scholarly journals The Significance of Literary Texts in the Pedagogy of English Language in EFL and ESL Classrooms

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 22-27
Author(s):  
Bahra T. Rashid ◽  
Mariwan N. Hasan
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
The Waste Land ◽  
Actual Usage ◽  
Waste Land ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Language Classes ◽  
Strongly Agree

Nowadays, one of the major concerns of teachers is usually about the material they intend to present to the students. The challenge that faces English classes is literature. The benefits of using literary texts in English language classes outweigh its shortcomings that specified by some literary critics, for instance, Chnara Khdhir and Mariwan Hasan pointed out this truth in their paper entitled, “The Importance of Literary Texts in Teaching Language in EFL Classes: The Waste Land as an Example”, which we strongly agree that one can easily learn a language through the literature of the target language. To learn a language one needs to study reading, writing, listening, and speaking; the four skills of the English language, which will all be available in the literature. Materials are provided, which are sufficient for these skills, but literary texts have ascertained a worthy source that accomplishes these abilities. Moreover, culture information is inferred via language learning, and yet with comprehension of the society. This is a characteristic of language that requires materials associating with culture. Culture is a basis for literature; namely; it does not merely imply that literature deals with culture, but literature about the culture of any specific user of that language. Furthermore, one can say the use of literary texts in language classes inspires more attentive and determined language learning. Thus, the students are not merely uncovered to the actual usage of language, but also they become critical scholars. As such, this study argues the causes behind focusing on the use of literary texts as a significant source in teaching the English language.

scholarly journals HIGHER EDUCATION TEACHING STRATEGIES: AN OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH CLASSES

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
L. Angelianawati
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Higher Education Teaching

ABSTRAk   Salah satu komponen utama dalam perencanaan pendidikan tinggi adalah pengajaran. Berkaitan dengan pembelajaran bahasa Inggris, pengajaran berpengaruh terhadap keberhasilan siswa di kelas bahasa Inggris. Pemilihan strategi mengajar yang tepat, yang dilakukan oleh guru bahasa Inggris, membantu pembentukan proses pembelajaran Bahasa yang efektif dan tepat sasaran. Terdapat banyak strategi mengajar yang sesuai untuk pembelajaran bahasa Inggris di pendidikan tinggi. Dalam tulisan ini akan diuraikan beberapa strategi mengajar tersebut, termasuk persyaratan dan hambatannya. Pemahaman tentang strategi mengajar terbaik yang sesuai dengan kelas bahasa Inggris sangat penting bagi guru bahasa Inggris. Ulasan dalam tulisan ini diharapkan dapat menghasilkan perbaikan dalam praktik mengajar pendidikan bahasa Inggris di perguruan tinggi.   Kata Kunci: Pendidikan Tinggi, Metode Pengajaran, Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris     ABSTRACT   One of the main components in higher education planning is teaching. Regarding to English language learning, teaching distributes influences toward the learners’ successfulness in English classes. The appropriate selection of teaching strategies conducted by the English teachers help shaping effective and on-target language learning processes. There are many teaching strategies applicable to English language learning in higher education. The present writing elaborates discussions about those teaching strategies, including its requirements and barriers. Understanding the best teaching strategies which fit the English classes is considerately important for English teachers. It is expected that the discussion will result in the betterment on English teaching practices in higher education.   Key Words: Higher Education, Teaching Strategies, English Education

scholarly journals Perceptive Determination of Motivating and Demotivating Factors in Learning EFL Among Saudi Freshmen Studying at Taif University

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
Eidhah Abdullah Al-Malki
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Motivational Orientation ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Empirical Survey ◽  
English Grammar ◽  
Freshmen Students ◽  
Teaching Aids ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Strongly Agree

This empirical survey aims at exploring Saudi freshmen students’ instrumental and integrative motivational orientation to learn English as a foreign language as well as to identify what demotivational factors negatively affect their language learning. A 38-item self-developed strongly-agree to strongly-disagree Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to 133 Saudi freshmen students from a Saudi university to generate data related to their motivational and demotivational factors. Data analyses were done to calculate percentages and means through descriptive analyses to measure the participants’ preferences for various questionnaire items. The results of this quantitative investigation have revealed that Saudi freshmen students bear stronger instrumental motivation along with a reasonably high integrative motivation and have demonstrated mild negative effect towards learning English caused by various demotivational factors. Among the primary instrumental motivational orientations of Saudi freshmen, the role of English language to enable them to better understand their textbooks and reference material, effectively interact with foreigners during their international travels and enhanced chances to secure better job have been ranked the highest. The results of this survey have disclosed an interesting fact that the participants of this study have exhibited extremely positive attitude towards the target language.  The descriptive analyses also suggest that Saudi freshmen have moderate inhibitory factors against learning the target language related to understanding English language teachers, difficult English textbooks, difficult English grammar and vocabulary and lack of chances of practicing the target language outside the university setting. The participants have mentioned that no major hinderances are caused by inappropriate behavior of their teachers and peers as well as lack of teaching aids. Some pedagogical implications and suggestions have been drawn based on the findings of this empirical survey.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Students’ Manual: A Critical Analysis of the Coursebook Taught at Pakistani Universities

