The PDPI Program at Ohio University
The Programa de Desenvolvimento Profissional para Professores de Lingua Inglesa nos EUA (PDPI program) is hosted by the Ohio Program of Intensive English (OPIE) from June 28 to August 8, 2024.
The program is sponsored by CAPES/Fulbright & the Institute of International Education IIE.
Warm Greetings from Ohio University!
We are excited that you are coming to study with us and look forward to welcoming you to Athens, Ohio – our home and a place we hope you will consider your “home away from home.”
For the six-week PPDI Program, we have designed a combination of classes and activities that we hope you will find stimulating and enriching. Please take time to review the following information and feel free to email me any questions at krzic@ohio.edu
Congratulations on being selected for the program. We look forward to meeting you soon!
Best regards (and abraços),
Gerry Krzic, Ph.D., Director of OPIE
Schedule and Calendar Highlights
The schedule of orientation, academic and professional activities for the six-week period sequence & times subject to change.
July 12 (Friday) 7 p.m. Southern Ohio Copperheads Game.
July 13 (Saturday). We will travel to Columbus, Ohio to visit the Ohio Statehouse and Easton Shopping Mall.
July 14 (Sunday). Optional Travel off-campus to Ohio’s Hocking Hills Region for a short hike at Old Man’s Cave and a stop at the Visitors Center.
July 21 (Sunday). We will travel to Marietta, Ohio for a public tour on the Valley Gem Sternwheeler.
July 26 (Friday) to July 28 (Sunday). Enjoy a weekend homestay with a family in Cleveland, Ohio. We will leave Athens on Friday. Grantees will meet their homestay families later that same day and return to Athens in time for dinner on Sunday.
August 6 (Tuesday) Final Project Presentations. PDPI participants will present final projects that they prepared. The final project can be some curriculum material related to a specific student learning objective, theme or topic – which can be digitally uploaded, promoted, and disseminated to other teachers through a sponsor-provided online platform.
Free Weekends
There are two free weekends for you while you are here. The dates are July 4th – 7th and August 3rd – 4th. PDPI participants are required to report any overnight travel during the two free weekends.
Optional Activities
While you are at Ohio University, there will be a variety of optional activities on campus that you can attend. Most of these are free. (Sports events are not free). These events are not an official part of the program during the program so it is optional to attend.
Some examples include:
Residence while in Athens
All PDPI participants will reside in double occupancy rooms in Carr Hall, conveniently located on campus.
Athens city bus is available weekdays for convenient trips to Walmart, Kroger and other places off campus, but in town. Note: Athens is a relatively safe community.
Meals During the Program
You can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Nelson Court Dining Hall (very close to your residence in Carr Hall)
Here are typical dining hall hours:
- Breakfast: 7 – 9:30 a.m. (Monday to Friday); 8-9:30 a.m. (Saturday); No breakfast on Sunday.
- Lunch: 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Everyday). This includes a Sunday Brunch.
- Dinner: 5:00-7:00 p.m. (Everyday)
Facilities on Campus
PDPI Participants have access to all facilities on the Ohio University Campus. Some of the facilities you may use the most are:
Program Objectives and Rules
The objectives for the program are as follows:
- to improve the general English fluency (aural and oral) skills of the participants;
- to relate theory to practice as it can be applied to diverse teaching environments in Brazil;
- to examine relevant issues in language development, language teaching best practices, language learning, and language assessment;
- to produce a final project in a digital format with items such as teaching materials, training resources, and curriculum for use at schools in Brazil;
- to address methodological issues relating to teaching English in Brazil and under difficult circumstances;
- to explore possible uses of technology in language learning and teaching;
- to expose the Brazilian educators to various aspects of American life, history and thought and provide opportunities to interact with a cross-section of Americans; and
- to arrange opportunities for travel and visits to educational and historic points-of-interest in the region.
The rules for the program are as follows:
- Family members, significant others, and friends are not permitted to accompany PDPI participants during the program.
- Participants are not allowed to travel internationally during the program.
- Participants are expected to attend classes, participate actively in courses and meet all coursework requirements, complete any self-access/lab/project time hours, and attend required cultural activities.
Travel to Athens
Your sponsor has made arrangements to fly into the Columbus, Ohio, airport. The official name for the airport is John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH). We will make arrangements for someone to pick you up at the airport and bring you to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.
Athens, Ohio
Brazilian participants who have attended PDPI programs in the past have enjoyed the charm of small-town Athens. We hope you will, too.
Communication in Athens
You can use the university mailing addresses while you are in Athens.
You will also be given an Ohio University ID card and email after you arrive. You can use the ID card when you use the University facilities. Your teachers will correspond via your university email and also via Microsoft Teams.
Suggestions Before Leaving Brazil
Here are some suggestions before you leave Brazil.
- Bring comfortable shoes. You will probably walk more than you do in Brazil.
- Think about “layering” your clothing. For example, you can wear a short-sleeve shirt with a sweater on top of the shirt. The heating in the university buildings can sometimes be unpredictable because it is controlled centrally. Sometimes the rooms will be very hot, sometimes very comfortable, and sometimes cold. If you wear layered clothing you can adjust your clothing according to the temperature of the classroom.
- During orientation, we will take you to Walmart so you can buy things you might need.
- Bring some small, inexpensive souvenirs. You can use them for friends you might make and for your homestay. Souvenirs from your region are always interesting. They don’t have to be expensive. Also, bring pictures of your family, school or city. These are always fun for people in the United States to look at and are great conversation starters.
Questions
Remember you can email questions, to Gerry Krzic, OPIE, Director at krzic@ohio.edu.