scholarly journals TEACHERS LEARNING ABOUT ENGLISH AS A LINGUA FRANCA ON FACEBOOK: INSIGHTS FROM A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (65) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Luciana Cabrini Simões Calvo ◽  
Michelle El Kadri ◽  
Telma Gimenez
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
National Curriculum ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
English Language Teachers

<span lang="EN-US">Communities of practice is a concept widely adopted by teacher educators affiliated with a practice-based education and situated learning. It provides a lens to examine how experienced and novice teachers engage in collaborative problem-solving and learn from each other in emergent interactions. Both face-to-face and virtual communities of professionals provide room for learning opportunities, with dynamic trajectories from more peripheral to more central forms of participation. According to this theoretical framework (</span><span lang="FR">LAVE; WENGER, 1991; WENGER, 1998; WENGER et al., 2002, 2011)</span><span lang="EN-US">, teachers learn from engagement with others and build their understandings upon interactions focused on the practice of the community. ELF is a concept that is not yet reified among English language teachers in Brazil but is beginning to catch the attention of a wider group of professionals, since English is now compulsory in basic education and the national curriculum defines English as a lingua franca. In this paper we analyze interactions in a Facebook community of teachers (BrELT Brazil´s English Language Teachers) who, over a period of two months, discussed the meanings of ELF and how it was/could be contextualized in their classrooms. </span><span lang="EN-US">We looked into the various ways in which the sharing of information and experiences were displayed and the strategic resources employed to advance their learning on this theme. The BrELT group reconstructed their knowledge on ELF, interacting in democratic ways and showing how they care about their domain. Also, the group revealed to be a potential learning site, as they engaged in the activity and negotiated new meanings. Finally, the BrELT community illustrates how social media can play an important role in teacher development, as it can bring together professionals with different levels of expertise who are willing to share their experience.</span>

scholarly journals E-Classroom Interactional Competencies: Mediating and Assisting Language Learning During Synchronous Online Lessons

RELC Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 003368822098527
Author(s):  
Benjamin Luke Moorhouse ◽  
Yanna Li ◽  
Steve Walsh
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Management Competencies ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Synchronous Online

Interaction is seen by many English language teachers and scholars as an essential part of face-to-face English language classrooms. Teachers require specific competencies to effectively use interaction as a tool for mediating and assisting learning. These can be referred to as classroom interactional competence (CIC). However, the situation created by the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic which began in early 2020, and the recent advancement in technologies have led to teachers conducting synchronous online lessons through video-conferencing software. The online environment is distinctly different from the face-to-face classroom and teachers require new and additional skills to effectively utilise interaction online in real time. This exploratory study used an online mixed-method survey of 75 university level English language teachers who had engaged in synchronous online teaching due to COVID-19, to explore the competencies that teachers need to use interaction as a tool to mediate and assist language learning in synchronous online lessons. Teachers were found to require three competencies, in addition to their CIC – technological competencies, online environment management competencies, and online teacher interactional competencies – which together constitute e-CIC. The findings provide greater insights into the needs of teachers required to teach synchronously online and will be of interest to teachers and teacher educators.

Teacher Development: Strategies and Perception

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 69-78
Author(s):  
Padam Lal Bharati ◽  
Subas Chalise
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Development Strategies ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
Clear Idea

Aspects of teachers’ professional development in general and EFL teachers in non-English speaking countries in particular are issues that warrant constant research. Although these are widely researched areas internationally, within Nepal grounded professional development studies have been sparsely carried out. A considerable section of practicing English language teachers has no clear idea of the issue although it directly concerns themselves. Against this backdrop, this article explores some EFL teachers’ perception on the concept of teacher development in a relatively sophisticated centrally located town of Nepal.The Saptagandaki Journal Vol.8 2017: 69-78

Supporting the development of primary in-service teacher educators

ELT Journal ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-437
Author(s):  
Laura Grassick
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Primary Teachers ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
State School ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
University Lecturers ◽  
School Curricula

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.

