This is just the beginning (more or less)

Or at least it should be. Actually I started on my PhD about a year ago, but at the time I was only working part-time with quite a heavy teaching load. In other words, I could hardly do any research.

The reason for my starting a PhD in the first place is very simple: I need it. I'll try to be more specific about why I need it though. First and foremost, I'm interested in teaching and I'm looking for ways to improve my own practices. My limited teaching experience (about 5 years) has allowed me to realize that current methods and practices in Foreign Language (FL) classrooms simply don't work, or at least the "return on investment" to use business terminology is very low. By investment I mean mostly time and effort, not money. It really is a shame that after, say, 6 years of FL instruction, the level of most college-aged Belgian students should be so low. The easy way out is to say that we need smaller groups and more teaching hours. Let's be realistic: that's never going to happen. We just need to make do with what we have, and doing research in Applied Educational Linguistics is about finding ways to make do.

Another reason for pursuing a PhD is that it is a basic requirement to work in the academia. I feel colleges are the right place to make a difference as far as teaching is concerned, because ultimately all teachers must be certified, right? I want to be there to help them make the most of their potential as humans and teachers, which in turn will benefit all students.

There are probably other reasons like ambition, inferiority complex, you name it. But I guess I've tried to be as honest as possible, which doesn't mean I have not omitted some little details. That'll leave room for your imagination.

I guess this is it, but I'm always willing to discuss my motivations if anyone is interested.