SUBJECT TEACHERS AND ENHANCEMENT OF STUDENTS’ ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN SELECTED SENIOR SIX CLASSROOMS IN RWANDA

2021 ◽  
pp. 115-129
Author(s):  
Speciose N. Ndimurugero ◽  
◽  
Gloriose Mugirase ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Subject

This study was conducted in Sixth Form schools in Huye District in Rwanda. The researchers’ concern was that most secondary school leavers enter university with low proficiency in English, the medium of instruction. The researchers focused on subject teachers because subject-related courses are allotted more hours than English. The study aimed to explore whether subject teachers offered any assistance in boosting students’ English proficiency. The research drew on Language across the Curriculum (LAC) and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approaches. LAC stipulates that all teachers are language teachers, that subject teachers and language teachers should work jointly, and that language should be taught across the curriculum. CLIL recommends that content be learnt through a second language and that the subject and the language be taught at the same time. For validity and reliability purposes, the current study made use of both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods. Findings revealed that only some of the subject teachers used strategies that could help promote their students’ English proficiency. Findings also indicated that content and English language teachers did not collaborate and that the students were not proficient in English. In accordance with these findings, recommendations were made.

scholarly journals Professional development of English language teachers in Malang, Indonesia: Institutional and individual perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anik Nunuk Wulyani
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Individual

<p>Two important areas of professional development for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesia identified in the 2003 Law on National Education System and 2005 Law on Teachers and Lecturers are disciplinary knowledge and ICT skills. The present thesis investigates institutional and individual aspects of EFL teacher professional development (TPD) in Indonesia in relation to the development of these two areas of expertise.  Three studies were carried out. The first study measured Indonesian EFL teachers’ target language (English) proficiency as a core component of their professional knowledge and how it is maintained and developed by the teachers. EFL teachers’ language proficiency in this study was operationalised as their lexical, reading and writing proficiency and measured using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), IELTS-like reading comprehension test and IELTS-like academic writing test, respectively. The results showed that the teachers’ length of service correlated negatively with their knowledge of academic vocabulary, as well as reading and writing proficiency, indicating issues with the outcomes of the TPD in this area. To triangulate the test results, teacher perceptions data were also gathered using questionnaires and interviews. It was found that the EFL teachers tended to overestimate their own overall English language proficiency.  The second study used a longitudinal blogging activity with the EFL teachers as a form of personal professional development that targeted their English language and ICT skills while reflecting on topics related to their professional (teaching) activities. Qualitative analysis of the blog entries of three EFL teachers suggested that the individual teachers’ blogging, critical reading and reflective writing skills were very uneven. Interviews with nine teachers and 11 educational stakeholders were then conducted to understand their views on blogging as a form of professional development. The results revealed that the perceived obstacles and drawbacks outweighed the perceived benefits of blogging as a form of personal professional development.  The third study examined Indonesian national TPD policy documents, how these policies were translated into local professional development programmes in Malang district. It was found that the needs for EFL teachers to maintain their English proficiency and ICT skills were only partially addressed in TPD policy and implementation. In addition, the interviewed teachers and stakeholders perceived the definitions, goals, administration, evaluation, benefits, and challenges of TPD differently.  Taken as a whole, the present findings show that institutional implementation of TPD policies in Indonesia needs to better target individual EFL teachers’ English proficiency and ICT skills, and that opportunities for better professional development need to be sought at both personal and institutional levels. At the individual level, self-motivation to continue learning is crucial for English language teachers who want to keep up with change and innovation in English language teaching. At the institutional level, needs analyses and environmental analyses are essential in designing programs for maintaining and developing teacher professional competency.</p>

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 Action Research: a Supplementary Source for the English Langauge Teachers

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2S11) ◽  
pp. 2883-2885
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Strategy ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
New Approach ◽  
New Strategy ◽  
Current Scenario ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Subject

This paper tries to explore that, Action Research is a supplementary source for English Language Teachers to bring out better teaching outcome of the teachers and better learning outcomes of the students. In the current scenario, apart from the syllabus, English Language teachers expect a supplementary source to follow a new strategy in order to satisfy the expectations of the students inside the classroom. They face many challenges in the classroom and one of the important problems is to draw continuous involvement of the students as well as to create good understanding of the subject in the classroom. In this connection, Action Research helps the teachers to explore effective teaching strategy in the classroom. This Action Research is integrated with a new approach called MUSE (Manageable, Urgent, Significant and Engaging), that helps the teachers to plan effectively. Besides, it is an exploratory or activity based classroom research and so it encourages the students to learn effectively and understand clearly with more involvement in the classroom. This study suggests a need for the supplementary source and it also focuses on Action Research to aid the teachers.

scholarly journals Relationship between Teachers’ Competency Level in Teaching English Language and Students’ English Language Proficiency in Secondary Schools in Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 104-122
Author(s):  
Girimbabazi Serge ◽  
◽  
Mrs Adegoke Oyebimpe ◽  
Dr. Hesbon Opiyo Andala ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
English Language Teachers

