Best Practices for Teaching ESL in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 52-64
Author(s):  
Bryan Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Performance ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
British Council ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Enhance Student Learning

This chapter examines three realities in the typical higher education English as a second language (ESL) classroom in non-English speaking countries and how they can be resolved to enhance student learning and teaching performance by native- and non-native English-speaking instructors alike. The British Council in 2018 estimated approximately 1.7 billion people were learning and using the English language worldwide in 2015, and the number is only expected to grow in the coming years. Therefore, the importance of this chapter in examining best ESL teaching practices should be obvious. The chapter is based on the author's extensive ESL background in seven nations since 1982 at higher education institutions as well as an integrated literature review related to the practice of teaching ESL.

scholarly journals THE JOURNEY OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE IN INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

2017 ◽  
pp. 155-160
Author(s):  
Soniya Rajput
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
World Language ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
English As Second Language ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
The World ◽  
Education In India

India is a land of various hundred languages; commonly spoken languages are Hindi, English, Punjabi, Gujarati and many more. English officially has a position of assistant language, but the fact is that it is one of the most prominent languages in India. Being one of the imperative languages, the use of English has become a necessity in India. It has been given the main importance as children have been taught English right from kinder garden to middle school and higher education. English represents in Indians minds better culture, better education and superior intellect. The use of English language in India was limited before the incursion of the British. Gradually, people started taking interest in learning and teaching English as a second language because of its use in financial, legal, business, corporate and education in India. Further, the future of learning and teaching English is essential for the reason that it is a world language and universally spoken and written. I believe that English will maintain the lingua franca of the world for next 25-30 years as the numbers of learners are increasing. Thus, the present paper will focus on the journey of teaching and learning English as second language in India emphasizing on its past, present and future.

Using Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) materials in English as Second Language (ESL) classrooms: perspectives of teachers and students in United Arab Emirates

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramia DIRAR SHEHADEH MUSMAR
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Technologies ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Computer Assisted Language Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Integrating scaffolding-learning technologies has been recognized for its potential to create intellectual and engaging classroom interactions. In the United Arab Emirates, having language teachers employ computers as a medium of new pedagogical instrument for teaching second languages generated the idea of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) as a medium of an innovative pedagogical instrument for facilitating and scaffolding language learning, with an aspiration that it will lead to improved English language attainment and better assessment results. This study aims at investigating the perspectives of students and teachers on the advantageous and disadvantageous impacts of CALL on learning and teaching English as a second language in one public school in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The results show that CALL has a facilitating role in L2 classroom and that using CALL activities is advantageous in reducing English learning tension, boosting motivation, catering for student diversity, promoting self-directed language learning and scaffolding while learning English. The results additionally report that numerous aspects like time constraints, teachers’ unsatisfactory computer skills, insufficient computer facilities, and inflexible school courses undesirably affect the implementation of CALL in English classrooms. It is recommended that further studies should be undertaken to investigate the actual effect of CALL on students’ language proficiency. 

scholarly journals Neoliberal Policies and English Language Education in Turkey

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 63
Author(s):  
Omer Gokhan Ulum
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
British Council ◽  
Medium Education ◽  
Turkish Higher Education ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Neoliberal Policies ◽  
Education In Turkey

Turkey has adopted a new trend regarding English-medium education in recent decades. The development of capitalism has also affected Turkey and the Turkish education system. The Turkish Council of Higher Education has aspired to make higher education in Turkey more global and international. Therefore, the British Council has prepared a report to show the situation of English in Turkey. It has been found that Turkey needs serious ameliorations in many ways in the sphere of English-medium instruction. The report findings show that Turkey can develop economically more if it can endorse English-based education. The popularity of neoliberalism has shown its effects in Turkish higher education. Therefore, English has been prioritized as a result of neoliberalism. In the future, the situation of English can be evaluated by teachers, scholars, students, policymakers, and international organizations. The findings also show that The Turkish Council of Higher Education believes that the British Council has contributed to the development of English in Turkey following neoliberal policies.

Co creating by degrees – exploring experiences of co design

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Becker ◽  
Daniel Hopps ◽  
Gill Owens ◽  
Jana Runze ◽  
Sarah Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning And Teaching

This is a video article. To play the video, please click on the link at the bottom of this page.Co-creation of learning and student engagement in shaping their curricula are becoming more widespread as pedagogic practice in Higher Education. The literature surrounding co-creating the learning experience has focussed primarily on the benefits for staff and students involved in terms of increased student engagement (Cook-Slather et al, 2014). The barriers to co-creation, which include perceived threats to ‘academic as expert’ and role-blurring, in part derive from a lack of transparency about the strategies for embedding co-creation of learning in established learning and teaching practices (Allin, 2014).  The procedure and mechanics of co-creating curricula appear obfuscated by theoretical and academic discussions about the intersection of partnership, co-creation and student engagement. The current project seeks to throw light on and explore two different approaches to co-creating the curricula on level 6 option modules run by Psychology and Business programmes.

