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lingua.org.uk

http://www.lingua.org.uk/geifr.html

TheFraudoftheGlobalEnglishTeachingIndustry TheteachingofEnglishasaforeignlanguageisaglobalindustry.Ithasmanymillionsofcustomers andemploysthousandsofteachersandotherworkers.Ithasbeenaglobalindustry,infact,for severaldecades.Yetthebasicwayitoperatesanditsbasicteachingmethodsareneverdebated. NoristherediscussionofwhetherpeoplearereallylearningEnglishoranyotherforeignlanguage betterthantheydidfortyorfiftyyearsago.Instead,theindustryjustgetsbiggerandbigger. OntwooccasionsduringtheninetiesItriedtostartadebateonthefundamentalquestionsthatshouldbe askedaboutthisgreatpowerintheworldofeducation.Thefirstattemptwasthroughapiecepublishedinthe EFLGazette(nowELGazette:September1991,Qualityteachingversusteacherqualifications)thesecond wasinanarticleintheJanuary1997issueofEnglishToday(Learningtheworldlanguage:todayand tomorrow).Neitherpromptedanydiscussion,althoughbothwereprovocative.Thereactionwastotalsilence. Thereasonsforthisarenotdifficulttounderstand.Thereisatacitalliancebetweenthreepowerfulvested interestswhichhavenothingtogainfromtalkingaboutthesethings,andmuchtolose.Theyaretheteaching institutions(universitiesandcollegesaswellasprivatelanguageschoolsandinstitutionsliketheBritish Council)thepublisherswholargelythroughtheteachinginstitutionshaveavastmarketfortheirtextbooks andacademicswhowritemanyofthebooksforthatsamemarketandarepaidwelltokeeppersuading peopletheirresearchesandpublicationsarenecessarytothehealthofEnglishteachingthroughoutthe world.Allthreemightsufferifthevalueofwhatanyoneofthemisdoingwascalledintoquestion.Sothe mosteffectivedefenceagainstcriticismistoignoreit.Opendebateisthelastthingtheywant. Languagesarelearnt.Theycannotbetaught.Iftheywerelefttothinkforthemselves,mostwouldbe languagelearnerswouldprobablyrealizethis,andthattheyhavetodoalmosteverythingforthemselves. Learningaforeignlanguageisaprocessofintensiveobservationwhichpeoplehavetodoforthemostpart alone.Languagestudentsmayconscientiouslydothehomeworktheyaresetandregularlystudytheircourse books.Itwilldothemlittlegoodiftheylackselfrelianceandactivecuriosity.Themoretheyrelyonteachers, thelessandthemoreslowlytheywilllearn.Butnobodytellsthistothethousandsofpeoplewhogoto Englishspeakingcountrieseveryyeartostudythelanguage.Theyarepersuadedthattheirteachers,in somemagicwaythatiscalledskilledteaching,aregoingtodotheworkforthem.Theyareconvincedthat themorelessonstheygoto,thefasterandbetterwillbetheprogresstheymake.Enterprisesandinstitutions wouldnaturallymakefarlessmoneyiftheirclientsthoughtotherwise.Nobodypointsouttostudentsthat everyhourtheyspendintheclassroomisprecioustimetakenawayfromthereallearningwork.Nobodyin thebusinessdrawsattentiontohowgrotesqueitisforpeopletopayvastsumsofmoneytogoanddo somethingspendthegreaterpartofthedaysittinginclassrooms,orparticipatinginothergroupactivities whichtheycoulddojustaseffectivelyandfarmorecheaplyintheirowncountry.Thereisnopointingoingto acountrytolearnitslanguageifyoudonotspendmostofyourtimethereobservingthelanguageinreallife actionforyourself,initswrittenaswellasitsspokenform. Theprimemotiveofentrepreneursandinstitutionsoflearningisseldomagenuineconcernforthestudents, adesiretogivethemagooddealthatwouldhelpthemlearnasfastandeffectivelyaspossible.Ifitwas, therewouldbeconstantpublicdebateaboutwhetherthepresentworldwidesetupreallyistherightone.But theentrepreneurshaveotherconsiderations.Thequalitiesoftheirteachersaredictatedlargelybytheir assessmentofmarketfactors.Imageisallimportant,soentrepreneurstrytoconvincecustomersthatthey

