scholarly journals Revisiting PULSE 2 Textbook after Three Years: Have Teachers Changed Their Mind?

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 177-189
Author(s):  
Mohamad Syafiq Ya Shak ◽  
Norasyikin Abdul Malik ◽  
Nuru Ain Hasni ◽  
Mohd Haniff Mohd Tahir
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
English Language ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
English Textbooks

The present study aims to further explore Malaysian secondary English teachers’ perspective on the use of PULSE 2 in their language classrooms, after three years of its introduction in Malaysian secondary schools. The study is qualitative in nature, employing semi-structured interview as the approach for data collection the data. However, due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) the study was conducted through a Mobile Instant Messaging (MIM) application, WhatsApp. ATLAS ti. was employed to perform the content analysis to the collected data. The findings revealed that the respondents preferred to use imported English textbooks with local modifications in their language classroom.  Most of them also felt that the level of the language content and skills offered by PULSE2 did not match with their students’ abilities. They also reported grouses about the difficult foreign content of PULSE 2, which indicated that they have yet to change their mind about it even after using it for three years. It is suggested that relevant stakeholders such as the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) to review the use of imported textbooks such as PULSE 2 in Malaysia, as this will bear an impact on the creation of the country’s version of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) called ‘CEFR-M’ as projected in the on-going English Language Education Reform in Malaysia by 2025. Not only that, selecting a textbook that is relatable, localized, and matches the students’ level is crucial in this COVID-19 era, where the new normal in education forces learning to be done remotely. Inevitably, there will be students who are less privileged, and  their only hope to gain access to continuous education is through a textbook that can easily be used for self-study and is readily available, without having the needs to have access to advanced technological devices.

scholarly journals Formative Assessment: Master Trainers’ Attitude and Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Noraini Abd Samad ◽  
◽  
Zolkepeli Haron ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Formative Assessment ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Training Centre ◽  
Attitude And Practice ◽  
Positive Attitudes

Formative Assessment (FA) as discussed by Black and Wiliam (1998) was introduced to English teachers in 2018 through English Language Education Reform which aligns the curriculum, teaching and learning, and assessment to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). A group of teachers were handpicked by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to undergo a centralized training regarding FA with Cambridge Assessment in English Language Training Centre (ELTC). These teachers were then appointed as Master Trainers (MT) and were tasked to train teachers all over the country. However, two years after the introduction, little application of the assessment can be seen in schools. Hence, the research focusses on the MTs to see whether they themselves possess good attitude towards the assessment and practise the principles of assessment. Data was collected from 40 MTs all over Malaysia through a questionnaire which was distributed online. Overall, data from the questionnaire have revealed that the participants have positive attitudes towards FA and the assessment is an establishing practice in their classroom. Even though there is a positive correlation between attitude and practice, attitude is found to play a small role. Therefore, more support should be provided by MOE to teachers as to ensure assessment for learning is practised widely by English teachers in the nation.

The “other(ing)” costs of ESL

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ena Lee
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Mainland China ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Student Identities ◽  
Global Language

While the commodification of English as a global language may give rise to varying degrees of political and economic benefits for language learners, a simultaneous “cost” of this return may be a continued perpetuation of various forms of hegemony. In this vein, this one-year case study investigated a Canadian post-secondary English as a Second Language (ESL) program that analyzed the interconnections between language and culture through a critical dialogic approach. Classroom observations, however, revealed that disjunctions existed between the pedagogy as it was conceptualized and the practices of the instructors teaching there and suggested that the “critical” discourses mediated within the language classrooms essentialized culture and, subsequently, the identities of the students. This paper presents the voices of students from Mainland China as they attempted to negotiate their local and global identities within the larger sociopolitical contexts of the English language, generally, and English language education, in particular. I argue that classroom discourses can (re)create subordinate student identities, thereby limiting their access not only to language-learning opportunities, but to other more powerful identities. This paper thus highlights how ESL pedagogies and practices might address and contest hegemonic discourses and concomitantly reimagine student identities in more emancipatory ways.

English Education Reform in Asian Countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenyang Sun ◽  
Xue Lan Rong
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Education Policies ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
The Status ◽  
Globalized World

Language education is becoming an increasingly important topic in education in Asian countries, especially as schools in Asian countries have become more multilingual and multicultural as a result of rapid urbanization and globalization. A comparative analysis of the issues in language education reform in Asian countries—using China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore as examples—shows that, historically and currently, English language education policies are shaped by various underpinning ideologies such as linguicism, nationalism, and neoliberalism. English can serve as a vehicle for upward socioeconomic mobility, or an instrument of linguistic imperialism, or both, in Asia contexts. These ideologies, through language education policies and reforms, impact the status as well as the pedagogy and promotion of the English language. There is a trend and a need with regard to addressing critical consciousness in English education in order to counter the forces of linguicism and neoliberalism in an increasingly multilingual, multicultural, and globalized world.

