Pursuing Professional Excellence in ELT

Middle East Journal of TEFL

Professionalism is a term that is often used to describe practices within ELT, but rarely precisely defined and is therefore amenable to widely differing interpretations. Within ELT the discourse of professionalism co-exists alongside practices that would not normally be associated with a traditional understanding of the term, such as low pay, job insecurity, a lack of any coherent career structure, and an absence of any agreed professional standards. Are such concepts, then, either applicable or useful for teachers in ELT? Twenty years ago, Johnson (1997) conducted a study based on life-history interviews with seventeen EFL teachers based in Poland, to uncover whether their working lives could “best be conceptualized in terms of career and profession or whether other theoretical approaches might be more fruitful” (Johnson, 1997, p 681) Based on interviews with a small sample group of experienced teachers working in south-east Asia, drawing upon Johnson’s research and taking up his ...

ELT Journal, 1995

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

2015

This book consists of a selection of papers based on talks and workshops delivered at the 3rd ELT Malta conference. The book’s title is derived from the theme of the conference and it brings together the perspectives of a group of international and Maltese experts in ELT, all of whom address the idea that learning needs to be an intrinsic part of the identity of ELT professionals.peer-reviewe

Acknowledgement I would like to thank Reza Pishghadam for his willingness to bear the demand of the interview and give his care and time to share knowledge with the readers. A word of thanks also goes to Mohammad Zabetnia for his help.

English Language Te a ching (ELT) in Saudi Arabia is a key factor for all sort of educational developments. ELT has now been considered as a Profession in most of the developed and developing nations. Saudi Arabia is no exception.

2020

Where do our ideas about language teaching and learning come from? And how does our knowledge develop, both as individuals working within the field and as a professional community as a whole? Clearly, there is no single answer to these questions; all of us working in English language teaching-as teachers, researchers and teacher-researchers, as well as materials writers, managers and so forth-develop our understandings of what make teaching and learning more effective from a variety of sources, including our own learning experiences, our experience as teachers, conversations with colleagues, teacher training, development and education courses, workshops and texts, and, of course, research. Yet the role of research in ELT is widely contested. Some argue that research is irrelevant to and inaccessible for teachers, and values 'scientific' knowledge over local and context-based understandings of language teaching and learning. In contrast, others are concerned that a wholesale rejection of research will leave us going round in circles, relying on unproven or undemonstrated intuitions which block change and development, both as individuals and within the English language teaching profession more generally. While there is some truth in both these perspectives, perhaps a way to reconcile these viewpoints is to clarify what we mean by 'research', which is, at its most fundamental level, any systematic activity which tries to answer or shed light on a particular question or phenomena. Thus although the perspectives, approaches and methodologies, and even language used by researchers and teachers can differ wildly, anyone engaged in systematically exploring a question, problem or issue about teaching and learning, whether in their own classroom or at a more abstract or theoretical level, is engaging in some form of research. This publication would not have been possible without the collaboration, support and guidance of the IATEFL Research SIG. The SIG coordinators and committee have been closely involved since the first edition of the conference and the publication in 2017. Sarah Mercer, Daniel Xerri and Deborah Bullock encouraged the launch of the project and Daniel has been closely involved as editor and plenary speaker at last year's conference. The outgoing ReSIG Joint Coordinators, Ana Inés Salvi and Kenan Dikilitaş have continued this tradition of encouragement and invaluable advice, for which we are truly grateful. Thanks also to Matthew Ager for his patience, professionalism and expertise in the design and format of this book. As ELTRIA conference organisers, Jessica and Marilisa would like to express their gratitude to colleagues at the Escola d'Idiomes Moderns (School of Modern Languages) at the University of Barcelona. These include the coordination, and administration team: Berta Barreda,

TESOL Journal, 2021

Within the English language teaching (ELT) profession, Donald Freeman is well known for his research in teacher education, teacher knowledge, and teacher learning. He was an invited guest for the XI Seminar of Applied Linguistics at the University of Guanajuato in May 2020. This interview of Professor Freeman examines how he started out in the profession and his transition to the area of teacher education. As well, Professor Freeman discusses three phases of teacher education, his perceived gaps in ELT, the impact of COVID-19 on teachers, and lastly, he provides reflection for English teachers throughout the world. Resumen Dentro de la profesión de enseñanza del idioma inglés (siglas ELT en inglés), Donald Freeman es bien conocido por su investigación en formación docente, conocimiento docente y aprendizaje docente. Fue invitado al XI Seminario de Lingüística Aplicada de la Universidad de Guanajuato en mayo del 2020. Esta entrevista al profesor Freeman analiza cómo se inició en la profesión y su transición al área de formación docente. Además, el profesor Freeman analiza tres fases de la formación docente, sus limitantes percibidas en ELT, el impacto de COVID-19 para los profesores y, por último, ofrece una reflexión para los profesores de inglés de todo el mundo.

English Teaching Professional, 2019

This paper discusses the role and nature of precarity in the ELT industry and looks at the extent to which intensive teacher-training courses such as the Cambridge CELTA contribute towards the toleration and perpetuation of poor working conditions for teachers. Through an interview with a cohort of CELTA trainees, it also looks at the motivations and expectations of those entering the industry.

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TEACHER EDUCATION, 2022

Studies in this area are diverse regarding their scale, methodology and context. The purpose of this paper is to report findings from a systematic review of research into the practicum in English Language Teaching (ELT). In order to identify the main issues of concern and to provide a contemporary picture of practicum, 48 studies published in academic journals over the past 10 years and included in ERIC, Taylor &Francis and ScienceDirect databases were reviewed to explore their focus, research methodology and main findings. The findings of the study reveal that the research topics and trends of the reviewed studies on ELT practicum especially include the following issues: beliefs/cognition of pre-service teachers; practicum quality and programme; problems, challenges, and affective factors; mentoring; teacher identity and development; reflectivity; and professional development needs. Furthermore, some implications and suggestions needed for future studies are presented based on the limitations of the reviewed studies.

KOTESOL Proceedings 2010

Maria Pinto & David Shaffer (Eds.)