The improvement of students’ English proficiency depends on the level of teaching English language and the competency of teachers in teaching career. The purpose of this study therefore, was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ competency in English language and students’ English language proficiency within secondary schools of Karongi in Rwanda. The study adopted correlation research design research design. Data collection tools were questionnaire and interview guide. The target population was 1794 people comprised of 1560 students, 14 Sector Education Officers, 20 Head Teachers, 200 teachers. A simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to get a sample size of 395 respondents. The study findings revealed that majority of the students with a total of 290 (91.2%) agreed that in their school, teachers are not competent enough in English language. Moreover, almost 292 (91.8%) of the respondents agreed that in their school, students English reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiency level is low and 70 (90.9%) of key informants agreed that both in public and private secondary schools of Karongi District, students’ English language proficiency level in reading, writing, speaking and listening is low. The correlation results showed the association between between teachers’ inability to teach in English, teachers’ inability to read classroom interactions in English language, teachers’ incompetency in English language, teachers’ inability to express themselves in English language as well as teachers’ inability to develop English language educational materials) and dependent variables (students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening English language proficiency and students’ English language proficiency (reading, writing, speaking and listening English proficiency) is positive. The study recommended the Ministry of Education through Rwanda Basic Education Board to avail enough English teaching and learning materials, including charts, textbooks and dictionaries which are adequate in enhancing English language proficiency mastery among students at an early age. All stakeholders of the education sector are recommended to support English teaching and learning activities in Rwanda, as it is the only and one shortcut for making Rwandans master the English language. Keywords: Teachers’ competency, English Language, English proficiency, Rwanda

scholarly journals Native-speakerism and professional teacher identity in L2 pronunciation learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharif Alghazo ◽  
Mahmoud Zidan
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Effective Teaching ◽  
Teacher Identity ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Professional Teacher ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Global Language ◽  
L2 Pronunciation

Many studies in different contexts have examined both English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ convictions about the connection between nativeness in English and professional teacher identity; however, very few studies solely focused on that connection in second language (L2) pronunciation teaching. This paper explores EFL university students’ experiences in learning English pronunciation from ‘native’- and ‘nonnative’- English-speaking teachers (NESTs and NNESTs). Based on an empirical study of undergraduates-prospective English language teachers-at the University of Jordan, the paper finds that most students still view ‘nativeness’ as the main descriptor of effective teaching, strongly believing NESTs to be the ‘authority’ and source of ‘correctness,’ both of which convictions are emblematic of native-speakerism, which in turns leads to both cultural panic and voicelessness on the part of NNESTs and learners. The study concludes with calling for the need to raise awareness among EFL students of the various manifestations of English as a global language-particularly the irrelevance of nativeness to effective teaching-and incorporating NNESTs into teaching L2 pronunciation and rejecting their marginalisation in teaching pronunciation in EFL contexts.

scholarly journals Professional development of English language teachers in Malang, Indonesia: Institutional and individual perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anik Nunuk Wulyani
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Individual

<p>Two important areas of professional development for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesia identified in the 2003 Law on National Education System and 2005 Law on Teachers and Lecturers are disciplinary knowledge and ICT skills. The present thesis investigates institutional and individual aspects of EFL teacher professional development (TPD) in Indonesia in relation to the development of these two areas of expertise.  Three studies were carried out. The first study measured Indonesian EFL teachers’ target language (English) proficiency as a core component of their professional knowledge and how it is maintained and developed by the teachers. EFL teachers’ language proficiency in this study was operationalised as their lexical, reading and writing proficiency and measured using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), IELTS-like reading comprehension test and IELTS-like academic writing test, respectively. The results showed that the teachers’ length of service correlated negatively with their knowledge of academic vocabulary, as well as reading and writing proficiency, indicating issues with the outcomes of the TPD in this area. To triangulate the test results, teacher perceptions data were also gathered using questionnaires and interviews. It was found that the EFL teachers tended to overestimate their own overall English language proficiency.  The second study used a longitudinal blogging activity with the EFL teachers as a form of personal professional development that targeted their English language and ICT skills while reflecting on topics related to their professional (teaching) activities. Qualitative analysis of the blog entries of three EFL teachers suggested that the individual teachers’ blogging, critical reading and reflective writing skills were very uneven. Interviews with nine teachers and 11 educational stakeholders were then conducted to understand their views on blogging as a form of professional development. The results revealed that the perceived obstacles and drawbacks outweighed the perceived benefits of blogging as a form of personal professional development.  The third study examined Indonesian national TPD policy documents, how these policies were translated into local professional development programmes in Malang district. It was found that the needs for EFL teachers to maintain their English proficiency and ICT skills were only partially addressed in TPD policy and implementation. In addition, the interviewed teachers and stakeholders perceived the definitions, goals, administration, evaluation, benefits, and challenges of TPD differently.  Taken as a whole, the present findings show that institutional implementation of TPD policies in Indonesia needs to better target individual EFL teachers’ English proficiency and ICT skills, and that opportunities for better professional development need to be sought at both personal and institutional levels. At the individual level, self-motivation to continue learning is crucial for English language teachers who want to keep up with change and innovation in English language teaching. At the institutional level, needs analyses and environmental analyses are essential in designing programs for maintaining and developing teacher professional competency.</p>

scholarly journals Promoting Learner Autonomy

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-167
Author(s):  
Said OUSSOU
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Know How ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers

