scholarly journals Promoting Student Voice and Choice: Examples from a Secondary EL Classroom Project

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-33
Author(s):  
Emily Suh ◽  
Lisa Hoffman ◽  
Donna L. Albrecht ◽  
Scott Wade
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Instructional Strategies ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Gifted Students ◽  
High Ability ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Multilingual Students ◽  
High School Class

A creative reflection project was designed and implemented for English learners in a newcomer high school class using instructional strategies which are often reserved for classes with gifted students. The researchers designed the project around two principles which are also hallmarks of high ability curriculum design: 1) an assumption that emerging multilingual students have high abilities and unrecognized talents, and 2) a commitment to students using their own agency to show their learning. We consider connections between instructional strategies used by English language learning specialists and high ability education specialists. The resulting asset-based project was aligned with the WIDA framework to support differentiation and assessment. This article discusses the successes and struggles that came from implementing this project with secondary English learners. We also share the materials created for this unit as well as considerations for other educators who might consider adapting or implementing a similar project.

scholarly journals ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING NEEDS ANALYSIS IN RADIOENGINEERING SPHERE

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Yuliia V. Baklazhenko ◽  
Tetiana L. Savchuk
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Needs Analysis ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Kyiv Polytechnic Institute ◽  
Listening And Speaking

The present article is an attempt to conduct needs analysis of English learners in Radio Engineering sphere. The relevance of the topic is explained by the growing need for ESP programs tailored to specific learners` needs. Needs analysis is defined as an information gathering and interpreting process aimed at curriculum design or modification to better suit the learners` needs. Authors propose an overview of the current approaches to Needs Analysis and its constituent parts. The results of a questionnaire conducted among the students of Radio Technical Faculty, National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, are presented and discussed. The results seem to emphasize the growing need of students to concentrate on IT topics of study as well as to introduce modern IT tools of teaching and learning. Thus, most students need to use English at work and during communication in the spheres of Electronics and IT. The majority of them expect to improve speaking and translation skills while they view most difficulties in speaking and writing. Most students seem to be quite motivated to study ESP and prefer to do it in a small group. In the light of transformation of study because of massive use of IT technologies and the Internet, the respondents largely view the role of a teacher as a language source and a facilitator rather than traditional person responsible for class study. The conducted analysis allowed to reveal the potential spheres and situations of the use of English by students, students` strengths and weaknesses in the language use, their motivation and interests concerning English study, their preferences as for the mode of study and priorities in ESP reading, writing, listening and speaking. The ongoing needs analysis is the prospect of the further research in the field.

The Analyses of Learning Strategies in English as a Second Language: Theoretical Classification and Measurement Test

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-129
Author(s):  
Asti Gumartifa ◽  
◽  
Indah Windra Dwie Agustiani
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
The Impact

Gaining English language learning effectively has been discussed all years long. Similarly, Learners have various troubles outcomes in the learning process. Creating a joyful and comfortable situation must be considered by learners. Thus, the implementation of effective learning strategies is certainly necessary for English learners. This descriptive study has two purposes: first, to introduce the classification and characterization of learning strategies such as; memory, cognitive, metacognitive, compensation, social, and affective strategies that are used by learners in the classroom and second, it provides some questionnaires item based on Strategy of Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) version 5.0 that can be used to examine the frequency of students’ learning strategies in the learning process. The summary of this study explains and discusses the researchers’ point of view on the impact of learning outcomes by learning strategies used. Finally, utilizing appropriate learning strategies are certainly beneficial for both teachers and learners to achieve the learning target effectively.

The price of immersion: language learners as a cheap workforce in Malta’s voluntourism industry

Multilingua ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Semiramis Schedel
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Voluntary Work ◽  
Island State ◽  
Classroom Language ◽  
Mediterranean Island ◽  
Efficient Alternative ◽  
Travel Industry

Abstract This contribution treats “language immersion” as a linguistic ideology and explores narratives, practices, and subjectivities pertinent to that notion in the context of language-motivated voluntourism. Voluntourism programs offer short-term sojourns abroad, which combine voluntary work with holidays while promising “immersion” as an efficient alternative to classroom language learning. In the Mediterranean island state of Malta, whose population is mostly bilingual in English and Maltese, voluntourism has become an attractive product for the booming English language travel industry. Since there is a lack of critical sociolinguistic and second language acquisition research on the language learning trajectories of voluntourists, this piece examines the promise of immersion through the example of a hostel that figures as a workplace. Drawing on ethnographic data, it investigates how learning English through immersion while working abroad is imagined and promoted, whether or not it occurs, and what gains (linguistic or otherwise) it generates and for whom. The article argues that the voluntourism industry appropriates the discourse of immersion to responsibilize English learners for their linguistic self-skilling, thereby constituting them as neoliberal subjects that can easily be exploited as a cheap workforce.

