TIRF, The International Research Foundation for English Language Education, is the first organization to be singularly concerned with investigating issues in language learning and teaching. It is a nonprofit focused on generating research in the field of TESOL. In July, TIRF will be offering a professional development workshop for program administrators, which inspired Program Administration Interest Section (PAIS) newsletter Coeditor Lara Ravitch to interview Dr. Kathi Bailey, Chair of the TIRF Board of Trustees and President of the foundation.

Lara Ravitch (LR): What kind of research does TIRF support that is related to program administration?

Kathi Bailey (KB): While program administration is not an identified research priority for TIRF, all our research priorities may be relevant to administrators’ responsibilities, depending on the context in which they work. For instance, there are many contexts, such as university-based intensive English programs, that serve as “lab schools” for the university’s teacher training programs. So the research done on the stated priority of “language teacher education” would be relevant to administrators in that context.

Another example would be the TIRF research priority, Digital Technology in Language Education. Program administrators must often make decisions about whether to invest in hardware and/or software to upgrade their programs’ curricula. The studies TIRF has supported on this broad topic could be relevant to administrators facing those kinds of decisions.

Yet a third example would be the priority of Language Planning and Policy. Program administrators often determine local programmatic policies. But they must also answer to top-down policies set by their institution; their region, state, or province; or even by national bodies, such as ministries of education. Thus, research on language planning and policy would be relevant to program administrators in some situations as well.

LR: I understand that TIRF's latest research priorities are (1) content-based instruction (CBI) and (2) teaching English to young learners. Are you interested in research on administering programs that fit those descriptions or are you focusing primarily on language acquisition and classroom pedagogy? Are there other research priorities that you might see as a good fit for those interested in research on program administration?

KB: Based on my program administration experience and my reading of the literature, I feel that curriculum design and assessment are two major responsibilities of program administrators. Both of these issues are important and worthy of investigation in content-based instruction contexts and in teaching young learners—so yes, there are connections between these priorities and the work of program administrators.

But other TIRF research priorities have connections to program administrators’ roles as well. For instance, the priorities of language assessment and English as a medium of instruction could be foci for program administrators who wish to do research on these areas. We would encourage any program administrators who are completing their doctorate to consider applying for a TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant. Full descriptions of individual TIRF research priorities along with how these areas of research can be investigated can be found at this link.

LR: What advice would you give to program administrators in terms of how they might benefit from TIRF, whether as a resource for themselves or for classroom instructors in their programs?

KB: I think TIRF’s Resources page and the TIRF publications would be particularly useful for program administrators to share with teachers. The TIRF Resources page includes links to journals and language-related organizations, calls for papers and presentations, and reference lists on over 200 topics of current interest, as well as a range of free resources for teachers. These resources include practical links to a wide range of materials and activities for listening, speaking, pronunciation, reading, writing, and grammar; technology tools for teachers; rubric-building tools; and language assessment information.

A few years ago, TIRF published six papers about MALL—mobile-assisted language learning. They can be downloaded for free by clicking here. Any program administrators who are considering using mobile devices, or language teachers who want to learn about using mobile devices, could benefit from reading those reports.

LR: I understand that you, David Nunan, Jun Liu, and other accomplished contributors are donating your time for an upcoming workshop on program administration, the tuition fees for which will go to support TIRF. How do you hope to use the funds that you generate?

KB: Unlike many foundations, TIRF doesn’t have an endowment, so we need funding to cover our day-to-day expenses. What are those expenses? TIRF has only one staff member: Ryan Damerow is our chief operating officer, so paying his meager salary is our main operational expense.

Trustees are not paid. They even pay for their own travel and lodging associated with attending TIRF board meetings. The main use of the foundation’s income is to support the Doctoral Dissertation Grants (DDG) program, and we are eager to continue that program and help it to grow.

Beyond our DDG program, we are constantly evaluating other areas of need in our field. We would like to continue to identify and research areas of our profession that have emerged or will emerge as critical areas of concern. For example, immigrant issues in language education is a hot topic and we would like to find ways to address it. We are also concerned about the preservation of indigenous languages. In addition, we have been working on plans for the “TIRF Language Education in Review Series,” so we are eager to advance this initiative.

LR: What made you decide to support TIRF with a workshop on program administration, in particular?

KB: We decided to focus on the skills and knowledge program administrators need for two main reasons. First, David and Jun and I all have experience and expertise in these areas and all three of us were eager to help and willing to donate our time. But more importantly, program administrators are often in the position to generate positive change through their leadership. We want to reach out to people who are motivated to implement research-based decisions in language programs because the potential multiplier effect can be very powerful. Part of TIRF’s mission is to “promote the application of research to practical language problems”—and practical language problems are what program administrators deal with on a day-to-day basis.

LR: What are you most excited about in terms of the upcoming workshop? What do you think are some of the things that participants should really be looking forward to?

KB: I am excited to work with motivated program administrators (and future administrators) from around the world who wish to pursue their own professional development and to share what they learn with the teachers in their programs. I am also eager to learn from them about the contexts in which they work—both the challenges and the rewards. The participants can look forward to a highly interactive and informative 2 weeks at Stony Brook University. They will be working with people who care deeply about language learning and teaching, and who have held many administrative leadership positions in their careers. I invite interested individuals to learn more about the TIRF-Stony Brook Professional Development for Program Directors initiative by clicking here.

LR: Is there anything else that you'd like to share about the intersection of TIRF and program administration? Or about TIRF in general?

KB: I would encourage program administrators to visit TIRF’s website (www.tirfonline.org) and explore the resources available there. In addition, anyone who wishes to receive our free monthly e-newsletter, TIRF Today, can do so by clicking here. Lastly, we always look forward to engaging with our supporters on our Facebook page.

Lara Ravitch is coeditor of the PAIS Newsletter. She has worked as an instructor and administrator in language education in a number of contexts, including community college, K–12, and intensive English program.