Job Discussion Forums

[like2answer]

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[Longton]

Just something the organisers can make money on. Of course they would hype it up to be a jobs fair and a place where TEFLers can learn something from the many fascinating and exciting talks. Yawn, yawn.
You can get all the info about jobs on this site so don't bother going - save your money and time.

[veiledsentiments]

I always considered these conventions (whether TESOLArabia or TESOL in the US) as mainly for networking or job searching... and seeing old friends.

It is a chance to meet and talk to actual teachers in different countries and colleges and usually get a more balanced view than often comes out here. A board like this always weighs heavily to the negative because the people who are happy in their jobs probably don't come here to post.

Getting face to face interviews are always preferable to using the phone or internet for obvious reasons.

The presentations are really for beginners to the field for the most part. But, I do have to say that my attendance at TESOL in NYC was what got me to the Middle East in the first place. I met the right people at the right presentations.

VS

[Tom Le Seelleur]

Hi Like to Answer
The best workshop I attended was one done by Lana Hiasat. She talked about motivating students. Her appraoch to teaching and learning is based on "personalising Learning and Teaching" through the use of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming and other approaches) by focusing on the senses. She wetted our tastebuds with fesh ornage and lime pieces, lit a candle, (would probaly have played light classical music) .

Her approach was also to focus on the positve - try to find out early from students about their likes and wants and teach on these - her students are guys so she very often centres classes around footy (though she hates football), gadgets - using mobiles in pairwork for example - ipods, msms, email, bluetooth.

She has a very hands on approach geling with her students by opening up her private life to students and using this to open up the students to her - this was done through letters to the class, a simple reward system, always referring to her life experiences, taking students for a coffee break once a week: basically showing that she cares. If you show this passion for your students (while maintaining a strict code of conduct and not crossing any taboo boundaries) she was able to ask her students to do a lot more because she had gained their trust. She works hard for her students and they do likewise.
Thanks Lana for a positive workshop.
Tom

[MyTrunkshow]

I sent in a similar post to this one but it has vanished???

I attended TESOL Arabia. I interviewed with 3 employers. I talked to many teachers and networked as best I could and learned so much.

I attended only one lecture which was dry and not well presented (Language Policy) but mostly I focused my attention on the job fair and meeting others who work in the Gulf.

I landed 3 interviews. One job was offered to me. After the interview, I went to meet the vice-rector (VP) of the school at his hotel. Very professional and informative fella. The other has contacted me by email and has said, the interview went well. I would like to know more but perhaps they have many applicants.

I also interviewed for CfBT as a 'partner' in their Abu Dhabi schools. This position is not a teacher but someone who will help integrate western teaching practices into the school.

My CNAQ hopes were quashed. There emply inconsistent hiring practices as one fella was left in the lurch at the conference and he has strong qualifications. The email exchange between him and CNAQ was meaningless as they ignored his application (and mine and others!). I'm a little disappointed with their lack of interest and follow up. Several of their HR staff flew to Dubai to interview but they were absent from the interview area most of the conference.

Anyway, I've had a wonderful time here in the UAE. We are going to finish off our trip with one more drive to Abu Dhabi before we leave to continue our travels. I will need to wrap my life in Taiwan this summer before relocating.

Good luck to anyone else who attended. If you haven't previously been to the conference, have the minimum qualifications and are unfamiliar with the Gulf, it is a positive experience.

Regards,
Gary

[kiefer]

Presenters usually get free finger sandwiches. Finger sandwiches are a good thing.

[Neil McBeath]

I actually thought that this was one of the best conferences for years. OK, the venue was a biit out of the way, and there were problems with taxis and shuttle buses (I'm told), but I had no difficulty getting in and out - public buses and the kindness of almost strangers.

So far as the presentations were concerned:_

Keith Folse started the conference off with a plenary that set the tone, and which uirged delegates to raise the bar. If they demanded more, the chances were that their students woulkd meet expectations. This theme was taken up by Hedi Guefrachi and Shari Corbin, who produced reseach from the Petroleum Institute, showing that experienced Gulf hands were more cynical about the students' abilities than newcomers.

