scholarly journals Cognitive Competences of English Language Teachers and Their Impact on Use of Teaching Methods with Learners at Lower Secondary School

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 50-68
Author(s):  
Jana Harťanská ◽  
Zuzana Muchálová
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
English Language ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Lower Secondary School ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Modest Contribution ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIntroduction: The paper discusses the term cognitive competence of foreign language teachers and focuses on their application in practice. It also deals with possible impact of cognitive competences on choice of teaching methods. The paper identifies a list of the cognitive competences which are both expected and needed when conducting English lessons.Methods: For the purposes of the survey, the qualitative method of direct observation was chosen. To maximise valid information about the taught lesson, identical observation and self-evaluation sheets had to be designed first. The findings are analysed, compared, and conclusions drawn for school practice.Results: The survey data show which cognitive competences the teachers of English language use the most and the least when the teaching of pre-intermediate learners from two grades was observed at lower secondary school. The main findings also highlight the necessity of using a wider variety of more up-to date teaching methods and approaches suitable for both target grades of learners, in contrast to still prevailing traditional ones.Discussion: It needs to be admitted that the authors of this paper are not aware of works which deal with similar research of cognitive competences. Though many authors write about social, key and teaching competences in general, cognitive competences are still a kind of Pandora’s box. It is recommended both that deeper research be undertaken in this field and that teachers pay more attention not only to relevant theoretical knowledge within, for example, courses of continual professional development, but also to the impact on their learners’ performance of the cognitive competences being used.Limitations: The authors are aware of the limited number of observed lessons due to objective reasons such as the reluctance of some teachers to participate in the survey. The survey sample of four observed lessons is too small to enable definitive, generalisable statements to be made about the use of cognitive competences and the appropriateness of teaching methods. Additional, observed lessons would yield more valuable and valid results.Conclusion: The survey proves that cognitive competences are a necessary part of teachers’ personalities and abilities and their usage can depend on the proficiency level of learners of English language. The authors assert that the topic of cognitive competences and their impact in foreign language teaching has still not been explored in detail. It is an interesting area involving active metacognitive and cognitive functions influenced by many factors which tend to change according to the teacher’s historical context. This idiographic survey for the purposes of a graduation thesis carried out in a small town school can be regarded as a modest contribution to the topic.

scholarly journals Sources of Work Stress of English Language Teachers in Secondary Government Schools in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Mohamad Ahmad Saleem Khasawneh
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Work Stress ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Government Schools ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

The study aimed to reveal the level of work stress among secondary school English language teachers in government schools affiliated with the education directorates in Abha, Saudi Arabia, and knowing the impact of both gender, and experience on their estimates. The study population consisted of (105) male and female teachers. A questionnaire was prepared to measure the level of work stress among teachers, and it consisted of (31) items. The results showed that the work pressures facing secondary school English language teachers were at a high level on the dimensions as a whole. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences due to the variable of gender and teaching experience.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Use of Kurdish in Efl Classes at Secondary Schools in Duhok City: A Teacher’s Perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 284
Author(s):  
Asma A. Hussein ◽  
Hamza Zeebaree
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Ongoing Debate ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teacher's Perspective

This study examines the use of first language (L1) in secondary school EFL classes in Duhok city in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq. The use of L1 in EFL classes has been an ongoing debate among researchers and practitioners across the globe especially as regards its role as a facilitator of, or a hinderance/barrier to the teaching of English. Hence, the researcher aims to discover whether or not the use of Kurdish facilitates the teaching of English, in secondary schools in Duhok city. In addition, the researcher aims at finding out on what basis do teachers decide to use L1 and for what purposes do they use it. In this study, among the participants were 50 English language teachers from different secondary schools in Duhok city. The data were collected through interviews. The results indicated that the use of L1 (Kurdish) facilitates teaching of foreign language (FL) and that a balanced and judicious use of L1 in the EFL classroom by teachers can be useful in the language learning process especially with regard to grammar and vocabulary instruction.

