scholarly journals THE EFFECTIVENESS AND THE PROBLEMS FACED IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN A SPECIAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM IN MALAYSIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunasegaran Karuppannan ◽  
Muhantha Paramalingam ◽  
Fazal Mohamed Mohamed Sultan ◽  
Hatnin Duari

This qualitative case study investigated the effectiveness of lesson delivery and sequence of content and learning expectations of two English Language attached to a special education (Integration programme) school in Petaling Jaya. Malaysia. It also focused on the teaching and learning problems encountered in the particular classrooms. This study brings broader understanding of strategies for effective teaching of English in a special education classroom in Malaysia. The rationale for the study stems from the need to gain greater perspective of the teaching of English learners in a special education classroom. Results reflect analysis of classroom observation, face to face interview with two English Language and document review. Emerging from the data are some effective teaching strategies and profound problems that special education English Language teachers can add to their repertoire. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0876/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822097931
Author(s):  
Ulugbek Nurmukhamedov ◽  
Shoaziz Sharakhimov

In addition to movies, television programs, and TED Talks presentations, podcasts are an increasingly popular form of media that promotes authentic public discourse for diverse audiences, including university professors and students. However, English language teachers in the English as a second language/English as a foreign language contexts might wonder: “How do I know that my students can handle the vocabulary demands of podcasts?” To answer that question, we have analyzed a 1,137,163-word corpus comprising transcripts from 170 podcast episodes derived from the following popular podcasts: Freakonomics; Fresh Air; Invisibilia; Hidden Brain; How I Built This; Radiolab; TED Radio Hour; This American Life; and Today Explained. The results showed that knowledge about the most frequent 3000 word families plus proper nouns (PN), marginal words (MW), transparent compounds (TC), and acronyms (AC) provided 96.75% coverage, and knowledge about the most frequent 5000 word families, including PN, MW, TC, and AC provided 98.26% coverage. The analysis also showed that there is some variation in coverage among podcast types. The pedagogical implications for teaching and learning vocabulary via podcasts are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d ◽  
Fereshte Rajabi

Vocabulary constitutes an essential part of every language-learning endeavour and deserves scholarly attention. The objective of the present study was three-fold: 1) exploring Iranian English language learners’Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLSs), 2) examining language learners’ perceptions of vocabulary learning, and 3) exploring Iranian English language teachers’ Vocabulary Teaching Strategies (VTSs). In total, 145  intermediate learners of English as a foreign language, consisting of 114 males and 31 females aged 15 to 27, participated in the study. The triangulated data were collected using three tools: questionnaires, interviews, and class observations. Sixty-seven learners (31 females and 36 males) filled out a 56-statement questionnaire, adopted and adapted from Takač (2008) and translated into Persian. The questionnaire comprised two parts, enquiring as to the learners’ VLSs and the teachers’ VTSs. The findings indicated that females and males differed significantly in their reported VLSs and their teachers’ use of various VTSs. Additionally, 78 learners were interviewed as to their perceptions of effective and ineffective VLSs as well as VTSs. The findings revealed that the most effective VLSs were reported to be: a) reciting, repeating and listening to words, b) using words, and c) memorising words while the most effective VTSs revolved around: a) explanation, b) repetition, and c) dictation. The observations also confirmed the findings obtained via the questionnaire and interviews. In general, the findings are indicative of the limited repertoire of vocabulary acquisition techniques employed by Iranian EFL learners, hence the need for strategy training in how to acquire vocabulary. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-133
Author(s):  
Mariam Anana

This study investigates the dichotomy of specialization in Literature and English language. In many primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, many teachers who teach Literature are the same teachers who teach English Language. This is responsible for lack of ultimate successes in academic performance, foundational establishment and progressive developments in Literature and English language. Set against the backdrop of the inseparability and non-specialization in individual subjects in question, the study examines the need for a dichotomy of specialization in English Language and Literature with a view to reducing the rate of errors and students’ failures in both subjects. Adopting the simple randomisation, the researcher uses selected primary and secondary schools in Lagos State as the case study; the paper raises four questions and these are: Can English Language teachers effectively teach poetic devices? Are segmental phonemes easily taught by Literature teachers? Can English Language teachers proficiently teach oral literature, literary criticism and non-African literature? Can Literature teachers competently teach stress and intonation? This research uses a qualitative approach and adopts The Speech Act Theory as its theoretical framework. Questionnaire of fifteen (15) items was used for data collection and the simple percentage was applied for data analysis. The researcher discovered that: It is not possible for English Languageteachers to effectively teach poetic devices. Segmental phonemes cannot be easily taught by Literature teachers. Students would lag behind in areas where teachers are not proficient in the subjects they teach. Also, it is not possible for a teacher to place equal emphasis on both English Language and Literature in classrooms. The study therefore recommends the need for a dichotomy of specialization in the two subjects so as to ensure effective teaching and learning of these subjects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Mary Susan Anyiendah ◽  
Paul A. Odundo ◽  
Agnes Kibui

