Lewis Evans Email and Phone Number

During my time with the American Center, Myanmar, I implemented courses designed to improve the language skills and the environmental and social science knowledge of Burmese university students. Using interactive and creative teaching methods and tools I facilitated classes on topics such as climate change, sustainability, theories for social change and identity etc. I organised and facilitated competitions between different classes, site visits to mosques, informal settlements etc.

Key responsibilities:- Developed and taught a Business English language programme on the theme of sustainability & waste management (to children and adults)- Stakeholder management: I developed the programme with Green lotus, the French Development Agency and Bokashi Myanmar in order to design a programme which was well adapted to the needs of the community.Details: During my time in Myanmar I worked on behalf of the French Development Agency as an education officer. I was required to design an English language programme, designed to enhance the English language skills and therefore the livelihood opportunities amongst the female residents of an informal settlement in Yangon, Myanmar. The success of the programme rested on my ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with between myself, the local Burmese employees and the employees responsible for overseeing the project at the AFD. I communicated the content of the course at every step of the planning process, requested feedback and adjusted the course accordingly. During the course I encouraged AFD employees to observe the classes and to provide instantaneous feedback based on their observations and student feedback in order to enhance the content of the course and the ways in which it was presented. Overall, because I established such strong relationships with the AFD employees I felt the feedback I received was honest and therefore highly valuable as a resource for improving the language programme. As a result of this, the programme was a huge success. The relationships between foreign and native staff at the AFD were improved, as well as the communication between the Burmese residents of the informal settlement and foreign AFD employees. The female residents were also invited to different institutions such as the French Embassy to present (in English) their business ideas and they then went on to sell their products in shopping malls around Yangon.

During my time with People in Need I taught English classes to Burmese employees on the theme of sustainable development. The aim of the course was to improve the employees knowledge of the problems posed by climate change (particularly from a local perspective) whilst enhancing their language and communication skills in order to improve relationships between local and international staff.