scholarly journals University teachers’ perspectives on the use of mother tongue in ELT

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 80-93
Author(s):  
Trilok Datt Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
L1 Use

The use of mother tongue (L1) in teaching English has always been a debatable issue as there are multiple opinions of the teachers regarding it. They are not sure to either use mother tongue in English language teaching or avoid it for effective teaching. The primary purpose of this phenomenological study of qualitative research was to find out the university teachers' perception on the use of mother tongue along with their effectiveness of L1 use at undergraduate level of Far Western University in Nepal. The participants of this study were four English language teachers teaching in the same university having more than ten years of teaching experience. The researcher used semi-structured interview and classroom observation for collecting data. The findings demonstrated that most of the teachers supported the judicious use of mother tongue in English language teaching classes based on their own experiences. The study also showed that overuse of L1 in second language (L2) classes might have some harm. It concludes that judicious use of L1 is a better way to deal with the students having poor proficiency in English language and enhance students' participation. The study recommends that teachers can make use of the students’ mother tongue purposefully whenever they think it is necessary to do in their classes.

Environmental Aspects of Successful English Language Teaching Practices in Rural Sabah Low Enrolment Schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Norazrina Ag-Ahmad ◽  
Bernadette Peter Lidadun
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Environmental Aspects

This study explores the environmental aspects or concepts underlying successful English Language Teaching (ELT) as well as the support needed and the challenges that are faced by a group of primary school teachers in the context of a low enrolment school in a rural area in Sabah, Malaysia. This study adopted an exploratory qualitative approach which involved seven English language teachers who have had more than five years of teaching experience. A set of semi-structured interview questions were formulated to elicit data on the  concepts and the conditions that could either help or hinder the incorporation of those concepts in ELT. Qualitative analysis of participants’ interview data indicated that exposure to the target language, motivation and goals were the environmental aspects of language teaching practices that   affect students’ success in second language acquisition. Support from   parents, teachers and school authorities were essential in     assimilating these aspects in the teaching practices. It was found that the participants expressed tension between what they believed to be good practices and what they were restricted to do due to contextual barriers. Among the main barriers identified in this study were changes in education policy, insufficient financial support and infrastructure as well as lack of monitoring of the execution of activities in schools. Findings in this study have important implications to policy makers and curriculum developers.

scholarly journals Exploring mono/multilingual practices on the CELTA course: What trainers say

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882199125
Author(s):  
Fiona Gallagher ◽  
Catherine Geraghty
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Initial Teacher Education ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Speakers Of Other Languages ◽  
L1 Use ◽  
The University

This article examines mono- and bi/multilingual practices on the University of Cambridge CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) course. This course is generally considered to be one of the most popular and widely-recognized initial teacher education programmes in English language teaching worldwide. The article describes a small research project which explored the views of 77 CELTA trainers in relation to the use of the first language (L1) in English language teaching and centred on how this issue is addressed on the teacher training courses they worked on. The study included trainers who use English either as an L1 or as a second language (L2) and both monolingual and bi/multilingual participants. Respondents worked in shared-L1 (where learners share a common language other than English) and in multilingual teaching and training contexts. The need to develop a theoretical framework in relation to L1 use in English language teaching and for a more explicit and considered focus on this issue on the CELTA course was identified, so that both trainers and trainee-teachers can make informed pedagogic decisions around L1 use in their teaching and professional practices. Findings also point to the need for wider discussion within the CELTA community on issues relating to the traditionally monolingual and one-size-fits-all orientation of the course and to the potential added-value of language teachers and educators who bring bilingual skills and perspectives to the classroom, particularly non-native English speakers.

scholarly journals Teach Effectively or Guide Wisely? Discussing the Application of Wisdom Approach to Language Teaching in Thai Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji Hye Jaime Chung ◽  
Xiaoxia Wei
Keyword(s):  
Common Good ◽  
English Language ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
The Common Good ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Common

This study aimed to explore English language teachers’ perceptions and their classroom practices toward the application of teaching the ‘common good’ by incorporating a moral and ethical side of education to English Language Teaching (ELT). The data were collected by using a mixed-method approach consisting survey questionnaire, semi-structured interview, and class observations. Thirty teachers who taught English language at an international university located in Thailand participated in this study. The results revealed that the English language teachers do have a positive perception of the significance and value of cultivating students to achieve the common good in order to help them grow as virtuous citizens. However, their practices in classroom did not match the general perceptions as their behaviors were more focused towards linguistic effectiveness rather than wise guidance. It is recommended that language teachers raise awareness of the holistic aspect of education by valuing the social role of language in ELT.

