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FEATURES & COMMENT
Bringing it all back home

How an American arts journalist set out to teach EFL and went from course books
to classroom and back again in a topsy turvy career. Ron Ragsdale explains

t’s hard to get to grips with, but I’ve known teaching job somewhere
Melanie Butler for almost 25 years. In many exciting and got three
ways, coming on board as the new Research fantastic job offers: one in
Iand Features Editor at the Gazette feels like Cairo, one in Istanbul, and
coming home. one in Prague.
Most people drift into EFL, I drifted into I couldn’t make up my
journalism. mind. I always wanted
After wandering like a lost soul in the to learn Arabic, so Cairo
world of computer programming for a few had a real attraction. But
years after I graduated, I felt I should do Istanbul? I went browsing in
something related to my degree in Business the Publishers’ exhibition.
and Fine Arts. So, with little more than an While scanning
early Atari desktop computer and a light the shelves, a friendly Ron helps
table to paste up laser print galleys, a friend Longman staffer struck up a friend
and I started a regional arts newspaper. This a conversation. She turned select
led to a gig as an advertising layout designer out to be Gill Negus, ELT the right
at a big daily newspaper, publishing a fine Publishing Director, and font for
arts magazine, and working as a graphic she ended up offering me headlines,back in the day
designer… a job as a Senior Editor in
And then I decided I wanted to find a Harlow, Essex, home to Longman (now, of in Cairo. So, I did finally pick up some
way to travel and get paid for it. course, Pearson English). Arabic, but working with other English-
Teaching English seemed like the perfect I jumped at the opportunity, as I had speakers makes it difficult to truly immerse
answer. I’d tried tutoring conversational always wanted to live and work in the UK oneself in the local language.
English to Japanese and Korean students (after my English grandmother died when I In 1999, we moved back to the UK and
and really enjoyed it. I didn’t drift into EFL was 17, I spent a couple of summers here), I worked at Pearson / Longman again. In
teaching, I planned it. but I couldn’t figure out a way to make that 2002 I shifted to Cambridge University
When I finished my MA Tesol at Portland happen. Press, starting out as Editorial Manager
State University, in 1994, I went to the for ELT Schoolbooks. I was there for the
Tesol Convention. I was looking for a next 15 years, including a few years as ELT
I arrived in Harlow, keen Publishing Director.
Through all these years, jobs, and
to immerse myself in this countries, I have kept in touch with
new world of course book Melanie, meeting at conferences and award
ceremonies, as well as doing some writing
ISSN 0732-5819 publishing. for the Gazette now and then.
When I decided to go freelance last
year, Melanie was one of the first people I
EL Discover Ltd My teaching career on hold, I arrived in got in touch with and we agreed that the
Unit 3, Constantine Court Harlow, keen to immerse myself in this new best thing I could do was to get involved
6 Fairclough Street world of course book publishing. One of directly.
London E1 1PW, UK
the first people I started working with was I’m very excited to be kicking this
Melanie, who was managing the list of adult off with a new feature that I’ve headed
+44 (0)20 3971 8305 courses. Thought Leaders – to showcase individuals
www.elgazette.com
I wasn’t in Essex much more than a year, bringing fresh ideas or perspectives to the
when another opportunity landed in my ELT industry. I want to start conversations
Editor-in-chief: Melanie Butler lap. I went to Zimbabwe to train a team that we feel need to be had.
melanie@elgazette.com
of new Longman editors. It is a fascinating I’ve always been keen to open the lid
place where English is a second language for on the many black boxes that persist in
Features editor: Ron Ragsdale nearly everyone, but schools are all English the ELT world, to ensure methodology is
News editor: Matt Salusbury Medium Instruction. I was struck by the evidence-based, to question assumptions,
Sales: Tom Parrish professionalism and linguistic sophistication challenge orthodoxies, and champion
editorial@elgazette.com
of my team of multi-lingual editors. diversity.
While in Zimbabwe, I met Gill Lancaster, I can’t think of any better forum than the
Administration: Shirley Porter and together we moved on to Istanbul. I Gazette for me to realise this
shirley@elgazette.com
was finally in a classroom - teaching teens
in a private university and writing tests RON RAGSDALE
Subscriptions: Webscribe – and in one of the very places I had first Research & Features
subs@webscribe.co.uk been offered a job! Editor
+44 (0)1442 879097
Then we got married and moved to –
Egypt! I taught at the American University
editorial@elgazette.com 25

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