LEARNING MATERIALS: THE “NUCLEUS” OF LANGUAGE TEACHING

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Desy Damayanti ◽  
Adin Fauzi ◽  
Azizatul Mahfida Inayati

Among some components of effective language classroom, learning materials indisputably play a focal role. They improve the quality of language teaching; facilitate teachers in doing their duties, and lead students to a higher level of understanding in learning. This research aims to discuss the notion of materials in language teaching. It made use of works of literature to outline the importance of materials in language teaching, and to analyze kinds of materials, which are relevant to language teaching. The analysis resulted in the classification of materials into two broad categories namely (1) created materials, which include course book, audio materials, and video materials; and (2) authentic materials, which cover authentic texts, movie/film, radio broadcasting, television program, graphs, maps, tables, and charts. This paper serves as an invaluable resource to facilitate language teachers in selecting appropriate materials for effective language teaching.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-193
Author(s):  
Lucía Pintado Gutiérrez

AbstractThis article explores the agency of the student in translation in language teaching and learning (or TILT). The purpose of the case study discussed here is to gain an overview of students’ perceptions of translation into the foreign language (FL) (also known as “inverse translation”) following a module on language and translation, and to analyse whether there is any correlation between students’ attitude to translation, its impact on their language learning through effort invested, and the improvement of language skills. The results of the case study reveal translation to be a potentially exciting skill that can be central to FL learning and the analysis gives indications of how and why language teachers may optimise the implementation of translation in the classroom. The outcome of the study suggests that further research is needed on the impact of translation in the language classroom focussing on both teachers’ expectations and students’ achievements.


1997 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-118
Author(s):  
Joan Kelly Hall

This collection of 28 papers was first presented at the 1994 GURT. The theme of the conference was educational linguistics, crosscultural communication, and global interdependence. The vastness of the theme is reflected in the diversity of the chapter topics. Twelve of 28 deal with curricular issues. Of these, those by Kachru, Nyikos, D. Freeman, van Lier, Loew, and Richards discuss issues and concerns broadly related to the preparation of language teachers. D. Freeman's chapter is worthy of note because it offers an interesting discussion on the various strands of scholarship, which he suggests comprise the knowledge base of language teaching. Six of the 12 chapters center on curricular issues for the language classroom. Matters relating to the teaching of culture are dealt with by Oxford and Bamgbose. Brown discusses “responsive language teaching.” Citkina reports on innovative foreign language methods recently introduced in the Ukraine. A good discussion on computer-mediated communication and its usefulness to the language classroom is offered by Stauffer. Pica provides an excellent overview of the research on task-related learning and an equally useful discussion of its pedagogical implications.


2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
Jason D. Hendryx

Después de más de una década de observaciones en clases de más de una docena de idiomas, en múltiples instituciones de educación secundaria y de educación superior en varios países, se puede afirmar que existen tres usos pedagógicos clave para una introducción exitosa de la tecnología por parte de los profesores. Los tres usos identificados son: el direccional, el de desarrollo, y el crítico. En lo sucesivo, llamados usos 3D. Los datos de observación obtenidos sugieren que cuando un profesor de idiomas introduce la tecnología en el aula por medio de cualquiera de los tres usos indicados, incrementa el éxito de resultados. El éxito aquí debe entenderse como un mayor nivel de interacción, de motivación, de compromiso y de producción de lenguaje por parte de las estudiantes. Mientras tanto las observaciones de profesores que introducen la tecnología en el aula sin tener en cuenta los usos 3D, revelaron aplicaciones rígidas y aburridas de los medios tecnológicos para la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de idiomas. Dichas aplicaciones muchas veces se caracterizan por desdeñar el contexto pedagógico de manera que generan entre los estudiantes escasos o nulos niveles de interacción o de producción de lenguaje.Grounded in over a decade of language classroom observations, in multiple institutions of secondary and higher education in several countries, across over a dozen languages, three key features of what appear to be successful applications of technology by instructors in these classes for language teaching emerged. These features came to be identified as directional, developmental, and decisive—Hereafter referred to as the 3Ds. Observational data suggests that when an instructor embraces any of the 3Ds while using technology for teaching and learning purposes, the more successful that application of technology seems to be. Success here should be understood as higher levels of student interaction, engagement, and motivation, with more kinds and types of student language being produced.  Meanwhile, observations of instructors who did not utilize any of the 3Ds, revealed stiff, uninspiring uses of technology, oftentimes devoid of context, which did not result in much, if any, student interaction or language production.  


