Talinn Phillips works with international faculty on prestigious English Language Specialist project for U.S. Department of State

Ohio University Professor Talinn Phillips recently completed an English Language Specialist project for the U.S. Department of State, focusing on academic publishing in Moscow, Russia.

Phillips, who is a professor of English, is part of a select group, as her project was one of over 250 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year.

This program, which was completed at the end of last year, marked the third time that Phillips has been asked to work with Russian faculty on publication skills and writing strategies. She was grateful to be selected for this program and to have the opportunity to work on this major project.

“Russian colleagues have important scholarship to share with the global community and I’m always grateful for the opportunity to help international scholars progress and publish in their fields,” Phillips said. “I was delighted to learn recently that a previous participant successfully published her work.”

While the project benefited her Russian colleagues, Phillips said the connections she makes through this work are also very beneficial for her work and her teaching at OHIO.

“Engaging in the State Department’s citizen diplomacy has allowed me to form friendships with Russian colleagues. These friendships help me remember that a country is much more than the actions of its government,” Phillips said.

Faculty in other countries often face substantial challenges when they are expected to publish their work in English-language academic journals. The three workshops Phillips facilitated taught faculty how to negotiate publication processes, interact successfully with editors, and respond to reviewer feedback.

As a writing center specialist who has worked extensively with graduate students, Phillips also adapts techniques for revising and publishing to international faculty. Phillips co-edits a series on graduate communication support with Nigel Caplan for the University of Michigan Press and recently published a film project with co-creator Rachael Ryerson that prepares writing consultants to work with graduate students.

The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad.

For more information about the English Language Specialist Program or the U.S. Department of State, visit elprograms.org/specialist (opens in a new window).