Agency for Promoting Foreign Language Learning under the Cabinet of Ministers

In accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan dated May 19, 2021 "On measures to bring the promotion of foreign language study in the Republic of Uzbekistan to a qualitatively new level." №PD-5117 an Agency for Promoting Foreign Language Learning under the Cabinet of Ministers has been established.

The Agency aims at improving the quality of education, attracting qualified teachers to the field and increasing public interest in studying foreign languages.

According to the government decision of May 19, 2021, Sanjar Omonkhodjaevich Obidov and Azimjon Nozimjonovich Khusanov were appointed as deputy directors of the Agency.

The Agency aims at promoting foreign languages by introducing effective teaching methods, programs and textbooks in kindergartens, schools, lyceums, universities and training centers. In order to address the needs of educational institutions, industries and regions, the Agency organizes teaching of at least 10 foreign languages: English, Russian, German, French, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Turkish, Arabic, Persian.

The main tasks of the Agency are:

- creating necessary conditions for popularizing the study and mastering foreign languages among the population, coordinating the implementation of internationally recognized programs and textbooks for teaching foreign languages at all stages of education, as well as developing up-to-date teaching skills among teachers;

- organization of training in popular foreign languages based on the results of the analysis of the needs of regions, industries and educational institutions for specialists who speak foreign languages;

- organizing creation of videos, games, entertainment programs, films and other educational materials for a thorough mastery of foreign languages and formation of basic language skills;

- creating and implementing methods for professional translation from the state language into foreign languages and from foreign languages into the state language, - maintaining a rating system of foreign language proficiency in the context of regions, industries, government agencies and educational organizations, developing proposals for further popularizing the study of foreign languages. -organization and creation of videos, games, entertainment programs, films and other educational content for developing fluency in foreign languages, formation of basic language skills;

- creation of various popular science and entertainment programs for young people in foreign languages, prepared with their participation, which will be regularly broadcasted on the corresponding TV and radio channels;

- assistance in creation and implementation of methods for professional translation from the state language into foreign languages and from foreign languages into the state language, as well as advanced training of specialists in this area; 

- maintaining a rating of foreign language proficiency in the context of regions, industries, government agencies and educational organizations, developing proposals for further popularizing the study of foreign languages.

Round-the-clock broadcasting of TV and radio channels in foreign languages will be organized, with at least 3 hours of time allocated for online teaching, the airtime of various popular science and entertainment programs for young people in foreign languages, prepared with their participation, will be increased and regularly broadcasted on the corresponding TV and radio channels, broadcasting children's TV programs in foreign languages without dubbing, if necessary in the original language with subtitles in Uzbek, English and Russian will be organised. Starting from the 2021/2022 academic year, with the Ministry of Public Education and the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan, mobile groups under the Agency for advanced training in educational institutions for teachers with a low level of knowledge located in remote areas will be organized. On the basis of secondary schools, 207 schools specialized in teaching foreign languages will be opened.

In 2022/23, pupils of grades 4 and 9 will be tested to determine the level of proficiency in a foreign language. In addition, teachers of foreign languages will be tested and allowances will be paid in the presence of a national or international certificate. Funds for the purchase of up-to-date literature, textbooks and teaching aids from the state budget will be allocated to foreign language teachers. In order to attract qualified personnel in the field of teaching foreign languages and increase the potential of industry specialists, the parameters of admission to higher educational institutions will be increased. To increase the level of learning of foreign languages by civil servants and staffing of state bodies with highly qualified and competitive personnel, the practice of teaching a foreign language will be organized. In this regard, the Agency expresses its readiness for an open dialogue on any projects and proposals aimed at improving the study of foreign languages for the successful achievement of the set goals.

The agency invites international foundations and organizations, private educational organizations, international experts and qualified teachers to cooperate in the development of foreign languages to fulfill the following tasks:

- introduction of internationally recognized programs and textbooks for teaching foreign languages at all stages of education, development of up-todate teaching skills among teachers;

- development of methods and recommendations for language learning suitable for all categories of the population in order to introduce the chain of continuous education in the field of teaching foreign languages on the basis of the principle "kindergarten - school - higher educational organization - enterprise";

- creation of methods for professional translation from the state language into foreign languages and from foreign languages into the state language, as well as advanced training of specialists in this area; - creation of videos, games, entertainment programs, films and other educational content for developing fluency in foreign languages, the formation of basic language skills; 

- creation of various popular science and entertainment programs for young people in foreign languages, prepared with their participation, which will be regularly broadcasted on the corresponding TV and radio channels; -organization and holding of the competition for the best school "Cup of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan";

-organisation of testing of secondary school pupils of grades 4 and 9 and teachers of foreign languages at all levels of education.