Happy new Decade!

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A conversation between Olha Madylus and Paul Shaw

OM: Happy New Decade, Paul! It’s hard to believe we are already 10 years into the 21st century and even harder for me to believe I first started teaching in Greece in the mid-80s! I guess we all had great hopes for the new millennium in lots of ways but, Paul, what do you see are our greatest achievements in the last ten years in ELT here in Greece?

PS: Same to you. Honestly, it’s astonishing that we made it through! Next year I'll have been here in Greece 20 years and, Olha, it’s amazing when you look at how language teaching was approached then and how many dramatic shifts there were in the 90's and especially over the last 10 years. I praise owners and teachers who have managed to juggle so many shifts in materials, approaches but of course it has left many not knowing which way to turn.

OM: Yes, probably the biggest changes have been to do with how much more difficult the business of teaching English has become. In the current economic situation, we can see how many schools and teachers are struggling. But that's not the only area that is challenging. There's been so much focus on ELT - new examinations, lots of new books. It is not easy to find your way around all this.

PS: I know that the numerous schools that I've consulted and trained with over the previous years have a difficult job on their hands, with parents, students and teachers. They have teachers who have been with them for years, who have their established path; some of them go to all of the training and seminars they can; others don't. On the other hand, there are so many new teachers out there who come from the land of theory to what is in reality a mile away from what they were prepared for.

I think we would both agree that in the last ten years the shift has certainly been both in material and approaches to a more functional teaching style, still however with a number of throw backs to previous times (grammar books etc.), but with the washback, of what is it now, 8 recognised examinations, I think I've lost count, owners, and teachers need guidance on how to return to teaching the language for lifelong learning and fun.

In the past, they would worry about which material to use for a couple of exams; now they themselves realise they can't divide the class into separate groups for each examination and this puts the syllabus, approach and, more importantly, the teachers in the spotlight as they are the ones who have to stay focused and carry out the job on a day to day basis.

OM: Maybe this is in fact a good thing - a return to teaching language and not examination preparation exclusively. I think it's time to re-evaluate why we are teaching at all. Yes, of course, examination success is important, but we also need to return to a focus on teaching language skills for life, work and - dare I say it - pleasure.

But this is all leading us to what I see as the burning issue - teacher training. Although we have seen an increased interest and enthusiasm for teacher training, there is still a lot of scope for much-needed support for teachers.

Teachers need to have confidence in their approach to teaching, a clear vision of where their students are headed and the support of methodology, materials, resources and ideas. I know from my own experience that teachers who come to my training sessions say they feel empowered after training. And this is what we need today - empowered teachers.

PS: I totally agree. I have to say it and you might not agree but nowadays with materials especially for Young Learners and Intermediate classes, many publishers have gone for a middle of the road approach - both international and domestic (that's not to say that there isn't some exciting material out there, but in my experience owners shy away from them because they are worried if their teachers can handle the shift.

Often you can't tell one book from another without flicking to the front, most publishers now try to help the teacher with the use of supplementary material, both hard copy and virtual, teachers’ books and of course the white boards.

That's why teachers have to start to believe that they have the power to know how to modify, edit published ELT material and use authentic materials without feeling guilty that they are straying from the path.

I have to give credit to those schools and teachers I have seen again and again at TESOLs South and North and at the publishers' offsite and in-house sessions, but if you think that that there are around 14000 schools in Greece, where are all the teachers who do need training, guidance, support and just the ability to share opinions and boost their own confidence?

OM: Ah, you have hit the nail on the head. Schools and teachers tend to go for tried and tested materials - books that they feel comfortable with rather than something new and edgy - and for some teachers - terrifying. Who can blame them?

They do not have the time to spend hours on planning lessons and here we go again - they have not had the training that would help them understand, evaluate and work with a different style of material.

The TESOLs, North and South, the publishers and many schools themselves do a very good job of making training and support available for teachers but as you point out - it's a drop in the ocean considering how many teachers of English there are in Greece.

A realistic (financially) and effective way forward would be for schools to encourage their teachers to join and attend TESOL events as well as inviting publishers or representatives from examination boards into their schools to do presentations/seminars.

Just get the ball rolling - make teachers aware of what issues there are in teaching and get conversations going between teachers about what they are doing.

Peer observation and team teaching are also useful - as teachers get to see what their colleagues do and then can chat about what they observed over a coffee.

Of course, in an ideal world, we'd see the state getting involved in supporting teacher education. Hey, I'm the woman who still dreams I'll marry George Clooney - I cannot help being optimistic.

