The Teachers of Critical Languages Program (TCLP) brings teachers from China, Egypt and Morocco to eligible U.S. elementary and secondary schools to teach Chinese and Arabic for an academic year. American students benefit from having native Chinese and Arabic speakers in the classroom and from a broadened foreign language curriculum.
Egyptian Exchange Teacher applications are generally due in early January. Chinese Exchange Teacher applications are generally due in mid January. Moroccan Exchange Teacher applications are generally due in early January.
Application Criteria for Teachers of Critical Languages Program
Competition for TCLP is merit-based and open to anyone who:
- Citizen of the China, Egypt, Morocco.
- Is currently a full time teacher of English as a Foreign Language or Chinese/ Arabic as a Foreign Language in a primary or secondary (K-12) school
- At the time of application has at least four years of full-time classroom teaching experience;
- Has a firm understanding of Mandarin/Arabic;
- Is prepared to teach for the entire U.S. academic year with leave time limited to school breaks;
- Has at least a bachelor’s degree;
- Demonstrates a commitment to continue teaching after completion of the program; and
- Is proficient in written and spoken English
Eligible Nationalities
China, Egypt and Morocco
Terms and Conditions
Individuals in the following circumstances are NOT eligible for TCLP:
- U.S. citizens and permanent residents of the United States, or their spouses;
- Individuals currently participating in academic, training, or research programs in the United States;
- Individuals who have applied for U.S. permanent residency in the past three years;
- Individuals currently studying, residing, or working outside of China;
- Ministry of Education officials, full-time principals or educational administrators, full-time teacher trainers, education consultants, university faculty, private English Language tutors; and
- Individuals who have participated in an exchange visitor program sponsored by the U.S. government for a period of more than six weeks in the last five years.
Contact: tclp@americancouncils.org for application details.
More details about this opportunity!
TCLP is funded through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State and provides the following benefits. For exchange teachers:
- J-1 visa support;
- A Pre-Departure Orientation held in the exchange teacher’s home country;
- Round-trip airfare from each participant’s home country to and within the U.S.;
- An eight-day Welcome Orientation in Washington, DC;
- An approximately 11-month teaching assignment in a U.S. host school;
- Professional development workshops;
- Accident and sickness insurance for exchange teachers;
- Assistance with finding housing, generally arranged by the U.S. host school/educational community;
- Living stipend of approximately $20,000; and
- Housing in the form of a monthly housing allowance for the duration of the program, calculated based on average housing prices for the assigned host community.