"In our quest for quality English language teaching worldwide, research must come first."

James Alatis, TIRF Trustee

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Why I Give to TIRF > Michael McCarthy

Why I Give to TIRF

Michael McCarthy

Mike McCarthy has taught English and done teacher training for forty years, in the UK, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Malaysia. His research interests include corpus linguistics, discourse analysis, and the teaching of speaking. Here he shares his thoughts about "giving back" to the field.

I give to TIRF for a couple of reasons. Most important for me is the opportunity to give back something to a profession from which I’ve done very well during my 40 years of involvement in it. I’m privileged – I’ve enjoyed a well-paid career in a variety of good private-sector schools and comfortable university environments. In the universities I’ve worked in I’ve been able to apply for and get funds to do research that I wanted to do, attend conferences and bid for resources. The books that I’ve published have been successful and brought me in an outside income that has made my life even more comfortable. I've also been privileged to travel a lot in connection with our profession and it’s on some of these trips that I’ve seen just how many teachers struggle with poor resources, uncomfortable conditions, and few or no opportunities to take time out to do research or improve their professional qualifications. And yet I am no better than them, no more deserving as a human being to be given professional opportunities. I see TIRF as one way that we can give such teachers opportunities to stand back from the job for a while and investigate some subject that they are interested in and which will benefit them professionally and benefit the communities in which they work. I also like TIRF's encouragement to researchers to forge links with researchers in other countries. This can only help to build bridges in a troubled world. I give to TIRF what I feel I can afford, and I know that everyone who gives in the same way, whether a small or large donation, will be making a difference, and giving back in however small a way, to a profession from which we in the privileged sectors of education have all gained so much, both materially and spiritually.