thomas leverett weblog

tesl-l and slart-l

Here is an interesting article on tesl-l and slart-l. It's really more about tesl-l, but the part I want to comment on is more about slart-l. First I'd like to commend Robb Scott for what is essentially public discussion of issues. One doesn't see much about tesl-l anywhere except in tesl-l itself. The value of tesl-l and similar listservs- I got onto them in about 1990 or so- is that geographically widespread people who care about certain issues can come together and discuss them - in a spirit of open, civilized discourse, one would hope. It says something about second language acquisitionists that this was not really possible or sustainable for that community, and that's what irritates me the most.

I gave up tesl-l a few years back because it was just too much mail- and not enough substance. I can't say I replaced it with anything- in fact I stay on tesljb-l- but for no substantial reason, since I'm not looking for a job. The good thing about tesljb-l, though, is that each post has a dream, a possibility, a slice of life. On tesl-l or slart-l, each post had an argument. On slart-l, each argument could have been pages long....and some kept coming, and coming, and coming....

I don't know the solution. I feel that some issues didn't even get fair or open hearing- as some lists at some times were dominated by certain philosophies. But some programs are like that too. In fact, whole countries are like that sometimes...

BTW I agree with Robb Scott on several things: first- the whole thing is and was free, entirely free from the beginning, so the ESL/EFL business basically owes gratitude to the many people who put many hours in the sustenance of these public fora- whatever their shortcomings were. I also want to add that they were the forerunners of what we know today as a more connected world- with weblogs, videoconferencing, chat, and, basically, a connection for any community that deems it worthwhile, and any community whose members can be civil to each other in public...sla excluded, obviously.

posted by tom @ 9:33 PM