How can one overcome the inertia in the language teaching profession regarding the proposed skill areas covered in this project? Will a method like this always need special workshops and funds?
In any new training process there is a first stage requiring formal training of a select cadre of users. After that first stage you may need some subsequent waves of formal training but that need attentuates over time as the information begins to be transmitted in informal or self-funding ways. I believe that we will need to give workshops at conferences and seminars for several years to come. But as the years go on and as this work is established as a necessary part of all language training, we will be able to finance workshops more readily from attendee fees rather than from an outside funding source. One thing that will help in the informal transmission process is the on-line discussion group we propose.
