Standing in Dorothy’s Shoes: What Can Language Teachers Learn from Dorothy Heathcote? Part One: Where Dorothy Came From, What She Did, and How It Can Support Language Development

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-12
Author(s):  
Ben Cowburn
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Process Drama ◽  
Drama Education ◽  
Educational Drama ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Dorothy Heathcote ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Many

From the 1960s onwards, Dorothy Heathcote became a highly influential figure in UK drama education. Her practice, based around unscripted, participatory dramas in which students were often guided by a teacher working ‘in role’, helped to shape the way drama is taught in schools today, particularly within the process drama approach. Influenced by a range of educational theorists and practitioners, Heathcote developed a style of educational drama that she saw as being distinct from ‘theatre’, and more concerned with experiencing drama than performing it. To this end, she developed a number of dramatic techniques, such as ‘Teacher in Role’ and ‘Mantle of the Expert’, to help students inhabit dramatic contexts and learn through the direct imagined experience of a particular place, time or problem to be solved. These techniques have much to offer language teaching, particularly when communication is the main goal. Placing students in dramatic contexts is claimed to enhance motivation and engagement and lead to more truly authentic communication than is often found in language classrooms. Using a framework based on Heathcote’s techniques, and those developed by other process drama educators, language teachers can begin to explore the many benefits drama can offer language learners.

Standing in Dorothy’s Shoes: What Can Language Teachers Learn from Dorothy Heathcote? Part Two: Process Drama and Language Teachers

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 4-20
Author(s):  
Ben Cowburn
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Process Drama ◽  
Expert Teacher ◽  
Level Of Use ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Dorothy Heathcote ◽  
Teachers Attitudes ◽  
High Level ◽  
Potential Use

To explore language teachers’ attitudes to using drama activities, and to determine the level of use and understanding of process drama techniques in language classrooms, a survey was carried out. The results showed a high level of support for the benefits many theorists and researchers have claimed for the use of drama activities in language learning. They also showed that process drama techniques were used to a lesser extent than activities such as warm­up games and scripted role­plays. Following the survey, a workshop was planned, to explore language teachers’ responses to using process drama­based techniques. The workshop was designed to include a number of process drama activities, including Mantle of the Expert, Teacher in Role, Tableau and Improvisation. The feedback from the workshop showed enthusiasm for these techniques, and for their potential use in language teaching.

scholarly journals Teaching Critical Vocabulary to Filipino Heritage Language Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 260
Author(s):  
Jayson Parba
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
World Language ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
The Status ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
L1 And L2

Engaging in critical dialogues in language classrooms that draw on critical pedagogical perspectives can be challenging for learners because of gaps in communicative resources in their L1 and L2. Since critically oriented classrooms involve discussing social issues, students are expected to deploy “literate talk” to engage in critiquing society and a wide range of texts. Although recent studies have explored teachers’ and students’ engagement with critical materials and critical dialogues, research that explores language development in critical language teaching remains a concern for language teachers. In this paper, I share my experience of fostering language development, specifically the overt teaching of critical vocabulary to students of (Tagalog-based) Filipino language at a university in Hawai’i. Through a discussion of racist stereotypes targeting Filipinos and the impacts of these discourses on students’ lived experiences, the notion of “critical vocabulary” emerges as an important tool for students to articulate the presence of and to dismantle oppressive structures of power, including everyday discourses supporting the status quo. This paper defines critical vocabulary and advances its theoretical and practical contribution to critical language teaching. It also includes students’ perspectives of their language development and ends with pedagogical implications for heritage/world language teachers around the world.

scholarly journals Case Study of the Commercially Published ELT materials in Foundation of English Course Books 1 & 2

IIUC Studies ◽  
2016 ◽  
pp. 173-182
Author(s):  
Md Yousuf Uddin Khaled Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Global Markets ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
The Right

