Exploring an approach for teaching subject specific genres in Chinese

2006 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 6.1-6.22
Author(s):  
Mark Shiu Kee Shum
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Second Language Teaching ◽  
School Subjects ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Interest In Research

This research seeks both to describe Chinese genres found in a range of school subjects and to develop models of pedagogical principles for their teaching. Thus far, most of the research has been devoted to the teaching of genres for first and second language teaching, though there is a developing interest in research into the teaching of genres in teaching English as a foreign language. There is a need to develop genre-based research in languages other than English, in order to test the application of the theory to non-English speaking contexts. This paper reports on an approach to the study of Chinese genres for examination purposes, developed in Hong Kong, where, since 1997, official support has been given to the use of Chinese as a medium of instruction. The study is not yet completed, though there is some encouraging evidence that the genre-based approach is proving useful.

Exploring an approach for teaching subject specific genres in Chinese

2006 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 6.1-6.22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Shiu Kee Shum
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Second Language Teaching ◽  
School Subjects ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Interest In Research

This research seeks both to describe Chinese genres found in a range of school subjects and to develop models of pedagogical principles for their teaching. Thus far, most of the research has been devoted to the teaching of genres for first and second language teaching, though there is a developing interest in research into the teaching of genres in teaching English as a foreign language. There is a need to develop genre-based research in languages other than English, in order to test the application of the theory to non-English speaking contexts. This paper reports on an approach to the study of Chinese genres for examination purposes, developed in Hong Kong, where, since 1997, official support has been given to the use of Chinese as a medium of instruction. The study is not yet completed, though there is some encouraging evidence that the genre-based approach is proving useful.

scholarly journals Message from Editor

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 01
Author(s):  
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Rahimi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Review Process ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Second Language Teaching

Dear Readers,It is the great honor for us to publish sixth issue of Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching (GJFLT). Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching welcomes original empirical investigations and comprehensive literature review articles focusing on foreign language teaching and topics related with linguistics. GJFLT is an international journal published quarterly and it is devoted to be a joint platform for presenting and discussing the emerging developments on foreign language teaching in an international arena.The scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to; the following major topics as they relate to: Cultural studies, Curriculum Development and Syllabus Design, Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), General Linguistics, Globalization Studies and world English’s, Independent/Autonomous Learning, Information and Computer Technology in TEFL, Innovation in language, Teaching and learning, Intercultural Education, Language acquisition and learning, Language curriculum development, Language education, Language program evaluation, Language Testing and Assessment, Literacy and language learning, Literature, Mobile Language Learning, Pragmatics, Second Language, Second Language Acquisition, Second Language Acquisition Theory, Digital Literacy Skills, Second Language Learners, Second Language Learning, Second language Pedagogy, Second Language Proficiency, Second Language Speech, Second Language Teaching, Second Language Training, Second Language Tutor, Second language Vocabulary Learning, Teaching English as a Foreign/ Second Language, Teaching Language Skills, Translation Studies, Applied linguistics, Cognitive linguistics.Linguistic clichés, teaching English as a foreign language, corpus-based language teaching, TESOL, language acquisition and elementary literacy teaching topics have been included into this issue. The topics of the next issue will be different. You can make sure that we will be trying to serve you with our journal with a rich knowledge in which different kinds of topics are discussed in 2016 Volume.A total number of ten (10) manuscripts were submitted for this issue and each paper has been subjected to double-blind peer review process by the reviewers specialized in the related field. At the end of the review process, a total number of six (6) high quality research papers were selected and accepted for publication.We present many thanks to all the contributors who helped us to publish this issue. Best regards,Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali RahimiEditor – in Chief

From the Editor

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Rahimi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Second Language Teaching

