Fulbright Reality Czech

Sean McAneny is a legal assistant in Western New York. He taught English at the only Military High School in the Czech Republic for the last year, located in Česká Třebová. On average, 150 young Americans apply annually to assist with teaching English at Czech high schools. Only about 30 of those applicants end up getting the opportunity . They know in advance that neither Prague nor Brno will be their final host destinations. Most of them are heading to smaller towns, at schools where students are less exposed to native English-speakers. After his 10-month Fulbright grant, Sean reflects on this policy, highlighting the “range of experiences that are not cosmopolitan but distinctly Czech.” In addition, he recounts lessons that he had experienced during his time in the Czech Republic. Being placed in an “outdoorsman’s paradise,” Sean spent lots of time hiking in the countryside, exploring the “slower pace of life,” a common observation of American expats living in Europe. In the end, Se

Sean McAneny is an English Teaching Assistant at the only Military High School in the Czech Republic, located in Moravská Třebová. As a former captain of the SUNY Geneseo track & field team, a tutor at his university writing center and with two life-long passions for literature and sports, Sean was placed at this unique high school that prepares young students for future studies at military colleges and careers in the Czech Army. The school has about 350 students, about 75 per cent are males. It is a boarding school with a strict schedule and a strong emphasis on athletics. During a Fulbright visit in November 2021, one of Sean's colleagues noted: "We are teaching future officers and commanders, and this year-long experience with Sean helps us to not only motivate our students to improve their communication skills in English, but it to strengthen their critical thinking."   There is a certain kind of person who goes away to Europe in order to “find himself.” He asks s