Moldova
6 English Teaching Assistant Award
Accepted Degree Levels
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Grant PeriodSeptember StartGrant Length9 Months |
Award Type
Award Profile
Grantees will teach English under the supervision of an experienced English instructor and will serve as a resource for conversation, vocabulary, and reading and writing courses. Grantees may also be involved in some educational advising and outreach.
In addition to teaching, grantees are encouraged to develop extracurricular projects at the university or for the local community.
Grant Length
Grant Period
Grants will begin in September 2025 and end in June 2026.
Orientation
All grantees are required to attend a pre-departure orientation in June or July as a condition of their grant. The event is organized by IIE, virtually or in-person.
An in-country orientation will be held in the first week of September.
Candidate Profile
Well-rounded, articulate candidates at all degree levels, with an interest in International Education and the initiative to teach conversational English at all levels, will be considered. Undergraduate degrees in Humanities and Social sciences, with a focus on English, American Studies, or Education, are preferred. Successful candidates will not just be teaching English, but serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. Previous teaching experience is not required, but helpful. Applicants must be fluent English speakers.
What is life like for Fulbrighters in the host country?
Life as an ETA in Moldova is an opportunity to immerse into Moldovan culture, history, language, engage with the locals formulating connections, and to leave an impact and an impression in the classroom, outside the classroom, and with everyone you meet. For many Moldovans, this may be the first time they meet or interact with an American, and potentially the only time they will meet an American. Therefore you’re an ambassador of American culture.
Kiara Kolaczyk (Fulbright ETA 23, 24) - Your ETA experience is what effort and engagement you create for yourself and the community. Within my two years as a Fulbright ETA, I have assisted with business development in Ungheni, instructed English and Entrepreneurship at Colegiul Agroindustrial, presented at universities and schools around the country, visited and helped at various local farms, lead programming at the American Corner and community organizations, and developed travel information for tourists to Moldova. My friendships and connections with the locals, attending cultural experiences, and watching students step out of their shell and exploring new career opportunities, has been my favorite parts of my time in Moldova. I will surely be back to visit Moldova numerous times in the future.
Sarah Hohman, 2024 - I would say that life as an ETA in Moldova varies a lot based on where you are placed. It requires flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to balance your time and effort between teaching and community outreach. Being an ETA is also extremely rewarding, especially when you get to see your students developing a passion for English and American culture. I’ve gotten the chance to have so many unique opportunities and form lasting connections with locals and other expats while living in Moldova as an ETA.
Eligibility
Degree Level of Applicant
- Bachelor's
- Master's
Foreign Language Proficiency
Additional Information: Some knowledge of Romanian or Russian is recommended, and preference may be given to candidates who have proficiency in one or both of these languages.
Placement Type
- Vocational/Technical School
- University/Post-Secondary Institution
Affiliation is primarily at universities and vocational/ technical schools, but may be in other venues where English language instruction is needed. Affiliation is arranged at institutions outside of the capital city Chisinau. Grantees will teach under the supervision of an experienced English instructor and will serve as a resource for conversation, vocabulary, and reading and writing courses. Grantees may also be involved in some educational advising and outreach.
Placement Locations
- Regional City
Supplementary Project
Grantees are expected to engage in other activities related to their personal, career, and/or educational interests. This may be an independent study/research project or other activity that will not conflict with assigned teaching and advising responsibilities. Projects involving local communities are encouraged. Applicants should include a brief description of their supplementary project in their Statement of Grant Purpose.
Award Benefits
- A stipend broadly based on the cost of living in the host country. These funds may be used by the grantee to support housing, meals, and incidental costs during the grant period.
- International travel benefits
- Accident & sickness health benefits
- 24/7 mental health support line for urgent and non-urgent situations
- 12 months of non-competitive eligibility (NCE) hiring status within the federal government
- English language teaching preparatory course
Stipend Amount
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
One-Time Allowances
This is an estimated amount and is subject to change. The financial terms of the grant will be confirmed in the grant document issued after selection.
