scholarly journals Fostering EFL learners´ literacies through local inquiry in a multimodal experience

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 67 ◽  
Author(s):  
July Rincon ◽  
Amparo Clavijo-Olarte
Keyword(s):  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Cultural Issues ◽  
Multimodal Texts ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Community Issues

Addressing students’ social reality through the exploration of community inquiries in the English language class can create learning environments for developing students´ language and literacies. This paper addresses the question in what ways community inquiries create opportunities for students to explore social and cultural issues in their neighborhoods using multimodality. It discusses the role community inquiries play in the development of literacy practices of a group of 10th graders in their EFL class. This descriptive qualitative project carried out at a public institution in the south of Bogotá, Colombia involved 40 participants. The goal of the institutional project is to transform the way students relate to the community in order to create local knowledge. Data was collected through videotape recordings of students´ presentations, teacher´s journal, students´ interactions in Facebook and students´ blogs in a 2-year period. The findings reveal that teachers and students enacted a critical pedagogy through an inquiry curriculum that explored community issues and allowed participants to become inquirers of their own realities. Students´ language learning was evident in multimodal texts in English in their blogs, in the use of EFL in their oral presentations and in their comments in response to peers in Facebook and their blogs. 

scholarly journals Recontextualizing Quality Talk for an Eighth-Grade English Classroom in China

2020 ◽  
pp. 209653112097017
Author(s):  
Liwei Wei ◽  
P. Karen Murphy ◽  
Shenghui Wu
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Small Group ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Language Class ◽  
English Classroom

Purpose: Conducting meaningful interactions in the target language is essential for language learning. However, in many English language classrooms in China, it is rare that students are provided with such opportunities. In the current study, we presented and critically evaluated the implementation of a small-group discussion approach called Quality Talk (QT) in an eighth-grade English language classroom in China. Design/Approach/Methods: One eighth-grade English teacher and 82 eighth-grade students in a public middle school in Beijing participated in the study using a pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design. Recordings of teacher coaching sessions and student discussions, researchers’ field notes, and participating teacher’s written reflections were used to identify successful practices and lessons learned with respect to the implementation of QT. Implications for future directions were also discussed. Findings: The results revealed that to successfully implement a discourse-intensive pedagogical approach in a large English language class, it is essential that (a) the materials used for discussion closely align with the school curriculum, (b) students are grouped heterogeneously and scaffolded to engage in discussions both in their native and target languages, and (c) student leadership be leveraged to facilitate discussion in each small group. Originality/Value: The present study delineated the details with respect to implementing a discourse-intensive pedagogical approach in an eighth-grade English classroom in China. We derived several key insights from recontextualizing QT in an English learning, large class context in China. These insights might hold the potential to improve the effectiveness of English teaching and learning in China.

Improving Online Readability in a Web 2.0 Context

2009 ◽  
pp. 385-410
Author(s):  
John Paul Loucky
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
English Language ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Writing Course ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Pedagogical Innovations ◽  
User Friendly

This study describes a task-based assessment (TBA) approach to teaching reading and writing online. It then analyzes key factors emerging from the results of implementing this approach with graduate engineering students in Japan. It is argued that these factors should be considered when designing or assessing any online reading or writing course for ESL/EFL students. The findings of this study are especially relevant to task-based approaches and technical or pedagogical innovations which can help foster more effective and enjoyable learning for teachers and students in blended learning environments. It is hoped that this discussion can serve as a model of what can be done to enhance online EAP/ESP/ETP courses, as well as any other online reading or writing course being designed for speakers and readers of languages other than English. The goal in this chapter is to summarize research aimed at integrating some of the most useful Web sites for English language learning into a user-friendly system for optimal online vocabulary development — which could be self-monitored by students as well as tracked by teachers via a course management system.

scholarly journals Engagement From the Periphery: Reconceptualizing Adult English Language Learners’ Resistance in Developmental Literacy

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-173
Author(s):  
Emily K. Suh
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Adult Literacy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Speakers Of Other Languages ◽  
Literacy Class ◽  
Classroom Literacy

