Thinking Outside the Box (Below and Above it, Too): Perspectives toward critical thinking in TESOL in Vietnam

The incorporation of critical thinking into ESL teaching and curricula has been debated in second language pedagogy for decades. Prior publications have shown that the teaching and learning of critical thinking is a complicated issue due to both cognitive and sociocultural factors. In this questionnaire study, we had an opportunity to survey 12 instructors and 37 students at a public university in Vietnam about their viewpoints on critical thinking instruction in language teaching. In contrast with the common notion that many collectivistic cultures in Asia do not nurture critical analysis and sceptical questioning, both instructors and students in Vietnam demonstrated a hospitable view towards the practice of teaching critical thinking in English classrooms. However, instructors experience immense difficulties incorporating this concept into their curricula due to a lack of resources, training and time pressure. The current study indicates a need for critical thinking in ESL classrooms in Vietnam and provides concrete guidelines for introducing critical thinking into second language classes.

Genki: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese I

The release of a new edition of the widely used Japanese textbook Genki has been widely anticipated. While most of the changes are subtle and aesthetic, there are noticeable improvements, especially in the efforts taken to better represent the diversity of the Japanese learner population. However, the textbook's unsystematic treatment of vocabulary and grammar reflect a teaching philosophy that, already dated when the first edition was published twenty years ago, has only drifted further from the field of second language pedagogy. The disjointed treatment of literacy and oracy skills make it difficult to understand what is "integrated" about the course it provides. Great teaching can still be achieved using Genki, but it will require considerable creativity on behalf of teachers, especially those concerned with demonstrating how progress through the textbook aligns with measurable outcomes or gains in proficiency.

Task-Based Learning in the Classroom for EFL Learners: A Review

In language teaching and learning, there are several methodologies and approaches; one of them is TBL. Since the 1980s, this approach has had the most pedagogical attention in second language pedagogy. TBL is becoming increasingly common worldwide, particularly in English classes in Indonesia. The task's goal is to establish a clear reason for language use and create a natural meaning for language learning. The ideas and principles of TBL have proven to be effective in classrooms. This paper aims to explain why teachers should implement TBL (TBL) in the language classroom and how to implement TBL during classroom instruction. The discussion begins with the introduction and the description of TBL. Then, it goes on TBL characteristics and continues with the approaches, the benefits, and framework of TBL.

Evidence-Based Second Language Pedagogy : A Collection of Instructed Second Language Acquisition Studies, edited by M. Sato and S. Lowen (2019)

Evidence-Based Second Language Pedagogy : A Collection of Instructed Second Language Acquisition Studies Edited by M. Sato and S. Lowen (2019) New York/Abingdon: Routledge, 338pp.