Strategic Interaction 2.0

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil H. Johnson ◽  
Jonathan deHaan
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Speech Acts ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Strategic Interaction ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Teaching Learning

The potential of web-based 2.0 technology for teaching and assessing intercultural pragmatics has become an area of focus for language educators (Cohen, 2008; Belz, 2005, 2006). Research has highlighted that second and foreign language learners show significant differences from native speakers in language use, in particular, with the execution and comprehension of certain speech acts (Bardovi-Harlig & Mahan-Taylor, 2003). Without effective instruction, differences in pragmatics are evident in the English of learners regardless of their first language background or language proficiency. In EFL contexts, such as Japan, where learners have limited exposure to native speaker norms, teaching and learning pragmatic competence can be particularly challenging. The authors describe an ongoing curriculum development project in a Japanese university context, where the goal is to design and implement an effective approach to teaching interlanguage pragmatics. Digitally enhanced Strategic Interaction (SI) sequences (Di Pietro, 1987) provide opportunities for learners to engage in realistic interactive situations that are mediated by use of model conversations, an online wiki space, and digital video technologies. The online space provides opportunities for learner reflection, peer assisted feedback, and detailed intervention from the instructor. Data analysis from pre- and post- written discourse completion tasks suggests that learners are able to use language in more context sensitive ways having engaged with the teaching/learning cycle design.

The Involvement of Native Speakers in Teaching and Learning Japanese Language at UiTM

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 14
Author(s):  
Choong Pow Yean ◽  
Sarinah Bt Sharif ◽  
Normah Bt Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Japanese Language ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Lexical Density

The Nihongo Partner Program or “Japanese Language Partner” is a program that sends native speakers to support the teaching and learning of Japanese overseas. The program is fully sponsored by The Japan Foundation. The aim of this program is to create an environment that motivates the students to learn Japanese. This study is based on a survey of the Nihongo Partner Program conducted on students and language lecturers at UiTM, Shah Alam. This study aims to investigate if there is a necessity for native speakers to be involved in the teaching and learning of Japanese among foreign language learners. Analysis of the results showed that both students and lecturers are in dire need of the Nihongo Partner Program to navigate the learning of the Japanese language through a variety of language learning activities. The involvement of native speaker increases students’ confidence and motivation to converse in Japanese. The program also provides opportunities for students to increase their Japanese language proficiency and lexical density. In addition, with the opportunity to interact with the native speakers, students and lecturers will have a better understanding of Japanese culture as they are able to observe and ask the native speakers. Involvement of native speakers is essential in teaching and learning of Japanese in UiTM.

scholarly journals University Students' Perception on the Verbal Interaction through WhatsApp Chat Group

AL-TA LIM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-257
Author(s):  
Sujarwo Sujarwo ◽  
Sukmawati Sukmawati ◽  
Asdar Asdar ◽  
Suharti Siradjuddin ◽  
Nina Ariani
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Verbal Interaction ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Verbal Interactions ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The University

Verbal interactions will occur when both the teacher/lecturer and learners could completely understand what each other means. It happens verbally among the teacher and learners during the teaching learning activity (Mardiana et al., 2019). This study was mainly conducted to examine the University students’ perception on verbal interaction through WhatsApp chat group. This study used qualitative descriptive method was used to achieve the objective of this study. Observation and a questionnaire were adopted as tools for data collection. A total number of samples was 14 English as a Foreign Language learners in university students. The analysis of the data revealed that university students’ perception on verbal interaction gave the positive feedback towards WhatsApp chat group. This proves that ordinarily learners selected agree with utilizing WhatsApp chat group in doing verbal interaction. Hence, utilizing of WhatsApp chat group can be recommended as an efficient technique in verbal interaction for teaching and learning process.

scholarly journals Views and Attitudes of Intercultural Awareness in Chinese Teaching and Learning in Shanxi Provincial Universities Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junqing Wang
Keyword(s):  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Intercultural Awareness ◽  
Overseas Students ◽  
Positive Learning Environment ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Chinese Teaching

The perceptions of academic staffs and overseas students to the significance of intercultural awareness in Chinese teaching/learning as foreign language were studied to provide suggestions for enhancing their intercultural communication competence in the context of Shanxi Provincial universities. The participants of 273 students and 52 staffs took part in the questionnaire and 25 of them accepted semi-structured interview. The combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis indicated a significant correlation between intercultural experience, length of Chinese teaching/learning and the enthusiasm in target language involved programs, regardless of age or gender. The attitudes to cultural diversity, misunderstanding even conflicts unavoidably existed in these universities influenced target language and culture mastery. This study suggested the promotion of intercultural awareness among staffs as well as students was important to help international students take advantage of opportunities available at campus or beyond to improve their effective intercultural communication. And much more intercultural strategies, including more positive learning environment, appropriated curriculum, further exploration, concentrated on improving target language proficiency and extending cultural experience in Chinese classes should be implemented to motivate students’ intercultural enthusiasm and competence.

