scholarly journals Using a Unique and Long Forgotten Authentic Material in the EFL/ESL Classroom: Poetry

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Aladini ◽  
Farzin Farahbod
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Positive Feedback ◽  
Emotional Response ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Authentic Material ◽  
Teaching Tools ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Language Classroom

No doubt one of the everlasting concerns of EFL/ESL teachers is to re-examine and improve teaching tools and practices to meet the needs of their students. This article portrays how poetry, a very genuine and authentic text, can enrich students' language experience. My own teaching observations and students' positive feedback, all proved that poetry can enrich emotional response, imaginative power and creativity in the language learners. Thus it increases their engagement and involvement. There are over hundred original ideas for working with poetry in the language classroom. These highly motivational activities and exercises encourage students to express their inner thoughts and feelings in English. No doubt these classroom activities and practices can improve students' language skills. This article provides a sample of a poem worksheet that includes four skills activities: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

PROMOTING GRAMMAR AWARENESS THROUGH TASK ACTIVITIES

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Reza Alizain
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
Language Classroom

ABSTRACT Despite the continuous debate regarding whether it is necessary to teach grammar explicitly or implicitly in the language classroom, the debaters could agree that grammar awareness is significant for language learners. Many methods have been conducted by language teachers or researchers to promote language learners’ grammar awareness, and one of them is through ideally designed task activities. Grammar awareness is a particular skill in language learning which can be acquired which is quite different from other language skills which deal with language productions or language comprehensions. Grammar awareness is a skill which could allow its possessor to identify the structure of a language rather than the meaning. Therefore, the activities to promote this skill should be logically different from activities to promote either production skills or comprehension skills. The purpose of this paper is to provide several alternatives, especially classroom activities, to promote grammar awareness which can be used effectively.  Keywords: grammar awareness, activities, language, explicitly, implicitly

Negative Evidence in Language Classroom Activities

2003 ◽  
Vol 141-142 ◽  
pp. 301-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Pica ◽  
Gay N. Washburn
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Negative Evidence ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Sentence Construction ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Subject Matter Content

This study sought to identify and describe how negative evidence was made available and accessible in responses to learners during two classroom activities: a teacher-led discussion, which emphasized communication of subject matter content, and a teacher-led sentence construction exercise, which focused on application of grammatical rules. Data came from adult, pre-academic English language learners during six discussions of American film and literature, and six sets of sentence construction exercises. Findings revealed little availability of negative evidence in the discussions, as students' fluent, multi-error contributions drew responses that were primarily back-channels and continuation moves. Greater availability and accessibility of negative evidence were found in the sentence construction exercises, as students were given feedback following their completion of individual sentences. Results from the study suggested several pedagogical implications and applications.

scholarly journals USING LITERARY TEXTS IN NORWEGIAN LANGUAGE TEACHING

2021 ◽  
pp. 505
Author(s):  
Danica Piršl ◽  
Tea Piršl
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Cultural Patterns ◽  
Authentic Material ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Teaching Language ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Target Culture

The use of literary texts in teaching language has varied from the strict focus on translation and essential grammar and vocabulary lists derived from the text to the more creative uses like acting, writing and debating. Nowadays, communicative language approach prevails in most classrooms and insists on immersing students into both the target language and culture. In this paper, the author argues that to accomplish this, one can use literary texts in a number of ways and help the students learn, practice and master various language skills, while at the same time relating the texts to the students' interests, goals and lived experiences and help them relate to the society whose language they are learning. Literature is presented as a great source of authentic material that can contribute to students' language enrichment and cultural awareness. According to the data obtained from the research conducted for the purpose of this paper, students learning the Norwegian language by extensive use of literature reported better understanding of the target culture, raised awareness of the different cultural patterns and improved language skills. The pedagogical implications of the research are that more authentic literary texts should be used in language classroom to boost successful language acquisition.

Developing Students' English Language Skills and Cultural Awareness by Means of Food Topics

2016 ◽  
pp. 176-202
Author(s):  
Mihaela Badea ◽  
Diana Presada
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Major Purpose ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Instructional Perspectives ◽  
British Culture

The chapter tackles the topic of food in teaching English as a second language from different instructional perspectives, which include an integrated approach to skill-development, vocabulary acquisition as well as to American and British culture and civilization. The major purpose is to suggest various classroom activities based on topics related to food that can be used by ESL teachers in their classes. Consequently, the focus is on the strategies conducing to the development of receptive and productive language skills, practice of lexical items and enhancement of cultural awareness. Various theoretical elements regarding the teaching process lie at the basis of practical activities proposed by the chapter.

scholarly journals Inverse translation and the language student: A case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-193
Author(s):  
Lucía Pintado Gutiérrez
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Inverse Translation ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis article explores the agency of the student in translation in language teaching and learning (or TILT). The purpose of the case study discussed here is to gain an overview of students’ perceptions of translation into the foreign language (FL) (also known as “inverse translation”) following a module on language and translation, and to analyse whether there is any correlation between students’ attitude to translation, its impact on their language learning through effort invested, and the improvement of language skills. The results of the case study reveal translation to be a potentially exciting skill that can be central to FL learning and the analysis gives indications of how and why language teachers may optimise the implementation of translation in the classroom. The outcome of the study suggests that further research is needed on the impact of translation in the language classroom focussing on both teachers’ expectations and students’ achievements.

