scholarly journals An Investigation into the Educational Philosophy and Spirituality of Iranian EFL Teachers

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaheh Suleimani ◽  
Rahman Sahragard
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Educational Philosophy ◽  
Progressive Education ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Spirituality In Education ◽  
Practical Implications

Although philosophy and spirituality are related to various branches of disciplines, they have not been subject to focused attention in foreign language teaching. In this paper, schools of educational philosophy, and spirituality in education were connected together to present the stance, viewpoint, and practice of these two constructs in English as foreign language (EFL) Iranian educators. Results indicated that the dominant philosophy of education of Iranian EFL teachers was progressive education. Furthermore, combination of progressive and humanistic philosophies and humanistic philosophy were to some extent established a balance with progressivism. None of the participants practice spirituality in classrooms. By illuminating the spiritual language of humanistic and progressive philosophies, we may conclude that the nature and spiritual discourse of each philosophy as well as their practical implications should be articulated in teacher education programs to fulfill the everlasting growth of an individual as an utmost purpose of education.

scholarly journals TEACHERS’ BELIEFS ABOUT EFFECTIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING OF STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY IN A GREEK EFL CONTEXT

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danai Rapti ◽  
Mina Koukou ◽  
Spyridon-Georgios Soulis
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Efl Teachers

Teachers’ beliefs are a central construct in education as they influence their teaching attitude, methods and practices, thus, their exploration becomes particularly important. The aim of the present study is to examine teachers’ beliefs regarding foreign language teaching of students with intellectual disability. The sample consisted of ten English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers who teach at Greek special/vocational schools in secondary education. Semi-structured interviews were used as a tool for data collection. The research findings suggest a lack of training of EFL teachers regarding specialized foreign language teaching methods for students with intellectual disability. Furthermore, there is a notable lack of training in using digital technology. As a result, further training of EFL teachers in teaching methods and use of digital technology is deemed necessary. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0770/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

scholarly journals The Importance of Developing our Teaching Philosophy as EFL Professionals

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-55
Author(s):  
Jorge Luis Espinoza Campos
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Philosophy ◽  
Innovative Practice ◽  
Self Development ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
School Assignment

Creating our own teaching philosophy statement is an innovative practice, and it should be a meaningful part for teachers since it states the learning experiences, goals, beliefs, level of professionalism and self development among many other elements. Some teachers usually write a teaching philosophy statement just to carry out a school assignment or to complete their résumé. However, in real life, teachers do not often implement all the nice ideas that are stated in their teaching philosophy statement. The goal of this paper is to make EFL teachers reflect on the importance of developing this practice in the foreign language teaching field to show their learning and growth throughout time.

scholarly journals CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHING SPEAKING: VOICES OF INDONESIAN EFL LEARNERS

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Arif Nugroho ◽  
Novrika Nartiningrum
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Oral Communication ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Classroom Activities ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
The Ideal

<p>Among the four English skills, oral communication becomes crucial for undergraduate students to be more competitive in the work-places. In a foreign language teaching, designing appropriate classroom activities is a prerequisite for the success of a language learning. Therefore, this study sheds some light on 92 EFL learners’ perceptions and insights of classroom activities for teaching speaking. Drawing on the data obtained from questionnaire and focus group discussion (FGD), the findings illustrated that the students held moderately positive perceptions toward the speaking activities in their classroom. In addition, the results of FGD revealed some insights from the students with regard to the ideal classroom activities for teaching speaking. The findings of this study provide insights for EFL teachers in designing appropriate classroom activities to achieve the success of teaching speaking.</p><p><strong>Keywords: </strong>teaching speaking, classroom activities, students’ perception</p>

scholarly journals Grammar in primary school EFL textbook activities: a corpus-driven study of their teaching nature and related cognitive implications

2017 ◽  
pp. 57-72
Author(s):  
Joaquín Gris Roca
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Implicit Knowledge ◽  
Lower Number ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Young Learners ◽  
School Teaching ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Explicit Teaching

One of the fundamental goals of Foreign Language Teaching might be the attainment of implicit knowledge, which underlies oral and written fluency. Textbook activities reflect different explicit and implicit teaching loads following the type of knowledge they are targeted at (explicit, implicit or both). EFL teachers’ implementation of activities can thus help or become a hindrance for the development of implicit knowledge. This study aimed to explore the explicit and implicit teaching nature of 100 activities taken from 10 EFL textbooks used in Spanish primary school teaching. The ultimate goal was to examine whether activities are designed taking into account young learners’ idiosyncratic way of learning. Findings revealed that most primary school EFL textbook activities tend to contain a lower number of activities mostly focused on explicit teaching.

scholarly journals Building a Negotiation Mechanism in EFL Classroom in Chinese Context: Concepts and Strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Shiyong Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Chinese Context ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Negotiation Mechanism

<p>Foreign language teaching is a bilateral process in which both the teacher and students must play their roles effectively. However, lack of interaction is the problem many EFL teachers in China face. To make the teaching more effective, negotiation in the classroom becomes a must. This paper, based on the current situation of English teaching in China, probes into negotiation mechanism in EFL classroom and provides suggestions on how to apply negotiation mechanism in EFL classroom in China.</p>

scholarly journals Motivational Strategies in English as Foreign Language Teaching: a research review

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Li
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Research Review ◽  
English Learning ◽  
Motivational Strategies ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Culture Dependent

The paper aims to review and synthesize the research literature relating to the use and effectiveness of motivational strategies in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching. First, an overview is presented of the prestigious empirical studies (10) across the world that provided evidence for the impact of motivational strategies on enhancing students’ English learning motivations. Then, different research methodologies are assessed, effective motivational strategies both across different cultural contexts and culture-dependent are identified and the outcomes of the applications of motivational strategies are discussed. Finally, the limitations of the related research are explored and implications for future motivational strategies research are provided.

