Apr 18, 2016 Opinions, The state of our profession CELTA, the native-speaker bias and possible paths forward Last week at IATEFL, Silvana Richardson delivered a rousing, righteous plenary tracing the historical roots of – and critiquing – the institutionalised mechanisms and habits of mind that continue to privilege native=speaker teachers over non-natives. The talk can be viewed online and speaks for itself, so suffice it to say that it was a powerful […]
May 17, 2015 Coursebooks, Opinions, The state of our profession Complicating the anti-coursebook debate: Part 1 As some of you may be aware, there’s been a fair bit of coursebook bashing going on in the blogosphere over recent weeks. Given this, I’ve decided to lay down a few thoughts about the whole debate over here instead. The first point to make is something I’ve long said with regard to the Dogme […]
May 6, 2015 Opinions, Pronunciation, The state of our profession Politics, pronunciation and the pursuit of perfection Tomorrow is election day here in the United Kingdom, and it looks set to be one of the most unpredictable results in many, many years. Depressingly, one of the key features of the political landscape over the last few years has been the rise of UKIP, a party for whom an exit from the European […]
Mar 23, 2015 Lexis, Opinions, The state of our profession, Vocabulary Choice In so many words: on the importance and shape of vocabulary lists Today we’re delighted to feature a guest post by Bruno Leys. Bruno works at VIVES University College in Bruges, Belgium. He’s published several coursebook series such as Breakaway, Takeaway and High Five and he regularly gives talks and workshops for teachers. Below, Bruno shares his thoughts on vocabulary lists . . . Last spring, when […]
Mar 19, 2015 Opinions, The state of our profession When less is more: freeing students from the burden of choice There’s a reason why Starbucks will never catch on it Italy. Go to any branch of the global chain and try ordering a cappuccino and you’ll be met with a barrage of questions: What size do you want? Do you want any extra flavours added? An extra shot perhaps? Hot or iced? Made with any […]
