The U.S. Department of State has selected Deric McNish, associate professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre, for a four-month English Language Specialist project in Russia, Estonia, Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania. This multimodal project will support English language teachers and learners through the development of a podcast series that aims to build commonality and better understanding by supporting cultural literacy. 

McNish has taught at MSU’s English Language Center and the University of Michigan’s English Language Institute. He is the co-author of "Drama in the Language Classroom" (University of Michigan Press) and a leading scholar and practitioner of interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning.  

“This project was conceived by a dynamic group of teachers. I’m very excited to help them bring this valuable idea to life,” McNish said. “It’s an intersection of my interests in applied theatre, devising, English language teaching and learning, cultural literacy, and aural media.” 

The U.S. Department of State’s English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, English Language Specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions and communities in the United States and overseas. 

Since 1991, the English Language Specialist Program has supported in-country, virtual, and mixed projects in which hundreds of TESOL scholars and educators promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and foster mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through cultural exchange.

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