The Role of Technology in Interdisciplinary Language Teaching

In discourses of 21st century learning, there is an increasing emphasis on interdisciplinary learning. In this chapter, the author first looks at previous research on interdisciplinary teaching and learning. Next, the concept of scientific literacy and how this is related to language will be discussed. The intersections between the teaching of science literacy and language teaching and learning will also be explored. This is followed by research on the use of technology in science education and how technology can enhance science literacy.

Re-Examining the “Native Speaker Question”

This chapter addresses the native speaker question and construct from a representational point of view. Through a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of an ELT website in China's context, the authors discuss what and who is profiled as ‘native speaker' and how this category is represented on the website. Existing studies dealing with the ‘native speaker' abound, but only in recent years have a few efforts been made on the construction of this discourse, and the online representation of ELT in China is worthy of more examination. Consequently, this chapter aims to problematize the term ‘native speaker', deconstruct the process of how a discourse of ‘native speaker' takes on shape through online representation, and reveal how it is a racialized category. In conclusion, they offer pedagogical and policy implications.

Internet-Based Text-Matching Software and EFL Preservice Teachers' Awareness of Academic Integrity

Having been investigated from different perspectives across a broad range of disciplines, plagiarism in English as a Second Language (ESL)/English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts has not received much attention until very recently. This mixed-methods case study in the Turkish context is a critical analysis of EFL preservice teachers' perceptions, motives, knowledge of, and practices regarding plagiarism, as well as their academic integrity awareness and plagiarism detection ability in a freshman academic writing course at a state university. The quantitative data from the pre- and post-test questionnaires in the study were analyzed through descriptive statistics while the qualitative data from the questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with the preservice teachers were analyzed via thematic analysis. Findings suggested the favorable impact of Turnitin on preservice teachers' self-discovery to overcome and reduce possible plagiarism attempts in the Turkish context.

Performing Speech Acts

When we speak we use speech acts. Examples of speech acts include performing greetings, giving compliments and responding to compliments, making complaints and responding to complaints, making and responding to requests, congratulating, and consoling. In English language textbooks we normally see one response to some of these speech acts. For example, “thank you” as a response to a compliment or “good morning/afternoon/evening” as a greeting. As English has become a world language spoken by non-native speakers of English, many non-nativised cultural norms when performing speech acts are noted in real-time interactions. In this chapter, examples of nativised speech acts expressed in acceptable English are drawn from a number of data sources ranging from both real-time interactions, literary sources, which are a reflection of life, and social media, which encompass Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp messages. Pedagogical ramifications of such authentic real-time data are discussed. The result will be the teaching of the English emerging from localised cultural norms in the speech acts we perform.

An Investigation Into In-Service and Pre-Service Teachers' Understanding and Perceptions of Global Englishes in Taiwan

This chapter examined in-service teachers' and pre-service teachers' interpretation, understanding, knowledge, and willingness of promoting Global Englishes. The results of quantitative and qualitative data indicated that the concepts of Global Englishes were more informally delivered than formal instructed channels. Both groups generally had the understanding and knowledge of Global Englishes. The majority of participants of this study preferred Standard English when selecting listening materials, but they were in favor of the idea of introducing Global Englishes into the curricula of the 12-year Compulsory Education. With the goal of achieving appropriate and effective communication, in addition to Global Englishes, ICC should be adequately developed and enforced. The focus of the chapter was to highlight the importance of training teachers with greater awareness and respect of English varieties and to disseminate the concept of Global Englishes at teacher training programs. Findings of the study have some important implications for the English curricula of 12-year Compulsory Education.

The EU Language Policy as a Tool

The European Union (EU) is a multilingual union, which has 27 official languages. There is no other international or regional organisation that has so many official languages. Since its very beginning, the official languages of the member states are the official languages of the EU. The multilingualism of the EU is not just about the official languages of the EU but also because of the numerous indigenous regional and minority languages. The language policy of the EU can be traced back to the Treaty of Rome and the first regulation. Since then, the language policy of the EU has changed parallel with the developments and changes within the EU and in the world. First, it was evaluated as a tool for personal development and integration, but with the changes in the globalized world, it became a tool to increase the competitiveness of the EU, which can be seen as a soft power at the international level. This chapter aims to show the changing role of the EU's language policy and its current status as a powerful tool in the knowledge-based economies at the international level.

Improving the L2 Interactional and Critical Thinking Skills of University Students Using the CLIL Approach in the 21st Century

This chapter discusses theoretical underpinnings, practical applications, and effects of the CLIL (content and language-integrated learning) approach with a primary focus on the use of group projects on the development of English interactional skills (especially oral fluency), self-efficacy, and critical thinking skills in undergraduate English majors in Japan. The chapter first reviews L2 literature on the use and features of the CLIL approach and then focuses on the use of group projects and their potential effects on three important dimensions of language learning: linguistic, affective, and social. The literature review covers the author's own investigations of the effects of group projects substantiated by students' feedback and statistical data collected as part of his extensive teaching experience in universities. Finally, a number of practical suggestions for implementing group projects are presented along with procedures and worksheets so that interested readers can adopt these in their own teaching context.

Post-Truth (Mis)communication as Enigmatic Mystification and Misuse of Language

It would be erroneous to assume that language can only be used in positive sense and that it cannot be misused to cause instability and unrest in our professional as well as personal lives. On the contrary, language can be weaponised to cause irreparable harm/damage to vulnerable communities, ethnicities, marginalized populations, and deprived chunks of humanity. Language has innumerable forms such as genuine and authentic language, truthful and honest language, ingenuine and false language, and fake and deceptive language. Be that negative or positive aspect of language, it can be tilted either way as per one's will and choice; nevertheless, inauthentic and manipulative language can seldom have acceptability among the masses. The term ‘post-truth' stems from fabrication of truth and it has a deep connection with politics. Post-truth may be understood as a situation wherein the objective facts are less influential in shaping opinion, and emotions and personal beliefs are important to connect people. In this chapter, the authors have analyzed language in the age of post-truth.

Incompatible Discrepancy Between Low Proficiency of Arabic Language and Its High Status and Prestige

Muslims are ardent to learn Arabic and study al-Qurʾān, but many of them are not competent in manipulating the Arabic language. The discrepancy of high prestige and status of the language versus low proficiency of the learners is the target of the research in this chapter. The author calls this “incompatible discrepancy.” What do they indeed do in the Arabic school and Qurʾānic school? If they are so ardent, they should be highly competent in Arabic. The process of their learning is, exactly to say, rote-learning. In schooling they just memorize phrases from al-Qurʾān and the other religious texts. They start to learn Arabic as a graphic mode. They never learn Arabic as an identity marker without sticking to the way of learning it as a graphic mode. In this globalizing world everything is going to be digitalized. On the other hand, in the Islamic world many of the things remain analog, especially the way of leaning Arabic. The globalizing world is digital while the Islamic world is analog. Digital/analog can be considered as an important perspective for the world.

The Major Developments of Learner Language From Second Language Acquisition to Learner Corpus Research

Given the fact that there is a constant debate among monolinguists and pluralists, this chapter aims to explore the main developments in learner language. It focuses on the changes from second language research to learner corpus research. It is an attempt to present second language theories. Then, the chapter draws a particular attention to the limitations of second language acquisition. The discussion turns to learner corpus research to show how language changes from heterogeneinity to diversity. Language is no longer seen as monolithic entity or a standard variety but a multilingual entity.