Factors predicting classroom WTC in English and French as foreign languages among adult learners in Spain

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110540
Author(s):  
Elvira Barrios ◽  
Irene Acosta-Manzano
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Willingness To Communicate ◽  
French Language ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Relative Standing

This study aimed to identify associations and predictors of willingness to communicate (WTC) of adult foreign language (FL) learners and whether they are contingent upon the FL being learned. To this end, our research investigated learner variables associated with WTC in adult FL learners of English and of French in an under-researched field of WTC studies in Spain. More specifically, the following variables were studied: gender, age, level of multilingualism, perceived relative standing in the class, language proficiency, teacher’s use of the FL in class, out-of-class foreign language use (OCFLU) and the two emotions of foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). Of the 9 independent variables examined, FLCA and language proficiency were found to be predictors of the WTC of both English and French language learners; additionally, enjoyment was found to be a predictor of WTC of learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) and OCFLU, of learners of French as a foreign language (FFL). Our findings indicate that the construct of WTC needs to be further studied as research may produce dissimilar results depending on the instructional setting, population and foreign language. Pedagogical implications for language teaching practices seeking to enhance adult FL learners’ WTC were also drawn from the study results.

Googleology for second language learning

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-469
Author(s):  
Patrizia Giampieri
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learning ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Linguistic Research ◽  
Advanced Search ◽  
The World ◽  
Google Search

Abstract The World Wide Web has often been considered too vast to be consulted for linguistic purposes or for language learning. This paper will explore whether second language learners can be taught how to navigate the web (i.e., how to perform Google linguistic research, or “Googleology”), in order to improve their language skills. To this aim, a 2 h trial lesson was organized. The trial lesson was delivered to 78 apprentices, divided into groups of 10–15, over a period of six months. During the lesson, the participants were taught how to work with Google Advanced Search syntax. At the end of the lesson, they applied the newly-acquired skills by completing a few tasks concerning term and/or collocational search. The paper findings will highlight that, despite initial hesitation or inaccuracies in completing the exercises, the tasks were performed well. The participants considered the lesson interesting, useful and enjoyable. They felt engaged irrespective of the level of their second language (L2) knowledge, and were more confident in approaching Google Search for linguistic purposes.

Deployment of the formulaic utterance “how about∼” in task-based second language classroom discussions

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-446
Author(s):  
David Aline ◽  
Yuri Hosoda
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
Fine Grained ◽  
Japanese Learners Of English ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Alternative Procedures ◽  
Japanese Learners

Abstract Formulaic speech has long been of interest in studies of second language learning and pragmatic use as production and comprehension of formulaic utterances requires less processing and production effort and, therefore, allows for greater fluency. This study scrutinizes the sequential positions and actions of one formulaic utterance “how about∼” from the participants’ perspective. This conversation analytic study offers a fine-grained microanalysis of student interaction during classroom peer discussion activities. The data consist of over 54 h of video-recorded classroom interaction. Analysis revealed several positions and actions of “how about∼” as it occurs during peer discussions by Japanese learners of English. Emerging from analysis was a focus on how learners deploy this formulaic utterance to achieve various actions within sequences of interaction. Analysis revealed that participants used “how about∼” for (a) explicitly selecting next speaker, (b) shifting topics, (c) proposing a solution, and (d) suggesting alternative procedures. Although the formula was deployed to perform these four different actions, consistent throughout all instances was the disclosure of learner orientation to the progressivity of the task interaction. The findings show how language learners deploy this formulaic utterance in discussion tasks designed for language learning and highlights the pragmatic functions of this phrase.

scholarly journals English Language Learners in Canadian Schools: Emerging Directions for School-Based Policies

2012 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Cummins ◽  
Rania Mirza ◽  
Saskia Stille
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Ell Students ◽  
Literacy Engagement ◽  
Biliteracy Development

This article attempts to provide ESL teachers, school administrators, and policymakers with a concise overview of what matters in promoting academic success among learners of English in Canadian schools. We review research focused on bilingual and biliteracy development, the nature of academic language, and the roles of societal power relations and identity negotiation in determining the academic achievement of English language learners (ELL). On the basis of this research, we propose the Literacy Engagement framework that identifies literacy engagement as a major determinant of literacy achievement for ELL and non-ELL students. In order to enable ELL students to engage with literacy, the framework highlights the importance of teachers scaffolding meaning, connecting with students’ lives, affirming student identities, and extending their awareness and knowledge of language across the curriculum. The application of the framework is illustrated with reference to the literacy and academic learning experiences of two ELL students in the Toronto area.

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