John Fanselow conducted a workshop warning us to be wary of stock approaches and standard responses. He felt that too many teachers only talk about teaching at the superficial level. Anyone disagree?

Roger Nunn challenged the orthodox belief that joyrnals do not like the authorial "I". This was of particular interest to me because so many American Academic Writing textbooks follow the orthodox line. In reality, their is no common pattern. Frederika Stoller suggested that in articles written for applied chemists, large teams of researchers tened to use the authorial "we", precidsely because their findings were the result of joint enterprise. While on the subject of publications, the TESOL Arabia publications committee also offered a session, where present and future writers could exchange views and hear about future developments.

Davis Palmer - The Myths of Academic Writing - followed the whole academic writing genre back to a book called Composition and Rhetoric (Holmes 1880). Unfortunately, because Henry Wyman Holmes was the Dean of Harvard, his theories achieved an ascendency that they never deserved.All good stuff.

John McRae offered an amusing plenary - The Fifth Skill; Creatinve thinking in and about English - which raised the important question of who is writing for whom, while Peter Grundy pointed out that English teachers teach a deterritorialized language of self representation. We therefore help to develop people as people. Both these speakers took us out of the classroom, and into a wider dimension.

There was also a very good book exhibition, with the usual names - Cambridge; Garnet; Macmillan; Oxford; and a thriving stall for TESOL Arabia's own publications.

So, like2answer, that's my take on TESOL Arabia 2008. It's personal. I don't want clever-clever criticisms from peopole who disagree with me. I've been asked a question, and I've done my best to respond.

I thought TESOL Arabia 2008 was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I've come back to work feeling a lot more enthusiastic. If you want a reason to go to TESOL Arabia 2009, I hope I've given you more than one.

[NadiaK]

I enjoyed it, but then again I usually do. Unlike Neil, I didn't think this was one of the best I've been to, which just goes to show that we all get very different things out of a conference. However, it was still worth my while going.

The plenaries...well, they often speak to the lowest common denominator, and so while I was very excited by the thought of William Grabe speaking, in actual fact there was almost nothing in his talk that I didn't already know very well. However, I did get one lovely practical idea from him which I shall try out this week.

There were a couple of great practical demos/workshops (I've used one idea from Gary Pathare already - thanks, Gary!). I also went to a few sessions reporting on research similar to my own research interests, so again that was fruitful. There were of course the usual handful of rubbish presentations (I'd better not complain too loud, I'm sure I've given some rubbish presentations in my time), and even a few presenters who didn't show up leaving a room full of people wondering how long they should wait before leaving.

I got the nitty gritty on some upcoming software from OUP, and a one-on-one demo from the writer. Also checked out some new publications, and signed up for sample copies.

Plus of course met up with old friends and generally "networked" with colleagues and others from around the region. And the muffins in the DMC cafeteria are the best.

See you there next year?

[Iamherebecause]

This conference for me was underwhelming rather than overwhelming... didn't much like the timetable or the venue. Why schedule a great speaker like John McRae at 8.30 a.m - what time would I have had to check out of my hotel in order to get to that one on time? I spent some time lost, trying to find rooms which weren't well signposted (and the map provided in the bag was not very helpful) and then when you arrived the rooms were rather small. On the plus side, at least you didn't have to pay hotel prices for lunch etc. I'll probably go to the conference again next year but I do hope it won't be at HCT Dubai Men's: too far from everywhere, rooms for parallel sessions inadequate, not a place you want to hang around in.

[mishmumkin]

[NadiaK]

[Imdramayu]

My experience at TESOL Arabia was excellent. But I never went to any presentations. I spent the whole time in the job fair. I applied to 19 schools in the Gulf and landed 11 interviews. I'm still waiting to hear from most of them. Unlike Trunkshow, I wasn't offered a job on the spot.

I loved the cafeteria at DMC. The coupons made my day!

I felt the location had a more academic feel than a glitzy hotel. It is nice to learn about teaching in a venue where this is actually taking place (not at that time). It would be nice, though, if they could compromise and find a college venue closer to Dubai.