2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian MacKenzie

Linguists have recently suggested that a large proportion of linguistic performance in naturally acquired languages is enabled by the internalization of a huge number of institutionalized utterances, or lexical phrases, or fixed and semi-fixed expressions. This research parallels the discovery, earlier this century, of the oral-formulaic nature of Homeric poetry. Furthermore, although written literature (as opposed to oral epic poetry) is generally assumed to be anything but formulaic, it can be shown that it too necessarily contains a lot of institutionalized expressions, or at least transformations of them, and that our own repertoire of memorized phrases almost certainly comes from literary as well as oral sources. Foreign language teachers clearly need to give serious consideration to the prevalence of lexical phrases, in both speech and writing. Literature can be used in the foreign language classroom as (among many other things) a source of institutionalized phrases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 01-09 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamdi Ahmad ◽  
Robert McColl Millar

Purpose of the study: The premise of this paper is to define and address the ambiguities surrounding the concept of text authenticity in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT). Methodology: It represents a critical review of a series of research studies aimed at defining the concept of text authenticity and investigating the effect of text authenticity on ESL/EFL learners’ individual differences, namely ESL/EFL learner motivation and communicative competence. However, wherever possible, for the purpose of maintaining criticality, data associated with pedagogic/contrived materials are also discussed. Main Findings: The aspects of text authenticity may be situated in the text itself, the participants, social or cultural situations and purposes of the communicative act, or some combination of these elements. In addition, deficiency in learners’ overall communicative competence in the English language can be attributed to teachers’ exclusive reliance on contrived text materials presented in the form of textbooks. Applications of this study: It is strongly recommended that teacher training courses aim to develop classroom teachers’ practical knowledge and skills necessary for designing and evaluating TESOL materials. Reaching a consensus among researchers on the issue of the effects of authentic materials on ESL/EFL students’ motivation and overall communicative competence can have fundamental implications not only for developing language curricula but also for promoting learner autonomy. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study addressed the ambiguities surrounding the concept of text authenticity by proposing a typology encompassing eight possible inter-related definitions of text authenticity emerging in the ELT literature. More importantly, the paper structured a triangulation framework for introducing authentic materials into language classrooms:1) careful implementation of learner need-analysis, 2) criteria-based selection of authentic texts in the light of learner need-analysis, 3) utilization of task-based learning approach stressing the importance of activating learner schemata, awareness-raising activities, and task differentiation. This triangulation methodology is likely to reduce the difficulty of text authenticity and realize comprehensible input.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-623
Author(s):  
Simon Coffey ◽  
Constant Leung

AbstractIn this paper we investigate the ways in which creativity is understood and enacted by language teachers. Although the term ‘creativity’ has gained enormous traction in language pedagogy, and in education more generally, we suggest that the concept remains a floating signifier carrying different personal connotations that are shaped by wider institutional and professional constraints. We report on interview data with practising language teachers who discuss their interpretation of creativity and how it manifests in their classrooms. Our analysis considered how teachers positioned themselves and their students in relation to each other and how the agency of the different actors was shaped by discursive constructions (of creativity) which were, in turn, underpinned by broader socio-historical and disciplinary frames. In particular, we focus on distinctions between creative language and creative language teaching and how these are construed differently across professional contexts. While teachers are keen to adopt creative approaches, findings show that there are significant differences in their interpretations of the concept that point to deeply rooted epistemological dissonances in the perception of language and personhood in the pedagogical encounter. In the final section we develop the implications of these findings for professional cultures and identities, in particular some of the critical but under-explored issues surrounding the idea of creativity in language teaching, including the ever-present ‘teacher-ledness’, the curricularised nature of taught languages and the absence of personal development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-184
Author(s):  
HASAN COŞKUN

