scholarly journals The Cultural Content in EFL Textbooks and What Teachers Need to Do About It

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis Fernando Gómez Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Surface Culture ◽  
Instructional Resources ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Deep Culture ◽  
Cultural Content ◽  
English Classroom

<p>This article analyzes the cultural content in three communicative English as a foreign language textbooks that are used as main instructional resources in the English classroom. The study examined whether the textbooks include elements of surface or deep culture, and the findings indicate that the textbooks contain only static and congratulatory topics of surface culture and omit complex and transformative forms of culture. Consequently, the second part of the article suggests how teachers can address deep-rooted aspects of culture that might help English as a foreign language learners build more substantive intercultural competence in the language classroom.</p><p>En este artículo se analiza el contenido cultural en tres textos de inglés comunicativo utilizados como el principal recurso de enseñanza en la clase de inglés. Se indagó si los textos incluyen elementos de la cultura superficial o de la cultura profunda. Se observó que los textos sólo presentan temas “admirables” y representativos de la cultura superficial y no ofrecen temas complejos y trasformativos de la cultura profunda. En consecuencia, en la segunda parte del artículo se sugiere a los profesores de inglés cómo abordar aspectos complejos de la cultura profunda que podrían ayudarle a los estudiantes de inglés como lengua extranjera a construir una competencia intercultural más sólida.</p>

scholarly journals Developing Students’ Intercultural Competence among Moroccan EFL students: Focus on raising their Cross-cultural Awareness

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-56
Author(s):  
Driss Benattabou
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Deep Culture ◽  
Efl Students

         The goal of this paper is to consider alternative ways to incorporate an intercultural communication course as an integral part of the curriculum designed for Moroccan learners of EFL. Some aspects of what comes to be dubbed as ‘deep culture’ should find room in the contents of the EFL course so as to alert Moroccan learners about the potential intercultural barriers they are far more likely to face. It is proposed that for an effective intercultural communication to take place, the English course should help foreign language learners explicitly understand what target linguistic forms might be and how their meanings may differ across cultures. The analysis of some instances of intercultural misunderstandings may surely give more credence to the vital importance of implementing a multicultural approach to education. This paper offers some teaching strategies to assist Moroccan learners of EFL overcome these intercultural barriers.

Patterns of Vocabulary Development in Foreign-Language Learners

1987 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Palmberg
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Vocabulary Development ◽  
Vocabulary Knowledge ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Introductory Discussion ◽  
The Relationship

After an introductory discussion of the concepts of vocabulary knowledge continua and foreign-language learners' mental lexicons, the paper presents the results of a longitudinal pilot study whose aim was to make preliminary insights into vocabulary development as it takes place in an ordinary foreign-language classroom setting involving elementary-level Swedish-speaking learners of English. The results are discussed in terms of vocabulary growth in general, the learners' accessibility to words under time pressure, the relationship between “old,” well-known words and newly learned words, and finally, the stability of the learners' immediate access to words.

scholarly journals Exploring Engagement in Tasks in the Language Classroom

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 50-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenefer Philp ◽  
Susan Duchesne
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Emotional Dimensions

ABSTRACTThis article explores how learners engage in tasks in the context of language classrooms. We describe engagement as a multidimensional construct that includes cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional dimensions of engagement among second and foreign language learners in the classroom. We discuss key concepts and indicators of engagement in current research on task-based interaction and outline some of the issues in researching engagement in this context.

scholarly journals Are foreign language learners’ enjoyment and anxiety specific to the teacher? An investigation into the dynamics of learners’ classroom emotions

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Dewaele ◽  
Livia Dewaele
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Single Point ◽  
Target Language ◽  
School Students ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Frequency Of Use ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Item Level ◽  
Group Characteristics

Previous research has considered fluctuations in students’ foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) over months or years (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014, 2016). However, there has been no investigation of the effect of the teacher on these emotions at a single point in time. In this study, we investigate the question whether FL learners experience similar levels of FLE and FLCA in the same language if they have two different teachers. Participants were 40 London-based secondary school students studying modern languages with one Main Teacher and one Second Teacher. Statistical analysis revealed that while FLCA was constant with both teachers, FLE was significantly higher with the Main Teacher. Predictors of FLE such as attitudes towards the teacher, the teacher’s frequency of use of the target language in class and unpredictability were also significantly more positive for the Main Teacher. Item-level analysis revealed that the teacher creating a positive emotional atmosphere in class contributed to the higher FLE score. Items that reflected more stable personal and group characteristics varied less between the two teachers. The findings suggest that FLE is more teacher-dependent than FLCA, which is more stable across teachers.

