We are a group of ESL grad students, mostly second year. Of the twelve of us, eleven have international teaching experience in eight countries and three continents, totaling 46 years, teaching anywhere from primary school to university, private schools and tutoring. Most of us continue to teach as volunteers at schools, community colleges and community centers in our spare time. We do it because we enjoy it.

We have been following some of the recent threads here in ESL Teachers Board, and all we can say is that we are ashamed of each of you. The cat fighting, the back stabbing, the multi-named posting, the abject lies, the name calling.....is all shameful. We are equally ashamed of the past regular posters that have been recently absent. You really did participate by being absent.

Few recent posts have had any content relative to ESL at all. You've ridiculed each others' educational background, you've created false wars of "it's our language, use it our way or not at all." (And a couple of the British have participated in that with the Americans as well.) Hey, you know what? It's everybody's language. If you can learn it, it's yours. But please be honest with yourself and others. If you cannot use it highly competently, don't pretend to be a teacher. A person who can only do arithmatic shouldn't try to be a high school math teacher.

Quit trying to win respect for yourselves by winning arguments. You are only making yourselves look foolish.