HPU Instructor Emerita Jean Kirschenmann, pictured here during a presentation at Hawaii TESOL Conference, 2025.
Jean Kirschenmann, HPU Instructor Emerita in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), has been selected by the U.S. Department of State for a 10-month fellowship at the University of Jan Kochanowski in Kielce, Poland. There, she will teach English and teacher development courses—similar to courses she taught at HPU for over 30 years.
Kirschenmann joins a cohort of approximately 130 U.S. citizens selected for English Language Fellow Program placements around the world during the 2025-2026 academic year. Her orientation at the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw began on September 9, 2025.
Kirschenmann first learned about the English Language Fellowship program about 20 years ago when the first of several HPU MA TESOL program graduates was appointed a Fellow to Algeria. “Then, in 2008, when HPU TESOL hosted a month-long summer institute for 26 Department of State-sponsored teachers from around the world, I learned there was no upper age limit to apply,” she says, adding “so, I kept the idea in the back of my mind during busy years with work and family matters. This will be my fourth work- and life-abroad experience—after China, Japan, and Romania—since I began my career with the Peace Corps on Yap Island in the Federated States of Micronesia 50 years ago. I should be better prepared for this position than I was then, if I can survive the winter!”
The English Language Fellow Program is the premier opportunity for experienced teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to make meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. government. Through projects developed by U.S. Embassies in more than 80 countries, Fellows work directly with local teachers, students, and educational professionals to improve the quality of English language instruction offered at prestigious universities and other academic institutions.
Since 1969, the English Language Fellow Program has sent thousands of TESOL scholars and educators abroad to promote English language learning, enhance English teaching capacity, and connect the United States and other countries through cultural exchange. On assignment, Fellows teach English, conduct teacher training, develop resources, and organize events and conferences. These projects are challenging and the teachers selected represent the best of the U.S. TESOL community. In return, the program provides professional development opportunities to help participants experience different cultures and build skills that can greatly enhance their TESOL careers back home.
English Language Fellows are counted among the more than 50,000 individuals participating in U.S. Department of State exchange programs each year. The Fellow Program is administered by the Center for Intercultural Education and Development at Georgetown University.