Effects of Language Status on Assessment and Educational Development of Basotho Learners from Minority Languages’ Backgrounds

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maboleba Agnes Kolobe ◽  
Lifelile Matsoso
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Educational Development ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
National Minority ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Linguistic Backgrounds

This paper provides a critical overview of the theoretical and practical questions that prevail in the teaching, learning, and assessment of learners from diverse linguistic backgrounds in Lesotho.  It investigates how far exclusion of minority languages affects both assessment and/or educational development of learners whose mother tongue is not Sesotho but other minority languages spoken in Lesotho. The paper advances a research-evidenced argument that the poor performance of students from such backgrounds is indicative of marginalisation and discrimination of such learners due to their language background. A constructivist qualitative study was adopted through use of focus group discussions with 246 learners and 142 teachers in 23 schools located in Botha Bothe, Mohale’s Hoek, Qacha’s Nek and Quthing districts in Lesotho. These places were selected based on their predominance of minority languages. The findings revealed diminutive if not absolute non-recognition of minority languages in teaching, learning, and assessment of learners from this linguistic background. Therefore, the study concludes that linguistically discriminative curriculum, teaching and learning and assessment educational practices can reasonably be associated with   poor performance of learners. Based on these findings, the paper recommends that Lesotho’s education system should respect and embrace existence of national minority languages. Again, the curriculum, its implementation and more importantly assessment should not be divorced from linguistic background of learners.

scholarly journals Rethinking Probability of Eclectic Approach in the Post-Method Era: A Study for Making English Teaching-Learning Effective in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
pp. 13-17
Author(s):  
Md. Khairul Bashar
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Context Sensitive ◽  
Effective Pedagogy ◽  
Eclectic Approach ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Do So

For effective English teaching and learning in Bangladesh probability of Eclecticism can be rethought. To do so, the concept of the post-method era is to be implemented. Both Eclecticism and post-method pedagogy put much emphasis on the effectiveness of pedagogy. For a context like Bangladesh, it is very important to formulate culture and context-sensitive need-based pedagogy as there is a lack of effective pedagogy. As the earlier pedagogy failed to produce competent English language users in Bangladesh, it is time to formulate need-based appropriate pedagogy. The present study has been undertaken to consider the existing teaching-learning realities of Bangladesh in the post-method era and suggest effective pedagogy based on the concept of Eclectic Approach.

scholarly journals Preferred Lexical Access Route in Persian Learners of English: Associative, Semantic or Both

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-96
Author(s):  
Zeinab Ghanbaryan ◽  
◽  
Fatemeh Nemati ◽  
Nasim Ghanbari ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Lexical Access ◽  
Native Speaker ◽  
Naming Latency ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Ratio Test ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Mixed Effects Modeling ◽  
Target Stimulus Onset Asynchrony ◽  
Prime Target

Background: Words in the Mental Lexicon (ML) construct semantic field through associative and/ or semantic connections, with a pervasive native speaker preference for the former. Non-native preferences, however, demand further inquiry. Previous studies have revealed inconsistent Lexical Access (LA) patterns due to the limitations in the methodology and response categorization. Objectives: To fill the gap, we employed a primed Picture Naming (PN) task for investigating the relations between concepts in the ML of Iranian EFL (English as a foreign language) learners. We also explored whether conscious priming at a long prime-target stimulus onset asynchrony affected the naming latency of the learners with different proficiency levels. Materials & Methods: The participants were 31 EFL learners (11-16 years old) at A1 and A2 levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for languages. They were recruited in summer 2020 from language institutes in Bushehr and Kazeroon cities, Iran, through a convenience sampling method. They performed a PN task, including 66 prime-target pairs presented in associative, semantic, both semantic and associative, or unrelated conditions. The mixed-effects modeling was used for data analysis. Results: Based on the likelihood ratio test of model comparisons for condition effect (χ2 (1) =9.07, P=0.002), the interaction of condition, frequency, and length was significant in the semantic condition (t=2.72, P=0.008). A slight effect was also observed from the prime frequency in the associative condition (t=1.82, P=0.07). Conclusion: Results indicate one-level access to the ML, which is indeed a function of language proficiency. Findings are further discussed in terms of ML structure and patterns of LA.

