scholarly journals The Benefits of Backward Design in the English as a Foreign Language Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-158
Author(s):  
Carlos Lenin Alvarez Llerena
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Procedural Knowledge ◽  
Design Model ◽  
Backward Design ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Instructional Processes ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Language Context

ABSTRACTThe Backward Design Model (BDM) is a curriculum approach in language teaching, which begins with the specification of learning outcomes that are the basis for developing instructional processes and input (Richards, 2013). This study aims to display a theoretical analysis of how the integration of the BDM has impacted English as a Foreign Language class. Thus, this study provides the results of reviewing research-based articles about how the integration of the BDM has benefited EFL teachers and students. These benefits are related to the main elements of the BDM, namely, designing learning to provide enduring understandings, assessing students’ performance based on acceptable evidence, and planning learning experiences and instructions based on desirable outcomes. The results indicated that the BDM indeed brought benefits to EFL teachers and students, revealing that this model's efficient application can help (a) teachers better understand the procedural knowledge of learning and (b) students improve their English language skills.ABSTRAKBackward Design Model merupakan pendekatan kurikulum dalam pengajaran bahasa yang diawali dengan spesifikasi hasil belajar yang menjadi dasar untuk pegembangan proses dan masukan pembelajaran (Richards, 2013). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menampilkan analisis teoritis tentang bagaimana integrasi Backward Design Model (BDM) berdampak pada kelas bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa asing. Penelitian ini merupakan hasil dari telaah artikel berbasis penelitian tentang bagaimana integrasi BDM bermanfaat bagi para guru dan siswa EFL. Manfaat ini berkaitan dengan elemen utama BDM yaitu merancang pembelajaran untuk pemahaman yang bertahan lama, penilaian kinerja siswa berdasarkan bukti yang dapat diterima, dan merencanakan pengalaman dan instruksi pembelajaran berdasarkan hasil yang diinginkan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa BDM memang membawa manfaat bagi para guru dan siswa. Hasil penelitian juga mengungkapkan bahwa penerapan model yang efisien ini membantu para guru untuk memiliki pemahaman yang lebih baik tentang pengetahuan prosedural pembelajaran dan juga membantu siswa untuk meningkatkan kemampuan berbahasa Inggris mereka.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Perceptions on Using Smartphones in English as a Foreign Language Context

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-104
Author(s):  
Ali Abbas Alzubi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Qr Codes ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Educational Applications ◽  
Language Context

This study explored the perceptions of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers at a foundation year in a university in Saudi Arabia. 41 male (27) and female (14) teachers completed a survey using Google Forms. The results indicated that the majority of teachers (83%) supported the integration of smartphones in EFL context, as 71% believe that smartphones would enhance students’ EFL learning. 72% reported that they used smartphones for university-related work. Sending and receiving emails, accessing the internet, and using educational applications were the most reported beneficial features whereas scanning/creating QR codes, using calculator, playing games, and playing a podcast were the least reported. 79 % believed that smartphones would have instructional benefits for the learners such as access to technology, motivation, creativity English language learning opportunities, and variation in instruction whereas 58 % did not see any barriers in the use of smartphones in EFL context. That smartphones may distract students’ attention was the only reported barrier. Recommendations and impactions for further research and applications were suggested.

scholarly journals Teachers and Students’ Attitudes towards the Integration of the Target Culture in the English as a Foreign Language Class: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-266
Author(s):  
Simon Pierre DABOU ◽  
Abdelhak HAMMOUDI ◽  
Romaissa CHIBANI
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Target Culture

Language and culture are like two sides of the same coin, the music on a radio or the soul in a body. The two are so interrelated that separating them is almost impossible. Therefore, teaching a foreign language implies integrating the target culture. In this context, this study aimed to investigate teachers and students’ attitudes towards the integration of the English culture in the EFL curriculum at the University of Sétif 2.  A Semi-structured interview with six English language teachers and a questionnaire to 53 third-year English students were the tools used to collect the necessary data. The analysis of the data showed that all the teachers were for the integration of the target culture in the EFL classes. The study also revealed that students who had positive attitudes towards the target culture represented only 28% of the sample. Therefore, the researchers suggested that the concept of target culture be properly defined within the EFL class and appropriately approached to sustain interest. Moreover, teachers are encouraged to integrate certain aspects of the target culture, such as language, norms, and values, to avoid misunderstanding, and respect each other’s cultural rights.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Use of Code Switching in An English as a Foreign Language Context in Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Lingga Agustina Suganda ◽  
Bambang A Loeneto ◽  
Zuraida Zuraida
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Classroom Observation ◽  
Code Switching ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Competence ◽  
Language Context