2019 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching Principles ◽  
Language Needs

English for Academic Purposes course focusing on the academic language needs of students is a subfield of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It is a type of specialized course to integrate specific subject matter, language content, and material based on learners’ needs. The study aims to evaluate the British Council’s English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursebook in terms of content, sequencing, learners’ autonomy, motivation, feedback and focus on language skills. Furthermore, the study tries to provide a general perception of the usefulness and effectiveness of the coursebook for undergraduate students. The EAP Students’ Manual coursebook is used as a primary source for the data collection. The researcher has chosen Nation & Macalister (2010) model of language teaching principles to analyze and discuss the data. The study found the coursebook a useful, effective and an appropriate source of English language learning in terms of the investigated aspects of the book. The findings report that the coursebook provides practice and practical usage in all domains of the academically required English language skills. It helps the students to build language competency and to be more independent learners. In addition, it provides an opportunity to the learners to think in the target language, use the language more practically and learn it in a natural type of environment. The study concludes and suggests that the content needs to be supplemented with English language audios and videos presenting the students relevant documentaries and helping material in order to make the coursebook and the learning process more useful, effective, interesting and motivating. Furthermore, the study recommends that while choosing /designing a coursebook for a certain course, it needs to be evaluated following the various criteria and language-teaching-principles suggested by different language researchers.

Perspectives: Guilt, Missed Opportunities, and False Role Models: A Look at Perceptions and Use of the First Language in English Teaching in Japan

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Hawkins
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
Resource Teachers ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
English Classes ◽  
Creative Pedagogy ◽  
Necessary Evil

At the start of the 2013 academic year, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) implemented the guideline set forth in their latest Courses of Study, dictating that English classes “should be conducted principally in English in high school” (MEXT, 2009, p. 8). The new Courses of Study, although not imposing a strict target-language-only rule, are still reflective of the past dogma that takes what Macaro (2001) calls a maximal position wherein the L1 is a necessary evil rather than a pedagogical resource. Teachers and institutions espousing such a view undermine language learning progress by engendering undue guilt for responsive and responsible teaching decisions, inhibiting creative pedagogy, and discouraging teachers from acting as positive and realistic bi/multilingual role models. 日本の文部科学省は、現行版学習要領に記載された「高等学校の英語教育授業を原則として英語で教えること」（文部科学省, 2009, p. 8）という方針を2013学年度に施行した。対象言語のみの使用を徹底するという厳格な規則にはなっていないものの、新学習要領は、Macaro（2001）がmaximal positionと呼ぶ「母語（L1）の使用は教育上の必要悪である」とする考えを反映している。このような見解を広める教師及び教育機関は、柔軟かつ責任ある教育的決断に対して過剰な罪悪感を生み、独創的な教授法を抑制し、教師が積極的で現実的に対応できるバイリンガル・多言語が使いこなせる模範者として活躍することを阻害し、それによって外国語教育の進歩を妨害する。

scholarly journals Recontextualizing Quality Talk for an Eighth-Grade English Classroom in China

2020 ◽  
pp. 209653112097017
Author(s):  
Liwei Wei ◽  
P. Karen Murphy ◽  
Shenghui Wu
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Small Group ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
Pedagogical Approach ◽  
Language Class ◽  
English Classroom

Purpose: Conducting meaningful interactions in the target language is essential for language learning. However, in many English language classrooms in China, it is rare that students are provided with such opportunities. In the current study, we presented and critically evaluated the implementation of a small-group discussion approach called Quality Talk (QT) in an eighth-grade English language classroom in China. Design/Approach/Methods: One eighth-grade English teacher and 82 eighth-grade students in a public middle school in Beijing participated in the study using a pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design. Recordings of teacher coaching sessions and student discussions, researchers’ field notes, and participating teacher’s written reflections were used to identify successful practices and lessons learned with respect to the implementation of QT. Implications for future directions were also discussed. Findings: The results revealed that to successfully implement a discourse-intensive pedagogical approach in a large English language class, it is essential that (a) the materials used for discussion closely align with the school curriculum, (b) students are grouped heterogeneously and scaffolded to engage in discussions both in their native and target languages, and (c) student leadership be leveraged to facilitate discussion in each small group. Originality/Value: The present study delineated the details with respect to implementing a discourse-intensive pedagogical approach in an eighth-grade English classroom in China. We derived several key insights from recontextualizing QT in an English learning, large class context in China. These insights might hold the potential to improve the effectiveness of English teaching and learning in China.

