Steve Jones IATEFL WARSAW 2011

The 21st Century Language Trainer

The Future of Private Sector Foreign Language Training in Poland

Steve Jones

Who am I?

September

1994

“While looking towards the future, bear in mind both what

will change and what will remain the same”

Product Life-Cycle

1989 2010

1989 2010

1994 - I arrived in Poland

1989 2010

1999 - I opened a language school

1989 2010

2009 - Everyone has opened a language school

What happened?

The party’s packed and the beer’s running out!

• Better (more) state education

• Declining interest in exam courses

• A faster world with more technology

• Financial worries

Other Factors

A brief technological history of EFL in Poland

1994

2000

2007

Tools of the trade

The resources of the 21st Century Language Trainer

Remember the party?

How to be different?

Differentiation

Terminology

Teacher or Trainer?

Teacher

Trainer

Remember the party?

How (not) to compete?

8 x 45 = 16 zl per 90 minute class

5 in a group = 80 zl income per 90 minute

class

RENT?SALARIES?

HUH?

How to be different?

The road ahead

2 aspects

• What changes

• What remains the same

Change driven by technology

e-learning

kype

Multi-media bonanzas

How Groupon works

• Discount a minimum of 50%

• Groupon takes 50% of the remaining 50%

• The service provider takes 50% too (=25% of the original price of the product)

The service provider gets 1,5 zl per student per 45 minute class

Remember the party?

How to be different?

“Price is the last bastion of the mediocre

and the desperate”

What stays the same?

Universal truths

here we go ...

• Poles need to learn foreign languages

• People learn languages in order to SPEAK

• Ability in a foreign language improves career options and enhances life quality

• Humans enjoy interacting with other humans

• Language learners like a competent and personable trainer to guide them

Universal Truths

Universal Truths

Laptops Wi-Fi

ProjectorsInternet

Authentic YouTube

The 21st Century Language Trainer will...

• Be a trainer

• Help learners develop practical communication skills

• Interact with learners face to face

• Be competent with a little “je ne sais quoi”

• Use elements of technology

• Be less focused on course books and more interested in authentic material

But where will we work?

Big players?

How to be different?

Specialization?

Franchising?

Product

INNOVATION

steve.jones@dlc.com.pl