English language learners’ nonparticipation and reticence in adult literacy classes are often presented problematically from a deficit lens of student resistance and disengagement. This article draws from an ethnographic case study of Generation 1 learners, who are defined as adult-arrival immigrant learners, transitioning from an adult English as a Second Language class to a developmental literacy class. By examining learners’ resistance through a framework of agency enactment, the study bridges the fields of adult literacy and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, both of which support adult-arrival immigrants entering the U.S. education system. The resulting analysis illustrates how Generation 1 learners’ acts of resistance can be complex presentations of their literacy identities and their engagement in classroom literacy practices.

scholarly journals Students’ Preferences and Attitude toward Oral Error Correction Techniques at Yanbu University College, Saudi Arabia

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Bushra Alamri ◽  
Hala Hassan Fawzi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Error Correction ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Classroom Observation ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
University College ◽  
Teachers And Students

<p>Error correction has been one of the core areas in the field of English language teaching. It is “seen as a form of feedback given to learners on their language use” (Amara, 2015). Many studies investigated the use of different techniques to correct students’ oral errors. However, only a few focused on students’ preferences and attitude toward oral error correction techniques, which determine students’ success in language learning. This quantitative research explored teachers’ and students’ preferences as well as students’ attitude toward the use of oral error correction techniques in the language classroom. The participants of the study were English language students and English language teachers at Yanbu University College (YUC) in Yanbu Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. A classroom observation checklist and questionnaires were used to collect the data. The study findings revealed that recast and explicit correction are the preferred techniques by the majority of the students and teachers. The findings also indicated that students have positive attitude toward oral error correction. As the classroom observation revealed that recast was highly used by teachers, it is recommended that teachers should also use other techniques to correct students’ oral errors. In addition, it is recommended that before correcting students’ oral errors teachers should always take into account the purpose of the activity and the proficiency level of students.</p>

scholarly journals Educational Policy: Voices from Local English Teachers and Students towards National Exam in Yogyakarta

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
Laser Romios ◽  
Nindya Primandita ◽  
Novilda Angela Saragih
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
School Level ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Government

<p class="AbstractText">This study is aimed at exploring the voices of English teachers and students of a state senior high school towards the National Exam policy and its implementation in Indonesia. Several theories of psychology and language learning were applied in this study as the theoretical framework. This study used a descriptive qualitative method. The participants were chosen by purposive sampling technique. The data for this study were garnered through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) conducted to the selected twelfth-grade students and semi-structured interviews done to two English teachers. Both data were analyzed descriptively. Upon the analysis, two paramount themes prevailed: (1) the negative response towards the implementation and accuracy of National Exam (NE) policy in Indonesia; and (2) unintended impacts of NE policy on teaching and learning activity, students’ motivation, and English Language Learning and Curriculum. This study offers information for the government as the policymaker, school leaders, teachers, and researchers to understand how the NE is implemented at the school level.</p>

scholarly journals COMMUNICATIVE REPERTOIRES USED BY STUDENTS WITH MULTICULTURAL BACKGROUNDS IN ESL WRITING CLASSROOM

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 835-843
Author(s):  
Firman Parlindungan ◽  
Lia Lisyati
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Writing Classroom ◽  
Esl Writing ◽  
Teaching Culture ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Additional Reference ◽  
Data Collections

Purpose of the study: The objective of this study is to describe the communicative repertoires used by students with multicultural backgrounds in an ESL writing classroom. We drew upon the notion of communicative repertoires and English as an International Language (EIL) to explain how gestures, turn-taking habits, and different dialects shaped the interaction among students during the process of English language learning. Methodology: The research method was a case study in which classroom observation, field notes, interviews, and documentation were carried out as the tools for data collections. The data were then analyzed qualitatively and were discussed within various perspectives from scholars in the related discipline to explain the findings of this study.   Main Findings: We found that the participants used some forms of communicative repertoires (i.e., gestures, turn-takings, and dialects) that are culturally-bound to their own heritage culture. Although the use of these traits was perceived differently among students, these communicative repertoires leveraged their English learning process situated within a dynamic bidirectional classroom interaction. Applications of this study: This study is applicable in a classroom in which students are from different cultural backgrounds. It might also be useful for a teacher who experiences teaching English for students who are culturally different from her/him. In a wider context, this study can be an additional reference for some areas of English Language Teaching (ELT) disciplines like teaching writing skills or teaching culture.  Novelty/Originality of this study: The findings suggest that English teachers and students need to recognize non-linguistic elements of interaction as tools to heighten the awareness of using the language for learning. The goal is not to achieve elegant language performance, but to widen opportunities in demonstrating communicative competences, so intelligibility can be achieved.