Brumfit (1979) has suggested that many commercially published ELT materials are little more than ‘masses of rubbish, skilfully marketed’. He perhaps rejects most of the published materials. However, in reality, it is observed that these ELT resources are the only available alternatives in the contexts where infra-structural limitations of language classrooms and the inefficiency of the language-teachers make the goal of language learning and teaching unreachable or unattainable for many of the learners. This paper, through a case study, aims at justifying the use of commercially published ELT coursebooks that are designed and used, considering the limitations and problems of the personally produced materials by untrained teachers. Nevertheless, these materials must consider the local market rather than the global markets so that they meet the needs of the local language learners and instructors. The case study implies that it is the selection or adaptation of the right materials for the specific learners that makes them effective or ineffective. It also suggests that the personally designed or locally produced materials too may make teaching and learning difficult and impossible sometimes.IIUC Studies Vol.10 & 11 December 2014: 173-182

scholarly journals Responding to national curriculum goals for English language learners

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Alford ◽  
Alice Windeyer
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
English Language ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
English Language Development ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Australian English

The official need for content teachers to teach the language features of their fields has never been greater in Australia than now. In 2012, the recently formed national curriculum board announced that all teachers are responsible for the English language development of students whose first language or dialect is not Standard Australian English (SAE). This formal endorsement is an important juncture regarding the way expertise might be developed, perceived and exchanged between content and language teachers through collaboration, in order for the goals of English language learners in content areas to be realised. To that end, we conducted an action research project to explore and extend the reading strategies pedagogy of one English language teacher who teaches English language learners in a parallel junior high school Geography program. Such pedagogy will be valuable for all teachers as they seek to contribute to English language development goals as outlined in national curricula.

Motivational strategies in Chinese language classrooms: A comparative study of novice and experienced teachers

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-214
Author(s):  
Hongyang Shi ◽  
Tianmiao Wang
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Classical Model ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Experienced Teachers ◽  
Motivational Strategies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teaching Objectives ◽  
Language Classrooms

Abstract Plenty of research in applied linguistics has confirmed that language teachers’ motivational strategies are playing a crucial role in relation to the learning motivation of their students. While previous research on motivational strategies has focused almost exclusively on teaching English as an international language (TESOL), this paper seeks to explore what motivational strategies are used by teachers of Chinese as a second language (CSL), and how their use differs between novice and experienced teachers in the Chinese cultural context in mainland China. The study was carried out in four Beijing universities with 90 novice and 85 experienced CSL teachers. The research instrument was adapted from the classical model developed by Dörnyei, Zoltán, & Kata Csizér. 1998. Ten Commandments for motivating language learners: Results of an empirical study. Language Teaching Research 2(3). 203–229. Participants were asked to rate the motivational strategies in terms of their perceived importance and the frequency by which they implemented them in their teaching practices. Following this, six participants also took part in semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study reveal a significant relationship between teachers’ preferences of motivational strategies and their cultural background, teaching objectives and the teaching contexts. Results also show a remarkable difference in motivational strategies between novice and experienced teachers at both macro and individual levels. The study suggests a few interpretations of the results and several implications for CSL teacher’s professional development based on its findings.

scholarly journals Exploring the Use of Written Authentic Materials in ESL Reading Classes: Benefits and Challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Waheeb S. Albiladi
Keyword(s):  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
English Language ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Authentic Materials ◽  
Academic Benefits ◽  
Language Classrooms

The growing popularity of authentic materials provides English language teachers with more resources to practice the real language in language classrooms (Guo, 2012). However, integrating these types of reading materials can be difficult and time-consuming even though there are many benefits to using them to teach language learners how to read. Real-life based texts, which are not specifically designed for educational purposes have been recognized by many educators to be effective and interesting materials. The purpose of this study was to explore language learners’ perceptions about the benefits and challenges of using authentic materials in English reading classes. The study involved 16 adult English language learners enrolled in an intensive English program. Observations of reading classes and semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. Results indicated that the use of authentic materials leads to many social and academic benefits, such as increasing students’ motivation and their cultural awareness. Findings also suggest that the use of authentic materials are encouraged as they bring the sense of authenticity and reality to the language classrooms.

