MA in TESOL ideas sharing?

[machonza]

I am studying for am MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL via distance learning, and while in Japan I have met many other doing the same thing. So, I am wondering if anyone is interested in sharing ideas/woes/work with others? We could set up an email list, or we could set up a group weblog, where members could post messages and others could reply.

My idea is that when someone is stuck for an idea on, say discourse analysis, or SLA and Japanese learners or whatever, they could post a message, and others could respond with suggestions/send links to articles they've read etc. We could even edit and check each other's work.

It might also be a useful source of support, for those moments when we can't get anything done, have too much work and not enough inspiration.

As I'm sure we are all focusing on different things and have slightly different experience (of both the MA and teaching) we might be able to help each other quite a bit. What do you think? If you might be interested, let me know. You can email me or post a message here.

Honza

[paulh]

I am studying for am MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL via distance learning, and while in Japan I have met many other doing the same thing. So, I am wondering if anyone is interested in sharing ideas/woes/work with others? We could set up an email list, or we could set up a group weblog, where members could post messages and others could reply.

My idea is that when someone is stuck for an idea on, say discourse analysis, or SLA and Japanese learners or whatever, they could post a message, and others could respond with suggestions/send links to articles they've read etc. We could even edit and check each other's work.

It might also be a useful source of support, for those moments when we can't get anything done, have too much work and not enough inspiration.

As I'm sure we are all focusing on different things and have slightly different experience (of both the MA and teaching) we might be able to help each other quite a bit. What do you think? If you might be interested, let me know. You can email me or post a message here.

Honza

My suggestion is you join the ETJ mailing list. Lists already exist for this kind of thing.

Nice idea in principle but what i see happen is people wanting others wanting people to do their papers for them, provide them with links and give them the answers. In other words be a free answering service

Im doing an online degree too, and would like to share ideas, but dont wnat to be an unpaid teacher for people too lazy to find out for themselves.

[Jacque_S]

paulh, you`d almost think the OP asked you to personally write her/his MA thesis. Lighten up.

[aha yes]

Editing and checking each other's work could get pretty close to writing someone's thesis...

On the other hand, machonza, I'm up for sharing ideas and sources. As paulh said, e-mail lists already exist that do this, such as the ETJ general list (daily Digest version unless you want your inbox flooded). For a more international group, try the TESL-L. Although I don't know right offhand of any weblogs like you're suggesting, I'm sure they're out there. You could even post specific questions or offers on GP or the E L T N e w s forum, but to avoid anyone mistaking you for lazy, be sure to describe what action you've already taken to answer your own question, and don't expect anything from anyone. There could be a fine line between freely and voluntarily exchanging favors with someone and getting into a more structured relationship where people get uncomfortable or stressed because they feel like something is expected from them. Me, I'm a one-night stand guy...

Overall, less hassle to use the media that are already there to get the help you need rather than to try building something from scratch. Instead of talking about the idea in the abstract, post your specific content questions here or somewhere and see what happens. If somebody's got some advice and free time, maybe they'll reply.

I'm not in an MA program but I do research. My biggest obstacle here is not having access to a database and library full of journals such as you have while you're a student.

[paulh]

EYou could even post specific questions or offers on GP or the E L T N e w s forum, but to avoid anyone mistaking you for lazy, be sure to describe what action you've already taken to answer your own question, and don't expect anything from anyone. There could be a fine line between freely and voluntarily exchanging favors with someone and getting into a more structured relationship where people get uncomfortable or stressed because they feel like something is expected from them. Me, I'm a one-night stand guy...

I am doing something along these lines at the moment, where I wont ask someone to proofread my work, but I might send them a chapter or a few pages., get their feedback on it and ask them if they see any holes in it, or there is anything I may have not considered.

I wont send them the whole thing as you risk having someone pirating your work and it ends up in someones journal article 3 months later.

I will also try not to rely on one person for answers, but have several sources for information. An email list is good, but realise that most people are busy, and it takes a long time to put together a detailed answer e.g. if you are asking about language acquisition in children or teaching techniques etc.

Do your homework first, do some of the reading and then bounce ideas off people and people will help you. I have found after many years on these boards that some people are too lazy to do a google search or look up a reference for example.

FWIW there are also many good books I have bought on Amazon about how to write and produce academic dissertations. Its an art, and you learn by doing and reading about it helps too.

[kintarou]

the pursuit of understanding through the sharing of knowledge?
that's crazy talk! you kiddies with your lofty ideas never cease to amaze me. i mean what's next - you'll actually start trying to help your students?

no good can come from this, but i guess i'll join in anyway.

kintarou

[machonza]

I wont send them the whole thing as you risk having someone pirating your work and it ends up in someones journal article 3 months later.