scholarly journals THE REFLECTIONS OF PRE-SERVICE EFL TEACHERS ON OVERCOMING FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING ANXIETY (FLTA) DURING TEACHING PRACTICUM

2019 ◽  
pp. 389
Author(s):  
Dilek Tüfekçi Can
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Teaching Practicum ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teaching Anxiety

Whereas research on English as a Foreign Language Learning (EFLL) anxiety has been the focus of many researchers, English as a Foreign Language Teaching (EFLT) anxiety as a newly pop-up concept has gained lesser attention than EFLL. Moreover, the research on EFLL commonly focuses on the anxiety provoking factors. Yet again, there has been very limited research on how to overcome anxiety-provoking factors on both research areas. Accordingly, as this study was two of the three segments of a university-based project and the subject of anxiety-provoking factors was the issue of another study, the purpose of this study was firstly to explore how to overcome anxiety-provoking factors among pre-service EFL teachers while teaching English to young language learners at a real classroom setting as a part of teaching practicum. Secondly, this study also attempted to make a holistic classification rather than an atomistic one as it classified the findings of overcoming anxiety provoking factors into subtitles such as cognitive, affective, socio-cultural resolutions and some other official resolutions. In the study, 25 EFL pre-service teachers at Balikesir University were the sample group. The qualitative data was collected through background questionnaires, interviews and reflections. The study concluded that pre-service EFL teachers revealed their reflections on how to overcome anxiety-provoking factors as they experienced Foreign Language Teaching Anxiety (FLTA) whilst practicing teaching English to young language learners during teaching practicum courses. Some practical recommendations were given at the end of the study. 

scholarly journals Beliefs, Attitudes, and Reflections of EFL Pre-service Teachers when Exploring Critical Literacy Theories to Prepare and Implement Critical Lessons.

2015 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Patricia Gutierrez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Teacher Preparation Programs ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Efl Teachers

<p>Foreign language teaching and learning is an issue of high relevance nowadays in Colombia. Unfortunately, language teaching has often been reduced to the mastery of language structures, disregarding the vast number of possibilities that language teaching provides to involve students in the discussion and analysis of issues that affect their everyday life. Shifting language teaching toward this goal, however, has to start in language teacher preparation programs. To gain a better understanding of the implication of this shift, this study explored the beliefs, attitudes, and reflections of three student-teachers, from a foreign language teaching program at a public university, towards the exploration of critical literacy theories, and the design and implementation of critical lessons. Data collected included audio-recordings of group discussions and individual interviews with the three participants, their reflections in different stages, lesson plans, and class observations of their lesson implementation. Results from this study suggest that exposing future EFL teachers to critical literacy approaches to language teaching can have different effects on their perspectives towards education and their teaching practice. Thus, their beliefs and attitudes towards Critical Literacy Theories can be continuously transformed as they face various situations in the exploration and implementation of these theories.</p><p>Key words: <em>pre-service EFL teachers, Critical Literacies, Language teacher preparation programs, Teaching practicum.</em></p>

scholarly journals The Use of First Language in Teaching ESP Vocabulary to Engineering Students at a Technical College

2019 ◽  
pp. 17-26
Author(s):  
Le Van Tuyen ◽  
Le Bich Van
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Technical College ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
First Language ◽  
Ho Chi Minh City ◽  
English Only ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Practical Implications

There has been a long-standing debate over the issue of including or excluding the student’s mother tongue (L1) in English as a foreign language (L2) classrooms. There are two opinions in this regard: monolingual approach and bilingual approach. While advocates of monolingual approach suggest that learning is determined by the exposure to L2, those advocating the bilingual approach think that L1 makes a valuable contribution to the learning process. Despite the widespread English-only use in EFL classes, the use of L1 is still a perennial topic. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the use of L1 in English for specific purposes (ESP) classes at a Technical College in Ho Chi Minh City-Vietnam (Henceforth called TC). More specifically, it attempts to explore the extent to which L1 is used and the reasons why L1 is used, and discover what attitudes engineering students have towards the use of L1 in the process of teaching ESP vocabulary to students. The instruments used for collecting data were questionnaires and class observations. The participants were 8 EFL teachers and 314 students at TC. The findings of the study indicated that all the teachers of English overused L1 in teaching ESP vocabulary. The study also revealed that the ESs had supportive attitudes towards their teachers’ use of L1 in teaching ESP vocabulary. Based on the findings, the study provided practical implications in order to help both EFL teachers and engineering students to improve their teaching and learning ESP at vocational training colleges in the Vietnamese context.

scholarly journals Intercultural Communicative Competence: Why Is It Significant and How Can It Be Enhanced in EFL Settings?

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 793-803
Author(s):  
Seçil Tümen Akyıldız ◽  
Vildan Çelik ◽  
Kwestan Hussein Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Classroom Practices ◽  
Communicative Competence ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Intercultural Communicative Competence ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Different Cultures

In the current literature on foreign language teaching, it has become clear that having the requisite ability of intercultural communicative competence (ICC) to be aware of different cultures, respect them, and interact with people from different cultures is crucial. Language is connected to culture and societies, in which people need to communicate with one another. English as a lingua franca provides a means of communication among different cultures. Thus, English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching classes offer perfect situations to foster ICC. From this viewpoint, this article gives an account to raise awareness of ICC in EFL settings by explaining ICC and its relationship with language, describing the significance of ICC, and illustrating some suggestions in the literature for the enhancement of ICC in EFL classes. This paper seeks to improve EFL teachers’ understanding of intercultural communication and to help them with their classroom practices.

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