KINGSTON, R.I. – March 18, 2026 – Laura Hamman-Ortiz in the University of Rhode Island’s Feinstein College of Education recently traveled to Bahrain as part of a U.S. State Department English Language Specialist assignment. This was her first in-person specialist assignment and her first time in the Arabian Gulf.

An assistant professor of TESOL and bilingual education and the director of URI’s new Translanguaging Lab, Hamman-Ortiz delivered English pedagogy workshops to educators over three weeks there. She returned in February, shortly before the region began making global news.

The island nation in the Arabian Gulf is approximately 300 square miles, about one-third the size of Rhode Island, yet with a similar population size.

“Bahrain has been on my mind a lot since I returned,” Hamman-Ortiz said. “The conflict in the region thankfully began after I had returned, and everyone I worked with is ok so far, but it is constantly front of mind. I hope everything gets resolved quickly.”

The Department of State’s English Language Specialist Program is a highly selective program that supports English language projects in partnership with Ministries of Education across more than 80 countries. The projects generally focus on teacher training, curriculum development, and language education.

For her Bahrain assignment, Hamman-Ortiz facilitated workshops with 100 English teachers there. During each group’s four-day workshop series, they explored the different facets of common school-based genres, and engaged in collaborative writing and text-analysis activities. On the last day, teachers worked collaboratively to design digital narratives and to rework their curricular units using strategies they had learned.

Hamman-Ortiz hopes to see other URI faculty and TESOL professionals serve as English Language Specialists in the competitive program—only 250 specialists are chosen each year.

Hamman-Ortiz describes her professional development experience in Bahrain for the U.S. Department of State:

What was the goal of your assignment while in Bahrain?

I focused my workshops around genre-based pedagogy, a research-based approach to apprenticing students into writing different genres that has been shown to be especially effective for language learners. During the workshops, teachers also learned about AI tools to support students in making meaningful language choices and differentiating texts to build background knowledge on a topic.

I found that there were more commonalities than differences across Bahraini and U.S. educational contexts. Teachers in both countries wonder how to differentiate writing instruction to meet all students’ needs and how to prepare students for high-stakes assessments while still centering student background and engagement. We tackled these issues head on, through dialogue, strategy-sharing, and hands-on practice.

Is language a tool for connection and diplomacy in this program?

Yes, the English Language Specialist program aims for language to be both a means for connection and diplomacy. It is part of an effort for U.S. embassies to build strong partnerships with local governments around common areas of interest. English is also a language of opportunity and access around the world. In Bahrain, where half of the population comes from outside the island, English is a core part of its social and economic mobility.

What language did you teach and/or converse in?

The teachers I worked with were all Arabic speakers and very proficient in English (they were all K-12 English teachers). Teachers spoke a mix of both Arabic and English during the workshops—a beautiful translanguaging space. I picked up a few Arabic words while I was there, too.

For example, a common greeting in Bahrain is “Shlonik?” (for men) and “Shlonich?” (for women) which literally translates to “What is your color?” But, in practice, it means “How are you doing?” The term is rumored to have originated many years ago (possibly during a plague) when people would ask about the color of one another’s faces to see if they were sick. A great reminder of how the words we use each day often carry rich (and interesting!) histories.

What was your primary takeaway from this experience?

The warmth and dedication of the educators. They eagerly participated in our activities, from exploring character development to using talk tokens to support dialogue. In the process, I learned about Ramadan and Sports Day, ate halwa and samboosa, and discovered my love for karak (chai) tea.

One teacher beautifully articulated the core of our approach to writing instruction: “It’s a focus shift from language study to language use.” Indeed, learning how to write in a new language becomes more meaningful when we center learning and practice around how we actually use language. Seeing these shifts in perspective and the many ways that Bahraini teachers were able to apply these strategies to their own teaching contexts was deeply rewarding. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with these creative and committed educators.

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