Career Development in ELT
I was prompted to propose this topic for #eltchat because I wondered whether ELT professionals see certain types of teaching as being more prestigious or developmental as others. I was also keen to find out whether there is an established and universal career trajectory within ELT which transcended all teaching contexts. My interest in this is partly personal in that I can identify my own path in this field but find that the times I talk about the decisions I took and why appear to be limited and indeed reducing. It seems to me that having an opportunity to share the different routes we took towards developing our careers could be of some interest to relatively new members of our community.
On analysis of the exchange which took place in June 2015, a number of key points emerged:
1. Willingness to keep learning , trying different roles;
joannacre 6/3/2015 20:15 @fielsted @juliacphang Yes, and being willing to learn. Not rest on ur laurels!! #eltchat
KateLloyd05 6/3/2015 20:15 @joannacre @HanaHainsworth yes think first step is teaching different types of classes:yl, business,exam,diff levels #ELTchat
BradELT 6/3/2015 20:19 @angelos_bollas no 🙂 also staying fresh- The world keeps changing- As teachers we need to be aware of innovations in our field- #eltchat
MartinaEmke 6/3/2015 20:23 @angelos_bollas @KateLloyd05 – diversification by adopting different roles: e.g. (informal) teacher trainer, (action) researcher #ELTchat
MartinaEmke 6/3/2015 20:26 @HanaHainsworth – it’s about attitude: teachers should stay learners at heart; then lots of development opport. are possible #eltchat
2. Willingness to take opportunities as they arise
languageeteach 6/3/2015 20:26 @MartinaEmke @angelos_bollas @KateLloyd05 and grabbing those opportunities when you can, e.g. writing for journals, presenting, etc #Eltchat
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:28 @languageeteach @MartinaEmke @angelos_bollas @KateLloyd05 Yeah ‘grabbing opportunities’ -quite right. Being able to see the ops too #eltchat
3. Being flexible
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:18 @MarjorieRosenbe @joannacre @HanaHainsworth Seems to me being ‘flexible’ and willing goes a long way in the ELT world. #eltchat
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:24 @angelos_bollas @MarjorieRosenbe @joannacre @HanaHainsworth (3) Being willing to have a go you save the situation+ show versatility #eltchat
4. Joining professional organisations;
MarjorieRosenbe 6/3/2015 20:08 @angelos_bollas I think joining a teaching association is a great 1st step. #eltchat
5. Movement into academic management which frequently involves a concomitant reduction in teaching contact time;
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:14 @juliacphang To progress career wise do we have to move into ac management? #eltchat
KateLloyd05 6/3/2015 20:16 @fielsted @juliacphang you shouldn’t have to…..but it’s often assumed once you do a Dip #ELTchat
juliacphang 6/3/2015 20:23 I’ve talkd abt this w/several T friends-moving “too far up the ladder” in terms of mgmt generally means you’re rarely in classroom #ELTchat
6. Willingness to change to a different environment for better conditions and opportunities
KateLloyd05 6/3/2015 20:17 @angelos_bollas change teaching situation? Better terms and conditions, more prof environment? #eltchat
7. The existence of a number of different career paths in ELT and different attitudes to them:
angelos_bollas 6/3/2015 20:19 @KateLloyd05 So, are there two paths? A horizontal (same role better post) and a vertical one (going up the career ladder)? #ELTchat
KateLloyd05 6/3/2015 20:19 @angelos_bollas lots of ladders I think #ELTchat
KateLloyd05 6/3/2015 20:32 @angelos_bollas @BradELT diff. types of teachers.some like to stay in one place long term, others move regularly #ELTchat
racheldaw18 6/3/2015 20:46 @juliacphang I was wondering what happens in #elt land if being a DoS isn’t where someone wants to go… Good question! #eltchat
tattoodaisy 6/3/2015 20:49 @angelos_bollas a sideways step is possible, into a diff enviro, university rather than private language school, teacher training #eltchat