PS: I knew that George wouldn't stay out of this for too long! - but I agree - if schools start with small steps - overcoming that natural first fear of 'training', 'observations' by having opening discussions with their teachers about their needs, inviting trainers in - once they start down the road of professional development, it starts to snowball.

In my experience when teachers realise that training is indeed empowering, they start to ask “When will the next one be? We'd like more on this or that” And the whole team starts to bond and function as a solid educational unit - whilst having fun.

There are schools all around the country I love going back to because there is such a positive energy to share there.

Many schools, as you said, have joined organisations such as TESOL and some teachers want to take it further and start to searching for international groups such as IATEFL etc, or go on line to join blogs and discussions groups such as SEETA.

Some even take it a step further and want a recognised qualification whether they get it locally or through Distance Learning, which is a great step.

OM: Absolutely. Do you think the introduction of CEFR has had a big effect on Greek ELT?

PS: Of course, even though the effects of CEFR arrived later here in Greece than in other countries, the effect has been massive.

It has reshaped and introduced certain exams, influenced the publishing world and of course focused more attention on what the learner can actually do with language, rather than just produce in test situations - but again how the CEFR is approached needs carefully guidance - teachers need to know how to handle the "Can dos" effectively if students are going to benefit.

It is all too easy just to tag on a quick review of what I've learnt - but to have an effect on students’ ability to truly engage in self-reflection and development is a more complex process.

So let's imagine that it's 2020 and George has finally found you on that desert island - what would you like to have happened in those 10 years in language teaching here?

OM: That's a hard one to answer. We cannot go backwards to the 80s when families spent 25% of their income on extra education and we were in the boom times in many ways. By 2020, I sincerely hope that we will be out of the recession and families won't have to worry about where the money will come from for their children's English lessons.

I hope the government will at least support the notion of teacher training and recognise it in some way and that teachers with training will be the norm, not the exception.

I hope that teachers, school owners and parents will not only realise the benefits of training but also that it will be readily available through many channels. As you say, the online resources available now are amazing as well as free and convenient.

As a teacher trainer, I cannot help but be focused on this issue. But, more than anything, I hope that the idea of fun returns to learning and teaching.

Students should be enjoying their youth and experiencing the joy of learning, which seems to have largely disappeared in Greece, with children being put under so much academic pressure. I would so hope that a lot of this unnecessary pressure is taken off young people and children, and that learning is once again the pleasure and satisfaction that it should be. What about you? What are your hopes for 2010?

PS : I fully support all the above sentiments that there will be easier times for us all, that walking into a classroom is a pleasure for all. I'm really positive about the ten years ahead, I hope that teachers will realise what a great, rich resource they are – even finding their own potential to peer train.

I believe that technology will have made teaching, training and learning an exciting journey where the classroom will only be a springboard to the joys of communicating in the 'real' world.

I hope that schools will have the courage to start to twin with each other both locally and internationally and that they start to become more integral parts of their communities where students and teachers don't see learning a language for a piece of paper but something which will enrich students' lives forever.

OM: I’ll drink to that. Happy New Year!

Useful websites:www.tesolgreece.com, www.tesolmacthrace.org, www.iatefl.org, www.seeta.eu Bios: Olha Madylus began her teaching career in a secondary state school in England teaching English and Drama. She has now been involved in YLELT for over 20 years: living, teaching and training in Hong Kong and Venezuela as well as Greece.For the past eight years she has been a freelance YL consultant and teacher trainer and trains local state and private language school teachers (and trainers) worldwide in countries as diverse as Peru, Croatia, Taiwan, Yemen and Burma.Her focus is on both primary and secondary aged children.She does consultation and teacher training for the British Council global teaching network and is a CambridgeESOL CELTA and CELTYL trainer.She is now based in Athens and has just finished writing her first book: of language activities for teenagers for Cambridge University Press, and enjoying a return to the YL classroom.She is particularly interested in understanding and motivating Young Learners.Email: olhamadylus@gmail.com

Paul Shaw has been in Greece for the past eighteen years. He has worked in all aspects of the field as a teacher, Director of Studies, examiner, trainer, materials writer and developer and seminar presenter. He was co-owner of EFL@yourfingertips, an ELT consultant company and hyphen’s Academic Director, involved in educational consultancy, training and materials development for publishers worldwide.He is also a former Chair of TESOL Macedonia-Thrace, Northern Greece and is currently on its supervisory committee.He is based in Thessaloniki and is looking forward to returning to the ELT scene after a brief forced absence – he is especially interested in materials development and training.Email: paulshaw364@hotmail.com

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