scholarly journals Mini Texts: A Fusion of Grammar, Communication and Vocabulary Development in CLT (Communicative Language Teaching)

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-84
Author(s):  
R. K. P. Shrestha ◽  
Pooja Gupta

Rich and adequate input is the first and foremost condition for perfect language learning, other important things come later in order to achieve the goal of developing communicative competence in a language learning process in an EFL or ESL setting. In this context, Communicative Language Learning (CLT) is still the most prevalent approach of English language learning/teaching field both in ESL and EFL settings. In EFL settings CLT is adopted nowadays with some  reservations. One solution to the drawbacks of CLT is "mini texts" in order to provide rich and adequate language input as they subsume grammar, communication, and most importantly, adequate vocabulary development. Objectives: The main objective is to critically assess the role of mini texts in order to provide rich and adequate language input for language learning. Method: Collaborative action research design was adopted to assess the outcome of teaching "mini texts" under improved communicative approach. Brief written and oral performance tests of class ten students were used as the tools of evaluation. Purposive sampling was used for the selection of thirty schools in three districts of the Kathmandu Valley whereas random sampling was used to select the respondent students of mixed ability for the written and oral performance test. The test items for the test were easy enough to be answered by average students of even lower classes. The test items were based on fixed criteria: different elements of grammatical competence to write and speak correctly, and also on some essential aspects of informal colloquial English used in fast spoken English. Pre-test and Post test were administered in order to compare the result of the traditional teaching with the outcome of the new method teaching with "mini texts" as the primary teaching material to provide optimal and quality language input to the students. Result: The over-all result of the test shows that the learning outcome, in general, is rather frustrating. Let alone government schools where most of the students belong to lower-class unprivileged families, even in private schools, or rather in so called A grade private schools, the condition of the English proficiency from the viewpoint of grammatical competence is rather frustrating. Surprisingly, not a single school could obtain even pass marks whereas same students secure good marks in their national level SEE exam.Conclusion: The current English teaching practice in Nepalese schools is deficient in (i) optimal quality language input, and (ii) suitable teaching methods to produce desirable outcome of English teaching for better learning outcome or better communicative proficiency. Mini texts have come out as an appropriate teaching material to be experimented on a large scale as they subsume essential, grammar points, essential vocabulary stock and also communication-oriented practice exercises.

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-88
Author(s):  
Wiwik Damanik ◽  
Erika Sinambela ◽  
Arsen Nahum Pasaribu

The needs analysis cannot be separated from the development of materials and curriculum design for language learning, especially ESP. The research about ESP, especially the topic of need analysis still needs to be explored. Thus, this research aims to identify language skills needed and develop English teaching materials at Politeknik Gihon. The subjects of this study were 45 ongoing students and six former students. The result of the study revealed the perceptions of the students’ needs for their current studies and future career and how the English material should be designed in this institution. This study contributes in developing the teaching material and proposed a redesigned of ESP course.


Author(s):  
Arif Nugroho

AbstractThe appropriateness of teaching materials is one of the essential components in gaining the maximum input of knowledge to achieve the success of a language learning. In terms of teaching English for specific purposes, the contextualized material is a prerequisite to encourage the learners’ productivity in using the language. Therefore, the present study sheds light on English teaching material needs of accounting students at IAIN Surakarta and the challenges that accounting students face to fulfil the needs. Descriptive qualitative was employed in this study by administering Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and web-based survey to the first-year accounting students who had finished English for Specific Purposes course as the participants. Semi-structured interview was also conducted with the English lecturers and the head of accounting department to enrich the data. The data were analysed by transcribing the results of FGD and semi-structured interview and describing the questionnaire results as data triangulation. The findings of this study showed that contextual English teaching materials are strongly needed by accounting students to enhance their language production. Moreover, there are some insights from the participants related to the ideal teaching materials for accounting students. These findings offer practical insights in designing a representative teaching material for accounting students to equip them with outstanding language skills in accounting field. 


