[Denis DNT]

When I taught ESL back home we were all required to have ESL seminars atleast twice a year. They were very helpful though the pedagogic inspectors were sometimes boring. We would meet other teachers and the experiences shared were more than any ESL text book available in the market.
Now getting into my fourth year teaching ESL in Asia, I am still to find or hear of such a forum. I have been wondering whether it's me the indoor guy or these kind of forums don't exist at all in Asia.
Sometimes I feel like organising one. Imagine if we had in one room all the ESL stars on this forum just for one day. The next day each one of us will be going back a fresh or refreshened ESL teacher. Is logistics the problem?
Any ideas?

[kimyushin]

I agree with you Denis. I teach English in the Philippines, and there are hardly any TEFL training centers here; not even the British Council run the CELTA course here.

Some of our members here in the forums have years upon years of teaching experience, to meet them in person and to exchange ideas with them would be a special experience. I hope we support this seminar in Asia on TEFL. I and my company will surely take part if ever there was one.

[Denis DNT]

Last year I tried to organize a three day ESL teachers' workshop with a friend but the closer we got in the arrangement the more negative comments people gave us. The warning that kept coming was that, such a forum was very likely to be taken for a teachers' union and banned. (Unions are illegal in china they say).
Somehow I still think there is a way around it. If you guys have ideas share.
I don't think it is as hard to come by as people make it look.

[emile]

There are conferences in Malaysia and Singapore. The MICELT conference (tho I'm thinking they may have changed the name) takes place every two years here. I'm very sure that there are conferences in Taiwan and Japan, too as well as Korea.

They are worth going to.

[livinginkorea]

I am going to one next month, which is a part of my Masters in TEFL. Looking forward to it.

[Denis DNT]

Interesting to know there are a few of them around but still, there is very little said about them in terms of publicity.
I am a regular on many popular ESL websites and I must say I am yet to see an ad on any about a seminar, workshop or conference. Even forums like the one we have here on eslhq are rare to find on ESL websites. Most prefer to focus on Jobs, printable worksheets, games, etc.
Strange! Kind of...

[mesmark]

Quote Denis DNT

I am a regular on many popular ESL websites and I must say I am yet to see an ad on any about a seminar, workshop or conference. Even forums like the one we have here on eslhq are rare to find on ESL websites. Most prefer to focus on Jobs, printable worksheets, games, etc.
Strange! Kind of...

That's pretty much what people are looking for when they hit the web, jobs, printable worksheets, games, etc.

Japan has JALT conferences twice a year, I think. I haven't been to one yet because I'm too busy with other work and there was an annual ESP medical conference held in China last year.

They're around and publicised but to be honest not on the more popular forums. Those organizations aren't lead by one person (who would generally use forums and other simple methods) and advertisement usually goes via they're mailing list (snail mail and email to their members.)

My suggestion is to join local organizations and then you'll hear more about conferences and activities going on.

[DaveESL]

The suggestion to join local organizations is good, but I believe Denis is in China, like me, where there isn't one. As far as I have found, there isn't a Chinese equivalent to JALT or KOTESOL. When I was doing my MA degree in Hawaii, I really enjoyed going to conferences. One of the things I want to consider for my next job is that I'll be able to attend some sort of professional development activities.

[Denis DNT]

Dave is right, I am yet to find anything of the sort here in China. A couple of months ago a colleague told me about a conference in Shanghai, I followed it up and found out later that it was just a new English language training center that had invited a few ESL teachers to the official launching of its activities.
I think it is a big loophole in China's education department that ought to be taken care off.

[DaveESL]

Quote Denis DNT

I think it [the absence of ESL groups / conferences] is a big loophole in China's education department that ought to be taken care off.

There are many, many other big loopholes in China's education that they should probably take care of first, though.

[Denis DNT]

I agree with you.
A friend was saying the other day that China is developing so fast economically and at the same time underdeveloping so fast in education and the way of thinking. He backed up his point with this ad;

URGENT,
at the moment we are looking for a foreign English Teacher Who can teach English in Kindergarten(only white people who has foreign face) the pay is 5000RBM every month and Provide room and board .the Kindergarten is in Liangxiang. If you are interested, pls send your CV to nativetutor@163.com or pls call at 51736782

This ad is copied from one of Beijing's most popular sites for foreigners. 4 out of 5 educationists / employers in China still think as demonstrated in this ad.
Sad!

[DaveESL]

I saw a quote from an architect (here) talking about architecture, but I think it applies to education, too:

The Cultural Revolution has a lot to do with it. A whole generation has not been educated in how to value.

My fellow professors were educated during (or soon after) the Cultural Revolution. Academics were not trusted or respected during that time. It's no surprise, then, that the state of academia in China is not very good.