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willbetaughtbyrealprofessionals.Ishallreturntothesubjectofteachersandteachingmethodsinthenext issueofthisjournal.ButIwillcommentalreadyherethatinalmosttwentyyearsofadvisingandguidingmany teachersofEnglishasaforeignlanguageInevercameacrossasingleonewhosepaperqualificationswere inanywayrelevanttotheirworthasteachers.Fortheentrepreneursandteachinginstitutions,however,itis preciselythepaperqualificationsobtainedbytheirstafffromvariousbodiesthathelpthemtogetawaywith chargingstudentsexorbitantfees. Those'variousbodies'includeuniversities.Hereacademicsprofitfromthetrainingcoursestheyeffectively imposeonwouldbeteachersofEnglishasaforeignlanguage.Thesecourses,needlesstosay,arevery expensive.Butwithoutthemitisvirtuallyimpossibletogetananywhereneardecentjobintheglobal industry. TheinflationinthecostofEnglishcoursesisstaggering.Thirtyfiveyearsagoastudentatthelanguage schoolinCambridgewhereIwasteachingcouldgetatenweekcourseof15hoursaweekinaclassof12 for30say$60attodaysrateofexchange.Thatworkedoutat20pencealesson.Todaysuchacoursein CambridgeorelsewhereinBritainwillalmostcertainlycostatleast1500($3000)10($20)alesson.That meanstherehasbeeninflationof5000%inthecostoflearningEnglish.Certainlytherehasbeenveryhigh inflationinEuropesince1972.Butnotremotelythatmuch.Andthesefeesarefortuitionalone.Theydonot includethecostofaccommodationhalfboardaccommodationwithafamilywillcostyouagood150a week. WhenitcomestopreparingforoneoftheexaminationsinEnglishthatstudentscantake,theteaching institutionsappeartothinkyouneedanintensivecourseofupto30lessonsaweek.Tenweeksofthat(they willprobablytrytopersuadeyouthatyouneedmore)willprobablycostyouaminimumof$4500,even beforeyouhavebeguntothinkwhereyouaregoingtoliveandhowyouaregoingtoeat. ThisisoneofthemostscandalousaspectsoftheglobalEnglishteachingindustry.Havingagoodcommand ofEnglishisinmanypartsoftheworldoneofthemostimportantassetsapersoncanhave.Itcanbe decisiveingettingagoodjob.Butstudyofthislanguageinthecountrieswhereitisspokenisonlyforthe wealthyorthecomparativelywealthy.Formillionsofpoorthroughouttheworlditisquiteoutofthequestion. Thatisthegreatestwrongcommittedbythosewhogrowfatontheproceedsofa'service'quitebeyondthe reachofsomany.Butthereisanothergroupforwhomtheoutrageisalsogreat:thecomparativelywealthy. They,ortheirparents,makeagreatfinancialsacrificetopaythehugefeesdemanded,andaredoubly cheated,becausetheydonotinfactbuywhatmostpeoplethinktheydo.Whatactuallyhappensisthat studentspaytheseenormoussumstobepreventeddoingwhattheywanttodo:learnthelanguage efficiently.Whatgoesoninmostlanguageclassroomsaroundtheworldtodayactuallydoesalmostnothing tousefullyinformstudents.Astheysitintheclassroomtheyareeffectivelyparalyzed.Itisonlywhenthey escapefromschoolthattheycantrulybeginlearningiftheyknowhowtodoittherightway. Itwouldbemuchbetterifwedroppedthetitle"teacher"altogetherwherelanguagelearningisconcerned.. Weshouldinsteadspeakof"guides".Thiswouldremindusthatwhatlearnersneedisindividualattention, andthattheresponsibilityforlearningisbasicallythestudent's.Languageguidesshouldbeabletodotwo things: (1)showstudentshowtolearnaforeignlanguage(2)answerquestionsaboutthelanguage. Ihavelongstressedtomystudentsthatmyfirstdutytothemistomakemyselfunnecessary.Whenstudents