Message from Editor Dear Readers,It is a great honor for us to publish the sixth issue of Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching (GJFLT).Please follow the link below:http://sproc.org/ojs/index.php/GJFLTGlobal Journal of Foreign Language Teaching welcomes original empirical investigations and comprehensive literature review articles focusing on foreign language teaching and topics related to linguistics. GJFLT is an international journal published quarterly and it is a platform for presenting and discussing the emerging developments in foreign language teaching in an international arena.The scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to; the following major topics: Cultural studies, Curriculum Development and Syllabus Design, Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), General Linguistics, Globalization Studies and world English’s, Independent/Autonomous Learning, Information and Computer Technology in TEFL, Innovation in language, Teaching and learning, Intercultural Education, Language acquisition and learning, Language curriculum development, Language education, Language program evaluation, Language Testing and Assessment, Literacy and language learning, Literature, Mobile Language Learning, Pragmatics, Second Language, Second Language Acquisition, Second Language Acquisition Theory, Digital Literacy Skills, Second Language Learners, Second Language Learning, Second language Pedagogy, Second Language Proficiency, Second Language Speech, Second Language Teaching, Second Language Training, Second Language Tutor, Second language Vocabulary Learning, Teaching English as a Foreign/ Second Language, Teaching Language Skills, Translation Studies, Applied linguistics, Cognitive linguistics.Linguistic clichés, teaching English as a foreign language, corpus-based language teaching, TESOL, language acquisition and elementary literacy teaching topics have been included in this issue. The topics of the next issue will be different. You can make sure that we will be trying to serve you with our journal with a rich knowledge through which different kinds of topics are discussed in 2016 Volume.We present many thanks to all the contributors who helped us to publish this issue. Best regards,Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Rahimi,Editor – in Chief, Bangkok University

Creating Critical Literacy Praxis: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822098266
Author(s):  
Tsung-han Weng
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Speakers Of Other Languages ◽  
Literacy Implementation ◽  
Critical Literacy Pedagogy ◽  
Literacy Research

Although research in critical literacy has long been conducted in English as a second language contexts, a modicum of critical literacy research in English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts in which English is seldom used outside the classroom environment has also been undertaken. This article aims to discuss the introduction of critical literacy in the Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) profession, which has been neglected by TESOL researchers and practitioners in EFL contexts. The article reviews and synthesizes the existing literature by providing conceptualizations of the critical literacy approach to TESOL, examples of critical literacy implementation, and the benefits and challenges of implementing critical literacy pedagogy. The article concludes by calling for more critical literacy research in EFL contexts.

scholarly journals The Effect of L2 Exposure Environment on Nnests’ Teaching Skills and Beliefs about EFL Learning Beyond the Class

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Susilo Susilo ◽  
Bibit Suhatmady ◽  
Dyah Sunggingwati ◽  
Hany Farisa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
T Test ◽  
Urban Region ◽  
Teaching Skills ◽  
Rural Region ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Native English Speaking Teachers ◽  
Efl Learning

The study aims at investigating the effect of second language (L2) exposure environment on NNESTs’ teaching skills and beliefs about EFL learning beyond the classroom. This is a survey for non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) of Indonesian Senior High Schools ( or in Indonesian terms ‘SMA’) from different L2 environments, namely: 1) urban-region exposure environment schools (n=40), and 2) rural-region exposure environment schools (n=40). There were two instruments used in the present study, i.e. 1) observation scaling checklist, and 2) questionnaire. The observation scaling checklist was used for assessing the respondents’ performance when they were teaching in class. Meanwhile, the questionnaire using a four-point Likert scale was used to elicit data. The researchers used a series of independent t-test to analyze the data. The result reveals that: 1) there is a significant difference between teaching skills of NNESTs from the urban region schools and those of NNESTs from rural region schools, t (78)= 19.499, p=0.000; and 2) there is a significant difference between beliefs about English as a foreign language (EFL learning beyond the classroom of the NNESTs from urban region schools and those of NNESTs from rural region schools, t (78)= - 4.925, p=0.000

scholarly journals La terminologia per il CLIL in lingua straniera e in italiano L2

2021 ◽  
pp. 83-98
Author(s):  
Silvia Gilardoni
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Second Language Teaching ◽  
Italian Context

In this paper we examine the treatment of terminology in CLIL context (Content and language integrated learning), through the analysis of a corpus of subject textbooks in a foreign language and in Italian as a second language. After introducing the CLIL methodology and its application in the field of foreign language and Italian as a second language teaching as regards the Italian context, we consider the role of terminology in CLIL environment. Then we present the results of the analysis of the corpus, which consists of CLIL textbooks in English for the secondary school and of subject textbooks in Italian as a second language for non-native speakers of secondary school and adult migrants who need the qualification of Italian secondary school. The analysis of the treatment of terminology in the corpus allows to outline methodological suggestions to integrate the terminological approach into teaching practice in different CLIL contexts.