scholarly journals SONGS, RHYME, GAMES: Getting Children Drawn in the Language Class Through Fun Activities

ELT-Lectura ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Wahyuni Ratu
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Effective Technique ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Free Environment ◽  
Free Language

Boredom makes children disinterested in the language classroom. Certain fun activities could be appliedas the strategy of getting children drawn in the language class and to ensure a natural anxiety-free language learning environment. Songs, rhymes and games were fun activities and effective technique to be used for children in the language class. This paper gives a perspective on the useful of Songs, rhymes and games in English language class especially in SMP level to ensure a stress-free environment for beginner English learners by providing the required conditions so that the children learn English with a lot of amusement in the classroom.

scholarly journals UNRAVELING PARENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-204
Author(s):  
Claudio Diaz ◽  
Nicolas Acuña ◽  
Barbara Ravanal ◽  
Ignacio Riffo
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Positive Perception ◽  
Teachers And Students

Purpose of the study: This research aims to analyze parents’ perceptions towards the learning of English and the ways they help their children deal with English and language assessment. Methodology: This qualitative study addresses 74 Chilean parents’ perceptions of English teaching and learning. A semi-structured interview was conducted to capture the participants’ perceptions. The data were categorized using content and frequency analysis and the principles of metaphoric analysis. Main findings: The findings suggest that parents hold a positive perception of the English language and believe it is useful for their children’s lives even though they might find the learning of the language difficult. Social implications/Originality: Participants can produce metaphors that regard English as an ability and metaphors that focus on the process of learning the language. The findings of this research are useful for university stakeholders, teachers, preservice teachers, and students. Novelty/Originality of this study: In this study parents, stakeholders who have usually left aside from the language teaching and learning process, are interviewed to unfold their perceptions of what they see and believe when their children learn English.

scholarly journals Effects of Extensive Reading on Thai Tertiary Students’ Reading Attitudes

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Ketvalee Porkaew ◽  
Ariyadhorn Fongpaiboon
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Structure Interview ◽  
Reading Engagement ◽  
Extensive Reading ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Significant Difference

An exposure to free choice of inspiring reading materials among Thai students has not been largely promoted in English language class, affecting negative language learning attitudes and development of a reading habit. This present study examined the effects of extensive reading (ER) on Thai university students. To measure their attitudes towards comfort, anxiety, intellectual value, practical value and linguistic value before and after 15-week extensive reading. 68 undergraduate students were asked to complete the 5-point Likert scale questionnaire of 23 items adopted from Yamashita (2013). A semi-structure interview was also employed. The results revealed students had positive feelings in which ER increased their comfort and decreased their anxiety at the significance level of 0.05. They also had positive beliefs about the intellectual benefits. However, the practical value that ER might bring advantages to students’ study or future career was lower in the posttest. There was no significant difference between the pretest and posttest in their beliefs about English language study benefits. Qualitative data from the semi-structured interviews showed that students satisfied with their own choice of reading preference. The findings suggested the use of ER approach in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes to increase students’ positive attitudes, decrease their negative ones towards reading, and develop good reading habits through their reading engagement.

scholarly journals Teaching English for Economic Competiveness: Emerging Issues and Challenges in English Education in China

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Guo
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Market Economy ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Education In China

Under China’s market economy, English language learning has been adopted as a strategy to promote the nation’s economic competitiveness in a global economy. This development reflects a discourse of linguistic instrumentalism. Based upon individual interviews of 24 English teachers in Zhejiang Province, China, the study reveals that teachers question the assumptions of linguistic instrumentalism, the gatekeeper role of English, the impact of the increasing dominance of English on Chinese language, and their students’ internalization of the belief in the superiority of Anglo culture. In addition, the study suggests that as a result of globalization, the delivery of English education in China has experienced unprecedented marketization and privatization. Despite increases in their salaries, teachers still live in poor conditions. Under the fee-paying principle, parents expect teachers to provide the best service to their children, and as such the relations between teachers and students have become like those between businesses and clients. It seems evident that teaching has been devalued and commodified in the age of market economy.

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