The “other(ing)” costs of ESL

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ena Lee
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Identities ◽  
Global Language

While the commodification of English as a global language may give rise to varying degrees of political and economic benefits for language learners, a simultaneous “cost” of this return may be a continued perpetuation of various forms of hegemony. In this vein, this one-year case study investigated a Canadian post-secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) program that analyzed the interconnections between language and culture through a critical dialogic approach. Classroom observations, however, revealed that disjunctions existed between the pedagogy as it was conceptualized and the practices of the instructors teaching there and suggested that the “critical” discourses mediated within the language classrooms essentialized culture and, subsequently, the identities of the students. This paper presents the voices of students from Mainland China as they attempted to negotiate their local and global identities within the larger sociopolitical contexts of the English language, generally, and English language education, in particular. I argue that classroom discourses can (re)create subordinate student identities, thereby limiting their access not only to language-learning opportunities, but to other more powerful identities. This paper thus highlights how ESL pedagogies and practices might address and contest hegemonic discourses and concomitantly reimagine student identities in more emancipatory ways.

scholarly journals Analysis of Teacher Beliefs and Efficacy for Teaching Writing to Weak Learners

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 208
Author(s):  
Tunku Mohani Tunku Mohtar ◽  
Charanjit Kaur Swaran Singh ◽  
Napisah Kepol ◽  
Ahmad Zainuri Loap Ahmad ◽  
Sasigaran Moneyam
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Beliefs ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Instructional Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Language Needs ◽  
Teacher's Beliefs

The present study investigated the beliefs and efficacy of a teacher teaching English to students who were weak at the language. The objective of the study was mainly to investigate the beliefs and efficacy of the ESL teacher for teaching writing to weak learners. The research was a case study of the English Language teacher teaching Form Three class of students whose English proficiency was very low. An interview was conducted with the teacher to further probe the instructional strategies applied to enhance her beliefs and efficacy in her own capabilities to make learning happen in her classroom. Observations were made to investigate the teacher’s efficacy in teaching and the performance of the students specifically for writing. Results show the teacher’s beliefs of her students’ capabilities and their language needs helped shape the teacher’s instructional strategies. The teacher’s efficacy enabled her to decide to undertake the task of teaching writing to her students because she was confident in her ability. The teacher provided clues to the students to facilitate their learning. This kind of feedback from the teacher indirectly motivated them to learn. The teacher’s beliefs and efficacy contributed to her teaching practice and the instructional strategies that she used in turn enhanced her beliefs and efficacy. The study implicates that teacher’s beliefs and efficacy can assist the weak learners in improving their writing skills and also facilitate language learning.

scholarly journals Developing Little Bridge as an evidence-informed English language learning platform for 6–12 year olds

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Rogers ◽  
Kristen Weatherby
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Aspect ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Learning Platform ◽  
Global Language ◽  
The Relationship

English is considered by many to be the global language of business and communication and, as such, parents and educators in countries in which English is not a native language are now encouraging children to study English at a young age. Much second language teaching and learning, however, does not take into account the real-world context within which language will be put to use. Little Bridge has developed an English language learning platform for students aged 6−12 years, within which learners acquire English vocabulary and skills and are able to apply what they have learned in real conversations with other English learners around the world. As part of UCL’s EDUCATE research accelerator programme, Little Bridge worked with a mentor to design and conduct mixed-methods research into the relationship between this social aspect of their platform and students’ achievement in learning English. Findings suggested that Little Bridge users who are the most active participants in the platform’s social network also complete more of the platform’s learning activities and achieve better results than those with the lowest social participation rates. The relationship between the academic mentor and Little Bridge enabled the company to develop a research mindset, understand the value of the data that they already have, and improve their understanding of the platform.

