A growing education partnership between the UK and Turkmenistan is taking significant strides in modernising how future English teachers are trained, with a stronger emphasis on inclusive
classroom practice.
Two academics from Nottingham Trent University’s (NTU) School of Social Sciences travelled to Ashgabat from 9 to 15 November as part of the British Council’s ‘Accelerating English Language Learning in Central Asia’ (AELLCA) programme, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. The regional initiative aims to boost the quality of English language teaching across five Central Asian nations.
NTU has been collaborating since 2024 with the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages (TNIWL), Turkmenistan’s leading centre for language education and teacher training. The joint work focuses on embedding inclusive methodology into the Pre-Service English Teacher Training (PRESETT) curriculum—the programme that prepares new English teachers before they enter the classroom.
By integrating inclusive practices at this early stage, the partners aim to ensure that future teachers are better equipped to meet the needs of diverse learners, including pupils with differing abilities and educational backgrounds.
During their visit, the NTU team observed English lessons in two Ashgabat secondary schools to gain a first-hand understanding of local teaching environments. They also delivered workshops for teacher trainers, students, and alumni, and worked with TNIWL staff to review existing PRESETT materials and identify opportunities for improvement.
“Embedding inclusive methodologies within the PRESETT curriculum is a vital step in preparing future teachers to meet the needs of all learners,” said Dr Sarah Khan from NTU. “Working alongside skilled and enthusiastic colleagues at TNIWL allows us to co-create curriculum content that integrates inclusive principles and modern pedagogical approaches. This work will have a lasting impact on English language education in Turkmenistan.”
Beyond developing updated teaching resources, the partnership is preparing to host a symposium on inclusive English teaching at TNIWL in March 2026. Earlier this year, 14 TNIWL teachers strengthened their professional credentials by passing the Cambridge English Teaching Knowledge Test.
The collaboration underscores the UK’s wider commitment to international academic exchange and the promotion of inclusive education worldwide.