From the editor

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 176
Author(s):  
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Rahimi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Curriculum Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Second Language Teaching

 Message from Editor Dear Readers,It is a great honor for us to publish August 2016 Vol 6 No 4 of Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching (GJFLT).Please follow the link below:http://www.gjflt.eu/Global Journal of Foreign Language Teaching welcomes original empirical investigations and comprehensive literature review articles focusing on foreign language teaching and topics related to linguistics. GJFLT is an international journal published quarterly and it is a platform for presenting and discussing the emerging developments in foreign language teaching in an international arena.The scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to; the following major topics: Cultural studies, Curriculum Development and Syllabus Design, Discourse Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), General Linguistics, Globalization Studies and world English’s, Independent/Autonomous Learning, Information and Computer Technology in TEFL, Innovation in language, Teaching and learning, Intercultural Education, Language acquisition and learning, Language curriculum development, Language education, Language program evaluation, Language Testing and Assessment, Literacy and language learning, Literature, Mobile Language Learning, Pragmatics, Second Language, Second Language Acquisition, Second Language Acquisition Theory, Digital Literacy Skills, Second Language Learners, Second Language Learning, Second language Pedagogy, Second Language Proficiency, Second Language Speech, Second Language Teaching, Second Language Training, Second Language Tutor, Second language Vocabulary Learning, Teaching English as a Foreign/ Second Language, Teaching Language Skills, Translation Studies, Applied linguistics, Cognitive linguistics.Teachers’ Beliefs and Students’ Experiences, Indonesian University Students’ Vocabulary Mastery, Multiple Language Learning, Idiom Transformation and Modification, Computer-Assisted Language Learning, Writing Achievement, Complex Sentence Structures in Patients with Schizophrenia, and The Effect of Second Life on Speaking Achievement have been included in this issue. The topics of the next issue will be different. We are trying to serve you with our journal with a rich knowledge through which different kinds of topics will be discussed in 2017 issues.We present many thanks to all the contributors who helped us to publish this issue.Best regards,Associate Professor Dr. Ali Rahimi,Editor – in Chief, Bangkok University

Teaching Chinese as a foreign language: A classroom study on the timing of grammar around a task

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Baralt ◽  
Marcela López Bravo
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
The United States ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Focus On Form ◽  
Cambridge University ◽  
Grammar Teaching

AbstractContrary to common belief, there is a place for grammar teaching in task-based language teaching (TBLT). It is still an unresolved debate, however, what the most effective timing of grammar teaching is around a task. Citing theory, some methodologists argue against grammar in the pre-task phase (e. g., Willis 1996. A framework for task-based learning. Harlow: Longman; Willis and Willis 2007. Doing task-based teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press), while others argue for it (e. g., DeKeyser 1998. Beyond focus on form: Cognitive perspectives on learning and practicing second language grammar. In C. Doughty & J. Williams (eds.), Focus on form in classroom second language acquisition, 42–63. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Lightbown 1998. What have we here? Some observations on the influence of instruction on L2 learning. In R. Phillipson, E. Kellerman, L. Selinker, M. Sharwood Smith & M. Swain (eds.), Foreign language pedagogy research: A commemorative volume for Claus Faerch, 197–212. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters and Nunan 2004. Task-based language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). Still other methodologists have suggested that a pre-task grammar explanation renders TBLT more culturally appropriate in Confucian-heritage teaching contexts (e. g., Carless 2007. The suitability of task-based approaches for secondary schools: Perspectives from Hong Kong. Schools: Perspectives from Hong Kong. System 35. 595–608; Luk 2009. Preparing EFL students for communicative task performance: The nature and role of language knowledge. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching 19. 67–90). None of these claims have been tested empirically. The present paper attempts to contribute to that gap by reporting on a case study that took place in a Chinese as a foreign language classroom in the United States. We examined how a Chinese teacher’s grammar teaching in the pre- versus post-task phase differentially affected the task outcome, as well as the teacher’s and learners’ beliefs of which was most effective. One Chinese teacher and 12 learners participated in the study. Results showed that the task outcome was comprised of more language production, accuracy, and modified output, as well as 15 times more interactional turns, when the grammar was explained in the post-task phase. However, the teacher overwhelmingly valued a grammar explanation in the pre-task phase. Learners were equally divided. We discuss how the methodological timing of grammar shaped discourse differently for the pragmatic ends of tasks, and make suggestions for Chinese teachers new to TBLT.

scholarly journals Editorial

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-13
Author(s):  
Mirosław Pawlak
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Word Association ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Generalist Teachers

