scholarly journals An Interlanguage Study of Request Perspective: Evidence from German, Greek, Polish and Russian Learners of English

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-209
Author(s):  
Eva Ogiermann ◽  
Spyridoula Bella

Abstract The present study examines request perspective, the least researched form of mitigation in requesting, while focusing on a type of request characterized by a strong preference for speaker perspective in English and for hearer perspective in most other languages researched to date. It examines requests produced by 900 speakers from nine different (inter)language groups: five groups of native speakers (English, German, Greek, Polish and Russian) and four groups of advanced learners of English as a foreign language (German, Greek, Polish and Russian L1s). While our learners used more conventionally indirect forms than did the native speakers of the respective L1s, showing awareness of this English pragmatic norm, they retained a preference for the hearer perspective. These results suggest reliance on pragmatic universals as an alternative explanation to pragmatic transfer, also illustrating the need to address less salient pragmatic features in English language teaching.

2020 ◽  
pp. 189-196
Author(s):  
Rano MARDONOVA

This article deals with the issue of the features of pronunciation in teaching English specifically on the pronunciation difficulties of Uzbek learners. An important aspect in learning a particular language is pronunciation. Based on the explanatory Dictionary of Contemporary English Longman, pronunciation is a particular person’s way of pronouncing a word or words. In English language, there are not one-to-one correspondence between the letters of the alphabet and the sounds they represent. It is the aptness in pronunciation that makes our language comprehensible to others. Therefore, apart from grammar and spelling, one has to concentrate on pronunciation as well. There are some problems for foreign learners like age and perception as well. Very often students mispronounce the words, distort the pronunciation because they are not involved into the conscious approach of practicing sounds, words and sentences, instead, they are simply made to parrot out sounds and words without realizing what they are doing. In fact, training English pronunciation is necessary from the very beginning of learning a foreign language. Otherwise, it will be quite difficult to correct and make up for the fixed errors. Everyone faced the problem of pronunciation in the initial stages of language learning. It is important from the beginning of training to master sound speech, to learn how to pronounce sounds like native speakers do. In addition, the article considers the problem of interference and notes the most typical mistakes made by Uzbek learners when pronouncing English vowels and consonants. The goal of this article is mainly aimed at teaching and mastering the simplest and easiest ways of correct pronunciation of the studied language.


English Today ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reiko Takahashi

Due to its rise as a global means of communication, the English language has been increasingly used by and between non-native speakers (henceforth NNSs), leading to a growing interest in what has come to be known as English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in English language teaching (ELT). As noted by Jenkins (2006: 159), ‘many of those who start out thinking they are learning English as a foreign language end up using it as a lingua franca’. This suggests that ELT materials need to be developed in ways that correspond with the emerging needs of such language learners. However, ‘the prevailing orientation in […] ELT materials still remains undoubtedly towards ENL [English as a Native Language]’ (Jenkins, 2012: 487). It is not yet clear how well ELF perspectives have been integrated into teaching materials to date.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Nasrin S. Altuwairesh

The last two decades have witnessed a growing interest in vocabulary items consisting of more than a single word in the field of English language teaching (ELT) (Nation & Meara, 2002, p. 36; Schmitt, 2000, p. 96). Researchers in the area came to notice that language is produced by native speakers as 'chunks' rather than single words (Schmitt, 2000, p. 42; Read, 2000, p.20). This entails that if language instructors wish English as a foreign language (EFL) learners to attain native-like proficiency, they should be trained on the use of chunks of language and equipped with a large number of them. Such multiple-word items, Schmitt (2000) explains, constitute a rather high percentage of the English language and are drawing more attention. Thus, these chunks of language are worth spending time on in any language course. The purpose of the following paper is two-fold: on the one hand, the researcher intends to get ELT instructors aware of the concept of collocations and its significance, for those who are not already aware of this aspect of language. On the other hand, the researcher aims at suggesting ways to help learners develop collocational knowledge.