scholarly journals Drama Techniques as Correlators of the Level of English Language Speaking Anxiety

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-110
Author(s):  
Edyta Kwiecień-Niedziela ◽  
Krzysztof Polok ◽  
Eva Mala
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Close Correlation ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Academic Level ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Introduction. The study aims to investigate what factors strengthen and weaken personal speaking anxiety. With the use of selected standardized surveys, the research examines how drama techniques affect a learner’s level of English language speaking anxiety. Materials and Methods. The research group includes 17 Polish primary school learners who attended drama classes and prepared two performances in English for other learners and their parents. The questionnaire with the stated research questions was applied, and the data ob tained were statistically analyzed. Results. The research results show that the learners participating in English drama classes had a lower level of speaking anxiety than those who did not practice drama at all. As to the learners´ English language proficiency, the level of speaking anxiety dropped with the rise of academic level. No significant difference was observed either in the level of speaking anxiety between male and female participants or in the level of speaking among learners of different age. The impact of drama techniques implemented into the English language classes is discussed in the study. The research results indicate the influence of drama techniques on the reduction of the level of speaking anxiety. The decrease is very noticeable that should inspire teachers to use drama techniques while teaching a foreign language, especially speaking skills. The analysis also indicates a close correlation between drama classes and the inc reasing level of English proficiency. Discussion and Conclusion. The topic of the article is to meet the interest of foreign language teachers and learners, would-be teachers of the English language.

scholarly journals Implementation of the Moodle System Into EFL Classes

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (_sup1) ◽  
pp. 51-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nuket Gunduz ◽  
Deniz Ozcan
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Long Run ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Method Approach

This study aims to examine students’ perception on using the Moodle system in secondary school in English as a foreign language lessons. A mixed method approach was used in this study with qualitative and quantitative research models. The study group consisted of 333 students and 12 English language teachers. The quantitative data were collected by a survey and qualitative data were collected by five open-ended questions. The results showed that students in general perceive themselves as sufficient in terms of the Moodle system and teachers thought that the system was contemporary and beneficial in the long run but at the time of the study it was not functioning well.

scholarly journals Measuring Digital Competence and ICT Literacy: An Exploratory Study of In-Service English Language Teachers in the Context of Saudi Arabia

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Abdulteeef M. Al Khateeb
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ict Literacy ◽  
Digital Competence ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
English Language Teachers

The purpose of this research is to measure in-service English language teachers' digital competence, particularly for the enhancement of teaching English as a second/foreign language in schools in Saudi Arabia. Information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge is currently considered as a vital skill for foreign language teachers in addition to their linguistic competence. Recently, there has been a focus on digital competence, since it can be regarded as a gateway for enriching knowledge, economies, societies and individuals. There is also a massive need for teachers to assess their own digital competence according to non-conventional norms (i.e., having the ability to share content and manage information). In light of this rationale, this paper investigates the following research question: to what extent are English language teachers in Saudi Arabia digitally competent and in what aspects? This study used a standardized questionnaire that was constructed using a validated comprehensive framework. This instrument was designed to assess the professional capability of English language teachers in terms of their willingness and readiness to use ICTs along with their current digital competence used throughout their teaching and educational practices. The research included a diverse range of participants who come from various backgrounds, genders and experiences. The study was concluded with a presentation of useful recommendations and key research questions for future research.

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.

scholarly journals Pronunciation Errors of Letter “G” in English Language Made by Saudi Undergraduate Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huda Alqunayeer
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Loan Words ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Academic Year

