scholarly journals University Lecturers’ Task-Based Language Teaching Beliefs and Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 748
Author(s):  
Huong Thi Lan Lam ◽  
Son Van Nguyen ◽  
Hong Anh Thi Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Beliefs ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
University Lecturers

The present study aimed to investigate the beliefs and practices of task-based language teaching (TBLT) among lecturers in English as a foreign language (EFL) at technical universities in Vietnam. A total of 136 lecturers completed the questionnaire and seven of whom participated in semi-structured interviews. Findings indicated that the lecturers had positive views toward the TBLT approach and showed a willingness to use it in their classrooms, although they also shared notable challenges related to the technique. The results also showed significant differences in understanding of TBLT among lecturers with different years of experience; however, years of experience and qualifications did not affect the lecturers’ views on or implementation of TBLT. The study offers several implications for better understanding and more effectively implementing TBLT approaches in the classroom.

scholarly journals Existing EFL Pedagogies in Thai Higher Education: Views from Thai University Lecturers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yusop Boonsuk ◽  
Eric A. Ambele
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Research Question ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Changing Roles ◽  
University Lecturers

Since English is extensively used among linguacultural users to access life opportunities, it has become a requisite foreign language in the Thai educational system. To prepare Thai learners for this new changing role of English and reduce English Language Teaching dependency on the native English variety, this study aimed to explore English lecturers’ voices in Thai universities on existing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogies at the Thai tertiary level with the research question: how do English lecturers in Thai universities perceive EFL in Thai universities? Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 Thai EFL university lecturers selected from ten different universities in Thailand and analyzed using content analysis. The finding reveals that EFL-oriented pedagogy plays a dominant role in English language teaching (ELT) education in Thai classrooms, illustrating three main salient themes from the study: (1) EFL pedagogies; (2) EFL materials; and (3) EFL curriculums. The result shows that the pedagogy is less responsive in the changing roles of English use and its widespread worldwide, especially among diverse linguacultural interlocutors. Hence, English university lecturers should reconsider, adjust, and made more practical glocal changes in English language teaching for the purpose of language teaching, language planning and predicting language change.

scholarly journals Task-based language teaching in a local EFL context: Chinese university teachers’ beliefs and practices

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110442
Author(s):  
Yuying Liu ◽  
Wei Ren
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Weak Version ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
University Teachers ◽  
Teacher Student ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Gap Data

This study examines university teachers’ beliefs and practices related to task-based language teaching while teaching English as a foreign language. Task-based language teaching (TBLT) has become a prominent topic for researchers and practitioners in recent decades. It is also advocated by the Chinese Ministry of Education for college English teaching. However, few studies have investigated local EFL (English as a foreign language) teachers’ perceptions of and difficulties in implementing TBLT. This study aims to fill this gap. Data were collected via 12 semi-structured interviews, and the results revealed that the Chinese EFL teachers employed a weak version of the approach, i.e. the task-supported language teaching approach. They tended towards a student-centred teacher–student relationship. These findings suggest that the role of traditional Chinese values in influencing the implementation of TBLT has been overemphasized. Implications for the sustainable development of teaching pedagogy and professional learning are discussed.

scholarly journals Existing EFL Pedagogies in Thai Higher Education: Views from Thai University Lecturers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-141
Author(s):  
Yusop Boonsuk ◽  
Eric A. Ambele
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Change ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Research Question ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Changing Roles ◽  
University Lecturers

Since English is extensively used among linguacultural users to access life opportunities, it has become a requisite foreign language in the Thai educational system. To prepare Thai learners for this new changing role of English and reduce English Language Teaching dependency on the native English variety, this study aimed to explore English lecturers’ voices in Thai universities on existing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) pedagogies at the Thai tertiary level with the research question: how do English lecturers in Thai universities perceive EFL in Thai universities? Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 Thai EFL university lecturers selected from ten different universities in Thailand and analyzed using content analysis. The finding reveals that EFL-oriented pedagogy plays a dominant role in English language teaching (ELT) education in Thai classrooms, illustrating three main salient themes from the study: (1) EFL pedagogies; (2) EFL materials; and (3) EFL curriculums. The result shows that the pedagogy is less responsive in the changing roles of English use and its widespread worldwide, especially among diverse linguacultural interlocutors. Hence, English university lecturers should reconsider, adjust, and made more practical glocal changes in English language teaching for the purpose of language teaching, language planning and predicting language change.

Exploring teacher written feedback in EFL writing classrooms: Beliefs and practices in interaction

2021 ◽  
pp. 136216882110576
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Cheng ◽  
Lawrence Jun Zhang ◽  
Qiaozhen Yan
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Comprehensive Approach ◽  
Written Feedback ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Writing Teachers ◽  
Efl Writing ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teachers Beliefs ◽  
Feedback Strategies

As an important instructional affordance, teacher written feedback is widely used in second language (L2) writing contexts. While copious evidence has shown that such a pedagogical practice can facilitate L2 learners’ writing performance, especially their writing accuracy, little is known about how novice writing teachers conceptualize and enact written feedback in contexts of English as a foreign language (EFL). To fill this gap, we examined four novice writing teachers’ espoused written feedback beliefs and their actual practices in Chinese tertiary EFL writing classrooms. Based on data from semi-structured interviews and students’ writing samples, we found that they adopted a comprehensive approach to feedback provision, and were most concerned with errors in language, particularly grammar when providing feedback. These teachers almost reached a consensus in their beliefs about feedback scope and feedback focus, but they held varying beliefs about feedback strategies. Additionally, this study revealed the complexity of belief-practice relationships, in terms of the coexistence of consistencies and inconsistencies. Specifically, these teachers’ beliefs paralleled their practices in feedback scope, but their beliefs and practices mismatched with regard to feedback focus and feedback strategies. This article concludes with a discussion of the important pedagogical implications.

