scholarly journals Searching for coherence in language teaching: the issue of teaching competencies

Author(s):  
Carlos Rico Troncoso

This document is an attempt to show some theoretical issues teachers should take into account when adopting the commitment of teaching languages. Many things haven been said about teaching languages, but there has not been any systematic reflection about teaching a foreign language in our context. Our foreign language history has shown that Colombian teachers implement many things in their classrooms without realizing the impact of those implementations in the theoretical and practical field. Nowadays, some changes have been given to the New ICFES State Examination, and The Ministry of Education (MEN) has proposed in the curricula orientations the language competence education. Due to these new demands, it is necessary to revise the way how a foreign language is taught in our educational context. To this respect, the present paper will mention some of the most important aspects teachers should reflect upon when dealing with language teaching. The first thing to do is to define the approach or the method to be used (the nature of language and of language learning) second, it is necessary to define the design to be implemented according to the theory proposed. The design will deal with the teaching objectives, the type of syllabus adopted (content choice and organization), the types of learning and teaching activities, the learner and teachers roles, and the role of instructional materials.

2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erla Hallsteinsdóttir

Phraseology in foreign language learning and teaching has been an object of linguistic and didactic research for almost 40 years. This article begins with an overview over phraseodidactic research in German. Then it discusses aspects of phraseology in teaching German as a foreign language, i.a. the influence of Kühn's three step model on phraseology in foreign language teaching and methods to define the phraseological units that are to be learned (phraseological minimum). Finally, it addresses a newer research approach: The question how multimodality affects the language competence and thereby also the learning of phraseology.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-193
Author(s):  
Lucía Pintado Gutiérrez

AbstractThis article explores the agency of the student in translation in language teaching and learning (or TILT). The purpose of the case study discussed here is to gain an overview of students’ perceptions of translation into the foreign language (FL) (also known as “inverse translation”) following a module on language and translation, and to analyse whether there is any correlation between students’ attitude to translation, its impact on their language learning through effort invested, and the improvement of language skills. The results of the case study reveal translation to be a potentially exciting skill that can be central to FL learning and the analysis gives indications of how and why language teachers may optimise the implementation of translation in the classroom. The outcome of the study suggests that further research is needed on the impact of translation in the language classroom focussing on both teachers’ expectations and students’ achievements.


2015 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-433

The Editor and Board of Language Teaching are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2014 Christopher Brumfit thesis award is Dr Hilde van Zeeland. The thesis was selected by an external panel of judges based on its significance to the field of second language acquisition, second or foreign language learning and teaching, originality and creativity and quality of presentation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Zulfikar Zulfikar

Using mother tongue (L1) in a foreign language (L2) classrooms is inevitable. Despite the debate over the adequacy of using L1 in the teaching of L2, this paper argues using L1 in the classroom does not hinder learning, and that L1 has a facilitating role to play in the classroom and can help L2 learning and acquisition. This paper shows that L1 is an inseparable part of language teaching, and it has several functions for both the students and teachers in English language learning and teaching. Therefore, those who believe L1 has a minimal role to play in the teaching of a foreign language are invited to think again of its role and contributions it makes to the fields of language learning and teaching.


2012 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-408

The Editor and Board of Language Teaching are pleased to announce that there were two tied winners of the 2011 Christopher Brumfit thesis award: Dr Cecilia Guanfang Zhao and Dr Catherine van Beuningen. Both theses were selected by an external panel of judges on the basis of their significance to the field of second language acquisition, second or foreign language learning and teaching, as well as their originality, creativity and quality of presentation.


2008 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amos Paran

The resurgence in the use of literature in language teaching has been accompanied by an increasing number of research articles in this area. Research (in a number of second languages) has looked at the type of interactions and the type of language that arise from classroom discussions about literature, as well as at the views of teachers and learners. Importantly, the reactions that learners have to incorporating literature in their language lessons are linked to the type of approach and type of task that are used in the classroom. The paper surveys the existing research, as well as evidence from practitioners about approaches that are used and the range of works and authors that are taught.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-65
Author(s):  
David Felipe Espinosa Torres ◽  
Iván Camilo González Bejarano ◽  
Juliana Moreno Restrepo

Feedback is a powerful tool that has a significant influence on student success. Its meaningful impact on learning and teaching processes has been well-documented. However, there is minimal research concerning the impact of feedback strategies on foreign language learning. This article seeks to provide a theoretical and practical understanding of the impact of feedback on foreign language teaching and learning processes. This is done through a case study research conducted in a private institution in Bogotá, Colombia. The evidence demonstrates that the feedback strategies used and the manner in which they are administered influence their effectiveness. Three main strategies were observed and analyzed: corrective, motivational, and developmental. This article concludes with a suggestion to make feedback an explicit policy of teachers’ education programs in the country.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 169
Author(s):  
Abd Rahman

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has been adopted in many countries and has influenced the foreign and second language learning and teaching. This article aims to explore the emerging factors of CLT and how CLT is practiced in Indonesian EFL classroom. This study finds that there are three main phases of the development of CLT. Started from the works of Hymes (1967, 1972), Canale and Swain (1980) and Bachman (1990). Moreover, recent theories in second language acquisition and globalization are two main factors which lead to the widespread of CLT. Finally, in the EFL context the application of CLT has faced many challenges. Socio-cultures, grammar and reading-based exam, and teachers’ low English proficiency make the application of CLT in Indonesian EFL classroom has not reached its objectives yet.  


2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 328-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cem Alptekin ◽  
Sibel Tatar

This is an overview of research on applied linguistics and foreign language education in Turkey, surveying nearly 130 studies from the period 2005–2009. Following a brief presentation of the history and current sociopolitical situation of foreign language education in Turkey, the article focuses on research that characterizes the most common interests of academics and practitioners in the following areas: foreign language teaching and teachers, foreign language learning and learners, foreign language teacher education, the four language skills, measurement and evaluation, and the relationship between language and culture. Our discussion of each area is based on information extracted from local professional journals, conference proceedings and papers and Ph.D. dissertations. The studies examined reveal that, in general, practical concerns assume priority over theoretical issues, a substantial proportion of research being conducted on EFL learning and teaching.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamal Kaid Mohammed Ali ◽  
Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady

This study aimed to explore the impact of WhatsApp on enhancing Saudi EFL students' language skills and areas. It also investigated EFL students' attitudes, motivation, and anxiety towards learning English via WhatsApp. The sample comprised 55 male and female students studying English at the College of Arts, University of Bisha, Saudi Arabia. A closed-ended questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data from the sample. The results revealed that WhatsApp has a positive impact on learning English as a foreign language with a score of 3.9 as an overall mean. Students’ attitudes towards using WhatsApp for learning English scored 3.4, while the impact of WhatsApp on motivating EFL students to study English scored 3.6 in total. It was also found that WhatsApp reduced students’ anxiety with a score of 3.8 as the overall mean. Based on these results, the researchers suggest that WhatsApp should be activated at all stages of English language learning and teaching.


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