Being a Fulbright ETA in Uzbekistan

In August 2017, I received an e-mail from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, encouraging me to apply to the Fulbright Scholarship. Interested, I researched it and decided to apply to Central Asia. I was assigned to write about Uzbekistan for my Islam and Politics class. I wanted to write about Russia but while researching the paper, I fell in love with the area because Central Asia was the perfect mixture of Islam and Russia, my two favorite topics in International Studies. During my final quarter at the University of Denver, I taught swim lessons to kids and watched a petrified 11 year old master the back float. Based on those two events, I decided to apply for the Fulbright. On July 12th, 2018, I was offered a grant to teach English in Uzbekistan. 

Are you wondering what I did for 10 months in Uzbekistan? Here is an overview of my time in Andijan, Uzbekistan. 

The Letter from the President, regarding my Fulbright

First off, I lived in Andijan. It is the fourth biggest city in Uzbekistan. It is located in the Ferghana Valley, which is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. Seriously, there are people everywhere.

https://maps-uzbekistan.com/map-of-uzbekistan

Teach

I was assigned to Andijan State University’s Department of English Language. I was very adamant about not teaching my own classes so instead, I co-taught with my counterpart, Dilrabo and visited other teachers’ classes. I held a speaking club three times a week and office hours every day. My speaking club had varied attendance. I did units like music genres, American dance, American fall holidays, baseball, IELTS preparation and American February holidays. When I substituted or led a speaking club, I created my own materials, spending an hour or two before writing worksheets.

Learning about American December Holidays

Presenting about English at a boarding school

Discussing my speaking club at Andijan Machine-Building Institute

Put on Cultural Events

My favorite part of my job was teaching American culture. I put on three events while I was in Andijan. First, in my speaking club during October, we carved pumpkins with State Department officials. The students and officials loved it. I bought three pumpkins in a local bazaar and snacks, knives and drinks at a local chain store. Students carved and talked about Halloween traditions with the diplomats. Second, I hosted the 1st Annual Andijan Music Festival. Fourteen Uzbek acts performed; eleven Americans attended; over thirty people watched. I performed Andijan’s traditional dance, Andijan Polka. Third, my family taught my students how to play baseball during their trip here. My students mastered how to hit baseballs my brother threw at them. Besides my three events, I helped my colleagues with an open mic night and a movie festival in Namangan, the second biggest city in Uzbekistan. 

Teaching Students How to Play Baseball

Carving Pumpkins

My colleagues and I at the Andijan Music Festival

Performing at an Open Mic in Namangan

Me attending the Namangan Movie Festival

Present at Conferences 

Initially, I was hesitant to present at conferences because I’m not a trained English teacher but I decided to present, taking my topics either from lessons I’d implemented in class which I was proud of or techniques I’d learned to speak Russian, Spanish or Uzbek. I gave five presentations: two about poetry in Tashkent, one about goal setting in Jizzakh, one about using podcasts in Namangan and one about paragraph and essay writing in Namangan. 

Presenting on goal setting in Jizzakh

Become a Community Member 

I decided to become a community member because I wanted to experience Uzbek daily life and learn how to dance. Though language limited me, I was able to interact with people through going to gym classes, nail salons, dance classes and dressmakers. People tried to speak as much as English as they could when they interacted with me while I attempted to speak as much Uzbek or Russian as I could. I was able to introduce them to American culture and English while bonding over common goals like losing weight and shared interests like dance. I enjoyed this aspect of my ETAship because it was easier to make friends and taught me more about my neighbors. 

Making sumalak, the traditional food eaten during Navruz (Persian New Year)

My Traditional Uzbek Outfit

Learn a New Language 

The best aspect of the Fulbright Scholarship is the 1,500 dollars allocated for language study. My college degree is in Russian so I decided to shift my attention to Uzbek. I grasped Uzbek grammar quickly but struggled with pronunciation. Using children’s books and songs, I improved my pronunciation. I’ve enjoyed learning Uzbek because locals don’t speak Russian here and Uzbek is often the only way to connect with them. Also, it means so much to them that I have tried to learn their language. 

My essay about my traditional outfit

Travel the Country 

Most tourists in Uzbekistan go to Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Placed in Andijan, I was far away from these destinations. I spent most of my weekends (and money) on traveling this fascinating country. My favorite trips included Bukhara, Nukus and Moynaq, Elliq Kala and Termiz. Bukhara is a perfectly preserved Silk Road city with modern amenities. Nukus has an incredible art museum while Moynaq is a living museum on the Aral Sea disaster. Elliq Qala is a collection of forty Ancient Xorazm forts in the desert which transport you through time to the Silk Road. Termiz is the crossroads of Greek, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian customs and architecture.

Ayaz Qala and wild camels

Graveyard of ships in Moynaq

Architectural Ensemble Sultan Saodat

Ancient caravanserai in Bukhara

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Uzbekistan. I cannot wait to go back and continue teaching English in Central Asia. I hope that this post answers any questions you had on the Fulbright Program in Uzbekistan. If you still have questions, feel free to contact me at russiawandering@gmail.com

On the Silk Road (in Samarkand)