FLEX Follow Up

I’m very happy to report that the two girls, Amina and Nurlana, who I’ve been helping study for the FLEX* exam for the past year (one for more than the past year) took the first round of testing on September 29^th. Day one is a short exam that consists of a short English text and follows with 16 questions to be completely in 15 minutes.   To no surprise of mine, both girls called me that afternoon exclaiming they would go on to the second test the next day.  The second day is much more difficult as the first day just weeds out the all the eager teenagers who want to go to America but maybe don’t have the English skills.  It also turns away those who think they can cheat their way to studying in America.

Day two is three hours long with more intense grammar, listening sections and essays.  Critical thinking and essay writing (along with presentations, group work, and other American learning techniques) are not taught in Azeri schools so preparing them for this part took much more work.  Furthermore, on university entrance exams students can simply not answer a question and it won’t count against them so I’ve had to show the girls how they need to answer each question by using trial and error methods.  We also spent many hours with essay writing to get them thinking critically about their ideas and opinions-another big thing skipped in the educational system.  I was just thrilled they made it to round two on their first try.  (If they don’t go on to the next round they still have two more years to try.)

After the second round they were told they wouldn’t hear the results until the end of the month or possibly the beginning of November.  So it was a surprise on Thursday when Nurlana called me to tell me she passed round two and would go on to the interview round!  Amina called me about an hour later with the same news-though it was hard to understand her at the volume and tone she was speaking at; if a voice could jump up and down, hers certainly did. Obviously they were thrilled, as was I, and I gave both girls a huge hug when I saw them at club that afternoon. 

Perhaps fittingly, round three will take place the week I depart Zerdab.  It will consists of an interview with questions like “What do you want to learn through going to the FLEX?” and “What is the most difficult adjustment you have ever had to make?” but also, “How will you feel if you have to live with a family that has a dog?” They’ll also have to write more essays and be observed working in groups with other students. 

We’ve began preparation lessons again although Nurlana and I mostly just sat and talked after club, still jittery with excitement.  The school and teachers were abuzz on Friday and everyone has been congratulating them.  There is pressure I’m sure, but just the fact they made it this far is a huge accomplishment.  I’m already so proud of them for believing in their dreams and working hard to reach them.  Again, if it doesn’t happen this year they’re lucky enough to have two more years to meet me in America.

*The FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) program is a U.S. Government run program that brings students from former Soviet countries to the U.S. to study in high school and live with a family for one year.  Students must pass three rounds of English exams and interviews but certainly don’t need to be fluent to be invited—it’s more important that they are able to work well with others and display leadership potential. Each year about 4o students from Azerbaijan enter the FLEX program but practically half of them come from the capital. No one from Zerdab has ever entered the FLEX program and I don’t think I’d be far off to guess that less than 1% have studied outside the country.