Is Language Teaching a Profession?

?Individuals whose ignorance of our field is cosmic are able to make headline pronouncements on issues to do with language education ?In contrast, we have very little power or influence over public opinion

4. Looking to the future

So, to return to the question with which I started this paper. Does language teaching constitute a profession? The answer is: it depends where you look.

Advocacy

Jack Longmate, chair of TESOL’s Caucus on Part-time Teacher Concerns has argued that “The widespread reliance on part-time faculty to lower costs tends to degrade the enthusiasm, quality and professionalism of the field and creates a downward pull on the salaries of all.”

Partly as a result of Longmate’s efforts, TESOL recently joined 15 other associations and unions to endorse the Coalition on the Academic Workforce to oppose the over-reliance on parttimers.

Is TESOL a profession? The answer to this question is: It depends where you look! It is possible to find language teaching institutions in different parts of the world which fit none of the criteria set out in this paper. However, it is also possible to find institutions and associations that are actively committed to advancing education and training, to developing standards and certification, to supporting the development of theory and research so that a disciplinary based can be established, and working as advocates to influence broader communities in ways that are positive for second language learners. It is up to us who ARE committed to the notion of TESOL as a profession to identify and promote those practices around the world that are consistent with this goal.

In conclusion, I would like to invite you to think about the stance that ATESOL takes towards advanced education and training, standards of practice, an agreed upon theoretical and empirical basis, and advocacy for the language teaching profession. If you were to rank these four criteria, what would be their order of importance for you in defining a profession?

Are there other characteristics that you feel are critical in defining a profession? (For a discussion of these issues and questions, see Bailey, Curtis and Nunan, 2001.)

5. References

Bailey, K., A. Curtis & D. Nunan. 2001. Pursuing professional development: The self as source. Boston MA: Heinle & Heinle / Thomson Learning.

Shulman, L. (1988). The disciplines of inquiry in education: An overview. In R. Jager (Ed.),

Complementary methods of research in education. Washington, DC: American Educational Research Association.

Freeman, D. (1998). Doing teacher-research: From inquiry to understanding. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle / Thomson Learning.

Weinberger, C. 2000. Abolishing bilingual education: A very good idea. Forbes, October,2000.