March 2008,
Volume 2
PDF Version | SWF version

Foreword by Tom Davidson

Welcome to the second Volume of the TESOL Law Journal. It has taken quite some time since our first edition to raise the articles for publication. Clearly, whilst the TESOL profession is growing rapidly across the globe, the law for the TESOL profession lags behind. Teachers across the globe involved in second language teaching are more than ever in need of legal support, which is provided on an ad hoc basis from country to country. Generally speaking, teachers of SLA face a dearth of help as they go to other countries to help spread the English language.

The Code of Ethics, drafted and put on line two years ago, still lays sleeping like a dormant volcano. The Code of Ethics stimulated lot of responses, mostly in e-mails and forums, but it did not garner the support of enough persons to make its way into mainstream TESOL teaching. This edition sees two articles make it abundantly clear the Code of Ethics is needed more than ever.

The first article by Terry Dermott looks at the legal history of bi-lingual programs in the United States from a legal stand point. The second article, an ethnographic research by Noraini Ibrahim looks at the usage of English in Malaysian court rooms. Next Cheng Le looks at legal English as used by lawyers in China. Nidal Suleiman Wureidah evaluates legal teaching materials as used in Damascus University. Thor May looks at the controversial area of corruption within the rubric of the ESL EFL industry in Korea and China, whilst, in a similar vein, I report on the unsatisfactory state of the TESOL Certificate industry across the globe as it perpetrates many frauds upon unsuspecting yet well intentioned teachers seeking to advance their careers

I hope the third edition does not take another two years to develop, and warmly encourage articles from lawyers, teachers and others connected to the TESOL profession across the globe on issues that go to the law and TESOl. We would strongly welcome further articles on the Code of Ethics - a topic in urgent need or research and reporting.

Please enjoy this Volume 2.

Tom Davidson
Senior Editor
Hong Kong

Volume 2. March 2008 (15th)
PDF | SWF version pp 1 - 115

1. Foreword

2. Terrence Patrick Dermott. A Review  of ESL Students   Right  to  Instruction in  a Language Other Than English

3. Noraini Ibrahim. Language(s) in the Judicial Process:  Tempering Justice with  ‘Mercy’

4. Cheng Le. Professional Legal English Training in China

5. Nidal Suleiman Wureidah. A New Evaluation of  Law English Teaching Materials

6. Thor May. Corruption and Other Distortions as Variables in Language Education

7. Tom Davidson. TESOL Certificates. Teaching or Deceiving the EFL/ESL Teaching Profession?