When I first became an EFL/ESL teacher in 2001, I came across Dave's ESL Cafe. It seemed like the number one place online to find all the answers and advice I needed.
Nowadays it's a different story.
This forum seems to have ground to a halt. I mean - sometimes I post on here and then forget about my post. I come back a couple of months later, and my post is still in the top 5 most recent posts - even if nobody has replied to my topic. Which is also usually the case.
Has ESL Cafe had its day?
Ground to a halt
Moderators: Dimitris, maneki neko2, Lorikeet, Enrico Palazzo, superpeach, cecil2, Mr. Kalgukshi2
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Hi Brian! Some have posted far more (often, at least) than you, so how do you think they feel!
But seriously, of course there are going to be far fewer posts during a severe recession: TEFL has never been a particularly "good" career, and many must be worrying about jobs (even if they aren't yet quite between any) enough that they feel they just don't have the time anymore to allow themselves to become "distracted" from "work".
Anyway, let's hope that the industry, and ESL sites, aren't too badly affected in the long term!
But seriously, of course there are going to be far fewer posts during a severe recession: TEFL has never been a particularly "good" career, and many must be worrying about jobs (even if they aren't yet quite between any) enough that they feel they just don't have the time anymore to allow themselves to become "distracted" from "work".
Anyway, let's hope that the industry, and ESL sites, aren't too badly affected in the long term!
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I am usually able to find something about the topic I am interested in by going to the Search button and reading in the archives. I also like to read the posts of one person once in awhile and see what they have been thinking about and doing.
I bet there are statistics about the frequency of posts at certain times of the year and if I remember correctly, June, July and August are slow times.
I bet there are statistics about the frequency of posts at certain times of the year and if I remember correctly, June, July and August are slow times.
I think the active users have migrated to the other forums, like the Japan forum (which I still haven't been authorized to join ...)
Also, compared to 2001, there's so much more out there. I would still bet eslcafe gets 2 to 3 times the traffic the next biggest esl sites get. However, people are now out on the internet for more than just advice and information. They want resources and materials. That might be why there are less posts ...
And, yes, the summer is usually the tumbleweed season for most teaching sites.
Also, compared to 2001, there's so much more out there. I would still bet eslcafe gets 2 to 3 times the traffic the next biggest esl sites get. However, people are now out on the internet for more than just advice and information. They want resources and materials. That might be why there are less posts ...
And, yes, the summer is usually the tumbleweed season for most teaching sites.