Analysis of EFL Learners’ Integrative and Instrumental Motivation Factor at English Language Education Undiksha

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-62
Author(s):  
Made Surya Mahendra ◽  
Ni Luh Putu Eka Sulistia Dewi ◽  
Ida Ayu Made Istri Utami
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Education Students ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
Motivation Factors ◽  
Integrative Motivation ◽  
Language Attitude ◽  
Learning English

This study aimed (1) to analyze motivation’s factor that affects English Language Education Students in achieving learning English both in instrumental and integrative motivation; (2) to analyze the major factor of motivation that affect students; and (3) to analyze how the major factor of motivation influence the students in achieving their goal in learning English. The survey was employed as a method of data collection through questionnaires and interviews. Both instruments consisted of instrumental and integrative motivation, which each dimension involves three factors of motivation. The results showed that English Language Education students were affected by six motivation factors. Those are academic, social, economic, attitude toward learning the target language, attitude toward the target language community, and desire to learn the target language. Among those motivation factors, the academic and attitude toward learning the target language were the major factor that affects students in achieving their goal in language learning.

scholarly journals Literature in efL: Beyond language learning

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 234
Author(s):  
Luis Jesús Rincón
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Private School ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Value Judgments ◽  
Willingness To Use

This article presents the results of a qualitative research which looks into the field of literature in EFL. Seventh grade students of a private school in Bogota took part in the research. Data was collected by means of audio recordings of small group discussions, teacher´s journal, and responses to literature logs. The results show that the connections that EFL learners make with literary texts enrich their interpretations, analysis and value judgments of experiences and real life events. Furthermore, critical thinking skills are potentiated. In addition to this, literary texts bring up appealing and meaningful topics in the classroomenhancing students´ motivation and willingness to use the target language.

scholarly journals A Study of Language Anxiety among English Language Learners in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Badia Muntazer Hakim
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Language Anxiety ◽  
Self Awareness

Classroom anxiety is a recurrent phenomenon for language learners. There are various factors that cause language anxiety, the most common of which include learners’ excessive self-consciousness and self-awareness concerning their oral reproduction and performance and their peculiar, and quite often misplaced and mistaken, views and beliefs regarding different approaches. Other potential reasons for this problem could include the fear, and the consequent deterrence occasioned thereof, of encountering difficulties in language learning, specifically learners’ individual problems regarding the culture of the target language and the varying social statuses of speakers. The most important fear is, perhaps, the deterrent fear of causing damage to one’s self-identity. Therefore, while needing to paying special attention to language learners’ anxiety reactions, language teachers have a crucial role in helping their students achieve the expected performance goals in the target language. Another factor that could potentially lead to language anxiety is simply the poor command of the target language. This problem could be attributed to linguistic barriers and obstacles language learners encounter in learning and using the target language. In the current study, using a qualitative, semi-structured interview and the focus-group discussion technique, the researcher aims to investigate the factors that contribute to language anxiety among Arab language learners. It focuses on learners both within the classroom setting and without, i.e. in the social context, and recommends a number of approaches to manage and overcome this problem.

scholarly journals Foreign Language Learners’ Attitudes and Perceptions of L1 Use in L2 Classroom

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maram S. Almohaimeed ◽  
Huda M. Almurshed
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
English Classes ◽  
English Class ◽  
Attitudes And Perceptions ◽  
Preparatory Year

Whether to avoid learners’ first language (L1) or to make use of it in the second language (L2) classes is a controversial issue. Some studies have challenged the effectiveness of the monolingual approach to foreign language learning. This study investigates Saudi university learners’ attitudes and perceptions towards incorporating their L1(Arabic) in English class. This study also sheds light into the relationship between students’ perceptions and proficiency level in the target language. To this end, Gaebler's questionnaire (2014) was administered to 60 female learners studying in the preparatory year at a Saudi university. They were from three different English proficiency levels. The results showed that advanced learners hold a negative attitude towards the use of L1 in their English classes, whereas elementary and intermediate learners generally perceive the judicious use of their L1 positively.

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