scholarly journals Learner Autonomy as an element in Chinese Education Reform: A Case of English Language Subject

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Jinjin Lu ◽  
Yingliang Liu
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Compulsory Education ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Autonomy Development ◽  
New Guidelines

<p>Enhancing students’ learning autonomy has been emphasized in the current round of English curriculum reforms by the Ministry of Education (MOE) in China. The initial aim of the new guidelines was developed to enhance students’ English proficiency to better fulfil their basic education (Nine-year compulsory education). However, up until now, very little is known about the quality of students’ basic education and their learner autonomy development. This paper uses the English language subject as a case to examine the relationship between the different locations of students’ attendance of their basic education and their learner autonomy development at university level. The result shows that secondary schools’ locations play a more important role in students’ learner autonomy development at university. A ‘Have A Go’ model is proposed to improve students’ transition between high schools and universities in the English language learning process.</p>

The Pitfalls and Promises of Electronic Portfolio Assessment With Secondary English Language Learners

2018 ◽  
pp. 111-130
Author(s):  
Hyesun Cho
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
English Language Learners ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
English Language ◽  
Portfolio Assessment ◽  
Electronic Portfolio ◽  
Secondary English ◽  
Hybrid Identities ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Language Classrooms

This chapter discusses the pitfalls and promises of electronic portfolio assessment for English language learners in high school classrooms in the United States. In a three-year federally funded program designed to improve academic performance among culturally and linguistically diverse students at an urban high school in Honolulu, Hawaii, the author implemented electronic portfolio assessment (EPA) into academic English and heritage language classrooms. This chapter delineates how EPA was developed to enhance academic and linguistic abilities of adolescent ELLs while embracing their multifaceted and hybrid identities. It also presents both challenges and benefits that teachers and students experienced in the process of EPA. It concludes with suggestions for developing and implementing EPA for English language learners in similar contexts.

scholarly journals POLICY CHANGE IMPLEMENTATION: THE CASE OF THE CEFR IN MALAYSIAN ESL CLASSROOMS

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-317
Author(s):  
Nur Ashiquin C. Alih ◽  
Abdul Halim Abdul Raof ◽  
Masdinah Alauyah Md. Yusof
Keyword(s):  
Policy Change ◽  
Education System ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Readiness For Change ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Change Implementation ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
English Language Teachers

Background and purpose: With rapid global development happening in the world today, the field of education has been awash with various change forces. In an effort to ensure its system is globally competitive, Malaysia has taken a step to align its English language education system to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). However, any change in policy is not without problems and challenges as studies have shown that challenges were inevitable and stakeholders’ buy-in on the new change is necessary. Hence, this study was undertaken to investigate the challenges faced by teachers in implementing the CEFR in Malaysian ESL classrooms, their belief on this new reform and their readiness to implement the CEFR.   Methodology: A mixed-method design was utilized with the use of questionnaire and semi structured interview as means for data collection. 365 English language teachers responded to the questionnaire while 15 English language teachers participated in interview sessions.   Findings: The data revealed five challenges namely teachers’ motivation, materials, time, students’ proficiency level and facilities. Despite facing multiple challenges, all teachers exhibited positive belief towards the adoption of the CEFR. The study also showed that although teachers were emotionally ready to accept the change, their cognitive readiness for change however is dependent upon three important facets namely time, collective effort and adequate materials.   Contributions: The study provides insights into the change in policy involving the CEFR implementation in the Malaysian English language education system which contributes to the scarce literature on the implementation of CEFR.   Keywords:  Policy implementation, challenges in policy change, teachers’ belief, Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), readiness for change.   Cite as: C. Alih, N. A., Abdul Raof, A. H., & Md. Yusof, M. A. (2021). Policy change implementation: The case of the CEFR in Malaysian ESL classrooms.  Journal of Nusantara Studies, 6(2), 296-317. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol6iss2pp296-317

scholarly journals English Language Writing Centres in Japanese Universities: What do Students Really Need?

2010 ◽  
pp. 17-31
Author(s):  
Jim McKinley
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
English Language Education ◽  
Attitudes Toward Writing ◽  
The Us ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Students Attitudes

The installation of English language writing centres in Japanese universities is a relatively recent event—the first ones established with funding from the Ministry of Education in 2004. Because of the EFL writing context, setting up a writing centre requires consideration of students’ needs and cultural expectations of writing and writing centres. In general, writing centres that have been established in Japanese universities follow a structure similar to those in the US. This raises the question as to whether or not this is appropriate for the particular needs of EFL students and the obstacles they face. For this study, in order to explore students’ attitudes toward writing centres and the role they play in writing education, interview data was collected from students of English composition in two different departments at a university in Japan well known for its English language education: the English department, which does not have a writing centre, and the liberal arts department, which has one of the first writing centres established in Japan.

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