scholarly journals Teachers’ Perceptions of the Communicative Language Approach at a Saudi University

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Ozma Siddiqui ◽  
Fariha Asif
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Statistical Information ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Arabic Speaking

The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has been widely popular in foreign language classrooms for a number of decades, but in recent years some practitioners have begun questioning the technique which prioritizes fluency over accuracy. This paper aims to record the perceptions of teachers using CLT to teach English as a foreign language at a Saudi university. It will also take into consideration some of the pitfalls and make some recommendations. A total of 35 participants, all members of faculty took part in the study. A mixed methods approach was used to collect the data. A questionnaire provided the statistical data for the study and semi-structured interviews were used to gather qualitative data. The statistical information was run through the SPSS. The findings indicate that while a substantial number of teachers at this university find the CLT approach a useful way to teach English to homogenous groups of Arabic speaking students, there is a need to be eclectic and incorporate other approaches for effective teaching.

scholarly journals Autonomy Perceptions from Teachers of English as a Foreign Language in Diverse Colombian Public Teaching Settings

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 148
Author(s):  
Dr. David Wealthy Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Question ◽  
General Purpose ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Research Production ◽  
English Language Teachers

<p><em>This qualitative descriptive case study reports the features in autonomy dynamics of three Colombian English language teachers in public schools in the District in Bogota Colombia. Three semi-structured interviews and reflective journals were used for data collection. The research question that guided this study was: What perceptions about autonomy do the three Colombian English language teachers have? The general purpose of this investigation was to identify the main features in teachers’ perceptions related to Autonomy. The specific objective was to identify the strategies that promoted autonomy in Teachers of English as a Foreign Language -TEFL- in different public schools in Bogota, Colombia. The study is, therefore, particularly significant as it can play a role in encouraging Colombian English as a Foreign Language -EFL- teachers to relate the factors needed to get a high quality in Education dynamics. Data indicated that the process heightened the teachers’ awareness of ‘self’ and practice. Autonomy also activated both the teachers’ ability to critically reflect on their context as well as focus on positive aspects of their practice through the willingness to improve their academic abilities and research production. Taken together, the findings serve as baseline data to further professional development in language assessment. </em></p><em></em><em></em>

scholarly journals Exploring EFL Instructors’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Reflective Practices on their Professional Development in the Saudi Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Danyah Fahad Alsayeud ◽  
Anas Hamed Almuhammadi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Reflective Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Males And Females

This study explores the perceptions of EFL instructors about their reflective practice and its effect on their professional development in a Saudi Arabian university. This study adopts an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Two study instruments were used; a survey questionnaire with a study sample of 100 male and female participants and semi-structured interviews with a study sample of seven female instructors. The findings show that some instructors in general have a positive perception of reflective practices and they utilize a diversity of reflective tools. Female instructors show a greater degree of involvement in a reflective practice than male instructors in three of the four examined dimensions (cognitive and meta-cognitive, moral and learner and reflective teaching in general). However, no significant difference is reported between males’ and females’ perceptions in terms of the fourth dimension (practical). Based on the findings, recommendations have been made to encourage reflective practices in the Saudi EFL context.

scholarly journals Intercultural Communicative Language Teaching in China: Highlight or Addendum?

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-165
Author(s):  
QUN WANG ◽  
Syihabuddin Syihabuddin ◽  
Yeti Mulyati ◽  
Vismaia Sabariah Damaianti
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Culture Shock ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Cultural Knowledge ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Current Perspective ◽  
The Status ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Target Country

AbstractInternational students were frequently reported of culture shock issues when entering a new cultural environment. Cultural knowledge was often treated as an addendum which focused on learning facts about the target country. This article demonstrated culture shock that experienced by 7 international students, and also reviewed intercultural communicative language teaching (ICLT) in Indonesian language classrooms practiced by 6 language practitioners from 3 different universities in China. Using findings that emerged from a series of one-to-one interviews, the research explored practitioners’ current perspective of ICLT and how these understandings influenced their practices, including teaching materials, methods, and activities. The researcher discussed the possible causes of the status quo of ICLT in China, and went on to put forward suggestions that ICLT should be promoted in foreign language teaching as a successful mediator of intercultural dimension.AbstrakMahasiswa internasional sering dilaporkan tentang masalah kejutan budaya ketika memasuki lingkungan budaya baru. Pengetahuan budaya sering diperlakukan sebagai tambahan yang berfokus pada mempelajari fakta tentang negara sasaran. Artikel ini menunjukkan kejutan budaya yang dialami oleh 7 siswa internasional, dan juga mengulas pengajaran bahasa komunikatif antarbudaya (ICLT) di ruang kelas bahasa Indonesia yang dipraktikkan oleh 6 praktisi bahasa dari 3 universitas berbeda di Tiongkok. Menggunakan temuan yang muncul dari serangkaian wawancara satu-ke-satu, penelitian mengeksplorasi perspektif praktisi saat ini tentang ICLT dan bagaimana pemahaman ini mempengaruhi praktik mereka, termasuk bahan ajar, metode, dan kegiatan. Peneliti membahas kemungkinan penyebab status quo ICLT di Cina, dan kemudian mengajukan saran bahwa ICLT harus dipromosikan dalam pengajaran bahasa asing sebagai mediator sukses dimensi lintas budaya. How to Cite :, Wang, Q., Syihabuddin., Mulyati, Y., Damaianti, V. S. (2018).  Intercultural Communicative Language Teaching in China: Highlight or Addendum?. TARBIYA: Journal of Education in Muslim Society, 5(2), 155-165. doi:10.15408/tjems.v5i2.9732.

