| Poorly Equipped or Untrained English Teachers | | | | learners. Considered to be nothing more than a "side |
| For much too long a time, there was a disturbing | | | | business" in many locales, there is absolutely no regard |
| tendency among English language institutes in a | | | | for quality, standards of teaching / learning or anything |
| number of countries, to immediately contract as | | | | else except the collection of tuitions and fees. |
| "English teachers", anyone who showed up and could | | | | "Teachers" lacking knowledge or skills of any type are |
| communicate in some way in the English language. | | | | thrown in with learners desperate to acquire foreign |
| This included even native English speakers who, | | | | language skills result in the detriment of the process to |
| although they were unquestionably English speakers, | | | | all. |
| had little or no knowledge of teaching, and no skills or | | | | This is yet another area where responsibility falls on |
| techniques with which to impart their native tongue to | | | | teachers, administration and the learners themselves to |
| others. Simply being able to speak English doesn't | | | | resolve issues. EFL and foreign language learners, don't |
| make you an English teacher as untold numbers of | | | | waste your time and money. Taking "classes" in a |
| EFL learners have found out the hard way. | | | | poor, low-quality institution serves none of your |
| There simply are no shortcuts here. Teacher training | | | | interests. |
| of basically qualified practitioners is called for. Whether | | | | Your Ideas, Suggestions and Comments, Please |
| using INSET or external training media, teachers much | | | | While it would be absolutely impossible to provide |
| continually become more professional and qualified to | | | | detailed answers to such critical, world-wide problems |
| perform in-classroom tasks. Ultimately, responsibility | | | | in the English language teaching and learning class |
| falls on teachers, administration and the learners | | | | room here, we can recognize our limitations and |
| themselves to resolve issues in this area. | | | | constraints, and collectively make an effort to address |
| Low-Quality in Learning or Expectations | | | | and overcome them. If you have ideas on any of |
| Another thorn in the side of the English or foreign | | | | these problem topics, feel free to share them in |
| language teaching and learning "industry" is the | | | | comments, e-mails, forums, ELT conferences and |
| proliferation of "language schools" as a "cash cow" or | | | | teacher meetings. Who knows, your voice may be just |
| "cottage industry" That is, a "language institute used for | | | | the one to break open the problem with a universally |
| the sole purpose of cranking out "profits" from an | | | | workable approach or solution. |
| expansive sea of English or other foreign language | | | | |