2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 136-144
Author(s):  
A Litovkina ◽  
◽  
D Zhorabekova ◽  
A Issabekov ◽  
◽  
...  

This article is devoted to the analysis of the current state of level teaching of the English language in schools in Kazakhstan. The introduction of the Common European Framework of References for Languages in the process of foreign language education in Kazakhstan entailed significant changes that made it possible to im-prove the quality of teaching English, bring it closer to international standards, and ensure its competitiveness at the global level. However, research has shown that in order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to take into account the awareness and opinion of teachers. This article is an exploratory study examining the application of CEFR in the English language teaching system in general education schools in Kazakhstan, with emphasis on the knowledge and opinions of teachers. The article also provides a brief overview of world experience in the practical application of the principles of CEFR in teaching English. This study used a survey for English teachers as the primary data collection method. The results of the study showed that there are difficulties at the school level that affect the final result of proficiency in English language teaching. Nevertheless, thanks to the adopted language policy, the country is undergoing a progressive development of foreign language ed-ucation and purposeful work is being carried out to ensure the quality of teaching English, which is reflected in almost all program documents for the development of education.


Author(s):  
Рольгайзер ◽  
Anastasiya Rolgayzer

In the article relevance of the use of interactive training methods in teaching English language is considered. The main interactive methods applied in foreign language communication teaching are analyzed, advantages of each method are emphasized.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-492
Author(s):  
Sabri Thabit Saleh Ahmed ◽  
Bushra Thabit Ahmed Qasem

The task of teaching and learning English as a foreign language is not an easy task as there are many factors that may contribute positively or negatively to its success. In the context of this study, most school-leavers have very poor English, especially when looking at their oral skills. This indicates that there are some problems that EFL learning and teaching encounter, and then such problems are reflected in students’ proficiency level. This study, therefore, explored the problems encountering EFL teaching and learning in Lahj primary and secondary schools to identify such problems and suggest some solutions that may help in improving English language teaching and learning in the concerned schools. Data were collected from 32 EFL senior teachers and supervisors of Lahj governorate. Findings showed that large classes, lack of teaching aids, teachers’ low proficiency in English, teachers’ limited experience with communicative language teaching, late beginning of learning English, lack of focus on oral communicative English, use of mother tongue in classroom, students’ low motivation and interference between English and Arabic are considered as major problems encountering English language teaching and learning in the concerned South Yemeni schools and contribute negatively to students’ proficiency level. The study has provided some recommendations that may help in improving EFL teaching and learning in the concerned schools and in Yemeni schools generally.


Author(s):  
Ana Lúcia Farias da Silva ◽  
Teresa Cristina Giarolla Ramos ◽  
Rachel Fontes Sodré

This article aims to describe the development of the teaching–learning process of Foreign Language, with the use of the CLIL (Integrated Content and Language Teaching) approach in the teaching of English, within the framework of a Bilingual Program, within an emergency context of Remote Teaching. We also seek to reflect on the adequacy of technological tools in the process of teaching Foreign Language – specifically the English Language – for a certain age group, as well as to evaluate the elaboration and adaptation of materials, activities and pedagogical approaches to the reality of Remote Teaching during the period of isolation. For this reflection, our analysis aims to point out possibilities and limitations, both of the CLIL (Integrated Teaching of Content and Language) approach, as well as of the modality of distance learning for the age group observed. Thus, in addition to presenting what was accomplished during the research, we intend to reflect on possible paths and contribute with good practices that make the English Language Teaching process more meaningful and proficient, within the Modality Of Distance Education (EaD).We defend in this research the search for strategies in a digital format, for a Foreign Language Teaching, which develops in a more natural and motivating way, as well as the need for public policies aimed at a post-pandemic education of COVID-19, in the sense of ludicity and inclusion, aiming at the development of skills and skills of the student, from elementary school, transforming information into knowledge.


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