FAQs about the EHLS program
FAQs about the application process
FAQs about the formal language assessment
FAQs about the scholarships
FAQs about the service requirement
About the EHLS Program
What is the EHLS program?
EHLS is an intensive English as a second language program
for adults who want to achieve professional proficiency in English.
What is a heritage language?
A heritage language is a person’s home or ancestral language.
It may be the language spoken by the person’s family in the
past and passed down through generations or the language spoken
now in the person’s home or community.
What are the advantages of participating in the EHLS program?
Participation in the EHLS program has several advantages:
- The program enables participants to develop the English language
skills they need to function effectively in federal government
and professional positions in the United States.
- Program participants develop language learning skills and strategies
that enable them to continue increasing their English proficiency
after they complete the program.
- Participants who complete the program have access to NSEPnet,
an interactive Web site that connects participants with job opportunities
in the federal government. Through NSEPnet, participants' resumes
are made available to hiring officials in all federal departments
and agencies where relevant employment opportunities exist.
How long is the program?
The program is eight months long; it consists of four 2-month sessions
of instruction. The first three sessions involve full-time, intensive
study on campus. The fourth session involves part-time study
that can be done off campus.
What skills do EHLS program participants work on?
Participants work on professional communication skills in listening,
speaking, reading, and writing. They practice giving presentations,
participating in meetings, reading technical materials, and writing
reports, summaries, and professional correspondence.
What kind of instruction does the program provide?
The program combines classroom instruction with small-group tutorials
and one-on-one instruction.
Who are the EHLS participants?
Participants are nonnative speakers of English who have professional
proficiency in the native language and want to improve their
English skills in order to obtain higher level positions in the
United States. For 2010, the EHLS program is actively recruiting
native speakers of Arabic, Dari, Hausa, Hindi, Igbo, Mandarin Chinese, Pashto, Persian
Farsi, Punjabi, Somali, Swahili, or Urdu.
Where does the EHLS program take place?
In 2011, the program will be offered at Georgetown University
in Washington, DC. Visit the Georgetown
EHLS Web site for details.
How much does participation in the program cost?
Qualified applicants who are United States citizens are eligible
for scholarships that cover all tuition and fees and provide
a living stipend.
Can I work while participating in the EHLS program?
Participants may not work during the first six months of the program.
During the first six months, EHLS is a full-time, intensive program
that requires participants to be in class during the day 30 hours
a week and to commit a substantial amount of time to outside-of-class
assignments. During this period, participants are expected to devote
all of their time and attention to the successful completion of
the program's requirements.
Participants may work during the final
two months of the program, when instruction is part time only.
Who manages the EHLS program?
The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) in Washington, DC manages
EHLS. CAL has extensive expertise in issues related to the teaching
and learning of English as a second language and English for
professional purposes. CAL also has experience with education
in heritage language communities.
Who provides the funding for the EHLS program?
EHLS is funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP),
a part of the Department of Defense.
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About the application process
Who may apply to the EHLS program?
Adults who are heritage speakers of a language other than English
may apply. For 2012, the program is especially interested in
recruiting heritage speakers of Arabic, Dari, Hausa, Hindi, Igbo, Mandarin Chinese, Pashto, Persian
Farsi, Punjabi, Somali, Swahili, or Urdu. To be qualified for the program,
an applicant must have professional proficiency in the heritage
language and working proficiency in English. Use the language
self-assessment grids to determine whether you have the appropriate
language skills.
How do I apply to the EHLS program?
Gather the supporting
documentation: a current resume, a copy of your transcript from
the degree program most recently completed, a copy of the confirmation
email for your telephone interview, and two or three letters
of recommendation. Then, complete an online application at www.ehlsapplication.org or download a paper application here. The program application and all supporting documents must
be submitted together. Mail your paper application and supporting documentation to
this address:
Institute of International Education
Attn: English for Heritage Language Speakers
1400 K Street NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20005-2403
Tel: (866) 831 – 3012
Email: ehls@iie.org
To complete your application, you will also need to participate
in a short telephone interview. Sign up for your interview here.
Can I send my application to Georgetown University?
Please do not send your application packet to Georgetown University.
Send it directly to the Institute of International Education
at the address given above.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline for the 2011 EHLS program has passed. Applications for the 2012 program will be available in January 2011.
Will I be considered for a scholarship on the basis of
my program application?
Yes. The scholarship application is part of the program application.
What happens after I submit my application?
The Institute of International Education will contact you in late September to tell you your status. Your status at that time will
be either provisionally accepted or not accepted.
What happens if I am provisionally accepted?
