Carol Griffiths | Girne Amerikan Universitesi (original) (raw)

Papers by Carol Griffiths

Slavonic Pedagogical Studies Journal, 2015

In this article, I deal with learning styles and strategies of students at secondary school. I fo... more In this article, I deal with learning styles and strategies of students at secondary school. I focus on Howard Gardner´s distinction of seven multiple intelligences. I analyse individual students´preferences and the way how they learn foreign language. The results show the importance of empowering of all the multiple intelligences to make the educational process effective. Therefore, I proposed two activities which develop all intelligences at the same time.

Second language learning and teaching, 2023

This paper firstly defines language learning strategies and briefly reviews the literature on the... more This paper firstly defines language learning strategies and briefly reviews the literature on the relationship between strategies and success in language learning. It then describes a study involving two language learners studying at the same language school in Auckland, New Zealand and living in the same homestay, an accommodation arrangement involving placing international students with local families. The two students in this study were both females from East Asia who had come to New Zealand to study in an English-speaking environment. Meg, who was 26 years old, wanted to learn English to prepare herself for her new job, and Kay, who was 19, wanted to learn English to go on to university. They arrived in New Zealand to start their courses at the same time, and were initially placed at the same level (Elementary). It soon became clear, however, that Meg was making much faster progress with her language learning than Kay. This paper looks at a range of variables which might have af...

This chapter introduces the key underlying concepts of the book. It begins by establishing a work... more This chapter introduces the key underlying concepts of the book. It begins by establishing a working definition of action research (AR) before going on to discuss planning, collaborating with others to conduct studies and disseminating findings. Issues of research quality are discussed before outlining AR stages and types. Finally, key issues of autonomy, feasibility, and sustainability are debated.

Case studies are not always easy to define, and have been variously compared to hybrids (Nunan, 1... more Case studies are not always easy to define, and have been variously compared to hybrids (Nunan, 1992) and umbrellas (Adelman, Jenkins and Kemmis, 1976), hence the title of this paper. A distinguishing feature is that they use individual cases to generalise about the wider population. Case studies may use participant or nonparticipant observation and may be conducted in natural or artificial settings. They are usually longitudinal, often involve qualitative rather than quantitative data and analysis, and may be structured or unstructured depending on the level of control desired by the researcher. Case studies often derive theory from data rather than the other way around, a process known as “grounded theory”. Other important issues in case study research include relatability and point of view. As with other methods, the process of case study research includes writing a literature review, and, at the end, a report. It is necessary to determine the research questions, the feasibility ...

Although the importance of strategies used by learners to regulate their own language learning is... more Although the importance of strategies used by learners to regulate their own language learning is widely accepted, the lack of longitudinal studies in the language learning strategy field has long been recognised. This article reports on a study conducted in a private English language school for international students in Auckland, New Zealand, which aimed to investigate how progress in language learning related to changes in reported frequency of language learning strategy use over a period of time. Using a questionnaire known as the English Language Learning Strategy Inventory, or ELLSI (Griffiths 2003b), students were surveyed on entry to the school. Thirty students were surveyed again three months later. The results suggested that, in general, the students who progressed most rapidly were those who reported the greatest increase in frequency of language learning strategy use over the three-month period of the study, especially strategies related to the use of resources, to the ma...

Second Language Learning and Teaching

Zealand). This thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act... more Zealand). This thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: • Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. • Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of this thesis, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate. • You will obtain the author's permission before publishing any material from their thesis. To request permissions please use the Feedback form on our webpage.

Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 2023

This special issue includes 11 articles by various authors which describe and discuss the influen... more This special issue includes 11 articles by various authors which describe and discuss the influence of Jack’s work on their own professional careers.

This article reports on an investigation into the development of teacher autonomy in helping stud... more This article reports on an investigation into the development of teacher autonomy in helping students overcome academic reading challenges. The study followed a three-stage design using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It commenced with exploring the scope of the academic reading challenges students experienced through an open-ended survey, the results of which were then used to construct a Likert-type questionnaire which asked them to rate the challenges and also to suggest strategies they used to deal with the challenges. In the second stage, the teacher initiated an intervention by arranging a focus-group discussion during which the students discussed the questionnaire findings and considered how they applied to themselves. The third stage involved a follow-up written reflection in which the students evaluated the insights from previous stages and considered ongoing action to address their challenges. As a result of the study, the teacher developed autonomy by gaining insight into students' academic processes and strategy deployment, which informed ongoing decision-making and helped to more accurately target the assistance they needed. An added benefit was that the students also gained insight into their challenges and were able to develop their own autonomy by considering effective strategies for dealing with them. Suggestions are made for ongoing research.

Second Language Teacher Education

This article reports on a study conducted at a university in North Cyprus which aimed to gather e... more This article reports on a study conducted at a university in North Cyprus which aimed to gather empirical evidence regarding both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning as experienced during the COVID pandemic. The study discovered that both teachers and students were aware of both advantages and disadvantages of the system which had been thrust upon them. Overall, most of the teachers favoured the development of some kind of blended/hybrid methodology, while a majority of the students favoured a return to in-class learning. Both teachers and students recognized a need to focus on physical and mental health, on assessment issues, and on issues of technology and connectivity. A major conclusion from the study is the urgent need for teacher education, both pre-service and in-service, to help teachers develop the digital knowledge and skills required for a successful blended/hybrid learning/teaching environment.

Language Teaching Research Quarterly

As I have discovered, a special issue covering the work of Jack Richards is a mammoth task. In th... more As I have discovered, a special issue covering the work of Jack Richards is a mammoth task. In the years that he has worked in language development, he has covered so many different aspects of the field, it is difficult to know where to start...

Language Teaching

Given that I have been a teacher of one kind or another for practically all of my working life, s... more Given that I have been a teacher of one kind or another for practically all of my working life, starting as a high school English teacher before moving into TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), I would like to suggest (in all modesty, of course!) that I am in a good position to understand the stresses of the job. In this position paper, I would like to try to explain the background to the issues of teacher stress, to identify contemporary problem areas, to suggest some possible ways to address the problems, and also to explain why tackling teacher stress is so important – both for teachers themselves, and also for the other stakeholders, especially the learners. Although this article draws essentially on the experience of language teachers and related literature, many of the issues described could apply to teachers of any subject at any level anywhere, a point that will be taken up again when suggesting areas for further research.