Page 5 - ELG1909 Sep Issue 466
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IELTS Exam Preparation WELCOME .
Wimbledon School mbledon School
Wi EDITORS’ LETTER
Cambridge Exam Preparation
o of English Business English We don’t need no education
L London Junior programmes The Irish government says EFL should be part of
English for Law
education, not tourism. As parents, we agree, say
Medical English
Melanie Butler and Ron Ragsdale theteam
OET Preparation
The student experience must be at the centre of everything we do, right? Wrong. MELANIE BUTLER,
Summer Family programme At a recent conference, Sarah Cooper of English UK highlighted “student experience” as the most editor-in-chief,
important element of language travel. started teaching EFL
30+ and 40+ courses in Iran in 1975. She
As parents with daughters interested in language learning, we disagree. If we’re going to spend worked for the BBC
Teachers’ courses money to send them to language schools overseas then we hope they’re happy and we want them to be World Service, Pearson/
safe. But the object of the exercise is for them to make progress. Longman and MET
English for Aviation Too many language schools see themselves as being in the travel business. Too few agree with magazine before taking over at the Gazette
the Irish government (see page 7) that they are in English Language Education. The government in 1987 and also launching Study Travel
Football Academy magazine. Educated in ten schools in seven
believes teachers’ terms and conditions impact on learning. Most Irish language school owners don’t countries, she speaks uent French and
seem to agree. Spanish and rather rusty Italian.
Creativity and Wellbeing
In a report on the sector, one provider commented, “We refute that (the) morale of employees
Communication Skills impacts the service.” Yet a 2015 OECD study found that, “students attending schools where RON RAGSDALE,
Proud to be teachers ... have better morale are less likely to be low performers.” managing editor,
the • Adult and Junior school programmes • A focus on wellbeing built into everything we do, to Another school owner said, “Teachers can always move to where better conditions are.” But teacher gained his MA-TESOL at
ensure students feel fully supported
Number 1 • Students from over 80 different countries • A daily action-packed Social Programme including turnover is negatively correlated with English language tests results, according to research on 600,000 Portland State University
• Ideal London location students in New York. in Oregon 25 years ago,
English language sports and excursions
• 55 years’ experience • Examination centre for IELTS, Cambridge, OET, And finally, “The (typical) English Language class size of and has worked in ELT
school in the • 21st Century skills incorporated in all of our courses Pearson, Trinity, TOLES, TEA and ACCA 15 is superior to that of secondary level schools.” However, publishing ever since,
meaning we prepare students for life in a high-pressure, Smaller class with teaching stints in Istanbul and Cairo.
UK* modern and international world • Excellent accommodation close to the school - 40% smaller class sizes have only a small positive effect on
within walking distance In addition to managing teams at Pearson
sizes have only a learning, slightly less than teaching mindfulness, according
*EL Gazette rankings based on British Council inspection reports. Joint number one with 2 other schools. and Cambridge ELT, including as Publishing
Wimbledon School of English 41 Worple Road, London SW19 4JZ Tel +44 20 8947 1921 info@wimbledon-school.ac.uk www.wimbledon-school.ac.uk to an analysis of 80,000 studies involving 300 million Director, Ron has worked with Ministries
small positive effect students. and local partners in over 30 countries.
The smaller the class, the higher the cost per student.
on learning, slightly Spending that money on higher teacher salaries or paid MATT SALUSBURY, news
less than teaching teacher preparation time is likely to yield better student editor and journalist, has
worked for EL Gazette
outcomes, according to the OECD.
mindfulness. English Language Education, and the educational research since 2007. He is an
Ireland is introducing compulsory minimum standards for
activist in the National
Union of Journalists and
subscribe today suggests they are right. Yet EFL in Ireland is no worse than in other countries. Indeed, it is better co-edits its newsletter, the
Freelance. He taught English for 15 years
than many.
This month’s award for ruthlessness goes to some dodgy Chinese schools who, as we report on page in the Netherlands, in Turkey, in a North
London further education college and
6, have found a way round government requirements for teacher qualifications. They hire unqualified now as an English for Academic Purposes
teachers from abroad, get them to work illegally on holiday visas, fail to pay them and when they tutor at the London School of Economics.
complain, dob them in to the immigration authorities. He is a native English speaker and is also
uent in Dutch.
Who cares about the impact on learners!
print & digital super-rich send their kids to be educated in posh private schools overseas. The well-off turn to private GILL RAGSDALE, research
In search of real learning progress, parents are turning away from private language schools. The
news reporter,
international schools while the struggling middle class queue outside the local state schools which has a PhD in Evolutionary
1 year (6 issues) offer CLIL or bilingual education. Anthropology from
Cambridge, and teaches
This is bad news for language schools.
But not for teachers. As Colin Bell of the Council of British International Schools reports on pages Psychology with the
Open University, but
now only £26 (UK) 14 and 15, such schools will need another 210,000 teachers over the next twelve years. The COBIS also holds an RSA-Cert TEFL. Gill has
taught EFL in the UK, Turkey, Egypt
solution is to run training courses that lead to British qualified teacher status.
EFL teachers are welcome to apply. and to refugees in the Calais ‘Jungle’ in
France. She currently teaches English to
(£32 - Rest of World) MELANIE BUTLER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RON RAGSDALE, MANAGING EDITOR refugees in the UK.
digital only £15
Your next job is just a tap away.
see our all-new website:
www.elgazette.com Job Sear ch TEFL.c om
The App for iPhone, iPad and Android.
JO BS | L ANGUA GE SCHO OLS FOR S ALE | A GENT & B U SINE S S O P P OR TUNITIE S
4 September 2019 editorial@elgazette.com 5
