Letters of Recommendation: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant
The Fulbright US Student Program funds one-year post-graduate awards that place students in a classroom as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA). ETA awards are available in approximately 90 countries; students who have demonstrated community engagement and a desire to take part in a cultural exchange using education as a medium are strong fits for Fulbright's teaching program. Fulbright ETAs are not responsible for designing curricula or teaching full courses. Rather they serve, under supervision, at their assigned placements and will be expected to develop and carry out a variety of learning activities, make presentations on U.S. culture and society, and/or assist faculty in an English Language Department with their teaching responsibilities, as needed.
For the ETA competition, the Fulbright Program requires the submission of a reference form and not a general letter of reference. The Fulbright Program will NOT accept reference letters for ETA applicants. Once a student registers you as their reference, you will receive an e-mail with a secure link to the reference form. More information about the process, including a link to a sample form, can be found here. The following are some suggestions for writing effective recommendations for students applying for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship:
Address the applicant's "Fulbrightness." Fulbright English Teaching Assistants are evaluated on:
- Quality and feasibility of the proposal as described in the Statement of Grant Purpose.
- Academic and/or professional qualifications and achievement.
- Language preparation.
- Extent to which the candidate and the project will help to advance the Fulbright aim of promoting mutual understanding among nations through engagement in the host community, among other activities.
- Their rationale for wanting to teach English in their country of application.
- Evidence of maturity, motivation, and ability to adapt to a different culture.
- Knowledge of the host country
Keep in mind that the Fulbright program is not only an educational exchange program; it is a cultural exchange program.
Tell "stories." The form must bring the student to life with specific examples of achievement and ability as they relate to the aims of the Fulbright teaching assistantship. Such anecdotes may be related to a student's classroom experience, leadership experience, community engagement, or ability to serve as a cultural ambassador.
Highlight communication skills. Facility with and knowledge of English usage, grammar, spelling, and writing is important in the teaching assistantship position. You may be able to comment on the applicant's abilities in those areas from tests or papers they have prepared for your course or from formal presentations, classroom discussion or individual interviews with the applicant.
Finally:
All recommendation forms are submitted online: When the applicant registers you in the Institute of International Education (IIE) Application system as a recommender, you will receive a message from IIE with directions for accessing your form. IMPORTANT: After the recommendation is submitted, it cannot be edited. However, if there is a significant error and you want to submit a revised recommendation, you may be able to do so. You must ask Fulbright by email that the letter be "unsubmitted" and returned to you by sending a request to FBstudentsupport@iie.org (detailed instructions are on the Fulbright site under "recommendations"). The system does not allow Reed College faculty or staff to do this for you. If you have any questions, please reach out to clbrfellowships@reed.edu.