You will need to complete formal
language assessment in English
and your heritage language. Final admission decisions will be
based on the results of this formal assessment. Final admission
decision notification will be sent out in late November.
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About the formal language assessment
Who must participate in formal language assessment?
All applicants who are provisionally accepted on the basis of their
program applications must participate in formal assessment of language
proficiency.
For which languages must an applicant undergo language
assessment?
Each applicant must be assessed in both English and the heritage
language.
What English language skills are assessed?
Each applicant's English proficiency is assessed in four skills:
listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
What heritage language skills are assessed?
Each applicant's heritage language proficiency is assessed in speaking.
How are English language skills assessed?
- Listening and reading skills are assessed using a test developed
by the Defense Language Institute for U.S. government personnel.
- Writing skills are assessed using an essay test developed
by the Defense Language Institute for U.S. government personnel.
- Speaking skills will be assessed using an Oral Proficiency
Interview (OPI).
How are heritage language skills assessed?
- Speaking skills are assessed using an Oral Proficiency Interview
(OPI).
When and where does formal language assessment take place?
Dates for language proficiency testing for the 2012 admission cycle will be posted in the summer of 2011.
Can I take the formal language assessment at another time?
No. All applicants who are provisionally accepted must participate
in proficiency testing on the dates specified.
Can I take the formal language assessment in another location?
All applicants who are provisionally accepted must take the English
listening, reading, and writing tests at Georgetown University.
However, arrangements can be made to take the heritage language
and English speaking tests in other locations. The Center for
Applied Linguistics will assist provisionally accepted applicants
who need to do this.
How well must I score on the English language assessment
in order to be admitted to the EHLS program?
Applicants must receive a score of 2 or 2+ on the ILR
scale on
all four English language skills in order to be qualified for admission
to the EHLS program.
How well must I score on the heritage language assessment
in order to be admitted to the EHLS program?
Applicants must receive a score of 3 or better on the
ILR scale on both heritage language skills in order to be qualified
for admission to the EHLS program.
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About the scholarships
Who is eligible for a scholarship for the EHLS program?
Applicants who meet the language proficiency criteria for admission
and who are United States citizens are eligible for EHLS scholarships.
What does an EHLS scholarship provide?
A scholarship covers all tuition and fees for the eight month program.
It also provides health insurance and a modest monthly stipend
during the intensive portion (first six months).
How do I apply for a scholarship?
The scholarship application is part of the program application.
Complete an online application at www.ehlsapplication.org or download a paper application and submit your application and supporting documentation to
this address:
Institute of International Education
Attn: English for Heritage Language Speakers
1400 K Street NW, Suite 650
Washington, DC 20005-2403
Tel: (866) 831 – 3012
Email: ehls@iie.org
When will I know whether I will receive a scholarship?
Scholarship award notices will be sent out with final admission
decision letters.
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About the service requirement
What is the NSEP service requirement?
Each EHLS program participant who receives a scholarship
from NSEP to participate in the program must agree to pursue employment
with the U.S. government. The NSEP service requirement stipulates
that an award recipient seek employment in the Department of State,
Homeland Security, or Defense, or in the Intelligence Community.
If, after making a full and good faith effort (according to conditions
and rules established by NSEP), an award recipient demonstrates
to NSEP that no appropriate position is available in one of these
agencies, he or she may seek employment in any U.S. federal department
or agency. Please note that some jobs in the federal government
require a security clearance (for example, secret, top secret).
What is the duration of the service requirement?
The duration of the service requirement is one year.
How much time is allotted to fulfill the service requirement?
Scholarship recipients must begin to fulfill the service requirement
no later than two years after they complete the EHLS program.
Does NSEP assign scholarship recipients to specific jobs
with the U.S. government?
No. Scholarship recipients seek out positions that match their
professional interests and qualifications.
What is the Department of State?
The Department of
State is
the lead federal agency responsible for U.S. foreign affairs. The
department employs individuals in both Civil and Foreign Service
positions. Many NSEP recipients are currently working for the Department
of State as Foreign Service Officers throughout the world and as
civil service employees in offices within the Bureau of Diplomatic
Security, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Bureau
of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs,
among others.
What is the Department of Homeland Security?
The Department of
Homeland Security is
a network of 22 federal agencies and organizations involved in
efforts to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States,
reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage
from potential attacks and natural disasters. NSEP recipients have
found employment in many different offices within the Department
of Homeland Security, including the Transportation Security Administration
and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
What is the Department of Defense?