FWIW there are also many good books I have bought on Amazon about how to write and produce academic dissertations. Its an art, and you learn by doing and reading about it helps too.

Paulh, I appreciate your comments, but there are a couple of things I'd like to clarify. Firstly, I am not looking for help to write a dissertation, but if I was, I am aware that there are hundreds of books on how to do so.

What I had in mind was more general idea/resource sharing. For example, if I am writing something on, say conditionals, I could post a message saying "Anyone got anything on conditionals?" (this is just an example, please don't just down my throat for being vague) And someone out there might happen to have an article saved on that very thing or they might have a suggestion for a chapter in a book, or they might have just written a paper on it. The body of literature on TEFL is massive, and it seems to me that it is impossible to keep up to date with what's out there on every possible field of enquiry. Is it not then, a great time saver if you can find someone who's been reading up on the area you are interested in and point you in a general direction from which to further narrow it down?

Secondly, with respect to the editing - what I had in mind was doing that on a reciprocal basis i.e. I read yours, you read mine. Of course there is a risk there that someone would steal your work, but is it really necessary to be so paranoid? How can any field of study expect to progress if people are so possesive and precious about what is, after all, hardly likely to be groundbreaking research at MA level? Personally, I don't mind if people use my ideas, as long as they acknowledge the source - after all, all ideas come from someone else's and we refine our knowledge by elaborating further on what someone else has found. We will not get far if we are all beavering away on our own, struggling to reinvent the wheel.

[kintarou]

alright, while you guys worry about the logistics of posting a post i'll start the ball rolling with this general question: what does everyone think about functional grammar? is it a useful tool, a waste of time, an expansion of trad grammar or just a wanky set of terms concocted by an out of work english teacher?

(ps, if you write something interesting i promise i wont steal it. ok?).

kintarou

[kintarou]

paul, did you scare everyone away?

[paulh]

paul, did you scare everyone away?

Discussing and analysing functional grammar vs traditional grammar in my opinion, would be enough to send anyone rushing for the exits.

[kintarou]

mmmmm, you might have a point there.

[paulh]

As for me Im doing my study on professional change by japanese home room teachers and foreign teachers (new and old) working in elementary schools. How changes in thinking and attitudes take place as they come to terms with the new English classes, working with foreigners, dealing with new material and methods etc.

Anybody have any thoughts on teaching in elementary schools?

[kintarou]

well, it seems no-one wants to talk about your subject either!

[paulh]

well, it seems no-one wants to talk about your subject either!

I wasnt expecting them to. What kind of higher life forms do you expect on GP when you have people like PaulB taking the ____ out of you at every opportunity?

If I want a second opinion I go on email subscriber lists, yahoo teachers groups, not some BB crawling with trolls. ELT news is much better for what you want.

its like wanting to discuss religion at your local ____-up joint oon Friday nights.

[kintarou]

i was just trying to be funny.

but now i feel a little bit hurt.

[paulh]

i was just trying to be funny.

but now i feel a little bit hurt.

Sorry if I hurt your feelings. You are not going to get serious academic discussion on GP. people who want info will PM or email each other.

[Madison Mari`e]

Hi there, how are you doing? I am doing my 2nd "dissertation" and have a large variety of resources, articles etc available to me.

PM me if you like and we can share some ideas, a "dissertation" can be tedious...I know how you feel.

I even went back to those MLA guidelines as well.

[waller]

Hey OP. Nice idea. Have a look at the forums at Dave"s ESL cafe - there are many topics including an Applied Linguistics one.

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/teacher/viewforum.php?f=3

Cheers

[Nick Halliday]

I am studying for am MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL via distance learning, and while in Japan I have met many other doing the same thing. So, I am wondering if anyone is interested in sharing ideas/woes/work with others? We could set up an email list, or we could set up a group weblog, where members could post messages and others could reply.

My idea is that when someone is stuck for an idea on, say discourse analysis, or SLA and Japanese learners or whatever, they could post a message, and others could respond with suggestions/send links to articles they've read etc. We could even edit and check each other's work.

It might also be a useful source of support, for those moments when we can't get anything done, have too much work and not enough inspiration.

As I'm sure we are all focusing on different things and have slightly different experience (of both the MA and teaching) we might be able to help each other quite a bit. What do you think? If you might be interested, let me know. You can email me or post a message here.

Honza

Instead, why not a forum for language teaching and language teachers? It's my main job. It's the only job I ever had that paid enough money that I could actually save. In truth, I'm a bit tired of a lot of the pottytalk gaijinpot conversations that so engage a hardcore group of about 10-15. Why not a teaching forum, PLEASE?