurdistan, Northern Iraq.  The first of several planned ELT centers, Ainkawa represents the long-awaited launch of AMIDEAST English services in Iraq. 

While improved English language proficiency is critical to Iraq’s growth in both the business and educational sectors, until now commercial avenues for upgrading English language skills have been available only on a limited basis.  The new center will help fill this vacuum, as it meets many needs, from assisting Iraqi professionals to improve their EL skills in order to contribute more effectively to the development process, to enabling more young Iraqis to quality for scholarships for international study where proficiency in English is a requirement.

Classes are being offered in all levels of General English, Conversation English, and TOEFL Preparation using AMIDEAST’s innovative teaching methods, which provide an emphasis on real-life communication and interaction, training in both spoken and written English in an integrated approach, the use of audio/video technologies in order to enhance language learning, and appropriate and up-to-date materials on American culture and English as a global language.  AMIDEAST instructors, moreover, integrate a cross-cultural approach to reflect the growing demand for effective English-based communication in today’s world. 

In addition, AMIDEAST/Iraq will offer English for Special Purposes — instruction tailored to meet the needs of public and private sector clients. Early this year, it was awarded a contract to provide English language training at the Erbil International Airport. Training classes at the new, modern airport started in May, and this summer the airport doubled the number of students.  Under the current agreement, AMIDEAST will provide English language training to nearly 80 airport staff over the next year and well into the future.

“AMIDEAST/Iraq is creating an invaluable resource for Iraqi learners of English and the community at large. The center will provide an environment that is conducive to learning. We are also concerned to ensure affordable access to our EL classes and the center’s resources,” said Marianne Elias-Turner, AMIDEAST country director for Iraq. “We also see this as a place to bring together people with diverse interests and backgrounds in a common forum as they enhance their English language skills. “

 “We are very happy to see AMIDEAST open for classes,” said student Mohammed Al Mola. “In my opinion, it is the best center in Erbil; I know because I have taken classes in other centers.”

Other students are just as pleased with the new facilities. “AMIDEAST is really impressive. I visited other language centers and they are not as nice as AMIDEAST,” said student Shaswar Mahmood. “They have qualified teachers in comparison to other centers.”

AMIDEAST established one of its first field offices in Baghdad in 1953. Until its closure in 1967, in the wake of heightened regional tensions, the Baghdad office played a vital role in strengthening mutual understanding and cooperation between Americans and Iraqis and in promoting U.S. higher education. After a 36-year hiatus, AMIDEAST re-opened its doors in Iraq in January 2004 and now serves the country from our field office in Erbil with representation in Basra and Baghdad. It is AMIDEAST/Iraq’s long-term goal to once again be able to offer its full menu of educational and training services to Iraqi citizens across the entire country.

―  Appeared in AMIDEAST Impact Newsletter, August/ September 2010