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TIRF: A Foundation Finds a Home By Dr. Kathi Bailey and Ryan Damerow TIRF – The International Research Foundation for English Language Education – was started by the TESOL association in 1998. Since that time, the Foundation has been located at Georgetown University, the School for International Training, Brigham Young University, and the University of Maryland. But in September 2009, when Professor Kathi Bailey was elected President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of TIRF, the Foundation found a new home at MIIS. TIRF’s vision is that in the 21st century, personal and social value accrues to individuals who are proficient in English and in some additional language. Therefore, the Foundation’s mission embodies four major goals: (1) to implement a research and development program that will generate new knowledge and inform and improve the quality of English language teaching and learning; (2) to promote the application of research to practical language problems; (3) to collect, organize, and disseminate information and research on the teaching and learning of language; and (4) to influence the formation and implementation of appropriate language education policies, recognizing the importance of indigenous languages and cultures worldwide, and of English as an international language. TIRF’s current focus is on promoting research and best practices to improve the use of English in the emerging global knowledge economy of the 21st century. MIIS alumnus Ryan Damerow serves as TIRF’s Administrative Assistant. After teaching English for two years in China as a Peace Corps Volunteer, Ryan returned to MIIS and completed his MA in TESOL and the LPA Certificate in 2010. This background provided him with the ideal knowledge base and skill set to help run a language-related foundation.
Kathi Bailey and Ryan Damerow Monterey Institute of International Studies