Politeness in professional contexts: foreign-language teacher training

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerrard Mugford

Abstract This paper examines the professional context of teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL), whose first language is not English but who are required to help learners adhere to target-language (TL) politeness norms and practices. Many of these teachers have had little or no contact with TL countries/cultures and have limited professional training in this area. This paper highlights the specific context of 39 Mexican EFL teachers who reflected on their understandings and “teaching” of politeness. I argue that by employing existing resources and knowledge and with further training, bilingual teachers can be helped to take “possession” of politeness rather than having to unquestioningly teach appropriate, socially-accepted, socially-expected usage.

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-39
Author(s):  
Liaquat A. Channa ◽  
Daniel Gilhooly ◽  
Charles A. Lynn ◽  
Syed A. Manan ◽  
Niaz Hussain Soomro

Abstract This theoretical review paper investigates the role of first language (L1) in the mainstream scholarship of second/foreign (L2/FL) language education in the context of language learning, teaching, and bilingual education. The term ‘mainstream’ refers here to the scholarship that is not informed by sociocultural theory in general and Vygotskian sociocultural theory in particular. The paper later explains a Vygotskian perspective on the use of L1 in L2/FL language education and discusses how the perspective may help content teachers in (a) employing L1 in teaching L2/FL content and (b) helping L2/FL students to become self-regulative users of the target language.


Author(s):  
Yuliah Abdul Haris

This paper mainly discusses the relationship between language and culture. Language and culture are closely related. If one does not understand the cultural backgrounds, he or she cannot learn the target language really well because any language is an integral part of its culture. Moreover, misunderstanding between the speaker whose first language is English and the speaker whose first language is not English occur between them.  The writer believes that there is still an important cultural element missing from foreign language education in Indonesian EFL classes in such as in STMIK Handayani Makassar. Therefore, English learning in STMIK Handayani Makassar should not only to learn the language, but also to learn its culture. To improve students’ sensitivity for cultural difference between the West and the East and to raise their cultural awareness, English teachers at schools are required not only to teach language but also to impart cultural background knowledge and further to deal with the relationship between language and culture well. This article starts with the necessity of teaching cultural awareness in English teaching at schools, and then this paper discusses some common cultural language mistakes by English Foreign Language learners in STMIK Handayani Makassar.


Author(s):  
Sahkholid Nasution ◽  
Rahmah Fithriani ◽  
Mhd. Syahnan ◽  
Isnanini Harahap ◽  
Syafaruddin . ◽  
...  

There are some factors causing some challenges for non-Arabs speakers in learning Arabic, which include non-linguistic and linguistic ones. These factors also influence Indonesian students learning Arabic as a foreign language. In general, Indonesian students find difficulties in learning Arabic due to a number of differences between Indonesian as their first language (L1) with Arabic as the target language (L2) at almost all aspects of linguistics. The process of learning L2 which does not show its linguistic equations in their L1 has led the assumption among Arabic students in Indonesia that the language is difficult to learn. Therefore, this study aims to: (1) describe the similarities between Indonesian and Arabic phonetics; (2) describe the differences between Indonesian and Arabic phonetic; and (3) offer a formulation of Arabic learning pattern for speakers of Indonesian learning Arabic to help them learn the language easier. This research applied a comparative descriptive qualitative approach. The result of data analysis shows three findings; (1) There are 16 (sixteen) similar sounds of Indonesian and Arabic phonemes; (2) There are 7 (seven) Indonesian phonemes that do not exist in Arabic; and (3) There are 13 (thirteen) Arabic phonemes that do not exist in Indonesian. Based on these findings, it is suggested that the teaching of Arabic language should prioritize the similar sounds in Indonesian and Arabic.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
Ni Luh Supartini ◽  
Ni Putu Oka Agustini

Learning English as a foreign language required some strategies to achieve the goal of communication. In teaching and learning process, the teacher and students frequently use their first language to explain the difficult word in English. This study aimed to investigate the language used by the teacher as communication strategies in teaching English as a foreign language and students’ responses toward the use of each type of language instruction in teaching English at Hospitality class. To investigate the study there were 2 teachers and 2 classes of hospitality management class as the subject. The data were collected through observation of teaching and learning process and interview session. The study was designed as descriptive qualitative research and the data were analyzed descriptively. The finding showed that the teacher used the target language frequently, however the used of mixed language to explain some difficult words also found in teaching and learning process.  


