Tag Archives: History

100 years of Cambridge ESOL timeline

Posted on 17/08/2013 by alexcase

As promised, here the more useful but less interesting list of dates and events, to accompany my list of more interesting but less useful stats and my review of the book they all came from. 1857 – Founding of the University … Continue reading →

Posted in CAE, Cambridge First Certificate, Cambridge Proficiency, Cambridge Young Learner Exams, EFL exams, ICFE, IELTS | Tagged | Leave a comment

On this day in TEFL history

Posted on 09/02/2012 by alexcase

A new regular feature. I’ll do one week each time: 9 Feb 1963, Canterbury – The first documented case of a class refusing to do a Humanistic Language Teaching activity, in this case the infamous “lay your head in a neighbour’s … Continue reading →

Posted in TEFL | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The 100 most influential organisations in TEFL

Posted on 05/01/2011 by alexcase

As I perhaps didn’t point out clearly enough in my post on the 100 Most Influential Publications in TEFL (although I thought I had, perhaps it is online skimming and scanning that was to blame…), this list is humbly given … Continue reading →

Posted in TEFL | Tagged | 27 Comments

The 100 publications that most changed TEFL

Posted on 24/11/2010 by alexcase

… by which I mean books, articles, papers, journals, magazines, websites, software, or even blogs and blog posts. As I have managed to read all the way through ELTJ a grand total of (ahem) three times in my life, my … Continue reading →

Posted in ELT publishing | Tagged | 97 Comments

A typical TEFL biography (and one big difference)

Posted on 04/01/2010 by alexcase

The typical bit: “I did not know what I wanted to do but I did know what I did not want to do.  I did not want to work in the UK. ” and the untypical bit: “A panel of misguided … Continue reading →

Posted in British Council, TEFL, TEFL heroes- Alan Maley | Tagged | 1 Comment

My TEFL blog stalker experience

Posted on 09/09/2009 by alexcase

Don’t especially want to get into all this again, so although I’m going to retell the story due to a reader request, this time it’s the stalker’s name rather than my workplace that I’d prefer people not to mention if … Continue reading →

Posted in TEFL | Tagged | 5 Comments

New month, new TEFL soundbites

Posted on 05/03/2009 by alexcase

… or actually more old ones, as these are also by Joan Taber like the last lot and so from a couple of years ago: “”Like bestsellers, pop stars, and ice-cream flavors, second-language theories and methodologies enjoy a few afternoons … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, links, TEFL | Tagged , | 3 Comments

TEFL Presidential Elections update

Posted on 31/08/2008 by alexcase

Sandy MacManus, who turned 72 on Friday and will be confirmed this week as the oldest first-time TEFL World President nominee in history, has shot himself in the foot while attempting to inject some youth and a feminine touch into … Continue reading →

Posted in TEFL celebs/ TEFL heroes and villains, TEFL heroes- Mario Rinvolucri, TEFL heroes- Sandy McManus | Tagged , | 2 Comments

The first language teaching hippy?

Posted on 10/06/2008 by alexcase

Dr Joseph Webbe (c. 1560-1633): “no man can run speedily to the mark of language that is shackled and ingiv’d with grammar precepts” (Webbe, 1622, cited in A History of English Language Teaching by A P R Howatt and Teacher … Continue reading →

Posted in TEFL, TESOL | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The first English teacher in Japan

Posted on 07/01/2008 by alexcase

… was called Ranald MacDonald (no relation to the most famous American clown in Japan*, I believe) and was also the first English teacher to discover that Japan can be both an adventure and safe and pleasant, being at least … Continue reading →

Posted in ALT, JET, Teaching English in Asia, Teaching English in Japan | Tagged | 3 Comments