Author(s):  
Cláudia Silva Estima

Resumo: O presente estudo pretende mostrar os processos de elaboração de um material de ensino de língua inglesa com o fim específico de habilitar artesãos brasileiros na comunicação oral para o desempenho de sua profissão, a qual requer a interação na língua inglesa com clientes estrangeiros. A seleção do material está embasada teoricamente nos conceitos referentes aos estudos de gênero, à subjetividade linguística e aos recursos argumentativos da linguagem que envolvem artesãos e clientes no momento da comercialização de suas obras. Traz-se, também, como embasamento teórico da presente pesquisa, o papel da cognição e afetividade para a aquisição de uma língua na adultez avançada, pois a faixa etária identificada do público-alvo encontra-se dentro desse grupo prioritariamente. Com base nesses fundamentos e em dados coletados junto ao público-alvo por meio de questionários, apresenta-se o processo de seleção e elaboração desse material de ensino, o qual se acredita que possa ir ao encontro das necessidades desse grupo profissional dentro de seus fins específicos para o estudo da língua inglesa. Palavras-chave: Língua inglesa. Aprendizado. Artesãos. Material de ensino. THE PROCESS OF COMPILATION OF AN ENGLISH TEACHING MATERIAL FOR CRAFTSMEN: A FOCUS ON ORAL COMMUNICATION Abstract: The aim of this study is to present the process of compilation of an English teaching material for Brazilian craftsmen, in order to prepare these workers to communicate orally with their foreign clients. The material that was selected is theoretically based on the studies of genres, subjectivity and argumentation in language, concepts which underline the interaction among the craftsmen and their clients when selling their products. Also, the role of cognition and affection is taken into consideration in the theoretical foundations, because the target students belong, in their majority, to older adult craftsmen, according to the data collected. Therefore, it is belied that the interplay between theory and the data collected here should result in a proposal that meets the students’ oral communicational needs. Keywords: English language. Learning. Craftsmen. Teaching material. 


Author(s):  
Hapsari Dwi Kartika

This paper explains why learner autonomy is taken into account in language learning where English is a foreign language for the learners particularly in Indonesia. The definition of learner autonomy and its advantages to language learner in EFL contexts will be described within this paper. Many scholars from psychological education and English teaching and learning had proved that language learning can be improved by certain strategy. They revealed the correlation between the autonomous learning with students’ success in learning with different aspect. The definition of autonomy is similar to many different words such as self-regulated and self-determined. Finally, the writer suggests how teacher can promote the autonomous learning atmosphere in the classroom.Keywords: strategy, promoting autonomy, EFL context, Indonesia


Author(s):  
Dani Levine ◽  
Daniela Avelar ◽  
Roberta Michnick Golinkoff ◽  
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek ◽  
Derek M. Houston

Copious evidence indicates that, even in the first year of life, children’s language development is beginning and is impacted by a wide array of cognitive and social processes. The extent to which these processes are dependent on early language input is a critical concern for most deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) children, who, unlike hearing children, are usually not immersed in a language-rich environment until effective interventions, such as hearing aids or cochlear implants, are implemented. Importantly, some cognitive and social processes are not dependent on the early availability of language input and begin to develop before children are fitted for hearing aids or cochlear implants. Interventions involving parent training may be helpful for enhancing social underpinnings of language and for maximizing DHH children’s language learning once effective hearing devices are in place. Similarly, cognitive training for DHH children may also provide benefit to bolster language development.


Author(s):  
Yan Liang

With the advent of the Internet age, network information technology is rapidly entering college English classes, which fundamentally changes the mode of college English teaching. In college English classroom teaching mode, as a brand teaching form, College English multimedia network teaching environment has brought advantages to classroom teaching, but also brought about impacts on teaching concepts, teaching models, teaching methods and other aspects. There are some phenomena that are inconsistent with the reform model at the students, teachers and the environment. The balance of traditional English classroom teaching has been broken, which has affected the smooth progress of college business English classroom teaching mode reform. It is very important to analyze and resolve these imbalances and find ecological methods for optimizing university English education. In this context, the advent of multimedia-assisted education technology has provided better conditions for the implementation of Business English classroom education in universities. Multimedia-powered business English education allows teachers to create a better language learning environment in class more conveniently and quickly, helping students acquire grammar knowledge and achieve their educational objectives.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Banan Hassan Alhajaji ◽  
Jalila Saleh Algmadi ◽  
Amal Abdelsattar Metwally

