Job Discussion Forums

[Guy Courchesne]

[denise]

Right--different jobs have different requirements. Since we are now using our personal experiences to generalize about the entire TEFL industry... in 12 years, I've had very few "conversation" classes, and I have done (and been expected to do) quite a bit more than setting up drills and role-plays. Instead, I've taught research skills, presentation skills, study skills... (co-wrote a course book on it; if I've done it, it must be the norm in the field. When writing course books, writing skills are kinda important), grammar, etc., etc., etc.

As to whether or not we are "English teachers"--no, we do not teach literature. Yes, we do teach language. We are English language teachers. Our students are different; their needs are different. My students need to be able to comprehend university lectures, write academic papers in their fields (rarely English literature), and give presentations. They do not need to analyze Jane Eyre. If you feel that what we do is inferior to teaching literature, then get yourself into a K-12 teaching job and start teaching literature.

d

[artemisia]

I don�t see anything pretentious about referring to oneself as an English teacher, although I would normally insert the word �language� with that. It would be difficult to provide a good model of any language if a teacher cannot use the language properly. There�s a difference between carelessly written posts (however irritating they can be to try and read) and someone whose mistakes seem to result from a lack of education. Aristede�s example of �should of� is a good one.

I�ve had students from different parts of the world, including Asia, who definitely do want a teacher who can explain grammar rules when necessary. If you can�t respond to such questions in your classroom, you risk losing students' confidence in you as their teacher. Ultimately that is your decision, but teaching the mechanics of a language involves more than being a �conversation artist� and setting up role plays. Anyone who has ever learnt a language knows that much. A very large number of students worldwide require specific development of language skills. Academic writing comes to mind as just one example, and there are many more as Denise has outlined.

I hope there�s not going to be a deluge of posts advising everyone that teaching English (language) is �NOT rocket science�. But if you really feel you must inform us all of this, could you at the very least try to find and use a DIFFERENT analogy?!! Please! There, I asked nicely.

[johntpartee]

[veiledsentiments]

[fluffyhamster]

I think it depends on what one's writing about. If it's just an opinion piece about the literally fairly skyrocketing prices of sweatshop-stitched value underwear in the 100 yen shop or whatever (i.e. not really about ELT), then a bit of keyboard-slapping is sort of tolerable. If however it's meant to be a scathing critique of the inadequacy of most quasiumerunergative analyses, then it's probably best to try to write clearly and accurately, if only so you help the reader grasp things as quickly and as painlessly as possible. The real problem is usually when genuine typos in whatever kind of piece get gleefully seized upon as a means of supposedly winning an argument (then again, it's sometimes hard to tell what's a genuine typo, and as a lot of typos seem almost deliberate, or smack of a vague contempt for the reader, it's easy to see why they might get picked up on).

[wangdaning]

When I am writing:

I am writing
one is writing
one has written
has been written

Do you expect articulated and well written pieces on a board that often has teachers tired by a day of talking with people with less English ability?

Should I treat this as an academic forum?

Sorry, I just find this unwarranted and obtuse.

Wish there was an emoticon for head up high and conceitedness. No bad feelings to the OP, but come on. This is a bbs man, and we come here to shot the **** (censored for inaccuracy).

[Zero]

[Tudor]

"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure" - Samuel Johnson.

I agree with him, but we each have our own point of view. What's more, we also have a choice of whether to respond to or ignore any post on here.

I would rather respond to a poorly-written, but genuine, request for information than a well-written post which asks a bland oft-asked question instead of searching the info already available to them (e.g. Where can I work without a degree? Do I really need a certificate to teach English? Is xyz online certificate any good? Where can I earn the most money? I want to work in Thailand for three weeks - is this possible? etc etc).

Furthermore, I tend to ignore anyone who begins a post "So,..." or uses the words "anyways" (WTF???) and "awesome". Yes, time to resurect the Pet Peeves thread I feel.

[MotherF]

I didn't vote because I don't really like the second choice, but I certainly lean more towards that one.

Like another person mentioned, I'm usually multitasking when posting on here, I'm in my office, planning classes, or marking papers, waiting for a more interesting but slower page to load on another tab, talking to a student who came to office hours and answering a colleagues question through my thin office wall. I start and stop in the middle of a post. I'm also quick to type it out then hit send without having re-read it. While I do use firefox with built in spell check--it's in Spanish, so it marks all the words as wrong! I also regularly use two different computers, one has an English keyboard and the other doesn't so certain characters are in different spots.

Also as another poster said, most of my daily interactions are with non-native speakers of the language. I catch myself saying, in the night, all the time. I'm starting to really believe it's correct.

And on top of that all, I'm not a naturally good speller. I read very fast so I don't really look at words and it doesn't register with me how they are spelled or spelt whichever you prefer.
I also type fast and yes, I'm fairly careless, I do know the difference between there, their and they're, but sometimes my fingers don't seem to.

But I do agree, that we should try to be careful, you don't know who is reading this and people drop personal details in such a way that it is often very very easy to connect that resume you used received with a poster on Dave's.

[Glenski]

[istanbulian]

[Teacher in Rome]

Isn't it also a matter of professionalism? Why wouldn't you want to write the best you could, on a forum for and populated by English teachers? OK, the odd typo, the odd clumsy sentence (and who isn't guilty of those) are one thing; but repeated spelling and grammar errors and "lazy" punctuation make you look anything but an English teacher. And I don't accept the "we're only conversation teachers so it doesn't count" argument.

Frankly, I don't care if you're writing on the internet or your Master's thesis / dissertation: act the professional to be considered the professional.

[spiral78]

[sharter]

Itz impoortent but az thisiz an informel fourum eye don't thinkit matterz mutch.