scholarly journals Spoken Language Teaching: What Do Teachers Believe in?

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Salmiza bt Abdul Rahim ◽  
Hamidah Yamat ◽  
Parilah bt Mohd Shah

This paper is a qualitative case study that aims to explore beliefs and practices of four English lecturers, by focusing on two components related to content knowledge of spoken language teaching, namely spoken forms (grammar and vocabulary), and interactional skills. It also aims to see how their held beliefs influence their teaching practices. To fulfil this purpose, four English lecturers teaching communicative English subject, contextualized in one polytechnic in Malaysia, were purposively selected as participants of the study. The data were gathered through interviews, non-participant classroom observation, as well as collection of relevant documents. The Atlas t.i. program was used to manage the data and thematic analysis was applied in data analysis. Generally, the findings indicate that the participants viewed the knowledge about spoken form as a relevant exposure to students, but it should not be the focal attention of the lesson. They also believed that interactional skills could be acquired through frequent speaking practices, and these beliefs are consistent with their teaching practices. The data also revealed some misconceptions about certain concepts in spoken language, and the teaching of the components in focus is found to be limited. This indicates a lack of depth content knowledge among the lecturers in these specific areas, hence recommendations for appropriate trainings and professional development programs are made to facilitate teachers to be more well-informed with their pedagogical decisions in classroom. In conclusion, this study illuminates the salient role of content knowledge among practicing teachers, as it potentially affects their teaching practices.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Ummy Khoirunisya' Masyhudianti ◽  
Hanita Masithoh ◽  
Khoirun Nisa

In the 21st century era, the implementation of technology in the form of common digital media and resources has been applied by teachers in language teaching and learning process. One of the digital media broadly used in teaching is video. It provides many advantages to promoteand improve students' speaking skill. This study aims to investigate the teacher's beliefs and the practices of using video in teaching speaking at the Ten Grade of SMA As-Salam Surakarta. A qualitative method was employed as the design of this study. An English teacher voluntarily involved as the participant. The data were collected through in depth-interview. The findings were categorized into three majors: 1) Teacher's belief in teaching speaking using video; 2) The reflection of those beliefs in classroom practices; 3) Factors shaping the teacher's beliefs and the practices. The result showed that there is no discrepancy between the teacher's beliefs and teaching practices. This study has a contribution to the development of English foreign language teaching. Hence, it is suggested that the English teacher should highlight their beliefs in order to create effective teaching practices.


لارك ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (36) ◽  
pp. 257-249
Author(s):  
د. إيمان علي الراشد

ABSTRACT The present study is a focus on the importance of linguistic democracy in English Language Teaching (ELT). The paper discusses the need for utilizing democracy in the educational practices in language teaching. The study is a qualitative case study. Data were collected using interviews, classrooms observations and fieldnotes. The present study examines the conceptions of three participants, university lecturers who were chosen from three faculties, on the role of democracy in language teaching. Additionally, the paper presents the impact of the lecturers' conceptions on their practices in classrooms. In accordance with the obtained data, it was observed that there is a limited knowledge on understanding the role of democracy in language teaching. This was clearly manifested in the classroom practices.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Dalilan ◽  
Eka Sartika ◽  
Deyana Indah Lestari

Individuals with disabilities learn with difficulties such as physical, emotional, mental, and social deficiencies. In a limited physical and mental condition, they are faced with problems in learning, particularly in learning English. This study aims at revealing practices and obstacles in learning English in an intellectual disability classroom that affected the teaching practices. A case study method was used in this study. This study's participants were two teachers at SLB-C Tuna Grahita Palembang selected by a typical sampling technique. The observation and interview were used to collect data regarding realized practices and obstacles in teaching English to students with intellectual disabilities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study results indicated that English language teaching practices in intellectual disability classrooms were similar to the regular ones but more oriented to students' needs. The obstacles of English language teaching were affected by intellectual disability students' limitations in writing, reading, speaking, listening skills, and heterogeneous ability.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Hemphill ◽  
Barrie Gordon ◽  
PM Wright

© 2019, © 2019 Association for Physical Education. Background: Sport-based youth development (SBYD) programs aim to teach life skills to youth within a physical activity context. An explicit objective of most SBYD programs is that youth learn to apply, or transfer, life skills beyond the sports program. Limited research has been conducted on the cognitive processes that help youth understand how life skills apply within and beyond sports. Purpose: This study uses a conceptual framework on transfer of life skills to examine the role of life skills in an SBYD program. Research questions include: (1) how does the SBYD program integrate the teaching of life skills, (2) how do youth participants experience the life skills in the boxing program, and (3) how do youth participants perceive the life skills impact them beyond the program. Methodology: This research took place at three community boxing academies in New Zealand. The three academies were selected because they are affiliated with a boxing program that is committed to implementing a life skills framework called the Passport to Success. Forty-one youth (31 boys, 10 girls) across the three sites participated in focus groups interviews about their experience in the program. Additionally, observations of program implementation documented the daily routines of each boxing academy. Using a qualitative case study design, inductive analysis and constant comparative methods were used to identify emergent themes. Findings: Youth participants perceived life skills to be a foundational component of the boxing program. The life skills were presented to youth through the ‘Passport to Success’, a document featuring eight key life skills. The coaches focused on the Passport to Success in several ways, including setting an expectation that youth memorize the life skills to demonstrate their commitment. Several youth participants discussed learning valuable lessons around the life skills. Finally, youth were able to describe scenarios which demonstrated how the life skills connected with other areas of their lives. Conclusion: Life skills implementation was guided by the Passport to Success and an expectation that youth develop positive relationships in the gym. A routine strategy for memorizing the Passport to Success provided a clear example of youth learning the meaning of life skills in the context of sports. The youth participants demonstrated cognitive connections in their explanation of the value of life skills beyond the boxing program. Using the conceptual framework on transfer [Jacobs and Wright 2018. “Transfer of Life Skills in Sport-Based Youth Development Programs: A Conceptual Framework Bridging Learning to Application.” Quest 70 (1): 81–99] helps to explain the cognitive connections youth participants make between life skills in a sports program and their application beyond sports.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
MA Hemphill ◽  
Barrie Gordon ◽  
PM Wright