Learners in Vihiga County perform poorer in English language examinations than their peers in neighbouring counties; and their performance seems to be weaker in comprehension compared to grammar sections. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of summarisation skills on learners’ achievement in reading comprehension in Vihiga County. The Solomon Four-Group Design was applied to obtain primary data from 279 primary school learners and 8 teachers in 2017. Multiple linear regression was also applied to generate two models, one for the experimental group and one for the control group. In both models, summarisation skills influenced learners’ achievement in reading comprehension positively, and the effect was significant at 90% confidence level; thus, leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. However, the effect seemed to be stronger in the experimental than in the control group, which suggests that training English language teachers on how to correctly apply summarisation skills impacted on learners’ achievement in reading comprehension. Based on the findings, it’s concluded that: training teachers of English language on the correct procedures for activating learners’ summarisation skills is likely to add value by making them more effective in lesson delivery. Such training is likely to inspire teachers to go an extra mile in their efforts to activate learners’ summarisation skills.


ELT Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-437
Author(s):  
Laura Grassick

Abstract English language as a compulsory component of primary state school curricula is a growing phenomenon around the world. One of the challenges of this lies in training the vast numbers of teachers required. To date there has been little consideration of how those tasked with facilitating the professional development of primary English language teachers might be supported and the kind of knowledge, skills, and understanding they might need. This paper explores the experiences of primary teachers and university lecturers learning to become in-service teacher educators in the context of primary ELT curriculum change in Vietnam. The findings provide insights into the participants’ understanding of primary English language teaching and learning and the new curriculum, their awareness of the classroom contexts in which primary teachers work, and their ability to support teachers in implementing the innovation. The implications of this beyond the context of the study are highlighted.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Muhammad Din

Revolutionary changes have been brought about in teaching and learning environment with the introduction of electronic formats in classrooms. Mobile dictionaries are potentially valuable learning tools today. This study has strived to get insight into the prospects of using mobile dictionary in an EFL classroom of university students of Pakistan with reference to teachers’ perspective. The aims of this study are to know foreign language teachers’ point of view regarding the use of mobile dictionary in English class, investigate the challenges in introducing this e-tool and explore the benefits EFL learners can have through the use of mobile dictionaries in English class. To achieve the objectives of this quantitative study, the researcher has got a questionnaire filled by fifty English language teachers working at different government colleges in Pakistan. The questionnaire which was used to collect data from college teachers consisted of two sections. The first section comprised of fifteen questionnaire items on five-point Likert scale the second section consisted of two open-ended questions. The reliability of the first part of the questionnaire was computed through SPSS (XX). It has been found that most of the college teachers are of the view that the use of mobile dictionary in an EFL class of university students will help them learn vocabulary, pronunciation of words and word origin. These EFL learners can also access authentic content and develop their language competence through the use of mobile phone dictionary in the class. Apart from this, the participants have also pointed out some problems which can be a hindrance in using mobile dictionary in an EFL classroom in the context of Pakistan.


1970 ◽  
Vol 15 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 64-76
Author(s):  
Ram Ashish Giri

It is an irony that when the importance and demand of the English language in the developed as well as developing countries have increased several folds in the last five decades, the standards of its teaching and learning have decreased considerably. The deterioration of standards has been attributed to inadequate English language teaching (ELT) policy, poor teaching environment, inadequate infrastructure, or to ELT practitioners who in most countries are largely untrained. In order to address the problem, the respective countries have been engaged in modernising and improving their curricular practices and teacher preparation programmes for some time now. What is rarely considered is the fact that a good teaching programme requires adequate teaching resources. Central to the amelioration of English language teaching process is unarguably the resource that is available to support the teaching and learning processes. While it is necessary that the teachers are adequately trained, establishment of an English language teachers” resource centre to cater to the developing needs of the teachers (and learners)is essential. This article provides a rationale for the establishment of a teachers' resource centre, and, based on the experience in Nepal, suggests a model for its development and operation in other developing contexts. It discusses features as well as constraints of such a centre, and outlines ways in which it can, despite the constraints, be sustainable.Key words: English language teaching; ELT resource centre; Resource centre facility; Resource centre management; English language teachersJournal of NELTA Vol. 15 No. 1-2 December 2010Page: 64-76Uploaded date: 4 May, 2011DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v15i1-2.4611


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 104-122
Author(s):  
Girimbabazi Serge ◽  
◽  
Mrs Adegoke Oyebimpe ◽  
Dr. Hesbon Opiyo Andala ◽  
◽  
...  

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


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharif Alghazo ◽  
Mahmoud Zidan

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mazen Ismaeel Ghareb ◽  
Saman Ali Mohammed

Although the benefits of blended learning have been well documented in educational research, relatively few studies have examined blended mobilities in education in Kurdistan region government and in Iraq. This study discusses a blended mobility approach for a teacher training program designed for in-service English language teachers (ELT) and investigates its effectiveness by comparing the latest participation of the University of Human Development for computer science and proposing the same program for training English for lecturers and students. The research involved proposes new mobility program for teaching and learning English language and using their language skills in an ongoing business project using several software for communication and management of their projects. Results will show the framework for new blended learning and blended mobilities of many different English language teaching (ELT) aspects.


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