The Finish Line (?)

The day has finally arrived. Two and a half years after embarking on the MA TESOL programme that was the impetus for this blog, I have received confirmation that my degree has been awarded with distinction.

After the love-hate struggle that invariably accompanies study, this is a bittersweet moment. A gremlin at the back of my mind grumbles that the result could have been better, but it is inundated by a wave of intense gratitude towards all the people who have, in ways big and small, made this possible. My parents, whose fated meeting in Latin class foreshadowed so much of my general modus operandi – pun intended. My teachers, who mustered the superhuman patience to put up with, and sometimes even nurture, an incorrigible little know-it-all. My tutors on the programme at the University of Leeds, who were a door into the academic world and an embodiment of principled practice in education. My classmates, who were such kindly brothers and sisters in arms, and taught me the art of collaborative learning. My programme administrators, for working behind the scenes to make it all happen. My online research participants, without whose involvement there would have been no data. My friends, for support both moral and immoral. My colleagues, without whose support and guidance and occasional kicks in the rear this would never have come to fruition. I owe special thanks to my former head of department at Rustaq College of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Basim Muftin Al-Shammary, for alerting me to the opportunity this particular programme presented, and gently pushing me to sign up. Most of all, I owe an inexpressible debt of gratitude to e-learning rock star and mentor, Henrick James Borger, who kindled the sparks of inquiry and fanned the flames of investigation as my work evolved. No man is an island, and I have been blessed to be surrounded by continents of support. The credit is theirs.

As to that gremlin, it deserves just a smidgeon of credit as well. Its grunts and grumbles are a reminder to investigate where I have strayed, and what I can do better. As they ease to a steady growl, it asks another question.

What can I do next?

P.S. While preparing a brief post for the T42 project on which I based my thesis, I discovered that the home site has been visit by 580 people from 37 countries, the e-book has been accessed by close on 1 000 readers, and the podcast has settled at 40 subscribers along with numerous individual downloads. Not quite on the CNN range, but to me these numbers are staggering, and compared to the numbers reached during the research period they seem astronomical. I am thrilled that these materials continue to reach people, and hope that they will bring inspiration for a long time yet.

Illustration: T42 Master Mindmap Crop, Marie-Therese Le Roux, 2009