scholarly journals Dunkin’ the Donut: A Study on Students’ Patterns of Language Use through Technology Applications in Independent Language Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132
Author(s):  
Norizul Azida Darus ◽  
Norhajawati Abdul Halim
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Foreign Language Teachers ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Technology Applications

Any language can be acquired at any time, but to acquire the language, one needs to learn the language. Learning a second or foreign language is not a favourite among second or foreign language learners. This is because learning a language is a very intense time-consuming activity. Learning is often unsuccessful because learners receive impoverished or insufficient input and lack of motivation. To this, second language or foreign language teachers play the most significant role to help and motivate the students to acquire the said language. The preferred method is to be immersed into the actual ecosystem of the target language and become part of the language ecosystem. The other way is to dunk the learners into the artificial ecosystem of the language classroom. In dunking, the learners are immersed temporarily and repeatedly into the simulated ecosystem language. As can be seen now, technology remains the only viable option to get enough interactive contact with the target language. Using interesting software is one of the methods in making learning more interesting. Furthermore, the students are able to practice the language not only during class time, but on their own free time outside of class hours, that is during students’ independent time of learning. The findings revealed that most students found using the applications has improved their language learning. The role of teachers on the other hand is to provide instructions and assist whenever necessary and needed by the students.

scholarly journals Does the effect of enjoyment outweigh that of anxiety in foreign language performance?

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Dewaele ◽  
Mateb Alfawzan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Foreign Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Positive And Negative Emotions

Interest in the effect of positive and negative emotions in foreign language acquisition has soared recently because of the positive psychology movement (Dewaele & MacIntyre, 2014, 2016; MacIntyre, Gregersen & Mercer, 2016). No work so far has been carried out on the differential effect of positive and negative emotions on foreign language performance. The current study investigates the effect of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) on foreign language performance in a group of 189 foreign language pupils in two London secondary schools and a group of 152 Saudi English as a foreign language learners and users of English in Saudi Arabia. Correlation analyses showed that the positive effect of FLE on performance was stronger than the negative effect of FLCA. In other words, FLE seems to matter slightly more than FLCA in foreign language (FL) performance. Qualitative material collected from the Saudi participants shed light on the causes of FLCA and FLE and how these shaped participants’ decisions to pursue or abandon the study of the FL.

scholarly journals Intercultural competence - an aim for the teaching of English in Norway?

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ragnhild Elisabeth Lund
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Present Article ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
Foreign Language Learners

The 1997 Norwegian national curriculum (L-97) pointed out the need for foreign language learners to develop ‘the ability to communicate across cultural divides’. The present article investigates how this perspective is followed up in the most recent national curriculum, LK-06, and discusses how intercultural competence can be dealt with in the teaching of English in Norwegian compulsory education. The author also indicates possible future developments by referring to some Council of Europe projects. The main focus is on the questions of how (inter)cultural topics can be selected and how intercultural competence can be assessed.

scholarly journals Podcasting as a tool to develop speaking skills in the foreign language classroom

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 40
Author(s):  
Mario Tomé Díez ◽  
Marlisa Amanda Richters
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Spoken Language ◽  
Preparation Time ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Actual Duration ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Oral Activity ◽  
Speaking Skills

<p>It is essential for foreign language learners to have adequate opportunities for speaking in order to enhance the acquisition of oral communicative competence. Although research over the last few years has dealt with the potential of podcasting for the development of oral competencies, little has been done towards its application in the <em>improvement</em> of speaking skills or the <em>correction</em> of pronunciation. This article presents experiments with podcasts developed in French foreign language classes over the course of ten years. The results obtained relate to the following three aspects: firstly, selection and analysis of the available tools fostering greater oral activity and effective correction of pronunciation; secondly, the quantification of spoken language according to the actual duration of the podcasts, as well as preparation time estimated by the students; finally, the evaluation of spoken language using certain indicators of improvement of pronunciation.<em></em></p>

scholarly journals Cinema as a didactic tool in the secondary school foreign language classroom: French

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-147
Author(s):  
Imad Boussif ◽  
Estefanía Sánchez Auñón
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Teaching Unit

The seventh art forms an essential part of the students’ daily lives; additionally, it has been asserted that it is a highly advantageous didactic tool for high school foreign language learners. Thus, the purpose of this empirical study is twofold: to explore high school learners’ perception on the didactic exploitation of films in the French classroom, and to determine whether or not the cinema-based approach is as beneficial for high school French students as it seems. Accordingly, a cinema-based teaching unit was put into practice in two high school French classrooms and, afterwards, the thirty-five participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire in order to examine their views on this methodology and analyse its effects on their language learning process. The results obtained have revealed that high school French students have a very positive opinion on the cinema-based approach and that this method is motivating and helps learners to enhance their linguistic and sociocultural competences.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document