Page 27 - ELG1803 Mar Issue 455

COMMENT . FEATURES & COMMENT

OUT

Point OF THE

of View BOX

Sarah Cooper A whinge

of authors
‘The need for good We need coursebooks that aren’t swayed

English teachers by the winds of endless focus groups

across the world is In the old days of ELT not – if we’ve only taught
in one situation and cannot
publishing, new coursebooks
imagine how others will
often used to be identified by
use our activities. Would it
the author’s name: Alexander,
immense’ Robert O’Neill, the new be unimaginable to give us
Kingsbury, the latest Leo Jones.
back that missing sense of
If written by (usually) a two-
ownership, of responsibility, of
person author team, the book
title was often used as a badge identity?
Let’s rethink this trend
of pride by teachers. for market-focused textbook
The English education industry can transform lives, lucky enough to be exposed to all sorts of in English is one of the keys to the door of thirty years, coursebooks have series with large author
But gradually, over the past
teams, where no one can take
says Sarah Cooper different cultures, foods and opinions as we employment or further study. been written increasingly by ownership of the project and
grew up. My three siblings and I all learned Our young learners are often the UK’s multi-author teams – units
several languages; my mother taught languages, international undergraduates a few years down written like building blocks I have never
an you remember a teacher who confident about expressing herself. But she so it was in our blood and I grew up relishing the line. In an increasing number of countries, – and the author’s voice was
made a difference to your life? I can desperately wanted to get onto an Access the opportunity to learn another language. a good level of English is one of the five key replaced with that of the worked on
and I bet we all can. Flip it – I also programme to be able to study nursing. This both encouraged and enabled me to competencies sought by employers, as is the publisher.
Cbet every teacher remembers certain Learning other languages is key to travel and work abroad. And when I reflect experience of studying or working abroad. The argument proposed by material with an
learners. I certainly do. our understanding of the world and now, I realise how much I took this for granted The role of English UK is to lead the publishers is that there isn’t extended team
Three stand out in my mind: Farhad, meaningful interaction with our fellow and did not appreciate at the time how lucky industry in its pursuit of quality – to give the time to develop a coursebook
Roberto and Tihetana. The reason I remember global inhabitants. English is the language of I was. best possible experience for students coming series unless they use lots of which has been
those three so clearly is that, although utterly academe, of medicine, of business, of cultural My early career was in business but the little here. We help the wider education industry authors.
different in social, cultural and educational communication, and the British Council voice inside me urging me to teach got louder and government understand the power and Well, no material I’ve worked achieved more
background, they had one thing in common: estimates that two billion people will be using it and louder, resulting in a complete change in role of English in the international education on has been achieved more
learning English transformed their lives. We as the ‘operating system of global conversation’ direction in my life when I enrolled on a Celta context, and we fight to get our voice heard quickly with an extended quickly than by a
could say that about many of our learners, but by 2020. at my local FE college. I have never looked every day. team than with a small
these three cases stand out in my memory. I am absolutely passionate about the power back, and worked at that same college for the So what happened to Farhad, Roberto and tightly knit group. There’s small tightly-knit
Farhad was sixteen and a refugee from of English in its ability to transform lives, and I next sixteen years, teaching mainly academic Tihetana? Roberto got his Ielts 8.5 and his endless standardisation across group
Afghanistan. He spoke fluent Pashto and Farsi and business English to students from China, the material and issues of
but could not read or write. He was a student Learning other Germany, Thailand, Vietnam, Nigeria and The little voice inside consistency to address, which
in our pre-entry level literacy class, learning many other countries until I moved into take more time than with a where individual creativity
English to survive in the country that had languages is key to management. me urging me to teach got small team. is suppressed in favour of a
taken him in. meaningful interaction The ELT industry trains people to make a louder and louder’ But for me the problem is rigid and depersonalised brief.
Roberto was 25 and from Spain. His English difference. It sends teachers abroad to teach as that no one appears to ‘own’ I promise we’ll get a better
was already pretty good, but he came to our with our fellow global well as Celta trainers to train the teachers of the work. The coursebook is ‘product’, as publishers call
evening academic English class as he needed the future. career is now in its ascendancy. exclusively market-led, so an books these days.
Ielts 8.5 to be accepted onto a masters course inhabitants The need for good English teachers across Tihetana got the English and the confidence accurate brief is essential, yet It’s said that the collective
in journalism in London. the world is immense, as country after country she needed to join that Access course for the it will then be swayed by the noun for authors is a whinge.
Tihetana was twenty and from Ethiopia/ seeks to build its national competence in career she dreamed of. And Farhad struggled winds of endless focus groups Have I finished yet? No, I
Eritrea. She had one parent from each country am equally passionate about the industry that English, aspiring to delivery of the school – but he got the language skills to survive and and ‘experts’. haven’t even begun.
and was bundled into a van by them to escape makes this possible. So how lucky am I to be curriculum in English. The high standard thrive in his adopted country. Now, this is not about
the war as a seven-year-old child. She came to in a job that enables me to push the agenda on of the UK ELT sector is in demand as never It’s my job to make sure our industry can authors and their vanity – it’s
this country alone, with nothing, and started that industry’s behalf every single day? before to help with these challenging capacity- support everyone like Farhad, Roberto and about quality. Most authors n Simon Greenall is a coursebook
anew. I learned about ELT early. My first building projects. Tihetana, and that’s what gets me out of bed and editors are really clever, writer, past president of IATEFL
Her English was peppered with inaccuracies experience came when I was a teenager, as ours We teach learners in this country with whom every day. imaginative and creative and Trustee of International
by the time she reached our academic English was a homestay family. We hosted students we forge links forever. The Italian teenager may people. We don’t get invited House. In 2013 he was awarded
class thirteen years later, after years in our from the Purley Language Centre (still going not realise it at the time, but a door is opened. n Sarah Cooper is Chief Executive of English UK. to do this work if we’re an OBE for ’services to ELT’.
education system, and she was not at all strong I’m delighted to say) and so we were The ability to communicate effectively
26 March 2018 editorial@elgazette.com 27