scholarly journals The Application of Differentiated Instruction to a High School Student With Dyslexia in the German Language A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Makrina Zafiri ◽  
Vassiliki Vakalopoulou ◽  
Vassiliki Pliogou
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Differentiated Instruction ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Before And After

In recent years, dyslexia has become an important issue in the field of foreign language teaching and learning. In this research we will explore dyslexia in connection to teaching and learning a foreign language. More particularly, in this research, we will be probing into the teaching of German as a foreign language. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of the application of Differential Instruction, the application of the Grammar –Translation Method, the Audio-Visual Method, the Communicative Approach to language teaching as well as the Multisensory Method to a Greek student with dyslexia. The girl is in the first year of junior high school and is being taught German as a foreign language at school. The research method, which was applied, focused on qualitative research through the use of semi - structured interviews. This research is also a case study. Action research was conducted, for the needs of this small-scale research, through ten differentiated instruction lessons which were taught to a student with dyslexia. The student and her mother were the major sources of data collection. More particularly, the semi - structured interviews were conducted before and after the implementation of differentiated instruction with the student and her mother. We initially attempted to collect information through semi-structured interviews, on the student's family profile, and after conducting the ten lessons, we tried to verify the effectiveness of the approaches and methods which were applied. The results of this research showed that the effectiveness of differentiated instruction was immense as the student’s performance improved in the foreign language.

From foreign language teaching methodology to comparative glottodidactics

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Przemysław Ernest Gębal ◽  
Monika Janina Nawracka
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Teaching Methodology ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Qualitative Empirical Research ◽  
Diachronic Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Thinking

Abstract The article presents the results of a diachronic analysis of language education in Poland from the 1950 s to the present day. We reflect on the evolution of theoretical thinking on language teaching methodology and its influence on everyday teaching practice. The approach taken is chronological, both in terms of the description of theory which is developed and implemented as well as the language education. This is an arbitrary choice which we feel is justified by the socio-political context. The analysis starts with a presentation of the tradition of teaching foreign languages in Poland followed by a description of use of terminology. Qualitative empirical research from structured interviews with researchers who have significantly influenced contemporary Polish glottodidactics is used to complement the analysis.

scholarly journals Assessing Teachers’ Beliefs and Practices in Relation to the Integration of Grammar and Reading in Foreign Language Teaching in Secondary Schools in Ethiopia

Afrika Focus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-23
Author(s):  
Gemechis T. Chali ◽  
Kimberley Mouvet ◽  
Miriam Taverniers
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Foreign Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Teachers Beliefs

Studies have suggested that teachers’ beliefs have a significant influence in language teaching (e.g., Williams and Burden, 1997), i.e. that teachers’ beliefs will significantly influence their teaching practice. This study examines teachers’ beliefs and practices in relation to the integration of grammar and reading in foreign language teaching. A qualitative research design with Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and observation data gathering tools was employed. The study revealed that teachers hold positive beliefs on teaching grammar and reading in an integrated way, but their beliefs were not reflected in the classroom. The key finding of this paper was that teachers strongly believed in the usefulness of the integration of grammar and reading, but there were difficulties to reflect it in practice. This paper suggests that an alternative technique should be developed on discrete ways of teaching to allow teachers to practise their beliefs either on the existing text or through adapting the textbook. The findings of the study may have important implications for EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers and practitioners.

scholarly journals Intercultural Competence in ELT Contexts: A Study of EFL Teachers’ Perceptions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdelhak Bouslama ◽  
Fawzia Bouhass Benaissi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Cultural Mediators

Intercultural competence (IC) has been promoted by many educationalists as the most exalted type of competence in modern foreign language teaching (FLT). Among the difficulties to incorporate IC into FLT can be due to the fact that teachers may not have sufficient knowledge on the concept. To test this hypothesis, we attempt to answer the following question: how do Algerian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers perceive the concepts of culture and IC as well as the objectives of the intercultural approach (ICA) in English language teaching (ELT) contexts? The present study proceeds to analyze teachers’ knowledge, perceptions and understanding of the concepts of culture, IC and the ICA and seeks to identify any potential deficiencies that may hinder effective IC teaching. The main aim of the study is then to help teacher trainers establish training programs that address more efficiently targeted teachers’ needs with regard to IC teaching. This paper will hopefully assist in improving the implementation of IC into FLT classrooms. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with eight teachers and then analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that many EFL teachers displayed a lack of theoretical understanding concerning the ICA and its objectives, which may well impact negatively on their IC teaching practices. Teacher educators therefore need to focus more on updating EFL teachers’ on both the theoretical and practical levels that learners are today expected to grow as cultural mediators equipped with a set of skills rather than as native-like proficient language users.

scholarly journals Rural EFL Teachers’ Emotions and Agency in Online Language Teaching: I Will Survive

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Dini Rosita Sari
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Skills ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Emotional Geography ◽  
Upper Secondary ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Upper Secondary Schools

This article explores rural English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ emotions and agency in online language teaching. Based on Hargreaves’s emotional geography framework, teachers’ emotions and teacher agency are both captured through teachers’ narration about their feelings, salient challenges that they encountered, and their coping strategies. Research data were collected using semi-structured interviews with two English teachers working in rural upper secondary schools in Nunukan, Indonesia. The collected data were analyzed with an inductive approach. The findings portray how rural EFL teachers experience various emotions which are mainly caused by physical and sociocultural distance, how agency helps these teachers with abilities to reflect on their feelings and to take crucial actions, and to what extend the need for immediate professional development programs to develop online teaching skills is.

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