Vocabulary is an essential element of language learning. Wide ranges of vocabulary along with grammatical competence guarantee learners to communicate in the language effectively. This study proposes an edutainment method for learning vocabulary by simply combining education and entertainment. This study aims to gain insights about learners’ opinions and perspectives about the use of a technique developed by the researchers as well as how participants feel about their learning. The study investigates the effect of employing Games, Mind-mapping and Twitter Hashtags as the GMT technique, on female Saudi university students’ achievement in English vocabulary. The study suggests that this technique which consists of interactive games, cognitive mind-mapping and the exploitation of technology in the form of twitter hashtags, all employed together, constitute a unified framework for activating students’ vocabulary learning. The sample in the study consisted of 150 students enrolled in the vocabulary building course during the second semester of the academic year 2018/2019. The participants were asked to respond to the questionnaire and they also took variant assessment tests, then their scores were compared to the results of other students who were not taught vocabulary using the technique in question. The findings ascertain the improvement and significant in the experimental group. In addition, the results reveal that the learners had mostly positive opinions on implementing the GMT technique which facilitated their language learning experience. The researchers conclude that the GMT technique can be an effective tool to promote students’ active engagement, motivation, and interaction in vocabulary learning.


2014 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. 64-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN GOLDIN-MEADOW

ABSTRACTYoung children are skilled language learners. They apply their skills to the language input they receive from their parents and, in this way, derive patterns that are statistically related to their input. But being an excellent statistical learner does not explain why children who are not exposed to usable linguistic input nevertheless communicate using systems containing the fundamental properties of language. Nor does it explain why learners sometimes alter the linguistic input to which they are exposed (input from either a natural or an artificial language). These observations suggest that children are prepared to learn language. Our task now, as it was in 1974, is to figure out what they are prepared with – to identify properties of language that are relatively easy to learn, the resilient properties, as well as properties of language that are more difficult to learn, the fragile properties. The new tools and paradigms for describing and explaining language learning that have been introduced into the field since 1974 offer great promise for accomplishing this task.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Jie Chen ◽  
Yukun Chen ◽  
Jiaxin Lin

The purpose is to minimize color overflow and color patch generation in intelligent images and promote the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) intelligent image-positioning studio classroom in English teaching. Here, the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) algorithm is introduced to extract and classify features for intelligent images. Then, the extracted features can position images in real-time. Afterward, the performance of the CNN algorithm is verified through training. Subsequently, two classes in senior high school are selected for experiments, and the influences of IoT intelligent image-positioning studio classroom on students’ performance in the experimental class and control class are analyzed and compared. The results show that the introduction of the CNN algorithm can optimize the intelligent image, accelerate the image classification, reduce color overflow, brighten edge color, and reduce color patches, facilitating intelligent image editing and dissemination. The feasibility analysis proves the effectiveness of the IoT intelligent image-positioning studio classroom, which is in line with students’ language learning rules and interests and can involve students in classroom activities and encourage self-learning. Meanwhile, interaction and cooperation can help students master learning strategies efficiently. The experimental class taught with the IoT intelligent positioning studio has made significant progress in academic performance, especially, in the post-test. In short, the CNN algorithm can promote IoT technologies and is feasible in English teaching.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 70-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashok Sapkota

Writing is a form of an art and integral part of language learning. The present study concerns with development of writing skills through peer and teacher correction technique. As an action research in nature, the research aimed to test the progress of the students while writing an essay. After the analysis of data collected through test items, it was seen improvement in students writing in post test than in pre-test. The students (Ss1-Ss10) were found using the words in an increased order and grammatically correct sentences in their writing in each test made and committed less grammatical errors in post test than in pre and progress test. Regarding mechanics of writing, their writing was found systematic in case of punctuation, proper use of paragraphs, in coherence and cohesion in writing. The peer correction and teacher correction technique was found productive in teaching writing through action research as a whole. Journal of NELTA, Vol. 17 No. 1-2, December 2012, Page 70-82 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nelta.v17i1-2.8094


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