Job Discussion Forums

[delal]

Firstly PLEASE only reply if you have something constructive to say... Does anyone have links for teaching TEFL in northern Iraq such as private schools, agencies etc ? Saw the one for Erbil and am going to try that. Thank you

[abufletcher]

The challenge for EFL in Iraq (and Palestine) for a LONG TIME to come will be separating the teaching of a valuable interanational language from the stink of military occupation. It also seems likely that most EFL jobs in Iraq will for some considerable time be linked to either US or UK organizations thus increasing the security risks. But there will eventually be EFL jobs.

http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Jun2003/templer0603.html

But the boom doesn't seem to be happening yet:

http://www.esljunction.com/esl-efl-tefl-teaching-positions/esl-efl-tefl-teaching-positions_Iraq.html

[abufletcher]

Another interesting perspective:

http://www.developingteachers.com/articles_tchtraining/intlpolitics_julian.htm

[dmb]

I see that you are Ankara. it might be worth a try getting in touch with the Milli Egitim. I was offered a job last year in a turkish school in Erbil.

[wangtesol]

Great articles. Thanks. If I can summarize a bit...

Bill Templar thinks that the big wigs of EFL will lay off of Iraq for a while, especially the academics, since the think they will be perceived as being part of the illegal occupation.

And he says that the US Department of Defense is basing the model of spreading English in Iraq to that in post-war Japan.

Hmm, well, since I have taught in Japan, I will say this. It always struck me that the Japanese Ministry of Education developed bullwarks against the occupation of its country by Americans. This is done through various policies that exist today. And we see how poorly Japanese are at speaking English. It was not a success.

As for the article from the British teacher... he comes to asking himself "so what" in an unreflexive manner, rather undermining what teacher training is all about. I would like to see what a Japanese teacher or an Indian teacher has to say about English colonization efforts in Iraq.

Further, British teachers are far removed from language rights questions. In the US and Commonwealth countries teachers still deal with the hegemonization of English to the detriment of native languages. California's Leanne Hinton is a leader in the field in revitalizing these langauges, but I doubt if her name would be recognized in the UK in ESL/EFL circles.

Pearson Corporation is a huge player in the EFL industry and their board members (eg. Dennis Stevenson) have connections to the British Council and the TESOL organization in the USA.

One way for people to protest against the corporatization of Iraq (a large part of the occupation) would be to boycott Pearson publications. Their EFL publishing company is one of the largest in the world.

I doubt if ESL/EFL academics would have the backbone to mount a boycott of Pearson since so many hope to get published with them and wouldn't want to ruffle any feathers.

But for peace activists what is the next step? Boycott Pearson publications?