8. The different perception of what is meant by ‘career development’ with some participants being focussed on the development as a teacher and others on the progression to better pay, conditions and more responsibility
juliacphang 6/3/2015 20:20 RT @stella_maris05: @angelos_bollas Still they can develop by exchanging ideas with colleagues, or attending conferences #ELTchat
HadaLitim 6/3/2015 20:20 @BradELT @angelos_bollas It’s a never ending development path it seems..from one course to the next. one obs to the next, etc #ELTchat
HanaHainsworth 6/3/2015 20:22 It’s about aiming for 10 yrs teaching experience not 1 year teaching experience repeated 10 times! #eltchat
angelos_bollas 6/3/2015 20:20 @HadaLitim Reflection – important part of career dvlpmnt #ELTchat @juliacphang
9. The differences according to context
tattoodaisy 6/3/2015 20:22 career dev important because jobs in uk are becomer rarer and more competitive -what’s it like elsewhere? #eltchat
HanaHainsworth 6/3/2015 20:38 I think unis are probably the way to go for pay and conditions in the UK if you can get in #ELTchat
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:42 @angelos_bollas @HanaHainsworth Do ELT Ts see EAP teaching in uni as career development? Does it seem ‘better’ somehow? #eltchat
angelos_bollas 6/3/2015 20:43 @fielsted For me it’s just better money #ELTchat @HanaHainsworth
HadaLitim 6/3/2015 20:46 @tattoodaisy @KateLloyd05 MA certainly offers more ops in the Middle East and better packages too #eltchat
angelos_bollas 6/3/2015 20:54 @fielsted In some cases (like Greece) being an ELT means you’re doing a hobby not a real job #ELTchat @BradELT @HanaHainsworth
10. Help from other people
joannacre 6/3/2015 20:29 @HadaLitim I am going to ask a hard question. Do u think career dev has to do with who u know as well? #eltchat
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:36 @angelos_bollas I think this is true. The more teachers in diff contexts you encounter the more you develop #eltchat
joannacre 6/3/2015 20:32 @HadaLitim It’s not necessarily a bad thing. U learn about jobs from ur ppl don’t you? #eltchat
11. Individual career stories
MartinaEmke 6/3/2015 20:34 @juliacphang @joannacre – I moved from teaching 2 teacher training, project management & 2 becom. a researcher;roots are in ELT #eltchat
KateLloyd05 6/3/2015 20:53 @HadaLitim fell into elt,tesol cert.primary school, language schools,EAP,became senior teacher&needed Dip to progress.1/2 #ELTchat
KateLloyd05 6/3/2015 20:54 @HadaLitim now dos in language school.boyf doing delta now so we can move on and have better options.#eltchat 2/2
juliacphang 6/3/2015 20:54 @angelos_bollas @tattoodaisy Definitely! I initially did it when moving around for husband’s job #ELTchat
BradELT 6/3/2015 20:54 @HadaLitim Started teacher training 5 years ago and then added writing and consulting. Love life now.something different everyday! #ELTchat
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:55 My career story: Japan-EFL teaching and YLs + did CELTA. Did DELTA in UK. Went to Australia did Exam classes + IELTS. (1) #eltchat
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:57 (2) Canada became CELTA trainer; Oz again CELTA trainer and DOS.UK CELTA trainer Ac Manager.Then Uni Presessional now uni lecturer #eltchat
fielsted 6/3/2015 20:57 (3) became DELTA trainer in UK too. Helped. #eltchat
HanaHainsworth 6/3/2015 20:55 @HadaLitim for me 4 years teaching YL and GE all over the world,then EAP(pre sess)now Delta&MA and not sure what next – a holiday! #ELTchat
languageeteach 6/3/2015 20:57 @racheldaw18 @HadaLitim 1st step into teacher training = training Czech teachers of Russian with English and methodology. Loved it! #eltchat
joannacre 6/3/2015 20:57 @HadaLitim @KateLloyd05 Me public sector-private sector-EAP-online BE #eltchat
juliacphang 6/3/2015 20:58 @HadaLitim Trinity Cert, 2 years teaching at school I trained at, 2 years freelance in BCN, now freelance near Manchester #ELTchat
HadaLitim 6/3/2015 21:02 @angelos_bollas YLs in London for 3 yrs, int’l school GCSEs in Saudi for 6 years, adults at the BC for 8yrs, Celta, Delta, MA..#ELTchat
ELT curious 