The Department
of Defense (DoD)
provides the forces needed to deter war, protect the security of
the United States, and render global humanitarian assistance as
directed by the President. The department includes all offices
and organizations that comprise the Office of the Secretary of
Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, three Military
Departments (Army, Navy, Air Force), nine Unified Combatant Commands,
the DoD Inspector General, fifteen Defense Agencies, and seven
DoD Field Activities. NSEP recipients have found employment in
many different offices within the Department of Defense, including
the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Defense Threat Reduction
Agency, and National Defense University.
What is the Intelligence Community?
The Intelligence Community
is a group of executive branch agencies and organizations that
work both independently and collaboratively to carry out intelligence
activities necessary for the conduct of foreign relations and the
protection of the national security of the United States. NSEP
recipients have found employment in many different organizations
within the Intelligence Community, including the Central Intelligence
Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, the Bureau of Intelligence
and Research in the Department of State, and the Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
How do scholarship recipients identify opportunities that
will satisfy the service requirement?
EHLS scholars are responsible for their own job search. To assist
these scholars, NSEP has developed an interactive Web site, NSEPnet,
to help scholarship recipients simplify and organize their job
search efforts. NSEPnet maintains an online collection of federal
job search tips, job notices, and resumes posted by recipients
of NSEP awards. These resumes are made available to hiring officials
in all federal departments and agencies where relevant employment
opportunities exist. Scholarship recipients should also use other
widely available employment resources such as www.usajobs.opm.gov.
What is a scholarship recipient required to do to find a
job that fulfills the service requirement?
Each scholarship recipient must make a full and good faith effort
to identify and secure a position in the federal government. This
effort includes creating and routinely updating an online resume
that will be made available to hiring officials in the federal
departments and agencies listed above. Scholarship recipients must
also document specific efforts to identify employment opportunities
in the federal government that would fulfill the NSEP service requirement.
How do scholarship recipients document their searches for
appropriate positions in the three departments or the Intelligence
Community?
Through NSEPNET, each scholarship recipient maintains a Job History
Log of activities undertaken to identify and pursue opportunities
in the federal government that would satisfy the NSEP service requirement.
What happens if scholarship recipients are unable to identify
and to obtain positions in one of the three departments or the Intelligence
Community?
A scholarship recipient's Job History Log must demonstrate to NSEP
that he or she has made a full and good faith effort to identify
and to apply for federal employment with the Department of Defense,
Homeland Security, or State, or with the Intelligence Community.
By maintaining detailed log entries, recipients demonstrate specific
efforts that were made to identify suitable job opportunities and
the types of positions that were available to them while they were
seeking to fulfill their service requirement.
If scholarship recipients
have not been successful in identifying positions in the three
priority departments or the Intelligence Community, they may pursue
employment in any other federal agency.
What if a scholarship recipient is unable to secure employment
in any federal agency?
The federal government is not obligated to hire any individuals
who have received funding through the EHLS program. Therefore,
if a scholarship recipient has made a full and good faith effort
to secure employment but has not been successful, he or she is
free from any and all obligations associated with the service requirement.
Are opportunities to gain federal employment improved by
having a scholarship award?
NSEP does not guarantee that a scholarship recipient will obtain
a job with the U.S. government. However, scholarship recipients
enjoy several advantages as they seek federal employment. First,
NSEPnet connects scholarship recipients directly with potential
federal employers because federal hiring officials search scholarship
recipients' resumes for specific types of expertise. Second, NSEP
staff are available to guide scholarship recipients in their job
search efforts.
Are there any special hiring privileges available to scholarship
recipients as they look for federal employment?
Scholarship recipients are eligible to be considered for positions
that are available only to those who already work for the federal
government (status positions). Therefore, scholarship recipients
can apply for jobs available to the general public (all source
positions) and status positions, which increases the number of
job postings available by 30 – 50%. Also, scholarship recipients
can be hired by a government agency on a non-competitive basis
for a temporary position that lasts up to 4 years (Schedule A Hiring
Authority).
What types of federal positions are scholarship recipients
required to accept?
NSEP does not have the authority to require an individual to accept
any position. Nevertheless, scholarship recipients are expected
to accept paid positions commensurate with the level of education
and experience they possess. A scholarship recipient may choose
to satisfy the service requirement by accepting a suitable paid
or unpaid full-time, part-time, temporary, or internship position.
Employment in the federal government prior to receipt of a scholarship
does not count toward fulfilling the service requirement.
What happens if a scholarship recipient fails to fulfill
the service requirement?
Scholarship recipients who fail to demonstrate a full and good
faith effort to fulfill the service requirement are required to
reimburse the U.S. government for the full amount of assistance
provided from the scholarship.
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