Job Discussion Forums

[ebooktrial0001]

Hello Everyone,

I would like to create a free, online, step-by-step ESL education platform, with a non-profit registration (that I will fund with my own money).

Can you each give me your critique of my plan?

(Feel free to be critical of the idea, as long as it is valid, not a personal attack for my altruistic venture, and presents alternatives).

I've been doing some work in online educational projects, etc. I see Khan Academy can teach advanced topics, and even Harvard is doing online programs.

But, there still remain no comprehensive websites for ESL teaching. I've been using some alumni contacts at Khan Academy, Wikipedia, Google, etc. who might be able to donate space from the website, if the ESL content is good.

A. Here is what I would need:

1. Create/borrow/get licensing to have quick assessment for a student to monitor proficiency before, during, and after instruction. Something that efficiently mimicked a standardized online test such as the IELTS would be good.

2. Create a step-by-step instruction for learning the elements of language (i.e. vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation). Yes, having everything from the alphabet to more advanced topics would perhaps be 10,000 steps or more; but, it could be done.

3. Employ "crowd-teaching" methods where someone would either curate (i.e. simply link to existing videos and material) or create new material for each assigned topic.

For some steps, such as the alphabet, there are already thousands of excellent videos. However, for some steps, like advanced grammar, it takes seasoned high-proficiency people to do so.

4. Eventually, if I can get some funding (which I have in the past for other programs), possibilities for expansion go up:

a. Prettier and more interactive interface
b. (Cash) prizes for authors who contribute the most and best content
c. Rewards for users who practice the most; the ultimate prize being the distance learner who practices the most gets free tutoring help

5. I have had contacts with all three companies I've spoken about (Google, Khan Academy, and Wikipedia). However, they have not yet granted me meetings at offices in San Francisco; in layman's terms, they have not yet taken me seriously. I feel they will if I have tangible content.

6. If anyone is interested in working directly with me, please feel free to message me. I'm happy to give other people credit, share credit, etc. Right now, I just want a "one stop source" that people around the world can go to practice English.

At a practical level, it gives my students a free source of practice that I can monitor.

[scot47]

"The Philosopher's Stone" for language learning ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosopher%27s_stone

Something to make learning painless ! The pedagogical equivalent of snake oil.

[mmcmorrow]

My advice would be to start relatively small - I think you might have more success with a site dedicated to a particular group of learners, too. There are already several comprehensive websites with resources for students and learners, so I feel you would need to describe and differentiate what you are offering more clearly from what is already available. You might, for example, look at a mobile application, since that's how many learners, particularly in the developing world, would be accessing your site, and I don't think they are especially well-served.

Of your three initial suggestions, I think the idea of having a single aggregator site that provides links to a range of existing resources could be a useful tool for learners, especially if you were able to provide a user-friendly mobile interface and had a team of moderators to update / remove links and ensure ongoing compatibility with the various platforms.

Your first idea about language testing seems to conflate proficiency testing (e.g. IELTS) with progress testing. Not the same thing. It wouldn't be that difficult for you to provide students with a rough and ready levels test so they could access appropriate material - though obviously, this wouldn't include productive skills and wouldn't serve as a meaningful test of learning. Still as a low-stakes self-test that might not matter. They're not that difficult to come up with - anyone with basic expertise in language testing could produce something that would probably do.

I don't think the second idea about a 'step by step' instructional method is really feasible, given the variations in language learners and learning. But the site could include some useful tips for learning (as many general ESOL sites already do).

Once you've sorted out your proposal in more detail, I think you probably need a business plan. How much are you thinking of investing initially and on and ongoing basis? Unless everyone works for nothing, it's likely to be quite costly.

Martin McMorrow, Massey University, New Zealand

[ebooktrial0001]

Thanks for the advice.

1. I'm going back to China in a few days to continue work. Perhaps starting locally is a good place to start.

Obviously, there are a lot of people there who know the value of English, even if there are also of plenty of lazy students.

2. Perhaps I'll ask my ex-roommate, who is getting into mobile apps, to have some designs.

3. Of key note would be if some of my students can explain some basic concepts of English to a Chinese audience. I.e. as a simple example, explaining the English alphabet, in a Youtube video, with the rules and exceptions to rules, in Chinese.

4. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure about money, etc. I have some experience fundraising, etc. I know that if it was a good project, I could get a 501C3 non-profit filing in the US and eventually be able to have tax exempt status to fundraise and pay people (including myself) a fair wage for fair product.

[ebooktrial0001]

Thanks for the advice.

1. I'm going back to China in a few days to continue work. Perhaps starting locally is a good place to start.

Obviously, there are a lot of people there who know the value of English, even if there are also of plenty of lazy students.

2. Perhaps I'll ask my ex-roommate, who is getting into mobile apps, to have some designs.

3. Of key note would be if some of my students can explain some basic concepts of English to a Chinese audience. I.e. as a simple example, explaining the English alphabet, in a Youtube video, with the rules and exceptions to rules, in Chinese.

4. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure about money, etc. I have some experience fundraising, etc. I know that if it was a good project, I could get a 501C3 non-profit filing in the US and eventually be able to have tax exempt status to fundraise and pay people (including myself) a fair wage for fair product.