IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR EVALUATION WRITERS FOR
FULBRIGHT ENGLISH TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP APPLICATIONS
The attached form is not a standard letter of recommendation.
The Fulbright Program requests answers to 5 specific questions about each applicant with strict word
and line limitations.
If you do not know the answer(s) to any of the questions, please ask the applicant. He/she understands
that he/she may need to give you this information. Writing “Not Applicable” or “Do Not Know”
virtually guarantees they will not move forward in the competition.
Once the applicant is endorsed by the college on the basis of the preliminary application materials
submitted, he may contact you again requesting that the answers to these questions be submitted into
the official Fulbright online application. If you are contacted, you will receive a link from the
Fulbright program that takes you to the official application and a form that looks very much like the
one you have already filled out. You will be able to edit your answers if you so desire.
Before you click that final Submit button into the official application, please preview this form to make
sure none of your answers has been cut off by the pre-programmed word restrictions. This has been a
source of frustration for many reference writers.
FINAL WORDS
Unlike some reference letters for which an impartial evaluation is requested, these national fellowships
and scholarships are highly competitive and looking for superlatives. However, each one should be
substantiated by evidence so that the reference is “as genuine as it is glowing.”
Your reference carries significant weight with the Fulbright screening committees. We appreciate the
time and effort this work takes, and know it can make all the difference for the applicant’s success.
FORM 9B
U.S. STUDENT FULBRIGHT PROGRAM
Reference Form for English Teaching Assistantship Grant
PART I. To be completed by applicant.
_____________________________________________________________________
Applicant Last Name
First Name
Middle Name
For Study In (country)
English Teaching Assistantship
________________________________________________________________________________________
Proposed Field of Study
Institution Through Which Applying or At-Large
Part II: To be completed by the referee. References submitted to the Fulbright Program will not be released to
the applicant, but will be reviewed by a campus committee (for enrolled applicants), the National Screening
Committee, and program sponsors in the U.S. and overseas.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Referee Name
Institution/Organization
________________________________________________________________________________________
Street Address
Email address
________________________________________________________________________________________
City
State
Zip code or Country
________________________________________________________________________________________
Electronic Signature
Date
Written Signature
Date
PART III. Please indicate in what context and for how long you have known the candidate.
PART IV. English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) General Instructions
For additional information about the Fulbright ETA Program, please visit our website at
www.us.fulbrightonline.org. Also, consult the individual country entry for a description of the program in this
applicant’s chosen country.
We ask that you complete a series of short answer questions about the candidate that focus on the qualities
that are essential to success for Fulbright English Teaching Assistants. Please do not attach additional letters
of reference.
In responding to the following questions, please keep in mind that the candidate will be serving as a citizen
representing the United States and that personal suitability, as well as academic excellence, is an important
criterion to be considered. Fulbright ETAs are not responsible for designing curricula or teaching full courses.
Rather they serve, under supervision, at their assigned placements and will be expected to develop and carry
out a variety of learning activities, make presentations on U.S. culture and society, and/or assist faculty in an
English Language Department with their teaching responsibilities, as needed. Leadership and a talent for
innovation are also qualities of successful ETAs.
If you do not feel that you have adequate information or knowledge to respond to a specific question, place NA
in the box.
Please limit your responses to the spaces provided. If space allows, feel free to give examples of the
candidate’s experience relative to a specific criterion.
REFERENCES FAXED OR EMAILED TO IIE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Please give the signed, printed copy of this completed form to the candidate in a sealed envelope,
signed across the flap.
ETA Reference Form — Page 1
*Please Note Word and Line Limits for Each Section*
Name:
Field of Study:
Country:___________________
1. Based on your observation of or experience with the candidate, comment on his/her ability to express
themselves competently and clearly in English, orally and in writing. If relevant, comment on specific situations
where you have observed the candidate’s communication skills (e.g.,classroom presentations, coursework, cocurricular activities, etc.) (Approx. 10 lines or 100 words)
2. While formal training in teaching is generally not required, successful ETA grantees have exhibited a strong
interest in teaching and learning through their classroom behavior and/or in extracurricular activities, jobs or
volunteer work, and/or community service projects. In your view, how has this candidate demonstrated
qualities associated with teaching or mentoring. (Approx. 6 lines or 65 words)
3. Keeping in mind that an ETA’s specific job description at the placement abroad may not be clearly defined,
describe the candidate’s abilities relative to working in unstructured situations. Feel free to give a specific
example. (Approx. 6 lines or 65 words)
4. Comment on how the candidate might interact with students, faculty and, community leaders, among others,
in an unfamiliar situation or different cultural environment. Feel free to describe a situation where you have
observed the candidate in these circumstances. What kind of impression, in your view, would the candidate
make abroad as a representative of the United States? (Approx. 6 lines or 65 words)
5. Please comment on any other factors which you believe may have a bearing on the candidate’s experience
overseas or potential as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. (Approx. 8 lines or 85 words)
9B
ETA Reference Form — Page 2F