Critical ‘intercultural awareness’ enhancement: Effects of using asynchronous online discussion with Thai tertiary students

In the globalized era, the interaction between people from different cultures increases dramatically. This affects the way the English language is used, and how the language is taught at all levels of education. Regarding this, English language teachers are recommended to reconsider their current classroom practices in light of the above issue. One basic recommendation is to incorporate other cultural aspects besides just the American and British models commonly used today. However, research on developing learners’ critical ‘intercultural awareness’ (ICA) is rare in the literature, particularly regarding the use of asynchronous online discussion (AOD) at the Thai tertiary level. This study aimed to investigate the AOD use to develop critical ICA and to examine the effects of such AOD use on the learning of Thai students. Twelve ICA-enhanced AOD tasks were developed as instructional instruments. From these, research instruments were developed, including a pretest, a posttest, a self-reported questionnaire, and an in-depth interview. Two groups of Thai students with different English proficiency levels were selected to join the experiment, classified as a high proficiency (HP) group and a low proficiency (LP) group. After AOD implementation, their performances were assessed. Findings revealed improvements in the performances of both groups, with the mean posttest scores being higher in both groups, with the HP group demonstrating better performance. In addition to posttest scores, the participants provided positive perceptions of the AOD tasks, with no significant differences in the perceptions between groups. The interview responses revealed the students’ perceptions that the AOD tasks were challenging, but provided them with an opportunity to think critically about the culturally related questions. This study highlights the benefits of developing critical ICA in an ELT classroom with the AOD use, especially HP students, even though it may not work very well with LP students.

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Mother Tongue based Multilingual Education (MT- MLE): Teachers' Language Ideologies

Journal of NELTA Surkhet ◽

10.3126/jns.v5i0.19483 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 28-40

Author(s):

Jnanu Raj Paudel

Keyword(s):

English Language ◽

Language Ideologies ◽

Mother Tongue ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Strong Belief ◽

Multilingual Education ◽

Depth Interview ◽

English Language Teachers ◽

Language Promotion

Mother Tongue based Multilingual Education (MT- MLE) is a form of multilingual education built on the learners' mother tongue. This article explores the teachers' ideology on the policy (as policy appropriator). The ideologies of the language teachers have been drawn from the interpretive perspectives where the reality is judged based on the experiences of the research and the researched. The participants in this study covered five English language teachers who have been working in the area of multilingualism. The in-depth interview with them supplied the data for arriving into the results and conclusions. Finally, the teachers unraveled their strong belief on the use of MLE for language promotion and protection of indigenous knowledge.Journal of NELTA Surkhet Vol. 5 January, 2018, Page: 28-40

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English Teachers’ Perceptions And Practices of Integrating ICT in ELT

Butwal Campus Journal ◽

10.3126/bcj.v3i1.36509 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 87-102

Author(s):

Bhim Lal Bhandari

Keyword(s):

Language Proficiency ◽

English Language ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Information And Communications Technology ◽

Ict Skills ◽

Teachers Perceptions ◽

Depth Interview ◽

Key Skills ◽

Ict Tools ◽

English Language Teachers

This study explores the English language teachers’ perceptions and practices of information and communications technology (ICT) in ELT incorporating key skills. Furthermore, it investigates the benefits and challenges of integrating ICT. The study was carried out within the theoretical framework of constructivism theory. The study adopted the interpretive research paradigm to bring lived experiences of the participants. To achieve the purpose of the study, four teachers were purposively selected as the participants. In-depth interview was used as major technique for collecting information. The study reveals that the English language teachers have good and positive perception of integrating ICT skills as they involve students in cognitive engagement through ICT tools and devices. The study contributes to enhance students’ creativity and better language proficiency in English. Moreover, lack of sufficient ICT knowledge and skills of teachers, limited resources and infrastructure in schools, lack of ICT trainings have been realized as challenges for effective integration of ICT in English.

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Linguistic Diversity in the English-Medium Instruction Classroom in Nepal: Challenge or Chance

International Journal of English Language Education ◽

10.5296/ijele.v7i1.14887 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 70

Author(s):

Mohan Singh Saud

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Language Policy ◽

Intercultural Competence ◽

English Language ◽

Linguistic Diversity ◽

Social Contexts ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Linguistic Landscape ◽

Intercultural Awareness ◽

English Language Teachers

Linguistic diversity is a common phenomenon in urban Nepalese societies. However, Nepalese educational system has not adapted this reality very well. Therefore, considering the linguistic landscape of the multilingual city in Kathmandu, this study focuses on the linguistic and cultural diversity in multilingual school space of public education system. The purpose of this study was to explore how the English language teachers address the issue of students’ linguistic diversity in English as a medium of instruction (EMI) language policy classrooms, whether they take this as a challenge of teaching or chance for learning. Employing a phenomenological design of qualitative research, three English language teachers were interviewed to collect information for this study. Their audio recorded interviews were transcribed, coded and then analyzed and interpreted using a thematic approach linking with relevant theories. The findings indicate that linguistic diversity in the English classrooms can be a valuable resource for learning and developing effective intercultural competence in the learners to cope with culturally diverse social contexts. Though linguistic diversity has become a challenge of teaching for English language teachers, it can be changed into an opportunity for learning through intercultural awareness. EMI language policy of public schools has become a barrier to change multilingualism as a resource for learning.

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COLLABORATIVE STORY WRITING FOR INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT

Facta Universitatis Series Linguistics and Literature ◽

10.22190/full1702163l ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 163

Author(s):

Nina Lazarević

Keyword(s):

Intercultural Communication ◽

English Language ◽

Communicative Competence ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Small Scale ◽

Special Focus ◽

Intercultural Communicative Competence ◽

Intercultural Awareness ◽

Story Writing ◽

English Language Teachers

Development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in the constraints of the classroom faces many obstacles: not just formal, in terms of the choice of approaches, material and assessment, but also ethical and value-related. Building intercultural awareness in future teachers is equally important, as they should be prepared not only for the intercultural classroom, but for the imminent diversity that any classroom encompasses: ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, learner style. One of many techniques that have been used in the ICC classroom is cooperative story writing. The collaborative project was done by the American and Serbian university students, the former starting the stories and working under the instruction of Professor Kenneth Cushner, an intercultural communication specialist, and the latter finishing them. The jointly written stories showed that both students were up to a degree stereotypical in their understanding of the other culture, but were at the same aware of the steps that had to be taken to improve intercultural communication. A small-scale study is used to show how the learners’ understanding of culture may be enhanced, with a special focus on how future English language teachers might benefit from it.

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Native-speakerism and ‘hidden curricula’ in ELT training

Journal of Language and Discrimination ◽

10.1558/jld.36409 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 162-187 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Robert J. Lowe ◽

Luke Lawrence

Keyword(s):

English Language ◽

Hidden Curriculum ◽

Native Speaker ◽

Language Teachers ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Beliefs And Practices ◽

Research Perspectives ◽

Norms And Values ◽

English Language Teachers ◽

Individual Training

Issues surrounding native-speakerism in ELT have been investigated from a diverse range of research perspectives over the last decade. This study uses a duoethnographic approach in order to explore the concept of a 'hidden curriculum' that instils and perpetuates Western 'native speaker' norms and values in the formal and informal training of English language teachers. We found that, despite differences in our own individual training experiences, a form of 'hidden curriculum' was apparent that had a powerful effect on our initial beliefs and practices as teachers and continues to influence our day-to-day teaching.

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