Four proposals to reform TEFL Part One
The most civilized rant in TEFL has got me thinking, and I’m also feeling confident and enthusiastic since I discovered that the Museum of the English Language that I wrote an article demanding about 10 years ago seems (probably coincidentally) to have happened. So here goes with making change happen and/ or taking credit for things that happen anyway:
Proposal to reform TEFL number one
One of the ideas I had is to set up a prize for TEFL/ TESOL journalism, kind of like a cross between the Ben Warren Prize and the Purlitzers. “TEFL/ TESOL journalism” could mean people writing in TEFL publications, people in newspapers that cover TEFL finally getting off their arses and investigating something (I think you know who I mean), or even bloggers that wrote something with a journalistic level of proof- which rules me out right away! . Possible topics include: uncovering dodgy school owners and training providers; revealing how people are really paid and really treated across a whole company, country or the industry; and (probably best of all) some angle that we have never really heard about. There could be prizes for a single best article of the year, publication of the year, journalist of the year, and/ or lifetime achievement award, with the first probably being the easiest to set up and organise. The people on the commitee would probably have to be volunteers, but who wouldn’t volunteer to read juicy TEFL scandals and reward someone who actually made things better?
Possible criteria for the winning article (first thoughts)
- Made a difference, preferably to the whole industry
- Took a story that was little or unknown and really spread the word, preferably into the mainstream news
- Took a risk but didn’t overstep the line into libel
- Took on the big boys
- Didn’t bring the reputation of TEFL teachers even lower (if such as thing is possible)
Just in case the sarcastic remark above that I just couldn’t stop slipping out makes you think that I am just indulging in idle fantasies ala Big Teacher idea (and actually I was only half joking on that one too), I’m putting aside half the money I made from my one and only published book to put into whichever one of the 4 ideas I am going to make gets off the ground.