Comments on: What was the biggest change in TEFL in the Noughties?

By: Lindsay Clandfield

Lindsay Clandfield — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:54:09 +0000

Right, that’s decided. You are (in my books) the official Godfather of the ELT blogosphere – feel free to include that in your bio. You only need the white cat purring on your lap.

Once I figure out a way of getting 1 cent for every visit to my blog my lawyers will be in touch with you to discuss compensation and royalty issues of intellectual rights. In the meantime, you will just have to settle for the industry rate (which, in ELT terms, is…)

By: Alex Case

Alex Case — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:25:30 +0000

And did you notice how I managed to resist telling you this time. Took some keeping my blogging ego under control, I can tell you…

Can I choose “The Godfather”?

By: Lindsay Clandfield

Lindsay Clandfield — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:58:59 +0000

You know, I just found this recently from a link on another blog. Alex Case, there is a good reason why you are the big daddy (or whatever term of respect you choose) of the blogosphere: you have all the good ideas first! Well done, and nice list. You got the jump on me once again!

Lindsay Clandfield, author of Six trends of the 00s in language teaching, a poorer version of the great post above. :-)

By: Andy Mallory

Andy Mallory — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:34:01 +0000

Sadly, I think the biggest change has been in the financial rewards for teachers of EFL both in the UK and abroad. Increased competition from non-NESTs, a lowering of standards and the economic problems in various countries plus the world security situation has dramatically reduced the demand versus supply of qualified EFL teachers. Ergo, wages have dropped in real terms.

It’s still a field I’m glad and proud to be a part of, but the money is not like it was overall.

Perhaps I’m wrong. Who else has seen/felt this drop?

Japan used to be a good deal better paid. Korea too. UK wages can be ridiculously low. Wages in France nowadays seem to be subsistence level or less. The middle east can still pay well, but again, not like in 2000.

This drop in the income level of teachers means a lowering of status and makes it harder for experienced professionals to stay in teaching, many going back to schoolteaching or becoming academics. Teachers take on extra work to make ends meet and this leads to a lowering of standards in the classroom. Most teachers agree that about 20 hours a week is a fairly full teaching load, but 30+ is common.

More and more teachers are specialising in niche markets in order to remain competititve. All reasonable and perhaps inevitable.

I’m nostalgic for the days when it was possible to live abroad, have a fair standard of living, save a little and still have time and energy to experience the place you lived. People did do this, right? How many do today?

I suppose EFL is becoming a job market rather than an alternative lifestyle, and with low demand for graduates in English speaking countries, many more will turn to TEFL as a way of avoiding the dole or call centre type jobs.

I’m rambling I know, but I think this trend drawfs any other change in EFL over the last 10 years.

By: Vicki Hollett

Vicki Hollett — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:07:15 +0000

Sorry, forgot to say an addition to the list might be socioliguistics and pragmatics?

By: Vicki Hollett

Vicki Hollett — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:05:42 +0000

Oh, interesting thoughts about task based learning. It hadn’t occurred to me, but looking back, I’d have laid the same bet. Heck, I even did an MA dissertation on TBL in the 90s. I wonder if its main tenants were sort of ‘common sense’ though, so they haven’t presented enough new information to create a major shift in how we work and think.

Personally speaking, I’d say the biggest catalyst for change in your list has been:
Use of youtube videos in lessons
Close runners up are more and more specialist ESP and ELF (think Darren’s right that being around for ages)

But what about the next decade, Alex? Where are we heading? I’d love to know what other folks think. When we look back in ten years time, what will have impacted the way we teach most?

By: Darren Elliott

Darren Elliott — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:42:48 +0000

I think ELF will prove to be the biggest change (countries considering Indian and Filipino teachers is a part of that). All this technology offers wonderful opportunities, but I don’t think it will change good pedagogy. The implications of the ELF and globalisation are immense.

By: Alex Case

Alex Case — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:03:20 +0000

Thanks for the comments and RTs. The publishers one is meant to be taking over from (i.e. taking readers away from), rather than taking over, but I might be buyable if the price was right…

Anyone want to vote on which one was most important change (which is what I should’ve written instead of “biggest change”)?

Idea stolen from here:

http://community.tes.co.uk/forums/p/366249/5116754.aspx#5116754

By: Karenne Sylvester

Karenne Sylvester — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Great list, Alex! Can’t add anything new…except perhaps teaching and learning in online communities and a refocus on autonomous learning.

Merry X-mas, c u in the new year ;-)

Karenne

By: Clare

Clare — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:59:23 +0000

Pretty exhaustive list! Has the British Council ever not had a commercial bent? It was happily co-publishing with Longman HK back in the early 90s…

The only one I’m not sure of is publishers taking over independent sites. (Unless you meant teacher resource sites.) It would only take one inspired publisher to buy up these great TEFL blogs and pay a small wage to the owner. Do you know any inspired publishers?