scholarly journals Elements Hindering Vietnamese Tertiary Students’ Participation in Group Activities: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Lien Thi My Tong
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
First Year ◽  
International Studies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
National University ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Efl Students

Plenty of meticulous research has been conducted to investigate the entire process for implementing group activities in language classrooms. Nevertheless, few detailed empirical investigations have been pursued in the sub-area of what influences the participation of English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students in group discussions. Thus, the present study was conducted to examine the elements impacting the group-work participation of first-year EFL students at University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS), Vietnam National University (VNU). Ten EFL freshmen and four teachers of English participated in the study over a four-week period by attending semi-structured interviews. The findings highlighted a variety of elements discouraging the learners’ participation related to themselves, pedagogy, and culture and also revealed internal elements as the most significant.

scholarly journals Using Explicit Instruction of the International Phonetic Alphabet System in English as a Foreign Language Adult Classes

2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 749-761
Author(s):  
Quoc Lap ◽  
Thi Dieu ◽  
Thanh Thao
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
International Phonetic Alphabet ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Adult Classes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

<p style="text-align: justify;">The effects of international phonetic alphabet (IPA) instruction on English as a foreign language (EFL) adult learners’ pronunciation have been well-recognized. However, not many studies on the topic were conducted in the Vietnamese context. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate (1) the impact of IPA learning on Vietnamese EFL adult learners’ pronunciation and (2) adult learners’ perceptions of the effects of learning the IPA system on their pronunciation. The study was designed as an experimental study, following a mixed-methods approach, using the pre-and-post-tests, questionnaires, and interviews to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Thirty-eight adult learners took part in this investigation; they were divided into two groups, nineteen in the control and nineteen in the experimental group. The experimental study lasted ten weeks before the questionnaires and interviews were administered with the participants in the experimental group. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in adult learners’ pronunciation in the experimental group. The participants in the experimental group also highly perceived the positive effects of learning the IPA system on their pronunciation. Pedagogical implications and suggestions were presented at the end of the paper.</p>

scholarly journals EFL Teachers’ Autonomy Supportive Practices for Out-of-Class Language Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 63-78
Author(s):  
Tuba Işık ◽  
Cem Balçıkanlı
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Autonomy Support ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
State University ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Learner Motivation ◽  
Supportive Behaviors ◽  
Language Classrooms

Autonomy support is a recently defined role for teachers, and they are expected to help learners engage in autonomous out-of-class learning. With a focus on English language learning outside the classroom, this study intended to uncover English as a foreign language teachers’ practices related to autonomy support and to discuss the challenges faced by the teachers in this process. Eleven teachers working at the tertiary level at a state university in Turkey were interviewed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in three sessions to find out the extent to which the teachers help their learners become autonomous. The findings revealed that the teachers perform many autonomy-supportive behaviors which are feasible in language classrooms such as motivating students, giving language advice and promoting peer collaboration. In doing this, the teachers utilize five different support mechanisms: affective, resource, capacity, technology, and social support. On the other hand, the findings uncovered such constraints as crowded classes, overloaded curriculum, and low learner motivation. These challenges were perceived as barriers hampering teachers’ efforts for autonomy support. This study highlights the feasibility of creating an autonomy-supportive language learning environment and provides implications for teachers of English as a Foreign Language.

scholarly journals CORRECTIVE FEEDBACKS INTERACTION IN CLT-ADOPTED CLASSROOMS

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 60
Author(s):  
Ayu Liskinasih
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Corrective Feedback ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
English Department ◽  
English As Foreign Language ◽  
Instructional Focus ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Treat All

