Who Are We? Where Are We Going?

In the franework of Umbrella-8 Gathering more than 20 representatives of EFL Associations from all across Russia took part in a brainstorming meeting, targeted at developing a Mission and Vision of an EFL Association.

Here is what they got after two hours of hot discussions (and some three hours of reflexion and introspection later at night).

Mission

The Association unites on a voluntary basis English language teachers open to innovations and initiatives with the goal of building up a professional community willing to meet educational challenges of the 21st Century. Our mission is to stimulate, support, and provide opportunities for the improvement of EL teaching and learning.

Values

The Association has a set of beliefs that are ingrained in the way we think and act as a professional organization. These values guide our choices as we set our objectives, formulate our strategies, choose our actions, and evaluate our results.

We believe that:

– our actions and decisions must reflect the highest ethical and professional standards;

– success is based on our abilities to hear, respect, and respond to the needs of the Association membership;

– an atmosphere of cooperation and mutual respect must be fostered among those responsible for the successful operation of schools: parents, students, educators. Our goals and objectives can be achieved only with the learner in the centre of the educational process;

– bringing the language, literature, and culture of the English-speaking world to Russian learners of English is a vital humanistic endeavor, which serves essential national interests;

– we are committed to sharing and promoting best practices in ELT in order to further professional growth and continuous learning opportunities for our members. Regional associations are free to implement the mission to meet the needs of a particular region.

Goals and Objectives

The Association aims at:

– creating a favorable environment for both professional development and communication;

– providing support and assistance to all the participants of educational process (learners, teachers, parents);

– bringing together EL teachers at all levels: junior and secondary school, college and university;

– improving and supporting continuity between all levels and all types of institutions; bridging the gap between methodological theories and teaching practices;

– encouraging efficient working relationships with other language and professional organizations from Russia and different parts of the world;

– elevating the prestige of the English language teacher profession;

– promoting opportunities to integrate innovative approaches in the field of EL teaching and other areas of study;

– sharing ideas, insights and experiences to enhance teacher classroom performance, regarding regional component and identity.