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The Ouro Minas Hotel
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
July 19, 2004
Introduction
Moral Imperatives and Dilemmas in our Agendas for Social Responsibility (H. Douglas Brown)
ELT Management: Rethinking Our Organizations to Educate for Social Responsibility (Maria E. Flores)
Paved With Good Intentions: Foreign Language Policy in Hungary (Peter Medgyes)
Summary and Final Thoughts (Donald Occhiuzzo)
ESOL professionals in South America and the United States designed a program reflecting ESL and EFL perspectives. The speakers shared their work and research on social responsibility and English language teaching to help you gain new insights on this compelling issue. Each speaker led an afternoon breakout session. During the closing session, participants had the opportunity to ask questions and hear a summary of the topic and the day's proceedings. TESOL published and mail the speakers' papers and final proceedings to participants after the symposium.
| 9-10 am | Check-in |
| 10-10:15 am | Welcome and Opening Remarks (Michele J. Sabino, president, TESOL 2004-2005) |
| 10:15 am-12 pm | Introductory Presentations |
| Moral Imperatives and Dilemmas in Our Agendas for Social Responsibility (H. Douglas Brown) | |
| Thoughts on Social Responsibility in ELT Management (Maria E. Flores) | |
| Up the Bumpy Road: Foreign Language Policy in Hungary (Peter Medgyes) | |
| 12-1:30 pm | Lunch (on your own) |
| 1:45-3:15 pm | Concurrent Sessions |
| Moral Imperatives and Dilemmas in Our Agendas for Social Responsibility (H. Douglas Brown) | |
| Thoughts on Social Responsibility in ELT Management (Maria E. Flores) | |
| Up the Bumpy Road: Foreign Language Policy in Hungary (Peter Medgyes) | |
| 3:15-4 pm | Closing Session/Questions and Comments (Donald Occhiuzzo) |
| Thank you (Vera Burlamaqui Bradford, president, Brazil-TESOL) |
The symposium was held at the Ouro Minas Hotel in Belo Horizonte, located in southeastern Brazil, which is known for its year-round mild and pleasant weather. The slopes of Serra do Curral Mountain surround the city and are considered a geographical and historical landmark. Chosen to be the new capital of the state, Belo Horizonte was also the first planned city of Brazil. At 101 years old, it is a combination of tradition and modernity.
English language teaching professionals have been examining their role as socially responsible teachers with a mission to engage in critical pedagogy. Are we merely teachers of linguistic skills or are we also morally committed to be agents of change in an increasingly complex, media-driven world? What dilemmas present themselves in a methodological approach dedicated to stimulating critical thinking, open-mindedness, and respect for diverse opinions and beliefs? This presentation explores issues, offers practical examples of how to be a socially responsible teacher while respecting the personal values of students, and issues a challenge to the audience.
H. Douglas Brown is professor of English (program in TESOL) at San Francisco State University (SFSU), where he has been since 1984. He is also the director of SFSU's American Language Institute. He received an MA in linguistics and a PhD in educational psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. A past president of TESOL, he is also a recipient of TESOL's James E. Alatis Award for Distinguished Service and served as editor of Language Learning, a professional journal of applied linguistics and research on second language acquisition. The most recent of his extensive list of publications includes Language Assessment: Principles and Classroom Practices (2004), Strategies for Success (2002), and Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy, 2nd Ed. (2001).
Social responsibility in the profession involves many layers of commitment from different people. We are aware of the need for socially responsible pedagogy in the classroom; but have we thought about the way in which management can support or hinder these efforts? There is an increased need for ELT managers to develop ethical standards based on the criteria of social responsibility, rather than focus their everyday decision-making mainly on efficiency and profit-making. This presentation addresses the challenges and ambiguities that socially responsible ELT managers face as they serve students, teachers, institutions, and the community.
Maria E. Flores is a Costa Rican ELT professional with more than 20 years of experience in the field. She has taught English to a wide variety of students, ranging from Kindergarteners to business executives to graduate students at the University of Costa Rica. In the last decade, she has been involved mostly in ELT administration, holding the position of academic director at the Centro Cultural Costarricense-Norteamericano (Costa Rica-US Binational Center). She holds a BA in English language teaching from the University of Costa Rica; an MA in linguistics from Ohio University, Ohio, United States; and, most recently, the International Diploma for Language Teaching Management (IDLTM) from the School for International Training, Vermont, United States, Cambridge University Examination Syndicate, U.K., and Queens University, Australia. Besides the ELT field, she has a passion for photography, music, and people.
On the eve of Hungary's entry into the European Union, the country was lagging behind in terms of its citizens' foreign language competence. Recognition of this fact prompted decision-makers to impose quick measures for improvement, with special attention being paid to the socially disadvantaged. This presentation reports the complex process of devising and implementing a national language programme that includes social responsibility.
Peter Medgyes works as Deputy State Secretary in the Hungarian Ministry of Education. During his teaching career, he has written numerous professional books and articles, including The Non-native Teacher (1994; winner of the Duke of Edinburgh English Language Book Competition), Changing Perspectives in Teacher Education (1996; coedited with Angi Malderez), and The Language Teacher (1997). He is also coauthor of a recent course book series titled Criss Cross (1998-1999), for Central and Eastern Europe, and Laughing Matters (2002).
Closing Remarks
Donald Occhiuzzo (Ed.D, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, United States) has had extensive experience as a teacher of English, teacher educator, academic administrator, and materials writer. An active member of BRAZ-TESOL's Advisory Council, he has served as president, treasurer, and conference organizer. Dr. Occhiuzzo is director of World Learning--Brazil and organizes educational programs of the School for International Training (Vermont, United States).
