An A-Z of ELT by Scott Thornbury
Welcome to the debate. I can see the fire in your eyes, you’re ready to give your opinions, to share your facts, to state your truths.
First, as in any good debate, we need to define our terms. Definitions are important. It helps you and me to ensure that we both are talking about the same thing when we say words like, “TEFL”, “Teaching”, and “profession”.
1. TEFL: Teaching English as a Foreign Language. (easy)
For the next two words, let’s use a dictionary: this one: Cambridge Dictionary of American English.
http://dictionaries.cambridge.org/default.asp?dict=A
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
2. teaching:
verb [I/T]
to instruct or train (someone) or give someone knowledge of (something)
I taught for a few years before becoming a lawyer.
He taught his children English/taught English to his children.
To teach school is to be employed to instruct children in a school.
I sat in the sun all day at the beach and got a terrible sunburn — it really taught me a lesson (= showed me what not to do in the future).
teacher
noun [C]
a person who instructs or trains others, esp. in a school
an English/math/kindergarten teacher
teaching
noun [C/U]
I enjoy teaching, but it can be exhausting.
3. Profession:
Definition
profession
noun [C/U]
any type of work, esp. one that needs a high level of education or a particular skill
the medical/teaching profession
I’m a writer by profession.
professional
adjective
done as a job, or relating to a skilled type of work Compare amateur.
a professional athlete
professional sports
He spent his professional career at the University of Pennsylvania.
Professional also means having the qualities of skilled and educated people, such as effectiveness and seriousness of manner: Wearing jeans to work is not looked upon as being professional.
professional
noun [C]
a person who has a job that needs skill, education, or training
Don’t you wish you had hired a professional to paint your house?
Many of these homes have been restored by young professionals.
professionally
adverb
I always wanted to sing professionally.
professionalism
noun [U]
the qualities connected with trained and skilled people
We were impressed with the professionalism of the staff.
***
Is teaching a profession? (Credit: Google images)
Now that we have our definitions, the debate can begin. On one side, you have the Proposition. This means you are “For” the topic being considered. We’ll call you “Pro”. You are the “Affirmative” team.
On the other side, we have the Opposition. This means you are “Against” the topic being considered. We’ll call you “Contra”. You are the “Negative” team.
What about me? Oh, I’m the judge. Just call me the “Adjudicator”. I adjudicate. That means I make sure you don’t call each other nasty names, or talk about each other’s mothers, you know, be nice, use words to present opposing view points without hurting one another’s feelings, no personal attacks, basically,
“No hitting below the belt!” 
OK? now, back to your corners, and come out fighting when the bell rings.
Wait. Come back. I forgot something important, the good stuff. (opening a book written by @profesorbaker: “Teaching Debate in Chile”)
Teaching Debate in Chile (Credit: Thomas Baker)
Download the book Free. Copy and paste the link below in your browser: http://slidesha.re/axNPRx
You: What?
Me: Ethos, Pathos, Logos. That’s Greek. Look here (pointing to a page in the book).
You: Wow! I’m impressed Mr. Baker.
Me: (smiling) Relax, that’s all the Greek I know.
You: So what does it mean?
Me: Ethos: That’s your credibility. In other words, why should I believe you? Why is what you are saying true?
You: OK. I need to have facts, not just opinions. I need evidence.
Me: Correct. You need knowledge, which means reputable sources. You need to connect to people who can give you information that is compelling, true, metrical, measured, clearly objectively true. Use all your networks. Connect to your friends and experts.
You: OK. I got it. What else.
Me: Logos. Logic. Explain it to me like I’m an 8 year old. Make your conclusions fit the evidence.
You: That’s easy. I can do that. What else?
Me: Pathos. This is not so easy because…
You: (interrrupting my flow) Pathos? Sounds like a disease. Doctors always talk about pathology and symptomology and…
Me: (interrrupting) Exactly. Without Pathos, or emotional symptomology, being really concerned and passionate about your topic, no matter how right your Logos and your Ethos, you will not be able to convince anyone to actually believe you. So, Pathos, you really gotta Care about what you’re talking about.
You: I see what you mean Profesorbaker. Anything else?
Is TEFL a profession?
Me: Yes. Now, it is time to do research before the debate begins. Here’s an idea: Why don’t you go over to Scott Thornbury’s blog and check out what people have been saying?
After you finish reading, and connecting to your friends, and sharing your thoughts, and talking to experts, and checking out what great thinkers have said about the topic (Aristotle, Socrates, St. Augustín, Einstein, @profesorbaker, etc.), really looking at sources of high quality studies, facts, figures, examples, and case studies, and… well, come back when you have prepared your case.
You’ll be ready for the Great Debate: Is TEFL a Profession? Is Teaching even a Profession?
Just click on this link, or copy and paste into your browser:
http://scottthornbury.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/p-is-for-profession/
P is for Profession, by Scott Thornbury, in:
An A-Z of ELT (link on the sidebar to the right also)
Scott Thornbury’s blog
Take your time. Do your research. Enjoy reading what your TEFL / English as a Foreign Language Teacher colleagues have been saying on Scott’s blog.