Triggering effect of CLIL practice on English as a lingua franca awareness

ELT Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-397
Author(s):  
Şebnem Yalçın ◽  
Yasemin Bayyurt ◽  
Benan Rifaioğlu Alahdab
Keyword(s):  
Classroom Practice ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Instructional Practice ◽  
Lesson Plans ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Classrooms

Abstract The present study explores whether/how CLIL practice at primary English language classrooms raises English language teachers’ awareness towards their language use from an English as a lingua franca (ELF)-aware perspective. English language teachers in a CLIL program completed a survey about their classroom practice and their opinions about their English language use in the classroom. They also shared their lesson plans to showcase their everyday teaching. The findings revealed that although CLIL practice presented challenges for language teachers, their experience enabled participants to conceptualize themselves as ‘competent English language users’ instead of non-native English language teachers. Moreover, the findings suggested that teachers’ CLIL experience enabled them to become aware of the three major components of ELF awareness; namely, awareness of language and language use, awareness of instructional practice, and awareness of learning.

scholarly journals Investigating Students’ and Staff Members’ Attitudes Toward the Efficiency of the Language Skills Modules Offered During the Foundation Year

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 24
Author(s):  
Abdulmohsen A. Dashti
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Basic Education ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Department ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
College Of Basic Education ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
English Major ◽  
English Language Teachers

In the scope of teaching English as a foreign language, and more specifically teaching speaking, reading, and writing, this study investigated the attitudes English language teachers-to-be have towards the three language skills modules, namely, Conversation, Reading, and Basic writing, offered by the College of Basic Education (hereafter CBE) in Kuwait. It also investigated the concerns of staff members at the English department in CBE with regards to the matter. The study utilized two questionnaires, one distributed to the students&rsquo; population, i.e., English major students (the sample received was (N 385), and the other one distributed to all staff members in the English department in CBE (N 27). In addition, 20 students were randomly selected and interviewed to verify the questionnaires&rsquo; results. The data, then, were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Percentages, means and standard deviations were calculated together with t test and ANOVA.&nbsp;Results showed that even though most students and staff members showed positive attitudes towards most of the questionnaires&rsquo; items, others were concerned about a few items.

scholarly journals Dyslexic Individuals’ Narratives on their Process of Becoming English Language Teachers

HOW ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-96
Author(s):  
Karen Andrea Cuervo-Rodríguez ◽  
Jairo Enrique Castañeda-Trujillo
Keyword(s):  
Identity Construction ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Negative Feelings

This article deals with the particularities two pre-service English language teachers have due to they have dyslexia. This study’s main intention was to understand how the participants constructed their identities as English teachers while dealing with discrimination, negative feelings, and not understanding teachers. We collected the data through interviews that served to write the two pre-service teachers’ narratives. The narrative analysis showed that pre-service English language teachers who suffer from apparently superficial difficulties must hide most of the time to avoid discrimination. We conclude that teacher educators’ role is essential in identity construction processes, especially when pre-service teachers face certain conditions that may affect their performance as language learners and as language teachers. Additionally, it was evident that resilient teachers can make strength from their weaknesses.

scholarly journals Language Assessment Literacy: Insights for Educating English Language Teachers through Assessment

HOW ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 78-92
Author(s):  
Frank Giraldo
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Language Assessment ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Assessment Literacy ◽  
The Status ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

At some point, language teachers need to be engaged in language assessment in their profession. Because language assessment is such a primary task for teachers, the field of language testing is encouraging research around the knowledge, skills, and principles that are foundational for sound assessment. In this paper, I provide a definition of Language Assessment Literacy (LAL), especially when it comes to teachers, by reviewing existing models. I then discuss ongoing issues in this area and end the paper by offering language teacher educators suggestions for fostering LAL among pre- and in-service teachers. In the article, I argue that, if more LAL initiatives take place, we are collectively raising the status and nature of language assessment and its impact on teachers’ professional development.

Teachers' Attitudes Toward ELF (English as Lingua Franca) in the UAE and Georgia

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar MIKELADZE ◽  
Khalid AL-HARIRI
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Standard English ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Language Courses ◽  
The Status ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Attitudes

The paper introduces a preliminary study of teachers’ awareness and attitudes toward ELF in two different language contexts, where English has the status of English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The exploratory study was based on the survey method and an online questionnaire was completed by 20 teachers from each region in July-August, 2016. Participants reported on their attitudes toward ELF, beliefs on Standard English, opinions on widespread of English, etc. The data obtained on Standard English within this research are broadly consistent with the trend of the inner circle. The results have indicated that ELF is a crucial topic for both regions and it is noteworthy to provide future English language teachers with expertise on ELF and the ways of its incorporation in language courses. 

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document