The primary goal of the present study is to identify the problematic areas in the pronunciation of the letter “g” in English written words made by Saudi female learners of English as a foreign language, and the reasons for the weakness associated with mispronunciation of English written words which contain this letter. The population of the study was the female students (90 students) and their English language teachers (12 teachers) at the Qassim University during the academic year (2014-2015). There were two types of instruments used in this study. The first was a pronunciation test for the student participants in order to investigate the problematic areas of pronouncing “g” in different environments in different words; and the second a questionnaire for the teacher participants to provide comprehensive data about the causes of these errors of pronouncing “g” committed by EFL female students at Qassim University. Ninety female students were included for the pronunciation test and 12 teachers were asked to answer the questionnaire. Simple percentage was used for analyzing the data of recording words (pronunciation test). Results of the students’ recording words revealed that the participants mispronounced “g” before nasals (68%). According to the results of the teachers’ responses to the questionnaire suggested many factors that can cause difficulties for students in terms of pronouncing “g” in English written words. According to them, these difficulties are concerned with reading difficulties, nonstandard spellings, letters that follow “g” (many of them may become combinations), loan words, orthography (no correspondence between the English alphabets and their sounds). The researcher offers recommendations that might help teachers and students to overcome and reduce these mispronunciations of this letter in English written words.

scholarly journals Debates about Educational Issues: A Pedagogical Strategy to Explore Argumentative Skills in the EFL Classroom

HOW ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (27) ◽  
pp. 49-67
Author(s):  
Ángela Vanesa Duarte Infante ◽  
Sandra Milena Fonseca Velandia ◽  
Bertha Ramos Holguín
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Public University ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Pedagogical Intervention ◽  
Pedagogical Strategy ◽  
Educational Issues ◽  
Personal Experiences ◽  
Field Notes ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Impact

This article describes a pedagogical proposal, based on debates, to determine the type of arguments that pre-service English language teachers constructed at a public university in Tunja, Colombia. We implemented a series of debate workshops about educational issues. Thirteen modern languages pre-service teachers in their sixth semester participated in the debates. In each debate, we collected data through recordings, focus groups, and field notes to understand the impact of the pedagogical intervention. Findings suggest that the arguments pre-service teachers built were based on examples. In this sense, the arguments built were based on their personal experiences and their partners’ opinions. We argue for the need to implement more research proposals that will contribute to the understanding and awareness of what argumentation implies.

scholarly journals The Effects of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures in Teaching Subject–Verb Agreement among Rural Sarawak Learners

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chong Xin Txin ◽  
Melor Md Yunus
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Learning ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Students ◽  
Cooperative Teaching ◽  
Verb Agreement

Even after undertaking years of formal education to acquire the language in schools, having a poor command of English remains a problem faced by most Malaysians, especially students in rural schools of Sarawak. Based on the error-analysis carried out by recent research, subject–verb agreement (SVA) is one of the most frequent errors committed by students. To overcome this problem, teachers should significantly improve students’ mastery of SVA in the English language through effective teaching methods. Therefore, this research was conducted to explore the effects of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures in teaching SVA among rural Sarawak learners. In this study, 35 Form 4 students were selected from a secondary school in the Belaga District, Sarawak as the research participants. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection tools. Overall, findings demonstrated that students showed positive feedback after the intervention was implemented. Results of this research will hopefully provide insights to secondary school students, teachers and the community in the cooperative teaching and learning of grammar.

scholarly journals An assessment of the impact of improvised versus conventional laboratory equipment on students’ performance in thermal expansion

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-140
Author(s):  
Kizito Ndihokubwayo ◽  
Jean Uwamahoro ◽  
Irénée Ndayambaje
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Expansion ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Test Design ◽  
Lower Secondary School ◽  
School Students ◽  
Laboratory Equipment ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The Impact

Science education in Rwandan schools still faces a number of challenges including the lack or shortage of equipment available for science experiments. This paper describes research conducted to assess the impact of using improvised versus conventional laboratory equipment in experiments. Eighty-five lower secondary school students were assessed using a semi-experimental post-test design on thermal expansion of bodies. Data analysis using a t-test produced a t-Stat of 2.74 over a t-Critical of 1.98 indicating a statistical significance between the two experimental groups in favour of the group using improvised equipment. As a result, it is recommended that improvised equipment be used in those instances in which there is a lack or shortage of conventional equipment since students’ achievement was similar regardless of the type of equipment used.

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