ESL Teachers’ Perceptions on the Implementation of CEFR in Malaysian Primary Schools: Issues and Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aina Hartini Mohamad Khair ◽  
◽  
Parilah Mohd Mohd Shah ◽  

This study aims to investigate the English teachers’ views on the CEFR-aligned curriculum adoption in Malaysian primary ESL classroom. This paper intends to investigate the challenges surrounding teachers’ pedagogical practices on CEFR-based incorporated lesson. The study employs a quantitative approach where data were collected via survey questionnaires which is adapted and distributed to ESL primary school teachers in Malaysia via random purposive sampling. A descriptive statistic was used to analyse the quantitative data. The findings revealed that most of the teachers admitted having limited knowledge and minimum exposure on the CEFR implementation. Yet, they perceived positive perceptions on the revised CEFR-aligned curriculum adoption despite facing some difficulties and challenges. Teachers’ perceptions are vital for the authorities and policy makers to review and provide measures to ensure that stakeholders are fully prepared and capable to incorporate CEFR successfully and effectively in English language education.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Madkur ◽  
Abdullah Farih ◽  
Ahmad Ridho Rojab ◽  
Andini Linarsih ◽  
Beny Hamdani ◽  
...  

This is a great effort to summarize bright ideas about educational theory and practice, especially English language education and teaching, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This anthology book will be very useful for teachers, lecturers, students, and education practitioners, especially language education, to gain experience that can be directly practiced in online, face-to-face classes, or a combination of online and faceto-face. Hopefully, this small effort that has great benefits can be continued by IELA (Indonesian English Lecturer Association) in particular and seminar organizers in general to produce important writings containing theoretical and practical ideas that are useful for the advancement of education, especially language education in Indonesia. By sharing this knowledge and experience, we can transfer these smart ideas to fellow teachers and lecturers, researchers, and practitioners to be able to solve some teaching problems with this solution.


IIUC Studies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-110
Author(s):  
Md Maksud Ali

This paper focuses on different concepts of literacy and their implications for TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Taking a critical perspective, the study examines the traditional concept of literacy and illuminates how a narrow approach to literacy may lead to a conflict between national policy text and the actual pedagogic practices. Therefore, the author advocates for situating contemporary TESOL pedagogy within a broader concept. In addition, the study examines how literacy is embedded with orality, and whether the link between them has any implications for English language education in Bangladesh. It is argued here that since different cultures and societies do not adhere to a single set of literacy practices, an awareness of learners’ and other stakeholders’ socio-cultural concepts of literacy in a society is essential for TESOL practitioners in order for their materials and methods to be socio-culturally responsive. The study has implications for policy makers, materials writers and TESOL practitioners. IIUC Studies Vol.14(2) December 2017: 99-110


Impact ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (3) ◽  
pp. 18-19
Author(s):  
Fumiko Kurihara

Speaking a second language is an invaluable skill but it involves more than just learning linguistic skills. This is because language and culture are inextricably linked and it is therefore important to understand the cultural context of a language's origins. What is more, an understanding of the culture can help a language learner to pick up on the nuances and more quickly learn a foreign language. Professor Fumiko Kurihara and Professor Natsue Nakayama are proponents of the importance of cultural learning when learning a language. They are the members of the JACET SIG on English Language Education and are working to increase cultural competences among students learning a foreign language. Having spent time abroad in England as a college student, Kurihara became aware of cultural differences that highlighted the inextricable links between culture and language and the need to explore how cultures shape how we communicate with one another. Kurihara and Nakayama are interviewing teachers and observing lessons in Japan and Europe in order to develop guidelines for language teachers to incorporate and assess lessons in intercultural competence. Next, the researchers will analyse English textbooks at primary schools using cultural descriptors with a view to assisting teachers with revising their syllabuses and incorporating more intercultural learning.


ELT Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-48
Author(s):  
Rui Yuan ◽  
Paul Stapleton

Abstract Although the importance of critical thinking (CT) has been stressed in English language education, little attention has been paid to language teachers’ perceptions and experiences regarding CT during the pre-service stage of their careers. Drawing on data from a focus group and follow-up email interviews with pre-service language teachers, this study shows that the participants had a limited understanding of CT, and lacked preparation and support in their programmes regarding how to implement CT-oriented teaching practices. The findings also revealed a range of individual and contextual challenges faced by the participants when they tried to integrate CT into their language teaching. The study concludes with recommendations on how to cultivate a critical mindset among language teachers while developing CT-oriented pedagogies.


English Today ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 12-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenhui Rao ◽  
Hua Yuan

The beginning of this new century has witnessed two important events in English language education in China. The first is the expansion of English language education into the primary curriculum. In 2001, the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) required that primary schools located in cities and county seats start to offer English classes at Primary 3 from the autumn of 2001 and that the rest start to do so in the following year (MOE, 2001). The second is the increase of enrolment in various types of Chinese colleges and universities. For example, in 1999 the number of students enrolled in Chinese higher education was six million, but it rose to over 20 million in 2004 (Jin & Cortazzi, 2006). Such a rapid development of English language education has resulted in a number of difficulties and challenges for EFL teaching in China, but the most serious constraint comes from the lack of qualified teachers (Rao, 2010). To compensate for the shortage of English teachers, many Chinese schools are endeavoring to attract more native-English-speaking teachers (henceforth NESTs) to fill up EFL teaching vacancies. In 2006, for example, there were 150,000 foreign EFL teachers working in China (Jeon & Lee, 2006).


English Today ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Ke Zhao ◽  
Xiaohang Guo ◽  
Xuesong Gao

Due to a growing concern with the English language competence of international airline pilots, a growing body of research has been conducted on issues related to the International Aviation English Test, which pilots need to pass in order to fly on international routes (e.g. Jones, 2003; Ragan, 1997; Seiler, 2009). This paper contributes to this research by reporting on a mixed method inquiry into Chinese pilots’ engagement with learning English for aviation. The study involved a survey of 165 pilots working for a major Chinese cargo airline, and follow-up interviews with two of the surveyed participants (one senior and one junior) to explore their International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) test preparation and learning engagement. The findings of the study indicate that policy-makers and relevant English language education specialists need to develop tailor made courses that will better help these pilots to improve their command of English and thus ensure aviation safety.


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yustinus Calvin Gai Mali

Project based learning (PBL) refers to an approach to instruction that teaches curriculum concepts through a project espousing principles of learner-centered teaching, learner autonomy, collaborative learning, and learning through tasks. This paper justifies the implementation of PBL to design two main projects and their activities in Creative Writing and Second Language Acquisition classes at English Language Education Program of Dunia University Indonesia (ED-DU). Moreover, the paper details pedagogical practices and learning resources deployed in both classes. The discussions would seem to indicate that the use of PBL grounded in the projects shows a high level of students’ participation in learning, and teachers’ innovative teaching practices. Finally, the paper hopes to provide EFL teachers who have similar teaching practices with practical ideas they can modify and develop to help students achieve particular learning objectives in their classrooms and continue the positive trends of implementing PBL in teaching and learning.


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