Towards the end of August this year, Pilgrims trainers met in Newbury (article in October 24 issue) for a few days to celebrate the 50 years of Pilgrims and map out its vision for the next 50 years. The meeting proved an extraordinary event not only because it rekindled the extraordinary pedagogical impetus derived from a meeting of such powerful minds, but it encouraged a deep scrutiny of the unique role of Pilgrims in the world of teacher training.

The Newbury meeting helped to identify 2 important factors: the changing role of English in the world and how the Pilgrims trainers’ rare mindset releases them from conventional pedagogy to equip their trainees with the tools to innovate in the classroom. 

1. The changing role of English in the world: brexit and Britain’s reckless withdrawal from the European Erasmus+ programme have contributed to forcing Pilgrims to relocate its courses within the European Union. Like often in challenging circumstances, a silver lining emerged: we have had to redefine the ultimate ambition that underpins the need for a Pilgrims teacher training course, and this has led us to redefine what category of English will be most valuable to language teachers in the future. In Canterbury, the English language was anchored in a quintessentially English location, which gave it, despite the best endeavours of the trainers, a strong British English connotation. Pilgrims is now divorced from its birthplace; it can now freely embrace the reality of the English language in today’s world: a global medium of communication!

This is a significant development at a time when many countries are encouraging schools to use English beyond the language classroom: until recently, it was the preserve of CLIL; now the medium of English in general education is ubiquitous. It is fortunate that Pilgrims trainers are world minded linguists; they know the ultimate purpose of the training they provide and are able to meet the challenges of helping their trainees widen the scope of their own classroom teaching.

2. Mario Rinvolucri’s strong conviction is as valid today  as it was 50 years ago: teachers’ own teaching skills are conditioned by their own learning experience at primary, secondary school and university.  This is where Pilgrims’ trainers have been able to play a fundamental role in channelling teacher development “out of the box” into areas of creativity and innovations.  The community of trainers transcends the skills of individual trainers: Pilgrims, as a community, inspires emulation from all its members, which, in turn, creates a dialectic of pedagogic achievement. 

What gives them the edge is the knack for reading their audience and taking trainees down exciting pedagogical paths. As it regains its rightful position as the foremost innovator in language teacher training, it is attracting many new trainers who are inspired by the prospects of joining a community of amazingly talented trainers.

These are, indeed, exciting times for Pilgrims.