Applied Areas of Three Dimensional Virtual Worlds in Learning and Teaching

2019 ◽  
pp. 172-192
Author(s):  
Reza Ghanbarzadeh ◽  
Amir Hossein Ghapanchi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
Learning And Teaching

Three Dimensional Virtual Worlds (3DVW) have been substantially adopted in educational and pedagogical fields worldwide. The current study conducted a systematic literature review of the published research relevant to the application of 3DVWs in higher education. A literature search was performed in eight high-ranking databases, and following scrutiny according to inclusion criteria, 164 papers were selected for review. The systematic literature review process was summarized, reviews undertaken by the authors, and results about the applicability of 3DVWs in higher education were extracted. A wide variety of application areas for the 3DVWs in higher education were found, and were classified into five main categories. Various 3DVW platforms and virtual environments used for educational goals were also identified. The results revealed Second Life as the most popular 3DVW platform in higher education. This study also found that by using 3DVW technology a wide range of virtual environments and virtual tools have been designed and applied in teaching and learning for higher education.

Four L2 Learning Objectives to Guide Podcast Design

2011 ◽  
pp. 21-36
Author(s):  
Claudia Fernández
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Instructional Materials ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Comprehension Skills ◽  
L2 Learning ◽  
Target Culture

This chapter addresses the production of podcasts as second language (L2) instructional materials developed by language instructors. The author discusses the importance of having clear language learning objectives when creating podcasts. The clarity of the objectives will depend on the particular nature of these materials and will influence podcast design and outcomes. In an effort to contribute to the understanding of podcast design that effectively promotes L2 acquisition and development, the author proposes that podcasts - when used by students as listening tools - can help the L2 learner accomplish four main learning objectives: (1) language acquisition, (2) development of listening comprehension skills, (3) learning of explicit information about the L2 and (4) awareness of the target culture. As with any L2 learning materials (Mobile Assisted or not), podcast development should be based on what is known about L2 acquisition and best teaching practices (Rosell-Aguilar, 2007; 2009). Therefore, the author addresses some of the aspects of language learning and teaching that should be considered in order to create well-informed podcasts that aim at the four proposed learning objectives.

The positioning of English-medium of instruction

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-27
Author(s):  
John Trent
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Positioning Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Medium Of Instruction ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
English Medium Of Instruction ◽  
The University

Abstract The proliferation of English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education institutions (HEIs) across non-English-speaking Europe has been recently documented in several large-scale surveys. The opportunities and challenges of designing and implementing EMI policies are also widely recognized. However, our understanding of the use of EMI in Russian HEIs is limited. This study responds to this research need by exploring the experiences and perspectives of instructors teaching business-related subjects using the English language in two different Russian HEIs. A contribution of the study is to investigate these perspectives and experiences using the analytic lens of positioning theory. Results reveal the ways in which instructors are positioned by the university, as well how they position themselves, within an EMI environment. Acknowledging the potential antagonism that might result between different EMI stakeholders because of this positioning and repositioning, suggestions are then made as how this outcome could be avoided. Implications for future research are also considered.

Counting and dis-counting learner group variation

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Davison ◽  
Penny McKay
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Valuable Component ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Group Variation ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
National Literacy ◽  
Esl Learners ◽  
Or Benchmarks

Australia is a multilingual multicultural country with an impressive record of educational provision for students from language other than English (LOTE) backgrounds. The recent widespread development of common standards and benchmarks in English language and literacy in schools can be seen as a valuable component of this provision. However, care needs to be taken to avoid projecting a false picture of linguistic homogeneity by ignoring variation between English-speaking background (ESB) and English as a Second Language (ESL) learner groups. This paper demonstrates how the recent introduction of national Literacy Benchmarks, unlike the earlier development of curriculum and standards frameworks, has dis-counted ESL achievement by failing to take sufficient account of learner variation. Problems have also occurred in balancing the conflicting motivations for benchmarking: assessment, accountability and education, which result in different “standards” for standard-setting being assumed by the various stakeholders. The paper concludes that real accountability and progress in ESL learning and teaching can only be shown effectively through the use of a complementary but distinctive set of standards or benchmarks for ESL learners at different stages of schooling.

Cultural Border Crossings in the UAE

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Hatherley-Greene
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Second Language ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
English Language ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Border Crossing ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Classroom Culture ◽  
Border Crossings ◽  
Learning Program

"Over the course of one academic year, I documented the experiences of new first-year male Emirati students at a college of higher education in a rural location of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using the metaphor of a cultural border crossing, I found that the congruency between the pre-dominantly Arabic life-world associated with Emirati families and government schooling and the largely dominant Western/English language culture in institutes of higher education was broadly related to the students’ self-perceived level of preparedness for academic study and the competence of Emirati students in their second language, English. Four types of border crossing experiences were described – smooth, managed, difficult, and impossible – with easier and smoother crossing experiences associated with close congruency between the two different cultures. Suffering from the effects of neo-indigeneity, absent parents, poor secondary school experiences, and a disempowering ‘rentier effect’, I found that the failure of male Emirati students to make satisfactory border crossings to college life initiated a process of departure manifested by high absenteeism leading to eventual withdrawal. This occurred more frequently with students placed in the lower levels of an academic bridge program where cultural and linguistic ‘discomfort’ were felt the most - 66% of the new students left college during the year with a staggering 97% drop-out rate in the lowest level alone. Mainly Western teachers who developed a classroom culture based on ‘warm demandingness’ and caring rapport-building appeared to have the most positive impact upon the students. The development of students’ soft-skills in a new experiential learning program was assessed using a Mental Toughness Questionnaire which surprisingly produced lower post-test scores, indicating greater self-awareness and honesty. A key emerging question asks - whose interests are being served (or not) by compelling first-language students to cross cultural borders into higher education colleges and asking them to study using the dominant second-language of English?"

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