Learner autonomy has been the concern of a number of researchers in English language teaching. The concept has begun life since the 1980s. It has been considered in the Moroccan EFL context among the priorities of education, which English language teachers try to implement in their classes. Studies revealed that there are correlations between learner autonomy and other variables related to learners, which makes autonomy a subject of interest and thus an ability that should be fostered. As such, the present study aims at investigating the extent to which secondary EFL teachers promote autonomy in their learners. To achieve this purpose, a quantitative research design was employed in the study, generating and analyzing quantitative data. Therefore, a sample of 96 (57 males and 39 females) EFL teachers completed the questionnaire. Drawing on the findings, it was found that EFL teachers promote learner autonomy to a great extent and that the results were conclusive among the teachers’ rates of levels of agreement and disagreement regarding the strategies for promoting learner autonomy. Thus, it is concluded that the study reported on the extent to which teachers employ a number of strategies to promote learner autonomy and that it does not necessarily mean that the study explained the degree to which teachers know how to implement those strategies, as this would be beyond the purpose of the present study.

scholarly journals First Language Interference and Form Focused Instruction

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shafaq Fayyaz ◽  
Suyansah Swanto ◽  
Wardatul Akmam Din
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Grammar Instruction ◽  
Esl Teachers ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Native Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers

<em>This paper addresses EFL/ESL teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding the use of the first language in a language classroom pertaining to the Form-Focused Instruction - a grammar instruction approach. In essence, this study looks into whether the judicious use of L1 in learning the foreign or second language is effective or not. A case study strategy was deemed appropriate for this study to explore and investigate the beliefs and practices of the non-native teachers on the use of L1 in learning English as a foreign language. To this end, six English language teachers were selected from a Chinese secondary school. The data were collected through classroom observations and stimulated recall interview questions. The audio-recorded data were fully transcribed in English, and subjected to a process of interpretative analysis. The findings revealed that teachers used L1 mainly to present the target grammar topics, to explain the grammatical rules and also to encourage students for the explanation of the grammatical rules in there L1. It is therefore imperative to consider the results of this study as it may highlight some notable pedagogical implications regarding the assisted effects of the use of first language on foreign/second language learning. </em>

scholarly journals EFFECTS OF ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS ON MALAYSIAN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS’ SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE OF LITERARY DEVICES

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-48
Author(s):  
Manickavasagar Govindasamy ◽  
Jariah Mohd. Jan
Keyword(s):  
Subject Matter ◽  
English Language ◽  
Subject Matter Knowledge ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Major ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Academic Qualifications ◽  
Literary Devices ◽  
Better Than

Previous studies in the West have shown teachers who are academically qualified in specific subjects are able to teach better than those with degrees in non-specific subjects (Goldhaber and Brewer, 1996). Such studies within the local context are limited. As such, this study examines the effects of academic qualifications on the subject matter knowledge of literary devices among secondary school English language teachers in a northern district in Malaysia. The analysis revealed that academic qualifications had significantly influenced the subject matter knowledge of literary devices and such knowledge differ significantly among the English major and English minor, TESL and KPLI or Post-graduate Teaching Programme English language teachers. Specifically, the English major language teachers had better subject matter knowledge of literary devices than the non-English major language teachers. The TESL teachers were better than the non-TESL teachers in their subject matter knowledge of literary devices. The subject matter knowledge of literary devices amongst the KPLI English language teachers was lower compared to the non-KPLI language teachers.

scholarly journals IS NEUROLINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING A MYTH? A REVIEW OF NLP STUDIES

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiza Zeb, Ansa Hameed, Shaista Zeb
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Scientific Model ◽  
Neurolinguistic Programming ◽  
Scientific Support ◽  
The Status ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Uk

NLP has not been able to gain the status of a scientific model since its emergence in 1970’s with certain reservations by the experts in the various fields such as educators, linguists, English language teachers, and scientists. Despite the fact that more than fifty organizations are working in the UK solely on NLP, there are only a few conversations and studies available on the subject due to mere supposition about the lack of scientific support for its existence. In NLP history, much work has been ignored due to mere speculation. Also, many researchers did not pay any attention to the theoretical and conceptual underpinnings of the NLP ideas and researches via ignoring various studies in this filed. This article has aimed at the exploration of NLP via various studies in diverse fields dealing with the varied aspects of NLP toolkit to illustrate the mammoth significance it holds. The research circumspectly examines the fundamental role that NLP plays in education, sports, health, and English language teaching practices that is beyond the claims of experts who declare it a pseudoscience.

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