It is my immense pleasure to share with you the first 2021 issue of Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching. It brings together five papers reporting the findings of empirical studies as well as two reviews of very recent publications. The issue opens with the contribution by Mariusz Kruk, Mirosław Pawlak, and Joanna Zawodniak, who investigate changes in the levels of boredom experienced by 13 Polish university students majoring in English during four EFL classes as well as factors responsible for such fluctuations. Multiple sources of data were applied which included boredom-grids, where participants indicated the intensity of this negative emotion on a 7-point Likert scale at 5-minute intervals, class evaluation forms, narratives, semi-structured interviews with four students after each class, and lesson plans. A combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis demonstrated that boredom was indeed subject to between- and within-class variation, which resulted from various constellations of variables, with repetitiveness, monotony and predictability playing a key role. In the second paper, Xiaowan Yang and Mark Wyatt report a qualitative case study which examined teachers’ beliefs about learners’ motivation and their own motivational practices, and the actions they actually took in this respect in the classroom in the context of teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in China. The analysis of the data collected from three university-level teachers of business English by means of pre-observation interviews, in-class observations and stimulated recall interviews yielded evidence for tensions between participants’ cognitions and practices they engaged in, showing that such mismatches negatively affect their self-determination. The existence of this cognitive disharmony is attributed to scarce opportunities for professional development, outdated knowledge about motivation and cultural influences. The theme of ESP also features in the following paper by Cailing Lu, Frank Boers and Averil Coxhead, who explored understanding of technical terms included in a list of technical words related to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with the aim of determining which of these terms should be emphasized during instruction. The requisite data were collected by means of a word association task, drawing on Read’s (1998) Word Association Test, as well as retrospective interviews from 21 BA students in China and New Zealand. The analysis showed that although the students manifested good understanding of the targeted items, especially high-frequency ones, some Chinese participants experienced difficulty understanding mid- and low-frequency words. By contrast, the Western learners mainly struggled with Chinese loan words, but their comprehension was not impacted by cultural differences. In the fourth paper, Bryła-Cruz reports the findings of a study which looked into the role of gender in the perception of English segments by Polish learners of English as a foreign language. The data were collected from 40 male and 40 female secondary school students who were asked to indicate the sound they heard in 20 sentences containing minimal pairs. The differences between males and females failed to reach statistical significance for most targeted segments and while the hierarchy of perceptual difficulty was not identical for both groups, it was similar, which suggests that differences between the sound systems of the first and second language might trump the mediating role of gender. In the final paper, Jesús Izquierdo, Silvia Patricia Aquino Zúñiga, and Verónica García Martínez shift the focus to the context of foreign language education in rural schools in southeast Mexico, zooming in on the challenges faced by generalist teachers, or non-language specialists, tasked with the job of teaching English. The data were collected by means of questionnaires administered to 155 such teachers in 17 schools and semi-structured interviews with those who manifested the greatest involvement in professional development. Using frequency analysis and categorical aggregation, the researchers show that generalist teachers are confronted with a wide array of problems related to their professional preparation, instructional techniques used as well as the sociocultural realities of L2 instruction in rural communities. In addition, only a few teachers are prepared to develop professionally, relying instead on limited strategies that help them combat the challenges they encounter. The issue also includes two book reviews by Jarosław Krajka and Mirosław Pawlak. The first book deals with the assessment of English proficiency among young learners while the second is devoted to research into learning and teacher psychology from the perspective of complex dynamic systems theory (Larsen-Freeman & Cameron, 2007). I am hopeful that all the contributions will provide food for thought to our readers and inspire them to further disentangle the intricacies of second language learning and teaching.

scholarly journals The Central Characteristics of Successful ESL/EFL Teachers

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 881
Author(s):  
Khalid Al-Seghayer
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Key Variables ◽  
The Many

Achieving optimal success in teaching English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL) requires teachers to demonstrate varying essential characteristics that consist of several underlying and interacting constructs. The purpose of this article is to orient the reader and succinctly identify the key variables that lead ESL/EFL teachers to distinctive success. It clearly delineates the characteristics of successful ESL/EFL teachers embedded within five central dimensions, along with their underlying structures. It also provides common taxonomies of successful EFL teachers’ attributes without burdening the reader with unnecessary detail concerning the many other validated attributes associated with ESL/EFL teachers’ salient attributions of success. To this end, this discussion contributes to a theoretical understanding of the development of successful ESL/EFL teachers and to improved knowledge of the key characteristics of successful ESL/EFL teachers.

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