Anna Prime's entry was picked from a shortlist of five at an open evening at the Guardian's Newsroom on Wednesday, organised by language training and advice company Cactus Tefl, which launched the scholarship in memory of a colleague killed in 2006.

Prime, currently spending a year in Russia, wins a four-week Cambridge Celta course and a two-week language course in Spain.

Candidates were asked to submit an assignment on the theme of Six weeks in Spain, which could be interpreted in any way as long as it contained a reference to English language teaching.

Entries were assessed by Cactus and EducationGuardian.co.uk.

Jenny Johnson, the head of Cactus Tefl, said: "Competition for the scholarship was very tough and we had dozens of excellent entries. However, Anna's assignment stood out from the crowd in terms of her commitment to teaching English and her creative flair.

"We are delighted to be able to offer her this prize which will kick-start her career as an English teacher, and wish her every success for the future."

Prime's poem highlighted the problems students face when they begin to learn English.

A verse of her poem reads:

"In sharing our worlds, we create yet another
One in which we all benefit from the cultures of each other.
It is only then, while teaching others seemingly obvious words
That you realise the English language is entirely absurd."

Furstner was the head of Cactus Tefl before she was killed in a road accident in Spain in May 2006. The foundation was set up in her memory to support language and education training across the world.

The foundation helps fund school study trips, provides course books and DVDs and arranges free courses for charities or organisations that work overseas.