Francis Bailey
(1983-85)
I was at LIOJ from the summer of 1983 to December of 1985. LIOJ was the first sustained professional community that I had been a part of since I had completed my master's degree at the School for International Training (SIT). For me, it was a wonderful time of professional growth in which I was a part of a educational community which supported and challenged my development as a language teacher.
The connection between SIT and LIOJ was quite important to me and one that I appreciated throughout the time I worked there. I saw many links between the teaching philosophy and approaches used at LIOJ and my studies at SIT. It was inspiring to see Derald Nielson teaching with Silent Way charts, Bob Ruud creating lesson around Rod City and other teachers using community language learning's human computer. I felt a part of a teaching community that was creative and alive with energy and passion!
The students at LIOJ were quite wonderful and I learned so much from the businessmen (and a few businesswomen) who came through our program. Coming from the U.S., I expected (mostly unconsciously) that a Japanese businessman would be a stern samurai warrior in a business suit. I could not have been any more wrong; The students were a delight with a sense of humor that I immediately connected with. They were serious students: creative, intelligent, and tolerant of my many cultural lapses. Spending time with them-in and out of class-was a highlight of my time at LIOJ.
The staff that I encountered at LIOJ, in the summer of 1983 was awesome. Andy Blasky, Betsy Chafcouloff, John Battaglia, Brian Tobin, and many others stand out for me as bright lights in the teaching heavens. These were talented and dedicated teachers who were involved in many varied projects in the program. The opportunity to work closely with Andy as editor of Cross Currents was phenomenal and truly revolutionized my writing skills.
Lance Knowles hired me for the position at LIOJ and I am in his debt for that. He set a tone and standard of excellence that was inspiring for us all. I remember that a colleague, Bob Ruud, said (only half jokingly) that Lance made you feel that outside of the United Nations, LIOJ was the most important institution in the world for cross-cultural exchange. Lance was an inspirational leader and made me a better teacher.
Many factors contributed to the excellence of LIOJ. It had a rich history of talented teachers, fabulous support by Mr. Shibusawa and the Asia Center staff, and during my time there a fine business manager in Nobuhito Seto. It was a privilege to work with such a staff and LIOJ has made a lasting mark upon my own career as an educator.
[Dr. Francis Bailey currently is on the faculty at The School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. He coordinates the ESL public school certification program and teaches courses in linguistics, language acquisition, and human development. He lives in Amherst, MA with his wife, Dr. Penelope Pekow, and two daughters, Sela (18) and Leah (15).]
June 2003
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