I’ll be here when you get back.
Best regards,
Thomas Baker
Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile downtown night lights
profesorbaker
Very readable – enjoyed this!
But I really have to say – “Who cares”? the question really is a dude.
Our job is to bring home the bacon – which is to get students learning, motivated and passionate about the language. The rest is all ego and hurt feelings. Kind of intellectual spilled milk.
Reminds me of my two friends once debating whether darts was a sport. Ended up in fistacuffs – LOL!
Darts is definitely not a sport! LOL —-> I had this exact conversation with my stepfather and it lasted an hour. No one won… haha.
You’re everywhere, Dave! Any tips on how to achieve ubiquitousness?
Always glad to see you bring it down the bare minimum truth. cheers, b
Sorry- spelling mistake, I meant “dud” not “dude”
Thanks for alerting the Linked-in community to this very important discussion.
I’ve been following Scott’s blog and respect the questions he poses and how honest and thorough he is with his responses. Furthermore, leaders in the field are always there commenting. So, it’s a good place to follow what’s current, and what might be a future direction.
Cheers, Brad
Hi Brad,
Thank you kindly for your visit. I am pleased to see you here.
Yes, this is an important discussion, we can all agree on that.
The more “voices” that address the question, if only from inside of oneself, the better off we will all be, collectively, and individually, even if, in the end, our conclusions are different ones. Reflection is healthy for the mind, healthy for the spirit, and healthy for the soul.
You give some really great advice too. Let me quote you: (Quote) “…Scott’s blog…leaders in the field are always there commenting. So, it’s a good place to follow what’s current, and what might be a future direction.” (end of quote)
Brad, you are absolutely correct. Shhhh, whisper that softly, quietly, shhhh, we don’t want the rest of the ELT world to know that SCOTT THORNBURY’S BLOG IS A GOOD PLACE TO STAY CURRENT!! shhhh
I look forward to your return in the future my friend,
Best regards,
Thomas
ok…. sshhhhh… i’ll keep a VIP list in mind when I share.
Looking forward to following your blog. Thanks for contributing to the community’s wealth.
Cheers, Brad
Hi Dave,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with me. I appreciate your generosity very much. Thanks also, for actually clicking the “like” button, that really touched my heart.
Regarding your reply here, I read it as a practical one, concerned less with what someone else’s perception of TEFL may be, and more concerned with the here and now, your actual performance as a teacher, to “bring home the bacon”, as you put it.
Regarding Scott, I find him to be a very nuanced writer, and that is intriguing. I admit I’ve learned a lot by studying his style.
In this instance, (and Scott correct me if I’m wrong), the debate really isn’t the one that has been “unwrapped before your eyes”. You see, in a debate, you are either on the Affirmative team, or the Negative team.
Now here’s what I call “smoke and mirrors”: In this debate, Scott is not on the “team” that you may think he is. And that works both ways.
Think he’s on the Affirmative team? He’s not.
The Negative team? He’s not.
OK, so he’s neutral, isn’t he? (shaking my head) No, he’s not.
Here’s a tip: Red Herring. Something is fishy in the State of Denmark.
Find the Red Herring, and consequently, you win the Debate, that is, if you were debating Scott.
However, and here’s the rub: You’re not debating Scott.
Who are you debating in this debate?
Look in a mirror, any mirror…you’re debating yourself: your beliefs, your knowledge, your skills, your abilities.
And yes, my friend, you found the correct answer, inside of yourself, where it was at all along.
You said it.
What?
“Bring home the bacon”, nothing else matters…to you.
You have to understand though, that someone else will find a totally different answer to this debate inside of themself…
Finally, there’s a good chance that I’m totally wrong, about all of this, but that’s another story.
Thank you for sharing with me, and I beg your forgiveness in advance, to both, you Dave, and to Scott, if anything I’ve said here was out of place or inappropriate.
To have my cake and eat it too, at your expense, was not my intention. I humbly beg your forgiveness, again, if I erred in my judgement.
I admire the work that Scott does, has done, and is still doing. He is a great mentor to countless other people like myself, sharing in the way that he does.
And to you, Dave, keep being the best teacher you can possibly be for your students.
Bring home the bacon!
The very best of regards,
From your friend in Chile,
Thomas
It’s a profession if you make it so.
Most people only go into it for a couple of years, so it’s just a job to them.
Some of us stay in and make it our profession. I’ve been teaching EFL for over eight years now. I really enjoy it (mainly because I travel all over Europe doing it) and I definitely consider it to be my profession!
Cheers
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for coming to Participate in the Great Debate. Let me quote your opening sentence: “It’s a profession if you make it so.”
It appears that the teachers of EFL/TEFL/ELT, have the power, each one individually, to make TEFL a profession, collectively. Thank you for making TEFL your profession.
Regards,
Thomas
Thomas,
I’ll never be offended!
