Page 42 - ELG2001 Jan Issue 468

El•Gazette 468.qxp_El•Gazette 468 08/01/2020 15:59 Page 42

INTERVIEW .

Chalkface RON RAGSDALE

Champion

Monica Poulter is back in school.

So, what has changed in forty
years, asks Melanie Butler

Monica Poulter
We first met on a Diploma course in IH London aeons ago, The most rewarding moments are when there is real
but most people will know you from your role supporting communication in the classroom; when participants talk about their
teacher training qualifications at Cambridge Assessment. home lives or their experiences in the UK or when they tell us that
What is the biggest change in ELT that you have they have been, for example, to the pharmacy on their own and have
experienced? described symptoms to the pharmacist and got medicine for a sick
Yes, we first met over 40 years ago and there have certainly been some child.
changes. The main one for me is the huge range of contexts in which
the English Language is now taught and learned worldwide. Given your experience teaching refugees what would you
I dug out my certificate from our Diploma course and the wording add to the Cambridge teacher training framework?
shows just how much things have changed! It is described as a course I think I would make more explicit the need to be aware of home
for ‘English nationals’ and the teaching practice was with ‘foreign languages and cultures. On a number of occasions, I have wished I
students’. In 2020, the English Language Teaching profession includes could speak Arabic – especially when dealing with a personal
thousands of teachers who learned English as their second language. problem.
Many students are learning English in their home country for many There have been moments when a quick explanation in Arabic
different purposes. Others are living, studying and working in an would have moved the class along by providing background cultural
English-speaking country. information, explaining language differences
When we studied for the Diploma, there between Arabic and English, or setting up a
was still an emphasis on using teaching The most rewarding game. On occasion, I have been able to use
‘techniques’ to learn structures, and on moments are when there other volunteers who speak Arabic, which has
mechanical practice of language. There was no been invaluable.
reference to developing language skills. is real communication in
According to my course report, we learned the classroom; when If a Celta-trained teacher was thinking
how to use visual aids and the tape recorder! about teaching refugees what are the
Now, there is an overwhelming number of participants talk about most important things they need to
resources, including digital resources with an their home lives or know?
increased emphasis on eclectic approaches, Learn about the linguistic, cultural and
and creating individual learning pathways. experiences in the UK educational backgrounds of their group and
The report also said that I had ‘no difficulty find out what their current needs are. Check
in obtaining a grasp of the underlying theories of ELT’ – I don't think what resources are available to support learning – and find strategies
there were so many back then! One of the main challenges for to provide individualised practice and frequent recycling.
teachers now is that there is so much stuff out there – theoretical and Personal qualities are important too. You need empathy and lots of
practical. It can be overwhelming. patience. Many refugees are dealing with resettlement issues and
family problems – they may not always be in a state where they can
Recently you have been volunteering as a teacher. How did focus on your carefully prepared lesson.
you get involved?
In my last role at Cambridge Assessment I created an online What would you like to change about ELT?
Futurelearn course to support volunteers working with refugees. In What I’d like to see is more recognition for professional development.
order to produce relevant content. I contacted refugee support I think a lot of teachers access training in their own time through
organisations and talked to local teachers working with refugees. following online tutorials and informal networking. It would be great
Then I started teaching myself – the class I am involved with is if this could be more formally acknowledged.
mostly for women with young children who can’t get to regular I’d like to see increased recognition in three areas – my 3 Ps!
classes. •Professionalisation of ELT
•Professional development pathways for teachers
What have you found most challenging about this work? •Parity between teachers who speak English as a first language and
Very little of my previous teaching experience was with beginners, so the thousands who don’t
for me the most challenging thing has been to work with learners with
almost no English, who aren’t familiar with the Roman script and who Monica Poulter recently retired after more than 25 years at Cambridge
– in some cases – have had their education interrupted through war Assessment English, developing qualifications for English language
and displacement. teachers. She is now on the Board of Trustees with the Cambridge
Some of the group are highly motivated, but some get very little Refugee Resettlement Campaign.
opportunity to use English outside the class and progress can be slow.
42 January 2020

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