<p>This case study aimed to examine corrective feedback (CF) pattern in the interactions of Indonesian EFL (English as Foreign Language) classrooms (a speaking and a grammar classrooms) which adopt CLT (Communicative Language Teaching). Two lecturers and twenty undergraduate English department students of an A-class university in Indonesia were involved as research participants. The findings revealed that the lecturers employed all types of CF to treat all types of errors. Explicit corrections were dominant in Speaking class as well as other explicit CF; whereas reformulations and prompt were equally distributed. Elicitation was dominant in Grammar class as well as other prompts; meanwhile, explicit and implicit CFs had similar proportion. The lecturers’ preferences were based on their beliefs on how their students learn foreign language and some factors such as the importance of CF to the instructional focus of the lesson, the possibility to generate student’s uptake, and also their empathetic values about students’ current language development. It was concluded that the provisions of CF in EFL classrooms reflect the application of CLT.</p>

scholarly journals PERCEPTIONS OF PRIMARY AND HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS ON THE USE OF MOTHER TONGUE IN EFL CLASSES

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dilek Durukan ◽  
Ayhan Kahraman
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Primary School ◽  
High School Teachers ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
School Teachers

Whether the mother tongue (L1) should be included or excluded in foreign language classes has been debated by researchers and there is no consensus on this controversial issue.   However, most of the studies are conducted on the tertiary level, and there is very few on the primary & secondary levels.  Therefore, this study explores the perspectives of English teachers working in primary schools in comparison to high schools affiliated with national education. It also investigates for which language skills both of those groups find the use of mother tongue (Turkish) relatively effective and their justification behind the use of L1 in their classes in which English is taught as a foreign language. A total of 30 primary and 30 high school teachers working in Usak participated the study voluntarily. The study has employed mixed-method and   data was collected through a questionnaire developed by Kuru and Tekin (2019). Moreover, semi structured interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative data with randomly selected primary school (8) and high school teachers (8). By means of SPSS, descriptive statistics were conducted and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Findings of the quantitative data indicated that majority of both primary and high school teachers support the use of mother tongue in EFL classes. Additionally, there is no significance difference between the perceptions of primary school and high school teachers regarding the use of L1. Finally, results of the qualitative data advocate the findings of the quantitative data.

Expectations vs. experience

Interpreting ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kilian G. Seeber ◽  
Laura Keller ◽  
Rhona Amos ◽  
Sophie Hengl
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Technical Feasibility ◽  
Fifa World Cup ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Conference Room ◽  
Before And After

Abstract The attitudes of interpreters providing video remote conference interpreting during the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ was analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative and qualitative data pertaining to six deductive categories (general and specific attitudes towards remote interpreting, attitudes towards the work environment and the workspace, psychological and physiological wellbeing) were collected. Online questionnaires were completed both before and after the event and structured interviews were conducted on site during the event. Triangulation of results corroborates the technical feasibility of video remote interpreting, whilst highlighting aspects with a high potential to shape interpreters’ attitudes towards it. The quality of the technical team on site along with the availability of visual input in the entire conference room (including all speakers taking the floor) is key to offsetting the feeling of alienation or lack of immersion experienced by interpreters working with this technical setup. Suggestions for the improvement of key parameters are provided.

Using inquiry to promote democratic citizenship among young adolescents during summer civics camps

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Blevins ◽  
Michelle Bauml ◽  
Nate Scholten ◽  
Victoria Davis Smith ◽  
Karon N. LeCompte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Democratic Citizenship ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Civic Knowledge ◽  
Democratic Citizenship Education ◽  
Middle Schoolers ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Global World

The purpose of this study was to examine how participation in small-group inquiry projects at a summer civics camp contributed to middle schoolers’ beliefs about themselves as citizens and influenced their general and individual conceptions of citizenship. Using an action civics model for their projects, participants worked in small groups to identify an issue in their community, study its root causes and propose solutions. This study utilized a convergent mixed-methods approach involving the collection of both pre- and post-surveys and qualitative data (exit tickets, advocacy projects and semi-structured interviews) to investigate the research questions. Participants for this study included 108 middle schoolers (entering fifth to ninth grade) who attended a free, week-long summer civics camp hosted at two private universities in the United States. Utilizing Westheimer and Kahne’s citizenship typology to analyze the data, three primary findings emerged. Firstly, some students’ conceptions of citizenship did shift slightly towards more participatory and justice-oriented notions of citizenship, although their predominant orientations towards democratic citizenship remain personally responsible. Secondly, students began to appropriate the citizenship frameworks used during the camp to nuance and expand their understandings citizenship and advocacy. Finally, students began to see ways they could use their voice to advocate for change in their communities. This research showcases how inquiry might enhance democratic citizenship education in a global world through interaction with others, responding to one’s community, developing civic knowledge, critically investigating issues and allowing for multiple solutions.

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