The aim of this article is to show how German students can be motivated by learning games. Apart from the development and didacticisation of the learning game “Marbles”, the attitude of  Turkish families and language teaching educational establishments and the support of the DaF lessons by German mediating institutions in Turkey will be considered. The attitude of Turkish families to learning foreign languages is mostly positive. Turkish educational authorities and those responsible for education take various measures to expand foreign language teaching availability in the schools. German institutions which provide teachers (Goethe-Institut, ZfA, DAAD) promote the improvement of German teaching in Turkey. Nevertheless, the quality of German teaching is not satisfactory mostly because the available teachers are not adequately qualified, teacher training is remote from practice, the quality of text books and teaching materials, the traditions of learning, the excessively large classes, inadequate learning environment (language cabinets and equipment), the nature and method of central examinations (multiple choice) and their significance in the Turkish educational system. In the long-term, this leads to frustration in both teachers and students. The Turkish educational authorities initially took measures to expand the availability of language teaching in the course of harmonisation of the Turkish educational system to that of the EU e.g. the introduction of a second foreign language. German mediating institutions ensure reasonable further training for teachers locally and in Germany and support the creation of teaching materials etc. The Ministry of Education in Turkey, has started to take measures for students to learn other languages such as German, French, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, Arabic, ethnic languages ​​in Turkey, et cetera in the educational institutions in addition to English. For example, in the Anatolian high schools two foreign languages are taught.  The Board for Higher Education in Turkey, has introduced second foreign language lessons in  foreign language teacher programs, envisioned to be taken for three semesters, in order for the language teachers to gain experience in the field of two languages.  Private education institutes are emphasizing that they are teaching more than one foreign language in order to draw more students. Families make an economic sacrifice for their children in order for them to learn foreign languages. It is observed that in some districts of certain major cities, teaching of foreign languages has started to be given as early as at kindergarten level. In Turkey, German is preferred as the second foreign language in general. Nowadays, German is the second preferred language from primary to high school in Turkey. The quality of German language lessons should be increased for more students to select German as the second foreign language in the coming years. Despite all these efforts, teaching foreign language is not up to the desired level in Turkey (Bayraktaroğlu, 2014, pp. 9-14; Demircan, 2014, pp. 17-22). For that reason, it is important that motivating teaching methods and teaching materials be developed for German teaching.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ladan Bello ◽  
Hadiza Bello Dange

Recently the use of technology and its integration into the curriculum has gained a great importance. One of this technological devices is mobile phones which is usually banned at school due to the distractions and problems caused by different built-in and installed applications, However, the use of these installed applications such as Telegram on these handheld device especially smart phones in second language teaching is going to assist in effective language teaching and allow students to actively participate in teaching and learning. Keeping all these in mind, the purpose of this presentation is to provide the required information for second language teachers so that they can make use of Telegram efficiently in language classroom.


This collection of case studies is special for several reasons. Firstly, because of the geographical and institutional diversity of the authors, bringing together experiences of teaching under COVID-19 restrictions in the university language classroom from 18 countries and five continents. Secondly, the publication is interesting because of the variety of case studies that testify to different strategies and emphases in dealing with pandemic-related challenges. Finally, the case studies collected strikingly demonstrate the creative responses of language teachers in a variety of contexts to meet the challenges of the pandemic crisis (Dr Sabina Schaffner).


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saovapa Wichadee

Professional development is seen as a way to maintain and enhance the quality of teachers. The acquired knowledge does not only bring about improvement in the teaching process, but also leads to career growth. This article discusses the concept of professional development in the field of language teaching which is distinctive from other fields. The emphasis here is on what are various methods of development they can use to improve themselves continually. Also, there are a lot of contents in the context of language teaching they require for classroom practice. Although language teachers are to gain new theories and practices, they sometimes encounter some problems in their professional development. These problems can be solved by school administrators and teachers themselves.


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