Just wondered if anyone else had strong feelings about the attire expected of male teachers in ELT?

In over ten years in EFL in Europe, Asia and Middle East, I am astonished at the emphasis put on wearing a tie by certain employers. To teach well you need empathy, skills based on a range of sound methodology, versatility, subject knowledge, good organisational skills, creativity, humour, ability to discipline calmly, enthusiasm, clarity of diction, motivational skills, ability to explain, etc etc, the list can go on. The list, of course, varies depending on the type of students you are teaching.

What you do not need is to feel uncomfortable. It is important to look clean and respectable and I am not adverse to professional attire, but why oh why in 21st century do we need to wear a neck tie. Does a choking feeling and being hot and uncomfortable enhance your teaching skills? Isnt teaching about being an empathetic, approachable guide who instills confidence and encourages learning and experimentation with the language. Well, if the answer is "yes", why does one need to look like an executive or hard-nosed sales man. Of course a tie can look smart and if a teacher feels comfortable or prefers to wear one, then I would be happy to be the first to compliment him on his smart apperance.

The real problem I have with langauge schools who enforce tie wearing is the reason they do it. In many sectors, virutally nobody below managerial level in USA, Canada, UK, Western Europe and now even Japan is forced to wear a tie. It is a matter of personal choice in offices where 20 years ago it would have been an expected norm. Given that EFL is traditionally lower paying, less well organised and actually has less requirement in terms of productivity to wear a tie, WHY DO LANGUAGE SCHOOLS STILL ENFORCE IT? This is particulary confusing given that school teachers in the first world countries where most EFL teachers come from are no longer forced to wear a tie. That is school teachers who are generally better trained and work within an environment that is more organised, regulated and has higher professional standards than EFL and who are paid much more and have a far more important role in society.

The truth is that if the teachers look professional the school will have a better image also. I propose that language schools enforce tie wearing to hide their own incompetence and I sure that many of you reading this will agree with me. There is little profit in language teaching. It is a relatively new, relatively poorly regulated low income industry and so it is natural that there is less money to put into new offices, hardware and resources compared to other sectors. However, if schools focussed on the quality of their core business ie teaching the language, then clients ie students and those paying for them would receive a better service. Instead, language schools prefer to create a facade of professionality and neglect the real issue of teaching. Central to that facade is the guy in the tie who "looks the part". Once seen the image of the school is one of a professional place of quality instruction. That facade must not be breached otherwise the school would be seen for the shoddy Mickey Mouse affair it probably is.

We need to eradicate dress codes that enforce ties and make them an accessory of choice. If it is a professional image based on substance not facade a school wants it needs to concentrate on improving teaching skills and supporting teachers to help them to realise their potential as educators.

It was the same with the bowler hat in the inter-war years in UK and now the bowler has become an accessory of choice with a slightly eccentric image. Make no mistake, the tie will go the same way.