scholarly journals Using Drama Activities in Vocabulary Acquisition

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
Doniazad Sultan Alshraideh ◽  
Nesreen Saud Alahmdi
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocabulary Acquisition ◽  
English Drama ◽  
Foreign Language Learners ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
Role Play Simulation

Many different pedagogical methodologies are applied in the field of English as a foreign language. One of the less-used strategies in Saudi Arabia is teaching and learning vocabulary through drama. This study represents an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of English drama activities for the vocabulary acquisition of second\foreign language learners and how English teachers can use drama in the L2 classroom. Five types of drama activities for learning vocabulary are used in this research: mime, storytelling, role play, simulation, and improvisation. This study was conducted on two preparatory-year classes. Each class was divided into six classes of 36 students. The students were homogenous in terms of gender and level of English language proficiency. The results show that drama helped the learners engage in learning new vocabulary in non-constructed learning environment, and facilitated vocabulary acquisition effectively and accurately in various contexts.

EXTERNAL INDEPENDENT EVALUATION IN ENGLISH AS A CRITERION FOR ADMISSION TO MASTER`S DEGREE PROGRAMS IN UKRAINE: PROBLEMS AND PERSPECTIVES

2020 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
Л. Е. Бєловецька
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Scientific Publications ◽  
Independent Evaluation

The problem of external independent evaluation in English for admission Master`s degree programs in Ukraine is considered in the article. The perspective for further improvement of English teaching and learning standards at Ukrainian universities has been found. The correspondence to the CEFR basic levels and English proficiency has been identified. Conceptual Principles of State Policy on the Development of English in the Field of Higher Education are considered. The study included 1546 participants. The age of students, who studied to gain the first higher education, was between 17 and 20. The students were not familiar with the structure of External Independent Evaluation and they have never passed it. The research was carried out during the period 2018–2019. The relevance of English language competence in the professional context is noted emphasized as a key point of the presented research. The necessity to provide a sufficient competitive level for Ukrainian graduates through improving correspondent English language training has been considered. The study is based on a study of reports by British experts and contemporary scientific publications presented international researchers have focused on the problems of internationalization and perspectives for Ukrainian universities in the English language dimension. The relevance of studying and adaptation of the UK higher education successful practice has been highlighted. The problems and potential ways of improving students` English language proficiency in the given context are identified. In particular, the study contains important recommendations regarding the number of contact hours and the required levels of English proficiency for the main groups of participants in the educational process in higher education according to international standards.

Challenges Posed by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for South African Higher Education Institutions

10.28945/2679 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
ME Herselman ◽  
HR Hay
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Revolutionary Change ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Teaching Learning

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are the major driving forces of globalised and knowledge-based societies of a new world era. They will have a profound impact on teaching and learning for two decades to come. The revolutionary change which is taking place in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), has dramatic effects on the way universities carry out their functions of teaching, learning and research, particularly on the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge. These developments pose unprecedented challenges to higher education institutions (HEIs) in developing countries particular in South Africa as South Africa is viewed as the leading country on the continent.

A study of Importance of English Language Proficiency in Hospitality Industry and the Role of Hospitality Educators in Enhancing the Same Amongst The Students

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arati Prabhu ◽  
Prachi Wani
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Hotel Management ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Teaching Learning

The study is undertaken to understand the importance of English language skills in the Indian hospitality industry, and the gaps therein. It studies the challenge as it exists in Pune city, and how AISSMS College of Hotel Management & Catering Technology has attempted to address the issue(s). The study aims at gathering primary information by means of questionnaires. It sheds light on the gap between existing and desired standards of English proficiency. It also highlights the attempts by the three important stakeholders in order to address the issue. Though, attempts are made from the industry, teachers and students, it is recognized that joint efforts need to be made to tackle the problem collectively and from all sides. It is an urgent calling for innovative teaching learning practices and encouraging sound develop initiatives and commitment. The primary data is across the cross section of Pune hoteliers, teachers and students of the college. The findings reflect the importance of English as the universal medium of communication, and its importance in rendering quality service and importantly.

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