I do agree that what I find I like about teaching is “the practical “, the “on the ground” , “here and now” nature of it. We make it up as we go and that’s the beauty of this profession…
Totally agree that we will each find our own answer. That is why I emphasize reflectivity, especially in a teacher. I’m not sure what side Scott is but for me it is much like the argument about credentials. Some get all hot and traditional about the cap and gown etc…. Me – couldn’t be bothered but I do see that you have to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s (and by god I have, it’s been hard to hold it together and keep my tongue). So there you go – some will call it a “profession” and others will be less worried about all that huffery, puffery. I side with Twain – don’t let your “being a school teacher” get in the way of the students learning” – to paraphrase.
But enjoy your poking and prodding.
Brad – no tips about being ubiquitous other than just do. Don’t think too much, just do it. You can get a lot done and be a lot of places, if you don’t think about it. That’s how I get so much done, try not to push it aside….
Hi Dave,
Thanks for returning, and I’m really happy to “see” you again.
Wow, what a great quote you have brought me, namely: “Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”. It’s totally fitting for this Great Debate.
And while I’m at it, the paraphrase from Twain is one for all teachers to stop and reflect on, maybe before their next class, namely: “don’t let your being a teacher get in the way of students learning” (can you quote a paraphrase?) (well, I just did ===> Dave said it)
Changing the topic for a moment, Dave, one of the things I’m working hard on, personally, is to make every effort to “dialogue” with every visitor to this blog who takes the time to leave me a comment.
I want to let you know your visit has been one of the most enjoyable ones, because as you can tell, you gave me a tremendous amount of food for thought. I personally feel enriched by your visit, and really hope you stop by again from time to time in the future.
Again, I sincerely appreciate your contribution to this Great Debate. Believe me, they have been very powerful observations, and I’m certain they are beneficial for others who have come by for a visit, and discovering your words, lingered on a while longer, and left, in a reflective mood…
Best regards from your friend in Chile,
Tom
Pingback: Scott Thornbury Asked Two Questions: 1. Is TEFL Really a Profession? 2. Is Teaching Even a Profession? (#CCK11) (#ELTChat) (#sirken) (via Profesorbaker’s Blog) « 4D Content's space
Hi Tom,
Thanks for engaging us all in this debate. Have linked to your post on the British Council’s TeachingEnglish facebook page (currently more than 17,500 readers/contributors, if you’d like to check for comments there.
Feel free to post there directly when you have anything you’d like to share with us.
Best,
Ann
Becoming a TEFL-qualified practitioner is subjected to the same scrutiny as other professions (we could also argue about what other jobs count as professions e.g. postman, doctor etc.).
You need an international standards-recognized qualification (that usually requires you to be a third-level graduate), you need plenty of referees and most of the time you need to be police vetted.
Then, ideally, you need somewhere in between 100 to 1000hrs of teaching experience depending on the educational institute e.g. Berlitz, middle school or post-primary institutes. Some educational orgs can be a bit lax re. these points when compared to others.
So I guess I may fail to see the whole point of the debate…
Regs,
Gabriel
Postscriptum – where I have personally experienced the contention named above as an issue was when teaching in Croatia, and to a lesser extent in Italy. Local non-mother tongue TEFL/ESL/EFL teachers often complained of the non-national native-speaker TEFL teachers that came into the country and were essentially “eating up all their jobs”. They would use arguments like “the native speaker teachers are not really qualified professionals and are getting our jobs simply by being native speakers”.
Perhaps others have had experience with this kind of protectionism too…
If a person is not a qualified teacher in his own country, he’s also not qualiied to teach anywhere else. Simple as pie.
Karin
This is a very interesting debate to see on this page as the first discussion after joining KOTESOL on Linkedin– also interesting since I’m currently in the process of doing some Y-TESOL teacher training, preparing my eager students to enter the field of TESOL as “professionals.”
I’m happy to note that the university that I teach for requires that those of us who are instructing in the teacher trainer course have Master’s degrees in TESOL and years of experience teaching English abroad and a background in the pedagogy of the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). That’s all on the “pro” side of TESOL being a profession…
On the other side of this debate is the fact that, at the very same university that requires the teacher trainers to have Master’s degrees in TESOL to do teacher training, native English speakers that work as “professors”– teaching the required 2 semesters of English to all freshmen across all disciplines– don’t have to have any background in the field of education or TESOL. They just simply have to hold a Master’s degree in any field, or have a Bachelor’s degree in anything with many years (3+ I believe) experience teaching ESL. Of course, these ‘standards’ only hold true of the native English speaking professors; the Korean teachers teaching English in our program all have years of experience teaching English, and a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and usually PhD, in the field of TESOL. All this falls on the “con” side of TESOL being a profession.
I’m well aware of the fact that my university’s ‘standards’ for what is required for native English speakers to become an English professor are pretty par for the course in what has become my beloved profession.
Tefler = a lowly paid casual job with little in the way of benefits or a meaningful career path. In no way a profession.
Qualified (ie: real) teacher = a well paid contractual job with great benefits and a real career path. Definitely a profession.
Teflers have destroyed the word “teacher” in Asia. I can hardly believe that you are now trying to identify yourselves as professionals. Please tell me, what professional earns less than $1000 pcm?