© 2019, © 2019 Association for Physical Education. Background: Sport-based youth development (SBYD) programs aim to teach life skills to youth within a physical activity context. An explicit objective of most SBYD programs is that youth learn to apply, or transfer, life skills beyond the sports program. Limited research has been conducted on the cognitive processes that help youth understand how life skills apply within and beyond sports. Purpose: This study uses a conceptual framework on transfer of life skills to examine the role of life skills in an SBYD program. Research questions include: (1) how does the SBYD program integrate the teaching of life skills, (2) how do youth participants experience the life skills in the boxing program, and (3) how do youth participants perceive the life skills impact them beyond the program. Methodology: This research took place at three community boxing academies in New Zealand. The three academies were selected because they are affiliated with a boxing program that is committed to implementing a life skills framework called the Passport to Success. Forty-one youth (31 boys, 10 girls) across the three sites participated in focus groups interviews about their experience in the program. Additionally, observations of program implementation documented the daily routines of each boxing academy. Using a qualitative case study design, inductive analysis and constant comparative methods were used to identify emergent themes. Findings: Youth participants perceived life skills to be a foundational component of the boxing program. The life skills were presented to youth through the ‘Passport to Success’, a document featuring eight key life skills. The coaches focused on the Passport to Success in several ways, including setting an expectation that youth memorize the life skills to demonstrate their commitment. Several youth participants discussed learning valuable lessons around the life skills. Finally, youth were able to describe scenarios which demonstrated how the life skills connected with other areas of their lives. Conclusion: Life skills implementation was guided by the Passport to Success and an expectation that youth develop positive relationships in the gym. A routine strategy for memorizing the Passport to Success provided a clear example of youth learning the meaning of life skills in the context of sports. The youth participants demonstrated cognitive connections in their explanation of the value of life skills beyond the boxing program. Using the conceptual framework on transfer [Jacobs and Wright 2018. “Transfer of Life Skills in Sport-Based Youth Development Programs: A Conceptual Framework Bridging Learning to Application.” Quest 70 (1): 81–99] helps to explain the cognitive connections youth participants make between life skills in a sports program and their application beyond sports.


2020 ◽  
pp. 136216882093344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anisa Cheung ◽  
Mairin Hennebry-Leung

Although much has been written about the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices, research examining the role of emotions in the realm of teacher cognition remains limited. This article presents a case study investigating one English as a second language (ESL) teacher’s beliefs and practices about teaching literary texts, drawing on Zembylas’ three levels of teacher emotions (2002, 2005), i.e. intrapersonal, interpersonal and intergroup, as the conceptual framework. The ESL teacher’s beliefs and practices were investigated via open-ended interviews and lesson observations that explored her perceptions of teaching literary texts throughout one academic year. The findings point to the complexity of teacher practices which may converge or diverge with their beliefs. Various contextual factors were found to contribute to this complexity. The results highlight the need to situate the emotions of teachers beyond contextual factors and consider the dynamic nature of teacher cognition. The practical value of the study lies in its extension of the role of emotions in mediating teacher cognition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariatna ◽  
Rod Ellis

Abstract This article reports a practitioner research study where one of the authors worked with an Indonesian secondary school teacher to help her introduce task-based language teaching into her own classroom. We report a study involving classroom observation, interviews, and a reflective journal and show that the teacher was able to develop a good understanding of TBLT principles, construct well-structured lessons around tasks, and, in the main, to implement TBLT effectively. We also found that there was also a generally positive response to TBLT from the students and pre- and post- tests provided evidence of language learning. However, we also observed that while the teacher was able to adopt the role of facilitator, she still sometimes continued to behave as a traditional instructor, dominating the interactions through display questions and nominating students. We conducted this case study as part of our work as teacher educators and conclude with a list of the insights we gained can inform professional development programmes for TBLT in Indonesia.


2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Diane Nagatomo

Japanese teachers of English in Japanese higher education are an under-researched, yet a highly influential group of teachers. A yearlong case study with one teacher, a literature specialist who is relatively new at teaching English, was conducted. Through multiple interviews and classroom observations, it was found that the teacher’s beliefs toward language learning and language teaching are deeply rooted in how she successfully learned English and are shaped by her love for literature. The paper concludes with a call for more qualitative and quantitative research investigating the teaching practices and the English pedagogical beliefs of Japanese university English teachers in order to deepen our understanding of English language education in Japan. 日本の高等教育機関における日本人の英語教師の役割は大きいにもかかわらず、これまで十分に研究の対象になって来なかった。文学が専門の比較的経験の浅い1人の教師を対象として1年間、ケーススタディを行った。数回のインタビューおよび教室での観察を通じて、その教師の言語学習・言語教授についての本人の信条が、自分の英語学習における成功体験および文学への愛情に少なからず影響されていることが判明した。本論では、日本における英語教育の理解を深めるためには、大学教師がどのような教育を行っているか、どのような教育上の信念を持っているのかを、質的にも量的にもさらに研究する必要性があると結論づけている。


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