scholarly journals Revisiting the Communicative Approach: The Tripod Construct

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arab World English Journal ◽  
Hayat Al-Khatib
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Writing Proficiency ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Learning Contexts ◽  
Essential Components ◽  
Communicative Approach

The Communicative Approach (CA) has been adopted in English Language-Learning contexts as the ultimate solution in English language teaching, following dissatisfaction with the structuralist approaches, grammar drills and audiolingualism (Liao, 2004; Hiep, 2007). The Communicative Approach promised rapid results in English language learning, however concerns have been voiced on a perceived decline in students’ performance in writing proficiency, following the shift in focus to communication (Lakhwe, 2016; Maalouf,2016). Thirty years after its implementation, calls were made to reevaluate the Communicative Approach based on case studies and results from ELL contexts (Bacha, 2016; Samra, 2016). Arguments provided that what may work in native contexts may not have the same impact in non-native learning contexts (Lakhwe 2016, Ghadi, Biddou and Boukanouf 2016). This case study seeks to identify the main tenets of the Communicative Approach in non-native contexts, and to recommend essential components to its application. The study is based on data collected from 198 students doing English communication skills courses and 45 participating English tutors in an English foreign language (EFL)university context, Lebanon. Findings suggest that performance remains the evidence of competence; however appropriate language performance is essentially reflective of a tripod model of CLT that incorporates correct linguistic application, appropriate sociolinguistic awareness and higher order strategic maneuverability.

scholarly journals Washback of English national exams at ninth-grade level in Thailand and Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wachyu Sundayana ◽  
Panusak Meekaeo ◽  
Pupung Purnawarman ◽  
Didi Sukyadi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Ninth Grade ◽  
Ninth Graders ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Ninth Grade Students

Washback refers to influences of testing on teaching and learning. In Thailand and Indonesia, washback of the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) and Ujian Nasional (UN) inevitably occurs on teaching and learning in classrooms at every level. This present study aims to explore and compare the washback effects of the O-NET and UN on English language learning as perceived by Thai and Indonesian ninth-grade students. It is a multi-case study (Thailand case and Indonesia case) by using triangulation design as the research design. The questionnaires concerning washback effects of national exams on English language learning were distributed to 200 ninth-graders in the two cases. In addition, six students from each case were interviewed. The results reveal that in both cases, the participants focus to learn on contents and skills that were likely to appear in the national exams. The participants learned English harder to perform well in the tests rather than to improve their English ability. Moreover, the students had high anxiety during the test preparations and feared for low O-NET and UN scores. The results of the study contribute to future washback study and improvement of English language teaching and learning at ninth-grade in Thailand and Indonesia.

scholarly journals Effects of Pop Culture for Improving Student-Teachers’ Writing Skill (A Case Study at Galuh University)

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Ratnawati Ratnawati
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Pop Culture ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Writing ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
Descriptive Case Study ◽  
Writing Skill

Writing, one of the four skills which have to be taught by educators in language learning. Starting from classroom observation implied that students confronted the difficulties in writing involving generating ideas, organizing words, and making compositions. This study supposes to explore some effects of pop culture as authentic materials for English language teaching in improving students’ writing skill. Due to pop culture relates to students’ life and experience, it is considered to be a stimulus for gaining students’ ideas, information, motivation, and interest in teaching writing. The students of secondary school were involved in this study and descriptive case study was employed to observe the importance of pop culture in writing class. Also, questionnaires and students’ works are the instruments to measure its effects. Both students’ works and result of the questionnaires pointed out that significantly improvement obtained after applying pop culture. In line with findings, it can be said that pop cultures have significant effects toward students’ writing skill. So, educators need to apply pop culture as their choices in future planning lesson.

scholarly journals FAKTOR YANG MEMPENGARUI KEBERHASILAN PESERTA DIDIK DALAM PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA INGGRIS (Teori Linguistik dan Al-Qur’an)

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-124
Author(s):  
Andi Muhammad Dakhalan
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
School Facilities ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
Learning English

The emergence of today’s role of English as an international language (EIL) and as a global lingua franca (ELF) makes English language education important in many countries. In Indonesia, for example, it has been growing a number of schools ranging from kindergarten to university level which use English as the medium of instructions.Every subject in school curriculum has different objectives including English subject. But some students donot realize that, learning English is really important in their life. It makes them unmotivated in learning English. Lack of learners’ motivation is believed as one of the primary problems of English language teaching, many of them take it as a difficult lesson to learn. As a result, they skip class, and when they attend the class, it is not because they want to learn English but likely because they fear of failure. Moreover, lots of them may lack of attention during class, chatting with classmates, doodling in their note books or gasp in their textbooks. This present study aims at discovering the factors that influence the students’ achievement in English language learning by using linguistic and Al-Qur’an theory. The conclusion of the study is the factors that influence the students’ achievement in English language learning are the students’ intelligence, motivation, school facilities, policies of government and the principal, family, and environment

scholarly journals To Investigate ESL Students’ Instrumental and Integrative Motivation towards English Language Learning in a Chinese School in Penang: Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yee Chee Hong ◽  
Malini Ganapathy
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
English Language ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Past Research ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
English Language Acquisition ◽  
Integrative Motivation

Malaysians have long realised the importance of being competent in English as one of the success factors in attaining their future goals. However, English is taught as a second language in Malaysia, and it is not easy to teach under such a foreign context, because authentic input may not exist beyond the classroom, especially in Chinese private schools. In this scenario, English is learnt as a subject with 10 sessions per week, which is considered insufficient for students to master the language effectively. Past research highlights the significance of motivation in English language acquisition. Motivated students tend to put in more effort in their academic endeavours by showing more persistence in their learning process. The purpose of the study was to identify and analyse whether instrumental or integrative motivation plays a more important role in promoting Form Four ESL students’ English language learning. Furthermore, examine the areas of problems that affect ESL students’ motivation towards English language learning. This study was a qualitative case study that used focus group interviews to elicit data from 12 students in a secondary school in Penang. The findings of this research indicate that students are more instrumentally motivated than integratively motivated in ESL learning. Instrumental motivation is found to have a greater impact on students’ English language learning. This research also highlights that vocabulary and grammar are the biggest areas of problems that are encountered by students during their ESL learning process, which further influence their speaking and writing skills.

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