Standing in Dorothy’s Shoes: What Can Language Teachers Learn from Dorothy Heathcote? Part Three: Process Drama in a Real-World Context

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-24
Author(s):  
Ben Cowburn
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School Teachers ◽  
Real World ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Process Drama ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Dorothy Heathcote ◽  
High Level ◽  
The University

Based on research into the benefits of using process drama techniques in language teaching, guidelines for planning process drama-based language lessons were created. Using these guidelines as a starting point, two workshops were planned and carried out, with the main aim of introducing Korean elementary school teachers to process drama. The workshops featured activities based on techniques pioneered by Dorothy Heathcote and other practitioners. These activities were linked by a narrative inspired by the university the workshops took place in, introduced by the workshop leader working in-role. The feedback from the workshops showed high level of engagement, and support for the use of process drama in the teachers' future lessons.

scholarly journals Written Corrective Feedback: The need for collaboration and multidirectional interaction

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Carr ◽  
Michiko Weinmann
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Proximal Development ◽  
Written Corrective Feedback ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
Potential Benefits

Over the last two decades, there has been significant debate surrounding the potential benefits, or potential harm, generated from the provision of written corrective feedback (WCF) on the writing of language learners. The majority of research in the field has been conducted within a positivist paradigm, which often adopted experimental research designs that measured language development in the form of correct output of targeted linguistic items, with the output sometimes being limited to a single writing task. Through the use of an interpretive paradigm and a socio-culturally informed theoretical framework, this case study examines language development reflected by progression within the language learners’ zone of proximal development (ZPD), generated via the provision of direct WCF. Retrospective interviews provide rich qualitative data that highlight the experiences of participants as they process three different types of WCF. This case study found that WCF was not able to generate any significant shifts towards self regulation within the participants’ ZPD, and thus learning generated via WCF was, at best, minimal. The need for learners to collaborate in order to co-construct their ZPDs during both the processing of WCF and construction stage of writing tasks was identified. Pedagogical implications for language teachers are discussed.

scholarly journals Incorporating drama techniques in the language classroom: Report on the „Drama in Education Days 2016“ conference in Reutlingen

2016 ◽  
Vol X (2) ◽  
pp. 124-131
Author(s):  
Eva Göksel ◽  
Stefanie Giebert
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
Fairy Tale ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Process Drama ◽  
Drama In Education ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
The University

In order to make the conference accessible to newcomers to the field of DiE, an introductory workshop explored simple ways to incorporate drama in the language classroom. Starting with awareness and teambuilding warm-ups, Eva Göksel led the group through a sample lesson, using a series of drama conventions to delve into the plot and discover the characters of a Grimm fairy tale. The workshop aimed to make a series of drama conventions accessible to language teachers and to show them easy ways of incorporating drama work in their own practice. Using tableaux work, participants explored different emotions, imitation, and simple speaking and listening exercises for language learners. Participants examined their own teaching practice through the lens of drama: questioning if and how DiE could enhance the teaching and learning in their classroom. The question of how easily teachers can integrate drama in their classroom practice without formal drama training was also a hot topic, which continued to be discussed throughout the conference. The conference began with an introduction to process drama and an exploration of how it could be applied to language teaching. Dr. Nicola Abraham from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama at the University of London ...

scholarly journals Utilizing Smartphones to Enhance Students ‘Learning of English Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 67-76
Author(s):  
S. Subha ◽  
Dr S Diravidamani
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Smart Phone ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Smart Phones ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Learning English

Technology plays a momentous role in almost all the fields mainly far –reaching in educational field. It provides creative freedom, endless resources and learning materials. In the current scenario, students engage themselves in the recent technological advancements which not only kill their time but also entertain them all the time. So, the Teachers can take up these technological tools in their hands to inculcate English language to the younger generation instead of following the traditional method of teaching. Now-a-days, Smart phones have reached all the hands in the world including the rural people and made everything easier. By using   smart phones effectively in Language classrooms, English language teachers can provoke interest among the non –native learners in learning English Language. Smart phone is a tool which presents visually attractive materials to the students that would be very much appealing to the second language learners. Through this, the four basic communication skills (LSRW Skills) of the second language learners can be enriched and refined .Thus, this paper predominantly focuses on the  pros and cons of using smart phones in learning English  based on the feedback  accrued  from the undergraduate students .

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