Job Discussion Forums

[veiledsentiments]

After 3 pages, one often needs a road-map to follow these threads... perhaps we were discussing both?

VS

[Geronimo]

The nationalisation of the workforce in Oman means that the majority of the resources devoted to the support of employees' professional development - within organisations such as the Omani Ministry of Higher Education, for example, - will benefit Omanis. When I was working in Sohar College a few years ago, Omani colleagues were provided with the financial support necessary for them to undertake M.A. courses in England; and whilst under contract in Sohar College itself they were allocated fewer contact hours in order to allow scope for further self-development. Expat teachers, in contrast, were provided with limited opportunities to attend a couple of annual symposiums; oh!, and the odd, internal "Death-by-powerpoint" workshop.

A few days ago, in Riyadh, I was advised by my current team leader that -whilst contemplating my options for a personal bid for company PD support in the run-up to a 1-to-1 PD programme session next month, I should bear in mind that the Saudi Development and Training company devotes the majority of its resources for the development and training of.... Saudis. I wasn't taken by surprise by this guidance note... nor was I disappointed: because the person ultimately responsible for my professional development is not my manager, but myself.

Earlier in this thread Neil McBeath hinted at the consequences for British education of teachers in Britain failing to move with the times back in the 1970's. Nowadays EFL teachers working in countries such as Oman must be prepared to adapt, too.

Obviously, significant changes have occurred in our field during the last 30 years as well. Prof. Jack Richards has provided via the article listing link on his website a neat synopsis of these changes:-

http://www.professorjackrichards.com/pdfs/30-years-of-TEFL.pdf ; and see also -
http://www.professorjackrichards.com/pdfs/changing-face-of-TESOL.pdf

His observation in the latter article that:
Transmission modes of teaching are replaced with various forms of dialogic and collaborative inquiry. Learning is seen to emerge through socialization into the professional thinking and practices of a community of practice.
seems - to my mind, at least, to echo Kohonen's view of the potential of experiential learning techniques.

Geronimo

[boundforsaudi]

[johnslat]

Dear boundforsaudi,

" Prof. Jack Richards has provided via the article listing link on his website a neat synopsis of these changes:"

Clearly, you don't know jack - if you want to gain status and recognition in the world of academia, learning how to speak/write pompous argot is a basic necessity.
NEVER say/write simply what can be expressed in multi-syllabic words that sound much more impressive.

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

[boundforsaudi]

By the way, I have seen no better evidence of the fact that the ESL establishment is about as Marxist as academia gets.

[desultude]

I have to say I agree that most of the problems in faculties lie in poor hiring and fear of firing.

Yes, "lifelong" learning is a good thing, as is having an eye to improving what you are doing. But these things would be natural to a good instructor. Forced PD will do nothing about those with no interest at all in what they are doing save collecting a paycheck. Mandatory PD punishes the wrong people, and the people who need it either won't attend anyway, or will attend and do and get nothing from it.

[hellionzap]

Desultude, Sadly this is all too true. I just hate those bad bad teachers. They need to pull finger and start PDing themselves!

[Geronimo]

As far as I've been able to discern, the Australian government is leading the way
with the application of Action Learning techniques and practices
in the education sector.

Examples of Action Learning projects in Australian schools are to be found at:-
https://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=24196

This website also offers some useful links to
a variety of general Action Learning materials.


Geronimo

[veiledsentiments]

Oh goodie... a new buzzword... everyone quickly latch onto it for your next interview. The latest attempt to reinvent the wheel, and as always, by the end of the next semester, the same percentages will pass or fail. Just as with every other bandwagon that has taken off in the last 30 years in this field.

VS

[desultude]

[eslbear]

I must admit, I am surprised, maybe even a little shocked at the negative attitudes expressed in this thread about PD. Yes, there is a lot of boring and useless presentations out there but it seems the very concept is being dismissed outright.

Are you all so very good at your jobs? You might defend the ESL profession as a legitimate career in one breath and then in the next, scorn attempts at development in the field? Is it not an profession worthy of research, refinement or any progress?

So conversations of an academic nature are just nonsense or simply full of jargon used to inflate the ego of the speaker? This thread is starting to sound like it is full of highschool jocks making fun of the nerds in their class. Yes, some of those big words are tricky but then, you are English teachers....perhaps you prefer if the language is dumbed down even further - lets just speak in sms shorthand, much fster and EZR 4U.

Disappointed eslbear

[desultude]

[hellionzap]

Many of us do NOT have advanced degrees and still manage multi-syllabic words just fine. We non-advanced degree holders also would like to bypass the jargon and get to the meat and potatoes, whatever will help us promote our student's understanding. I will go through whatever it takes to better MY understanding of ESL or EFL or TEFL (or all your darling jargons) and if that means wading through some dross, then so be it. Bring it own!
I can distinguish the crap (and the obfuscators) , thank you kindly, (sensing condescension)and I don't need to buy into the ego driven jargon spouters to get what I want. I want it and I'll take it as I can get it. So there. Raspberry.

[Never Ceased To Be Amazed]

"Bring it own!" Um, "on". Never more was there ever a single syllable utterance ever made! Other than when Dubya provoked the Iraqi opposition forces by saying "Bring it own...er...on."

"I will go through whatever it takes to better MY understanding of ESL or EFL or TEFL..."

Sounds to me it's about high time "someone" put his/her money where his/her mouth is and go on and get that next-level specialized degree. That is, of course, if "one" will go through whatever it takes to better "ONE'S" understanding of yadda, yadda, yadda...

NCTBA