scholarly journals A Literary Approach to teaching English Language in a Multi – Cultural Class - Room

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanju Choudhary
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Teaching Learning

<p>Literature is not generally considered as a coherent branch of the curriculum in relation to language – development in either mother tongue or foreign language – teaching. As teachers of English in Multi cultural Indian class rooms we come across students with varying degree of competence in English language learning. Though, language learning is a natural process for natives but the Students of other languages put in colossal efforts to learn it. Despite   their sincere efforts they face challenges regarding Pronunciation, Spelling and Vocabulary. The Indian class rooms are a microcosm of the larger society, so teaching English language in a manner which equips the students to face the cut-throat competition has become a necessity and a challenge for English language Teachers. English today has become the key determinant for getting success in their career. The hackneyed and stereotypical methods of teaching are not acceptable now. Teachers have no longer remained arbitrary dispensers of knowledge but they are playing the role of a guide and facilitator for the students. Teachers of English are using innovative ideas to make English language teaching and learning interesting and simple. Teachers have started using the literary texts and their analysis to explore and ignite the imagination and creative skills of the students. One needs to think and rethink the contribution of literature to intelligent thinking as well as its role in the process of teaching – learning. My paper would, therefore, be an attempt at exploring the nature of the literary experience in the present day class rooms; and the broader role of literature in life.</p>

scholarly journals Proletarianization of English Language Teaching: Iranian EFL teachers and their alternative role as transformative intellectuals

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parvin Safari
Keyword(s):  
Critical Pedagogy ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Context Change ◽  
The Status

In the field of English Language Teaching (ELT), attention has been shifted toward the alternative role of teachers as transformative intellectuals whereby transformation in teaching occurs from control and technical operations to criticism and intellectual reflection. This role enables teachers to focus on marginalized students’ lived experiences and worlds to transform them into active and critical citizens who are emancipated to develop their voices and question the status quo. Through critically examining the learning milieu that maintains injustice and inequality, students struggle to connect it to sociopolitical conditions in wider society, and eventually transform it to meet the desired ideologies and thinking. This paper attempts to scrutinize teachers’ role as transformative intellectuals and their challenges through the transformation process. Thus, the researcher used purposive sampling to select 26 teachers in four private language institutes of Tehran, Shiraz, and Yazd, Iran to adopt the role of transformative intellectuals based on theoretical principles and concepts of critical pedagogy. Semi-structured interview and an online focus group were used to collect data. Data analysis disclosed transformations and benefits as well as the challenges resulting from teachers becoming transformative intellectuals. The fruitful findings of this study are insightful, since this study is an example to show how language teachers can create transformation in the EFL context, change their fossilized role, and empower oppressed students within the institutionalized and oppressive system of schooling.

scholarly journals Purposes and Challenges of Integrating ICT in English Language Teaching in Nepalese Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 198-206
Author(s):  
Prakash Bhattarai
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experience ◽  
English Language ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Language Class ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Right

This phenomenological study explores how English language teachers become information and communication technology (ICT) literate and why they make use of ICT in English language class and find out challenges in integrating ICT in English language teaching (ELT). For this purpose, two secondary-level English teachers were selected purposively, and in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using the thematic analysis technique. The findings drawn from the lived experience of the teachers reveal that teachers become ICT literate and updated by taking formal classes, training, and teaching their students; they make use of ICT in ELT for students' language development, motivation, and autonomy. The challenge of keeping the students on the right track is the major challenge English language teachers encounter while integrating ICT in ELT. Though there are challenges, every English language teacher should try to teach the English language integrating ICT.

scholarly journals Female English Teachers Perceptions and Experience of Continuing Professional Development in Qatar

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 160
Author(s):  
Saba Qadhi ◽  
Alan Floyd
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Continuing Professional Development ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching

The Qatari government views English language learning as crucial to the country’s future success. Anecdotal evidence suggests, however, that English language teachers (ELTs) employed in Qatar may not necessarily have the appropriate training, qualifications, and experience to enable them to teach successfully. Despite growing research and interest in the continuing professional development (CPD) experiences and needs of ELTs in Western contexts, there remains a lack of research in Middle Eastern countries in general and in Qatar in particular. The aim of this study was to address this gap by exploring female ELTs’ perceptions and experiences of CPD in Qatar in order to develop new practical and theoretical insights into our understanding of this area. The study draws on data from life history interviews undertaken with 16 female ELTs with at least 3 years of teaching experience in Qatari schools. The study found that the participants had very different experiences of CPD based on their personal and professional characteristics. This suggests that for it to be perceived as a positive experience, the current model of professional development for ELTs may need revising. We propose a paradigm shift from a traditional “one size fits all” CPD model towards a more dynamic and interactive style of teacher development that facilitates both personal reflection and professional discourse among teachers. It is argued that such a shift would prove a considerable step forward for English language teaching in this country.