- Excess baggage fees
- Language training allowance
- Research/Materials allowance
- Settling in allowance
- Local transportation allowance
Additional Grant Benefits
- Diplomatic pouch
Fulbright ETAs, are authorized to make a one-time shipment of educational materials to the American embassy or consulate in the country of assignment. This shipment must not exceed 6 cubic feet in volume. Six cubic feet is equal to 10,368 cubic inches and 1 cubic foot is equal to 1,728 cubic inches. To determine the volume of a box in cubic feet, multiply the width times the length times the depth (all in inches), and divide the sum by 1728. For example, a box that measures 24” X 24” X 18” has a volume of 6 cubic feet. If a shipment exceeds 6 cubic feet, the entire bulk shipment will be returned to sender. The tracking or registry numbers should be included on all parcels. These materials cannot be sent back to the United States by pouch.
Estimated Cost of Living
Consider using cost of living comparison websites to gain a better understanding of the potential costs in your host country.
Depending on the placement the cost of living is different, but on average would be:
Accommodation one bedroom apartment: 300 EUR per month
Utilities: 250 EUR per month
Food and local transportation - 850 EUR
Total 1400 EUR= 1500 USD
Dependents
Housing Arrangements
Grantees are responsible for their own housing. It is advised to make short-term arrangements (1-2 weeks) and then, upon the arrival to the host city, arrange long-term housing. Host institutions will provide advice on the process.
Fulbright Program Management Contact
Fulbright Commission/U.S. Embassy Website
Country Overview
Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe at the crossroad between east and west. It is surrounded by Ukraine to the northeast and Romania to the southwest with a population of about 3.0 million people. Once known as "the garden" of Soviet Union, it is famous for its wine, the world’s largest wine cellars and its charming countryside. Safe and welcoming, it is one of the few countries with bilingual population (Romanian- and Russian-speaking) with two different alphabets: Cyrillic and Latin.
Located between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova emerged as an independent republic following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Currently, the country has a population of 2.6 million people. Two-thirds of Moldovans are of Romanian descent. Both Moldova and Romania are mainly Romanian-speaking countries; the countries also share a rich cultural heritage. Russian is also widely used in Moldova. The industrialized territory to the east of the Dniester river, known as ‘Transnistria’ has been a breakaway region since 1992. This area is mainly inhabited by Russian and Ukrainian speakers. Transnistrian independence has never been recognized and the region has existed in a state of limbo ever since. Chisinau is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The Regional Security Office advises American grantees not to travel to the breakaway region of Transnistria, unless coordinated with the U.S. Embassy for official purposes.
Overall, there are over 10 universities in Moldova. The majority are in the capital, Chisinau, including Moldova State University, Technical University, Pedagogical University, Medical University, Academy of Arts, and the Academy of Economic Studies. There is also one state university in the northern city of Balti; one in Comrat, the capital of the Gagauz region; and another in Cahul, in the south of Moldova. The biggest and oldest private university is the Free Independent University of Moldova (ULIM) in Chisinau.
A Fulbright placement in Moldova is a great opportunity for someone who is looking for direct interaction with a multi-cultural and multi-lingual environment. The Embassy strives to provide opportunities for all Fulbrighters to engage with partners throughout the country, including in Cahul, Comrat and Balti, regardless of their host institution.
The level of English among youth in urban areas has been constantly improving. Homosexuality is not illegal in the country and the Law on Ensuring Equality provides for equal employment rights for sexual minorities. However, the LGBT community in Moldova is often faced with a strong traditional Orthodox opposition, prejudice, instances of discrimination and hate speech.
The main safety concerns the grantees might encounter regularly would be stray dogs, muddy holes on the street, reckless drivers (particularly when crossing the street, even at crosswalks), and petty-crimes, particularly when impaired and/or alone at night.
There are a limited number of doctors that speak English in Moldova, so in the event that the grantee would need medical care they'd have to make sure to bring someone to the hospital who can translate or seek the medical services of private hospitals and clinics, such as Medpark or the German Diagnostic Center. Medication in Moldova is sold over the counter, but American-made medicines are not sold at local drug stores; If an individual needs to take a certain medication daily, weekly, or other regular basis, we recommend they bring the medicine with them from the United States.