Designing an English Curriculum for Everyone

2018 ◽  
pp. 87-108
Author(s):  
Angela Bailey ◽  
Nayibe Rosado ◽  
Lourdes Rey
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Foreign Language Curriculum

In this chapter, the authors demonstrate a practical view of a foreign language curriculum development in Colombia. Within the chapter, they give a brief description of language policies that guided the curriculum; a discussion of the research framework, methods, and data collection; and a reflection of the choices made with regard to education, language, and language learning. By triangulating existing policies, contextual and conceptual needs analyses, and existing classroom practices, the authors demonstrate a collaborative and flexible means of meeting foreign language teaching across a broad spectrum of inconsistencies. Conclusions review and discuss the importance of maintaining an open and adaptable perspective throughout foreign language curriculum design while establishing and creating a working, flexible English language curriculum.

Do current English language development/proficiency standards reflect the English needed for success in school?

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison L. Bailey ◽  
Becky H. Huang
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
School Setting ◽  
English Language Development ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Academic English ◽  
K 12

English language development or proficiency (ELD/P) standards promise to play an important role in the instruction and assessment of the language development of English language learner (ELL) pre-K-12 students, but to do so effectively they must convey the progression of student language learning in authentic school contexts for authentic academic purposes. The construct of academic English is defined as the vocabulary, sentence structures, and discourse associated with language used to teach academic content as well as the language used to navigate the school setting more generally. The construct definition is informed by a relatively modest number of empirical studies of textbooks, content assessments, and observations of classroom discourse. The standards of a state with a large ELL population and a large multi-state consortium are then reviewed to illustrate the role of the academic English construct in the standards’ coverage of language modalities or domains, levels of attainment or proficiency, grade spans, and the needs of the large number of young English learners. Recommendations and potential strategies for validating, creating, and augmenting standards that reflect authentic uses of academic language in school settings are also made.

scholarly journals Analyzing Student Learning Gains to Evaluate Differentiated Teacher Preparation for Fostering English Learners’ Achievement in Linguistically Diverse Classrooms

2018 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 372-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Ryan Lavery ◽  
Joyce Nutta ◽  
Alison Youngblood
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Language Arts ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Teacher Candidates ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Education Program ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Nonnative Speakers Of English ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
K 12

Researchers compared pre/post classroom assessment scores of n = 8,326 K-12 students taught by n = 288 teacher candidates to determine if a differentiated teacher education program prepared them to support English learners’ (ELs) achievement in classrooms including native and nonnative speakers of English. Candidates in Group 1 comprised academic subject (secondary mathematics, science, and social studies) teacher candidates, who completed six teacher preparation courses with 15 key assignments that included a focus on ELs. Certification areas for Group 2 candidates include language arts instruction (elementary, early childhood, and secondary English language arts). Group 2 candidates completed from 12 to 15 courses with 41 to 50 key assignments that included a focus on ELs. Results indicate that teacher candidates in both groups helped narrow the gap between ELs and non-ELs from pretests to posttests. ELs performed no differently when taught by candidates from either group. Implications for teacher preparation are discussed.

scholarly journals Second Language Acquisition Through Neurolinguistic Programming: A Psychoanalytic Approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4.36) ◽  
pp. 624
Author(s):  
A. Delbio ◽  
M. Ilankumaran
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Technical Information ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The Brain

English is the only lingua-franca for the whole world in present age of globalization and liberalization. English language is considered as an important tool to acquire a new and technical information and knowledge. In this situation English learners and teachers face a lot of problems psychologically. Neuro linguistic studies the brain mechanism and the performance of the brain in linguistic competences. The brain plays a main role in controlling motor and sensory activities and in the process of thinking. Studies regarding development of brain bring some substantiation for psychological and anatomical way of language development. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) deals with psychological and neurological factors. It also deals with the mode of brain working and the way to train the brain to achieve the purpose. Many techniques are used in the NLP. It improves the fluency and accuracy in target language. It improves non-native speaker to improve the LSRW skills.  This paper brings out the importance of the NLP in language learning and teaching. It also discusses the merits and demerits of the NLP in learning. It also gives the solution to overcome the problems and self-correction is motivated through neuro-linguistic programming.   

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