scholarly journals MULTIMODALITY, MASS MIGRATION AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-622
Author(s):  
Vanderlei J. Zacchi
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Mass Migration ◽  
Important Means ◽  
English Language Teachers

Abstract: This paper aims to discuss the use of multimodality in English language teaching. The corpus consists of a set of activities based on a series of pictures related to the seizure of two trucks carrying US-bound migrants in 2011. Two different groups, comprised of pre-service and in-service English language teachers, took part in the research. The first part of the activity involved loose interpretations of the pictures and a discussion about migration nowadays. Afterwards, other activities were carried out based on Luke and Freebody's four-resources model (1990). Some preliminary analyses lead us to conclude that the reading of images is very much culturally sensitive and that multimodal ways of meaning making are becoming more powerful in the globalized, digital era, turning them into an important means for English teaching nowadays.

scholarly journals Kuwaiti Instructors' Beliefs about English Language Teaching and Their Awareness of Global English

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 87
Author(s):  
Ahmad F. Alnwaiem ◽  
Abdullah M. Alazemi ◽  
Abdullah A. Alenezi
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Global English ◽  
English Language Teachers

The beliefs of EFL teachers are an essential term perceived in a number of educational fields. Especially in teacher education and behavioural research, this term is usually related to teachers&#39; habits and practices in classes, considering their impact on each other. The aim of this study is to add to prior studies on the subject of teachers&#39; beliefs and to concentrate on English language teachers (ELT). The objective is to merge the theory of instructors&#39; beliefs with Global English (GE). The research question &#39;what are the Kuwaiti instructors&#39; beliefs about ELT and their awareness of Global English?&#39; formalizes these aims. To accomplish the research: To discover teachers&#39; beliefs about ELT and their awareness of Global English. This research concentrates on English language teachers at the university level. The collection of data has been conducted over two months. For data collection and interpretation, this study adopted a qualitative research methodology. Surveys were chosen as the instrument for data collection. The study used qualitative content analysis in relation to the data analysis method. Moreover, the findings were evaluated based on a deductive and inductive approach to qualitative data analysis. Results indicated various kinds of teachers&#39; beliefs about ELT. Including views about the English language, ELT in relation to the standards, ELT with regard to the GE context. English-language beliefs played a central role in shaping two other views, which were considered secondary beliefs. Except for the content of teachers&#39; beliefs, the study&#39;s findings have shown two significant categories of influences: internal and external, that affect the development and application of teachers&#39; beliefs in classrooms. In this study, the internal factor referred mainly to English-language teaching beliefs based on its ability to influence other cognitive constructs (i.e., different convictions, behaviours, sensitivity) and teaching practices. As far as external factors are concerned, the teachers&#39; diverse experiences with individuals (e.g., parents and retired teachers) and administrative legislation (e.g., policy and curriculum) are the main factors. Finally, it was possible to conclude the findings of this analysis in the same manner as previous studies, which combined teacher cognition theory with the field of GE. In other words, teacher beliefs play a crucial part in the teacher&#39;s cognitive system as a decisive role in their teaching practice. This study proposes further research to reinforce the results of contemporary research in this area.

scholarly journals Why can't we do it as teachers: English language teaching from the perspectives of secondary school teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-84
Author(s):  
Sevim Maviş ◽  
Fevzi Dursun
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Black Sea Region ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this study is to discover the issues in teaching English from the perspective of teachers. The qualitative method was employed in the study by using semi-structured interview forms to 19 teachers from a central Black Sea region province of Turkey. The teachers highlighted the impact of learning-teaching process, teacher training, teacher-stakeholder relationship and students during the study. According to the teachers, students' prejudices against foreign language learning, interest in the subject, awareness of the importance of language learning, speaking skills, participation in the lesson and the environment they take the courses affect the language learning process. Nevertheless, the reasons for the problems are a lot more complex than this. The students are also need to be supported by the education system, by the parents and by teachers in this process. For instance, the results shows that there is a need for activities that will make students more active, and more suitable environments and materials (i.e. books) are needed for English language teaching. Also, the teachers need to the support of parents, administrators, and the other teachers to become more efficient. This research once again reveals the importance of interrelation of all factors and stakeholders as well as students' willingness and thoughts in teaching English.

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