Pilgrims News… Jointly with IATEFL: Linking, Developing and Supporting - the IATEFL Recipe for Success

Jon Burton, UK

Jon Burton has been working in English language teaching for 25 years. He has been a teacher, trainer, materials writer, quality inspector, school manager and college principal, working in Spain, France and Great Britain. He is Chief Executive, IATEFL.

"If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."
George Bernard Shaw

Linking, developing and supporting English language teachers has been the overriding aim of IATEFL, the International Association of English Language Teachers, for the last 50 years.

But how exactly do we achieve this aim?

Linking

Bringing together professionals with similar interests enables them to exchange experiences, knowledge and ideas. At its heart, the association is a big family of ELT professionals from around the world. The feeling of being part of that family provides all sorts of opportunities to contribute, build professional networks and develop friendships. That’s why so many of our members have been with the association for such a long time.

This is further enhanced by the association's Special Interest Groups (SIGs). We all have a particular area of expertise or a professional interest. Furthermore, our association is not only made up of teachers, but also: researchers, materials writers, lecturers, publishers, trainees, testers and evaluators and managers from primary, secondary, further and higher education settings, both public and private.

IATEFL has 16 SIGs focusing on everything from Learning Technologies and Business English to Research and Pronunciation, not to mention our newest SIG: Inclusive Practices and SEN. Each of these is, in itself, a community providing its members with publications, webinars, workshops, forums and much more.

Developing

Student needs, teaching resources, technologies, methods of communication, language, learning strategies and methodologies are always developing and changing.

Through its annual conference, materials and resources exhibition, regular webinars, publications, forums and blogs IATEFL gives members a whole range of opportunities to develop, learn, discover and join in the professional debate. It also provides a wonderful platform for those with more experience to help mentor and develop others, and for teachers wishing to become trainers themselves to dip their toe in the water.

A range of scholarships are available for those wanting or needing more support, professional or financial, in order to give their first talk or poster presentation at an IATEFL conference. Many former scholarship winners have gone on to become renowned presenters and trainers in their own right.

Supporting

Part of being a member of an association of professionals is to feel and be supported, and to support other members. Being an international association also provides additional opportunities to support fellow professionals working in circumstances and locations where other forms of support are less, or not, available.

Our Wider Membership Scheme as well as specific IATEFL projects have a long and proud history of supporting such members and local teaching associations in a wide range of countries and regions throughout the world.

All in all, I believe IATEFL membership adds an extra dimension and feeling of community to the ELT professional’s career, both in terms of receiving and also giving back to the profession.

If you would like further information on IATEFL and its membership options then please visit our website and join our global ELT family.