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 176
Author(s):  
Sayana Movsum Baghirova

In the scientific literature, the symbols L1 (Language 1) and L2 (Language 2) are used to indicate the sequence of languages. In most countries, L1 is understood as a first language, and it usually coincides with the mother tongue. The other languages are learned later. This can be seen in the children of multilingual parents. Teaching a second foreign language covers everything a student hears and sees in a new language. This includes a variety of discourse activities, such as exchanges in restaurants and shops, talking to friends, reading billboards and newspapers, as well as teacher-student attitudes in the classroom, as well as language activities and books in the classroom. Regardless of the learning environment, the learner's goal is to master a target language. The learner starts the task of learning a second language from scratch (or close to it) and uses the necessary language skills in the mother tongue to determine the reciprocity of language units in the target language.


Author(s):  
Le Van Tuyen ◽  
Le Bich Van

There has been a long-standing debate over the issue of including or excluding the student’s mother tongue (L1) in English as a foreign language (L2) classrooms. There are two opinions in this regard: monolingual approach and bilingual approach. While advocates of monolingual approach suggest that learning is determined by the exposure to L2, those advocating the bilingual approach think that L1 makes a valuable contribution to the learning process. Despite the widespread English-only use in EFL classes, the use of L1 is still a perennial topic. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the use of L1 in English for specific purposes (ESP) classes at a Technical College in Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam (Henceforth called TC). More specifically, it attempts to explore the extent to which L1 is used and the reasons why L1 is used, and discover what attitudes engineering students have towards the use of L1 in the process of teaching ESP vocabulary to students. The instruments used for collecting data were questionnaires and class observations. The participants were 8 EFL teachers and 314 students at TC. The findings of the study indicated that all the teachers of English overused L1 in teaching ESP vocabulary. The study also revealed that the ESs had supportive attitudes towards their teachers’ use of L1 in teaching ESP vocabulary. Based on the findings, the study provided practical implications in order to help both EFL teachers and engineering students to improve their teaching and learning ESP at vocational training colleges in the Vietnamese context.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-29
Author(s):  
Ali Alsaawi

Abstract The idea of teaching a target language via a monolingual medium of instruction in the classroom has long predominated in the pedagogical context. In Saudi Arabia, excluding the students’ mother tongue (Arabic) in the foreign language classroom has been seen as a tool that accelerates the acquisition of the target language (English). This is widely viewed as the most practical and effective method of language learning, especially in the Gulf region, where English is a foreign language employed in the fields of economics and business. The recent academic argument that exploiting the students’ linguistic repertoire, including the mother tongue, in the target language classroom boosts and fosters the students’ learning cycle is still encountering huge resistance, especially among second/foreign language teachers. To explore this dispute from the perspective of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in intermediate and secondary schools, a case study was conducted with 34 teachers in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, through questionnaires and a focus group interview. The study found that most teachers believe that the policy of using the target language (English) only is the most effective method of language learning. They employed the students’ mother tongue (Arabic) on an ad hoc basis to ensure complete comprehension, organize classroom tasks or convey personal remarks. In addition, the study revealed that teachers’ understanding of plurilingualism was unclear and limited to the verbal use of two languages, and that EFL teachers need more clarification on its application in the classroom.


2021 ◽  
pp. 98-103
Author(s):  
Kolisnichenko A.I.