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havetheindependencethatisessential,theywillneedonlyafractionofthenumberofsessionstheyat presentattendattheinstitutionsthatpretendtoinstructthem.Theywillprobablyhavetopayhighfeesfor eachsessionofindividualguidance,butwillonlyhavetospendoverallasmallproportionofwhattheyhave topaytodayforprivatelessonsorevenforclassesatschools. WhatIamsuggestingdoesnotmeanthrowingalotofteachersofEnglishoutofwork.Almostcertainlymore, notfewer,'English'guideswouldbeneeded.Eachstudentwouldprobablynothavemorethantwohoursa weekwiththeirguide,overaperiodofseveralweeks.Butthiswouldmeanthattheguideswouldbeableto helpafargreaternumberofdifferentindividualsthanprivateteacherscanatthemoment.Andthelowercost ofguidanceinEnglishwouldputitwithinthemeansofmillionsmorepeople.Thiswouldincreasethedemand forguidesevenfurther. Buttomakesuchchanges,teachersmustescapefromthecontrolofentrepreneursandtheinstitutions.This wouldbedonebestbyorganizingthemselvesinsmallcooperatives.Thesewouldneedverysmallamounts ofspace,equipmentandadministration.Themoneywouldallgotothepeoplewhodothework.Peoplewho wouldliketobecomeEnglishlanguageguidescouldbegivenfreeapprenticeshipsatsuchcooperatives. Apprenticescouldattendandparticipateintheadvicesessionswiththestudents,andjoininthediscussions betweenthemembersofthecooperative.Thiswouldbestimulatingforeverybodyinvolved. Guideswouldbeabletospendfewerhours'advising'thanmostteachersofEnglisharemadetoputintoday. Theywouldnotmakeafortune.Buttheirfreedom,theirindependence,andthetimetabletheywoulddecide forthemselveswouldmakedailydiscussionsabouttheworkwithcolleaguessomethingtolookforwardto, insteadofachoreresentedbecauseitcutsintoinsufficientleisure. Atthesametime,organizationofsuchakindwillmakeitcleartostudents,inawaythatisnotpossibleatthe moment,whethertheirguidesaredoingtheirjobproperly.Sostandardsthataregenuinelyhighwillbe achieved. Itissurelytimeforinterested,dedicatedandconscientiousteacherstotakecontroloftheirownworkand lives.Thatwillneedmutualencouragement,solidarity,andpracticalorganization,andthewillnomore.With those,English'teaching'andEnglishlearningcanbetransformed.Thisjournalwillperhapsbecomeaplace wherepeoplecanmakecontacttogiveeachotherthatencouragementandsolidarity,andhelpthemto organizetogether.Ihopeso. Meanwhile,thisjournalwouldliketohearfromanybodywhowantstoexpresstheirdissatisfactionwithany aspectoftheEnglishteachingworldasitistoday.Wewelcomegeneralcriticisms,butalsocomplaintsabout specificestablishments.Werealizethatmanyteacherswillbereluctant,forthesakeoftheirjobs,toaddtheir namestotheirexposuresofwrongdoing.Sowhilethemorecloselyanestablishmentcanbeidentifiedthe better,wewillpublishanyinformationwethinkinterestingevenifthepersonwhosuppliesitwantsherorhis namewithheld,orpreferstolimitidentificationtothenameofatownorevenacountry.(However,wewillbe moreinclinedtopublishanonymousmaterialiftheinformantatleastgivestheirnameinconfidencetous.) Obviousmattersofinterestaresuchthingsascontractconditions,workinghours,salaries,courseprices, directors'incomesandprofits,classsizes(realones,nottheonesinbrochures),and,ofcourse,students' opinions(astudentatawellknownlanguageschoolinCambridgetoldmethattheschooloneofan internationalchainwas"rubbish",butthatwhenshewaschoosingacourseshehadbeentakeninbythe glossypublicitythatthislargeorganizationwasabletoaffordinherhomecountry).

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Ihopeteacherswillletstudentsknowaboutthiswebsite.Studentsareobviouslylessvulnerablethan teachers,andtheirpersonalevidenceisperhapsthemostimportantofall.(IfIknewthenameofthestudent Ihavequotedinthepreviousparagraph,andhadpermissiontorevealitandnametheschool,mystory wouldofcoursehavefargreaterforce.)Equally,Ihopestudentswhodiscoverthisjournalwilltalkaboutitto teacherstheyfeelmightbesympatheticlisteners. Asinterestingandimportantasanything,though,willbethoughtsandcommentsonthewholebasisofthe presentEnglishteachingsetup,andjudgementsonwhetherpeoplearereallylearningaswellastheymight. Andsupportersofthestatusquoshouldatlasthavethecouragetoletusknowwhateverargumentsand evidencetheythinktheyhaveinfavourofit. AmoreyGethin [UpdatedAugust2002] SeefurthereditorialsonthesubjectoftheglobalEnglishteachingindustryatTheIllusionofGlobal EnglishTeachingStandardsandatTheRationalLearningofForeignLanguages. TheEditorwelcomescontributionstodebateonthesubjectofthiseditorial. TheEnglishLearningandLanguagesReviewdoesnotexistsolelytoattackthedictatorshipofthe globalEnglishteachingestablishment.Ithasmanyotheraims.Itgivesadviceonpassinglanguage exams.ItpresentsinformationonEnglishgrammar,andinthefuture,itishoped,onthegrammarof otherlanguages,oftenapproachingproblemsfromanewangle.Itdebateslinguistictheory,and discusseslanguagelearningprinciples.Itinvitescontributionsonallthosesubjects,andfrom thosewhofindtheirownparticulardelightintheinfinitevarietyofthelanguagesoftheworld. TheEnglishLearningandLanguagesReviewanditsindividualcontributorsasserttheirCopyrighton allthematerialpublishedinit.Nevertheless,theReviewgivespermissionforunlimitedreproductionofthe pieceabove, TheFraudoftheGlobalEnglishTeachingIndustry,orpartsofit,onconditionthat: acknowledgementismadeofthesource nochangesaremadeexceptwiththeReview'spermission norestraintisimposedonfurtherreproductionofthematerial copiesarenotsold The EnglishLearningandLanguagesReviewHomepage

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