This study proposed to investigate the phenomena of code switching which refers to the use of English and Indonesian as a medium of instruction used by the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers in their classroom discourse. It depicted the attitudes of EFL teachers and their students towards the patterns, functions, and influence of code switching in two EFL classes in Indonesia. The data were collected from classroom observation, interview, and questionnaire which explored the occurrence of code switching during the teaching and learning process as well as the teachers and students’ perception on its use in the classroom context. The results indicated that the switching between English and Indonesian in the EFL classrooms was very natural since it also became a tool to show the cultural, social, and communicative aspects of each language despite the amount of its use which varied greatly from teacher to teacher due to their students’ English competence.

scholarly journals English Language Teachers’ Perspective of Using L1 in TEFL Class

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yella Dezas Perdani
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
West Java ◽  
English Class ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers

The research discussed the using the first language in teaching a foreign language that had been a debate for language teaching practitioners for decades in language acquisition. The debate was about whether it was all right to use it in a foreign language class or not and how it affected the students’ learning process and result. Because of the pro and cons of using the first language in teaching a foreign language, the research was conducted to find out the use of the first language in teaching English as a foreign language. The research aimed to discover to what extent and in which instances L1 was used by the teachers in their English teaching class in terms of the teaching stages, including pre-teaching, whilst-teaching, and post-teaching in the classroom. The research also searched teachers’ perspectives and reasons for using L1 in their English class. Moreover, the research used a qualitative method to gathered information from the participants. The participants were four English teachers who taught English at senior high school in Bandung-West Java province, Majalengka-West Java province, Pangkal Pinang- Bangka Province, and Kuok-Riau Province. The collections of the data were questionnaires and interviews. The findings show that most teachers use Indonesian as L1 in the whilst-teaching stage when they deliver the materials. They use L1 to clarify the students’ understanding of the materials given and explain English language concepts, grammatical concepts, and difficult words. They argue that using L1 helps both teachers and students in teaching and learning English as a foreign language.

scholarly journals An Inquiry into Saudi EFL Teachers and Students’ Perceptions of EFL Virtual Classes and Its Relation to Learner Autonomy

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Abrar Khalawi ◽  
Maha Halabi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Virtual Classes ◽  
King Abdulaziz University ◽  
English Language Institute ◽  
Academic Year

The purpose of this research paper is to explore Saudi foundation-year teachers and students’ perceptions of the use of virtual classes for teaching or learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the English Language Institute (ELI) in King Abdulaziz University (KAU). The data for this study was collected through questionnaires from a total of 20 teachers and 22 students. The survey was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2019-2020, and the data was analyzed quantitatively. The overall results of the questionnaires demonstrate that the majority of teachers and students held positive attitudes towards EFL virtual classes, however, they prefer face-to-face classrooms. Additionally, some participants admitted the huge role virtual classes play in improving learners’ autonomy.

scholarly journals Pronunciation Errors of Letter “G” in English Language Made by Saudi Undergraduate Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huda Alqunayeer
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Loan Words ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Academic Year

The primary goal of the present study is to identify the problematic areas in the pronunciation of the letter “g” in English written words made by Saudi female learners of English as a foreign language, and the reasons for the weakness associated with mispronunciation of English written words which contain this letter. The population of the study was the female students (90 students) and their English language teachers (12 teachers) at the Qassim University during the academic year (2014-2015). There were two types of instruments used in this study. The first was a pronunciation test for the student participants in order to investigate the problematic areas of pronouncing “g” in different environments in different words; and the second a questionnaire for the teacher participants to provide comprehensive data about the causes of these errors of pronouncing “g” committed by EFL female students at Qassim University. Ninety female students were included for the pronunciation test and 12 teachers were asked to answer the questionnaire. Simple percentage was used for analyzing the data of recording words (pronunciation test). Results of the students’ recording words revealed that the participants mispronounced “g” before nasals (68%). According to the results of the teachers’ responses to the questionnaire suggested many factors that can cause difficulties for students in terms of pronouncing “g” in English written words. According to them, these difficulties are concerned with reading difficulties, nonstandard spellings, letters that follow “g” (many of them may become combinations), loan words, orthography (no correspondence between the English alphabets and their sounds). The researcher offers recommendations that might help teachers and students to overcome and reduce these mispronunciations of this letter in English written words.

scholarly journals The Effects of an Experimental Training Program for Teachers of Vocational English Using Concentrated Language Encounter Instructional Processes and Reciprocal Peer Teaching Strategies

