scholarly journals Competing Bilingual Schools in La Mancha City: Teachers’ Responses to Neoliberal Language Policy and CLIL Practices

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (25) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana María Relaño Pastor ◽  
Alicia Fernández Barrera
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Global Market ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Bilingual Programs ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Neoliberal Ideology ◽  
Bilingual Schools ◽  
Sociolinguistic Ethnography

This article analyzes how neoliberalism as ideology and practice permeates CLIL-type bilingual education teachers’ narratives collected as part of the sociolinguistic ethnography conducted in four Spanish-English bilingual schools in La Mancha City (pseudonym). The rapid implementation of Spanish-English bilingual programs in Castilla-La Mancha schools in the last decade (e.g. «MEC/British» programs; «Linguistic Programs» regulated by the regional «Plan of Plurilingualism», last amended in 2018; «Bilingual Programs» in semi-private schools) invites to reflect on how neoliberalism plays a role in the commodification of English language teaching and learning in these programs. Particularly, the article discusses how teachers participating in these programs position themselves towards their personal experiences teaching CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) subjects in these bilingual programs. The analysis shows how these teachers are appropriating and resisting in some cases bilingualism as a neoliberal ideology and practice that reconfigures their professional identities as self-governing free subjects who must know English at all costs to compete in the highly commodified global market of English.

Understanding bilingualism in La Mancha schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 578-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana María Relaño Pastor
Keyword(s):  
Bilingual Education ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Global Market ◽  
Bilingual Programs ◽  
Autonomous Region ◽  
La Mancha ◽  
Conversational Narrative ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Sociolinguistic Ethnography ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract This article discusses narratives of bilingualism told in parental group interviews conducted as part of the critical sociolinguistic ethnography carried out in public and semi-private bilingual schools of the autonomous region of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). School stakeholders in this region are still adapting to the rapid implementation of bilingual programs in this region, which are transforming classroom linguistic practices and circulating discourses about bilingualism, bilingual education, and the bilingual subject. Among them, families are trying to reconcile their language desires and aspirations for English and bilingualism with the understanding of the type of bilingual education their children are receiving. By taking a social interactional approach to narrative combined with anthropological approaches to the study of conversational narrative, this article analyzes parents’ emotional and moral stancetaking in narratives of bilingualism. The narrative analysis will shed light on how families in Castilla-La Mancha are appropriating bilingualism as ideology and practice in the highly commodified global market of English.

Importance of Video Aids’ Usage in Teaching and Learning Process of English Language Classes

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eriselda Vrapi ◽  
Xhevdet Zekaj
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Main Hypothesis ◽  
Communicative Skills ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
9Th Grade ◽  
8Th Grade

This study aims to explore the use of video in English language teaching (ELT) elementary school (grades 8 to 9)... In addition, the thesis aims to find out how videos in English lessons helped to achieve the goals of English curriculum. The main hypothesis was that teaching with video would develop pupils’ communicative skills and, therefore, was appropriate for the communicative approach to ELT. The study addressed five research questions regarding the use of videos in English lessons in the case study school: why the teachers used videos in ELT, what kinds of videos were used in English lessons, how and how often videos were used, what was taught and learned through the use of videos and, finally, what the teachers’ and pupils’ attitudes to lessons with videos were. The research was performed as a case study at an Elbasan elementary school. The data for the research was obtained through the use of mixed methods: qualitative, in the form of interviews with four English teachers and observations of three of the interviewed teachers’ lessons with videos, and quantitative, in the form of a pupil questionnaire answered by 105 pupils from two 8th grade and two 9th grade classes.

Blended learning: Barriers and drawbacks for English language lecturers at Vietnamese universities

2021 ◽  
pp. 204275302110482
Author(s):  
Thi Nguyet Le ◽  
Bill Allen ◽  
Nicola F Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Learning Barriers ◽  
Teaching Time

Although blended learning (BL) has emerged as one of the most dominant delivery modes in higher education in the 21st century, there are notable barriers and drawbacks in using BL for English language teaching and learning in Vietnamese universities. This study reports on research into the use of BL, conducted through semi-structured interviews with 30 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) lecturers from 10 different universities across the two major cities of Vietnam. The findings revealed that EFL lecturers identified eight groups of barriers and four groups of drawbacks to the successful implementation of BL. The most significant barriers included: lack of infrastructure and technology, institutional policies and support; lack of knowledge, experience and investment in using BL; lack of technological competence and information technology (IT) skills and lack of teaching time to employ web-based technologies and online resources in classrooms. Meanwhile, the most crucial drawbacks were: lecturers’ workload, ineffective use of BL, time consumption and demotivation. The authors point to the underlying factors contributing to these barriers and drawbacks and make implications for how some of these can be effectively addressed through constructive changes to policy and practice.

Investigating the Emergence of Digital Platforms for Listening Learning Proficiency

Al-Lisan ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-224
Author(s):  
Tira Nur Fitria
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
British Broadcasting Corporation ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Voice Of America ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
British Council ◽  
Listening Strategies ◽  
Learning English

This study investigates the use of any platforms in English language teaching and learning, especially in listening skills. This research design is qualitative. From the result, it shows that some technologies available both online or offline include applications or platforms that provide many choices for listening to English, they are. 1) Music platform. These platforms can be found in PlayStore, such as Joox and Spotify recommends songs for listening skills. 2) Youtube channel. Many YouTube channels for learning English listening skills include 1) Voice of America (VOA), BBC Learning English, Learn English with TV Series, English with Lucy, and Oxford Online English. 3) Podcasts. Both BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and VoA (Voice of America). These Podcasts offer listening skills. The other podcasts are “The English We Speak, Podcast in English, Better at English, Luke’s English Podcast, Espresso English Podcast, Anchor FM” etc. 4) Websites that are pretty representative in practicing the listening skills such as Sound English, ESL-Lab, English listening, Ello, learn English British Council, Daily ESL, Story Nory, Story Line, which can be accessed. Learning English through several applications above can be an alternative for students in practicing and improving their English listening skills. Listening exercises can be carried out by using interesting listening strategies when learning English. It depends on the teachers/lecturers who teach listening subjects and the students who learn English materials.

scholarly journals Digital Transformation of English Language Teaching (ELT) at a Technical University: BMSTU Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 01009
Author(s):  
Tatiana D. Margaryan ◽  
Liliya V. Kalugina
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Essential Feature ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Automatic Assessment ◽  
English Grammar ◽  
Digital Format ◽  
Technical University

In order to survive and evolve the humanity needs changes and transformation. Changes in education are of particular importance because education plays a crucial role in creating a sustainable future. Today, we are undergoing digital transformation in all areas of our life, but educational institutions are only taking the first steps to become digital. Digital transformation of education should involve not only using computers at classes but designing new methods of teaching and learning as well. Technologies should benefit education. The purpose of this work is to share the successful experience of educators of the English for engineering technologies department at Bauman University in designing a new multimedia two-year English course for undergraduates at technical universities. The course “English in the Digital Age” includes a Student’s Book in the digital format with integrated audio and video authentic materials, a Workbook with the key and mock tests, a Teacher’s Resource Book with detailed teaching notes and an online course for English grammar drilling with an answer reveal function and personalized testing with automatic assessment. The course essential feature is that an online self-study grammar course and face-to-face learning process are successfully combined and personalized. The benefit of the work is the best practice in creating a basis for digital transformation of learning and teaching English at a technical university.

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