The global spread of English has brought a significant shift in English language teaching from methodology to post methodology era, structural to communicative approach and theory-based conception of teaching to evidence-based practice of teaching harmonizing with the context of learning. The advent of postmethod pedagogy in the twenty first century had widely acknowledged the contribution of individual teachers in English language teaching and learning field. Consequently, incorporation of dialogues and the field of English language teaching have turned to be complex creating numerous kaleidoscopic thoughts and research in the arena of English language teaching. In this diverse and convoluted contexts, we are pleased to bring the first volume of Journal of NELTA Gandaki (JoNG) with the aim of accommodating such diversities and providing support and resources to all the language practitioners for boosting up their professionalism by promoting the arenas of English language teaching in the local context.
This issue consists of eleven articles from various fields of applied linguistics, English language teaching, testing, researching and so forth. The first one sheds light on the pedagogical dimension of literature in ESL/EFL classroom and concludes with proposing the pedagogical approaches and procedures of exploring literary texts to maximize learning opportunities for students. The second examines the role of role play techniques in teaching speaking skill to the students of class 10. This article reports positive role of role play in fostering speaking skill of the students. Similarly, the third article has concluded that the reflection of critical events gave them some kind of relief in teaching practice and the events taught them a number of strategies. Likewise, the following article concludes that the book follows the gradual shift from foreign language literature to learners' local culture with communicative skills of interaction and provides learners an opportunity of learning foreign culture and their own cultures.
The fifth article deals with the finding that shows unsupportive behavior of the supervisors and difficulties of selecting the appropriate area of study. They were the major challenges that students ever facing in writing thesis. Similarly, the next article reveals that both the teachers and the students were affirmative towards learner autonomy but most of them did not adopt it in English language teaching and learning. The seventh article shows a number of challenges in implementing self directed learning even if both the teachers and students had positive attitudes towards it.
The eighth article justifies that mixed methods research design, which has been a recent practice in academia, should be adopted in the research of universities and the research centres. Similarly, the ninth article examines the strategies employed in learning English by Bachelor level students in Nepalese context. The following article reveals that integrated approach of language teaching is sure to pursue its harmony in teaching language. The final article concludes that majority of English teachers at secondary level followed product approach in teaching writing which led them to face a number of challenges in teaching writing.
We have made this a peer reviewed journal, in which a number of hands directly and/or indirectly, seen or unseen have bestowed to maintain quality and standard to bring it into this form. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the contributors and reviewers from home and abroad without whose rigorous support, the journal would not have come to this form. We would also like to express our gratitude to NELTA Gandaki Province for full-blown support and guidance when, where and what the editorial team expected.
The articles published in the journal are the properties of NELTA Gandaki Province, however, the authenticity and liability of the views and ideas expressed in them go to the authors themselves.
Constructive suggestions from the valued readers and well-wishers are always welcome to uplift the standard and quality of the journal in the forthcoming issue.
AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT: A REAL LIFE APPROACH TO WRITING SKILL DEVELOPMENT