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 58
Author(s):  
Saowalak Rattanavich
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Peer Teaching ◽  
Reading And Writing ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Instructional Processes ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Writing Tests

This experimental study aims to investigate the effects of three vocational English classes, each one academic semester in duration, and using the concentrated language encounter approach and reciprocal peer teaching strategies. This study employed a time-series design with one pre-experiment and two post-experiments. Discourse and frequency analysis were performed in relation to the teachers’ English language teaching performance and their students’ English listening and speaking performance. The students’ reading and writing tests were subjected to analysis of variance with repeated measures, including plotted line graphs. The results revealed a tendency among the teachers and students to increase the frequency of their English language use in each class. The quality of the students’ reading and writing were also significantly improved. All teachers expressed positive opinions about the experimental teaching treatment and its effect on the students English.

scholarly journals The Influence of Educational Programme on Teachers’ Error Correction Preferences in the Speaking Skill: Insights from English as a Foreign Language Context

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 76
Author(s):  
Emre Debreli ◽  
Nazife Onuk
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Error Correction ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Educational Programme ◽  
Classroom Observations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Speaking Skill ◽  
Language Context

<p class="apa">In the area of language teaching, corrective feedback is one of the popular and hotly debated topics that have been widely explored to date. A considerable number of studies on students’ preferences of error correction and the effects of error correction approaches on student achievement do exist. Moreover, much on teachers’ preferences of error correction approaches has also been explored. However, less seems to be done with regard to teachers’ practices of error correction approaches, especially in the area of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The present study explored EFL teacher’s preferences of error correction approaches in the speaking skill, and further focused on whether the teachers were able to employ the approaches they preferred in their classrooms. Data were collected from a group of 17 EFL teachers, through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations. The findings revealed that although the teachers had clear preferences for error correction approaches, they could not employ them in their classrooms owing to the educational programme constraints. Furthermore, it was observed that they often had to adopt approaches that they were not actually in favour of. Implications for programme and curriculum designers are further discussed.</p>

scholarly journals CZY JESTEŚMY GOTOWI NA EKOGLOTTODYDAKTYKĘ W POLSKIM KONTEKŚCIE EDUKACYJNYM?

Neofilolog ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 11-26
Author(s):  
Jolanta Sujecka-Zając
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Main Function ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Nature And Culture ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
Language Context ◽  
The Relationship

The trend for eco-linguistics, which has been dynamically developing in the English-language literature since the 1970s, proposes a change in the perception of the relationship between language, nature, and culture, in a sense making language a link which brings together nature and culture, rather than separating them as is traditional. This approach poses important questions: How do languages ​​work in the ecosystem created by the language environment of all users of a given language context? What relationships can they enter into? How should one perceive the development of multilingualism in such an ecological approach, in which not only does "strong" affect the "weak" but “weak” reciprocates? "Weak" has an important place in the language ecosystem, which risks serious changes due to excessive weakening of one of its components. This paper aims to examine the possible inspirations that eco-linguistics offers Foreign Language Teaching (FLT), highlighting the role of each language and sensitizing the reader to the relationships that arise between languages ​​and their users in a given environment. From this perspective Claire Kramsch (2008) postulates a change in the perception of the main function of the teacher from the "teacher of a code" to the "teacher of meaning", which has specific didactic consequences in how language activities are approached. Is the school classroom a place for activities which have their origin in the trend for eco-FLT?

scholarly journals Linguistic Awareness of the Prepositional Phrase Complexities in the English as a Foreign Language Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Chinger Enrique Zapata-Leal ◽  
María Cecilia Ávila-Portuanto
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Language Awareness ◽  
Functional Grammar ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Prepositional Phrases ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Multiple Meanings ◽  
Language Context ◽  
Internal Configuration

This essay focuses on a description of the complexities of Prepositional Phrases (PPs) and their challenges for EFL learners. The rationale is to raise language awareness of the multifaceted nature of the PP in teachers and students. The grammatical explanations offered in the literature review are based on Functional Grammar. Moreover, previous research conducted addressing the issues of EFL learners facing problems with PPs are proposed in four configurations: semantic, syntactic, lexical and socio-cultural. Such configurations address scenarios for the identification of multiple meanings, different syntactic functions and structures, regional variations, typology, formal and informal language usage, among others, which represent obstacles and difficulties in the comprehension of the topic by EFL learners. Finally, we conclude that the limited use of syntactic functions, poor internal configuration of PPs, as well as the high frequency of errors reported by previous research indicate PPs are complex to use. Thereby, explicitly reinforcing the teaching of all the configurations of PPs is suggested.

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