The scientific article is devoted to the formation of the international qualification requirements list and general and specific standards for the foreign language teacher training in the European model of teacher education. The author highlights the state of research and analyzes the European requirements for the profession of teacher in general and foreign language teachers in particular, which provided an opportunity to explore key aspects of the profession and ways of its development in the nearest future. The topicality of the researched question,which consists of the introduction and observance of the international requirements in the course of foreign languages teacher training during formal pedagogical education, is defined. The publication also defines the concept of “professional foreign language teacher training”, as a result of which the compliance of teacher training programs and international requirements with standards which are implemented in the European educational area is analyzed.The article reviews the stages of creating an international qualifications framework, and the preconditions for its emergence, as well as clarifies which framework were the basis and the time of its adoption and implementation. The author reveals the features of the national qualifications framework of European countries, their purpose and function.The publication identifies the stages of creating a list of international requirements for the quality of specialist qualifications, describes their essence and features. The study revealed the structural components of the qualification framework, including knowledge, skills, and competencies. The structure of qualification requirements for the foreign language teacher profession is also exposed.In the process of reviewing the qualification framework, the requirements for professional training, which are specified in the educational standards of the countries and the concept of standard in teacher education, are revealed. There are four main goals of international standards for FL teacher training and their types. The list of standards for the future foreign language teacher training is defined, which are divided into three basic sections: professional values and qualities; professional knowledge; professional skills. As a result of the qualification requirements, the qualification framework study, international requirements and standards of foreign language teaching, a positive impact on the quality of foreign language teacher training in pedagogical education of the European educational area was revealed.Key words: qualification requirements, professional training standards, national qualification framework, professional foreign language teacher training, quality of formal pedagogical education, European educa-tional area. Наукова стаття присвячена питанню формування переліку міжнародних кваліфікаційних вимог та загальних і специфічних стандартів до підготовки вчителів іноземних мов у європейській моделі педагогічної освіти. Авторка висвітлює стан дослідження питання та здійснює аналіз загальноєвро-пейських вимог до професії педагога загалом та вчителя іноземних мов зокрема, який дав можливість дослідити ключові аспекти професії та шляхи її розвитку у найближчій перспективі. Визначено актуальність досліджуваного питання, яка полягає у впровадженні та дотриманні запропонованих міжнародних вимог у процесі підготовки вчителів іноземних мов протягом формальної педагогічної освіти. У публікації наведено визначення поняття «професійна підготовка вчителя іноземних мов», унаслідок чого аналізується відповідність програм підготовки вчителів міжнародним вимогам та стандартам, які впроваджені у європейському освітньому просторі.У статті здійснено огляд етапів створення міжнародної кваліфікаційної рамки та передумов її виникнення, а також з’ясовано, яка рамка було базовою, час її прийняття й запровадження. Авторка розкриває особливості національних кваліфікаційних рамок країн Європи, їх мету створення та функції.У публікації визначено етапи створення переліку міжнародних вимог до якості кваліфікацій фахівців, описано їхню сутність та особливості. У результаті дослідження виявлено структурні компоненти кваліфікаційної рамки, серед яких слід назвати знання, уміння, компетентності. Також наведено структуру кваліфікаційних вимог до професії вчителя іноземних мов.В процесі огляду кваліфікаційної рамки у питанні якості підготовки фахівців виокремлено вимоги до професійної підготовки, які зазначені в освітніх стандартах окремих країн, а також розкрито поняття стандарту у педагогічній освіті. Виокремлено чотири основних цілі укладання міжнародних стандартів для підготовки вчителів та їх види. Визначено перелік стандартів для підготовки майбутніх учителів іноземних мов, які поділяються на три базові секції, такі як професійні цінності та якості; професійні знання та вміння; професійні навички. У результаті дослідження кваліфікаційних вимог кваліфікаційної рамки, міжнародних вимог та стандартів навчання іноземних мов виявлено позитивний виплив на якість підготовки вчителів іноземних мов у педагогічній освіті Європейського освітнього простору.Ключові слова: кваліфікаційні вимоги, стандарти професійної підготовки, національна кваліфікаційна рамка, професійна підготовка вчителя іноземних мов, якість формальної педагогічної освіти, Європейський освітній простір.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 140
Author(s):  
Mu'ath Algazo

This study aims to identify functions (Note 1) of teachers’ first language (L1) use in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes in public schools in Jordan based on students’ observations. The questionnaire items were selected based on the most common uses of L1 in second language (L2) classrooms as identified in the literature. The questionnaire was designed to elicit students’ observations to identify functions of EFL teachers’ L1 in English classes. The participants were 104 EFL students in Grades 10 and 11 in four Jordanian public schools. Participants’ responses to the questionnaire were analysed quantitatively using SPSS, a statistical software package. The study found that the students observed that their teachers shared their L1 with them in English classes to: 1) Explain complex grammar points, 2) Define some new vocabulary items, 3) Explain difficult concepts or ideas, 4) Give instructions, 5) Praise the students, 6) Translate the reading texts, and 7) Explain the similarities and differences between Arabic and English in terms of grammar, structure or pronunciation. However, the students did not observe that their teachers used the L1 in order to maintain discipline in the class as previous studies have found. The findings suggest that teachers’ L1 use in the L2 classroom may indicate the usefulness of this practice and call to license EFL teachers to use their L1 in English classes in public school in Jordan and other similar EFL contexts.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-228
Author(s):  
Ali Jahangard ◽  
Shari Holderread

Abstract This study explores the issue of non-native speakers writing a text in their first language (L1) and then translating the text to the second language (L2) to enhance the final text in L2. Writing samples taken from 25 Iranian engineering students in an intermediate level compulsory general English as a foreign language class served as data. The students were provided with a form which instructed them to write their first essay in Farsi (L1) and then translate it into the foreign language, English. The compositions were suggested to be two paragraphs long to provide enough text to analyze. The second composition done by the same group of students a week later on a second topic was written directly in the target language (English). Each student’s work was evaluated in detail using a rating scale divided into two main sections, writing skills and effective writing. This study showed that intermediate level EFL students writing in L1 and then using a translation strategy did not produce better writing samples in L2 than when they wrote directly in L2.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document