Dr. J's Blog of ELT Praxis

I've learned from personal experience, research, and the literature that transitioning to a new place as a teacher can be and usually is hectic.  I just started teaching at the Center of English as a Second Language (CESL) at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIUC) as part of my duties as the curriculum coordinator.  Teaching represents at least half of my duties the first year, but then it should be reduced afterwards when I assume more coordinating duties and responsibilities.  Although I learned a lot about CESL during my first few weeks before teaching, I knew I would be in for a bit of what I call unintentional hazing when I met my first class. My dissertation focused on the cultural adjustment of English language teachers abroad, but I believe I can apply some of the models and theories to my experience here.  Even though I did not move abroad, I was faced with a larger proportion of students from the Middle East than I had before.  For most of...

In January 2015, the University of Warwick (UK) hosted a lecture by Dr. Adrian Holliday, whose work has greatly influenced my dissertation.  The lecture was recorded and can be viewed at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/al/research/groups/llta/activities/events/holliday .  If you are interested in watching the video, I advise that you wear headphones as Dr. Holliday was not wearing a microphone.   For this blog, I briefly summarize the video, highlighting what I found most provocative.  Following that, I explain how Holliday's work has influenced my research and teaching philosophy for the past 5-10 years. Summary of "Revisiting appropriate methodology, BANA, TESEP and 'contexts'" The main purpose of this lecture was for Holliday to reflect upon his book Appropriate Methodology and Social Context , published 20 years ago by Cambridge University Press.  In this lecture, he integrated criticism from another professor whose research I admire, Dr. Suresh Ca...