TEFL Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

- by Abdel Salam El-Koumy
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- English Literature, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, English language

How humans possess the language ability is a matter of long controversy among the linguists. Some of them believe that the ability of language is the result of innate knowledge. Unlike other species humans possess that innate ability which is genetically coded. To them language is the outcome of nature (genes). Conversely, others claim that the ability of language is learned through experience extracting all the linguistic information from the outside environment. It is the outcome of nurture (environmental factors/stimuli). At present, there is no clear winner regarding the debate as both genes and environmental factors/stimuli seem to play a vital and important role in language acquisition.

- by Victor Hugo Rojas B.
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- Teaching and Learning, TEFL
- by rym ghazali
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- Languages and Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, English language, Psycholinguistics

Reticence is a prominent and complex phenomenon which occurs in foreign language classrooms and influences students' oral passivity. The present study investigated the extent in which students experience reticence in the EFL classrooms and explored the underlying factors triggering reticence. The participants were 104 Iranian freshmen undergraduate male and female EFL students, who enrolled in listening and speaking courses, all majoring in English studying at Islamic Azad University Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch and University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran. To collect the data, the Reticence Scale-12 (RS-12) questionnaire which measures the level of reticence consisting of six dimensions (anxiety, knowledge, timing, organization, skills, and memory) was administered to the participants. The statistical analyses showed that the reticent level was high among the Iranian EFL undergraduate students, and their major problems were feelings of anxiety and delivery skills. Moreover, the resul...

- by Azizeh Chalak
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- Psychology, TEFL, EFL Classrooms, Reticence

At the beginning of a teaching experience in a new culture, the language teacher's interpretations of what occurs in the classroom are frequently based more on intuition than insight. Because perceptions of the learners and the culture can have far-reaching effects on the motivation of language teachers and the affective nature of their classroom instruction, it sometimes is necessary for teachers to pause and reflect upon the validity of their personal assumptions. In this paper, we will explore the benefits and difficulties of undertaking a diary study, based upon our personal experience.

- by Gregory Hadley and +1
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- Teaching English as a Second Language, Qualitative methodology, Qualitative Methods, TESOL

This paper examines three teachers' implementation of a new communicative English language curriculum in Libyan secondary schools. The teachers were observed for two weeks teaching a unit of material from this curriculum and subsequently interviewed to examine the rationales for their classroom practices. The analysis highlighted considerable differences between the intentions of the curriculum and the instruction observed. In articulating the bases of their teaching, the teachers provided evidence of the ways in which their prior beliefs about language teaching and learning interacted with elements of their educational context to filter the planned curriculum. The manner in which they delivered the curriculum thus reflected their views of what was feasible in the light of their understandings of themselves as teachers, of their students, and of the demands of the system more generally, particularly in relation to assessment. Overall, this study provides evidence of the manner in which the uptake of an educational innovation can be limited when it is not congruent with and does not take into consideration the cognitive and contextual realities of teachers' work. This work thus has clear implications for the manner in which the link between intended reforms and teachers' actual practices can be strengthened.

- by English ForLibya
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- Education, English language, TEFL, Language Teaching

The main purpose of this research is to evaluate the effects of a constructivist instructional
design on a group of students and their teacher. The sample consisted of
26 students and one teacher. The research was conducted at Istanbul Technical
University, School of Foreign Languages, English Preparatory Program. The instructional
design based on the constructivist learning principles that is developed by
the teachers together with the class teacher was applied to the sample group. The
data were gathered using quantitative data collection techniques, analyzed and interpreted.
The findings emphasize that, in general, constructivist instructional design
has a positive effect both on the students and the teacher. On the other hand,
because most schools in Turkey have an exam-oriented system, constructivist ins
tructional design does not appeal to some students.

- by Halil Eksi
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- Education, Higher Education, Constructivism, Teacher Training

Few will argue that Teaching English through English (TETE) is an approach that many practitioners have a definite opinion on. Some praise it as the best way to conduct ESL/EFL classes; others criticize it as being inappropriate and... more

It is irrefutable fact that vocabulary plays an important role in the academic lives of EFL learners. This is because if foreign language learners lack a mature vocabulary, their other language skills suffer significantly. That is why David Wilkins (1972, P. 111) very rightly says that "Without grammar, very little can be conveyed. Without vocabulary, nothing can be conveyed." Therefore, the teaching and learning of vocabulary in any foreign language classroom form a very significant place. While doing so, various methods and strategies are employed to develop the vocabulary of EFL learners. However success of any methodology, strategy or material used depends on the nature of the material and perceptions of EFL learners towards that methodology, strategy and material. In that respect, this paper attempts to investigate the role of short-stories in developing vocabulary of EFL learners.

Hubbard (2007) noted that contemporary language teachers not only need to have competent theoretical knowledge and social power, but they must also be responsible for the maintenance and growth of their technological proficiency. In this article, I report on my summer holiday professional development experience becoming a certified Google Educator. Soon after I started this journey, I discovered that a Google Educator’s training
does not simply amount to a lesson on search strategies or using Gmail; Google offers a range of powerful, free educational tools or apps that teachers can take advantage of in their language classrooms. Google Forms (see Milliner & Flowers, 2015), Google
Sheets, Google Docs (see Firth & Mesureur, 2010; Suwantarathip & Wichadee, 2014), Google Sites, Google Maps (see McMillan, 2013), YouTube, Google Draw, and Google Hangouts are all examples of the great tools available (see Figure 1). As I began training on how to effectively use each one of these tools, I quickly realized that I needed to become more than competent at using each one should I want to pass the Google Educators’ test and become an accredited Google Educator.

Abstract: The argument I will develop in this essay is that the foreign students are a latent human resource who can assist with overcoming English monolingualism in the Australian population. Foreign students, properly rewarded, can be a major source of skills transfer. Every one of those students is a walking compendium of language and cultural skills that Australians need to know.

- by Thorold (Thor) May
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- Discourse Analysis, Sociology, Psychology, Social Psychology

This article explores the role of posture in the language learning process, and concludes that it is sometimes critical for learning success. Principles of learning and moving are outlined. The history of physical movement in study is briefly traced. A Korean case study is presented of “failed” tertiary students who learn to learn on their feet. The paper is a practical guide for teachers who wish to experiment with physical movement and location in their own ESL/EFL classrooms .

Cet article présente les résultats d'une étude sur la manière dont les enseignants de français conceptualisent les contenus didactiques en fonction des interactions en classe. La représentation qu'ont les enseignants de leur gestion des interactions a été rapportée au moyen de protocoles verbaux concomitants à une tâche de planification et au moyen de protocoles rétrospectifs immédiats. Pour répondre aux réactions des élèves, le fonctionnement fréquemment adopté par l'enseignant semble «improvisationnel». La planification de l'enseignement est fondée sur des connexions conceptuelles. Elle relie les contenus les uns aux autres selon une appréciation des besoins potentiels des apprenants.
Sur le plan cognitif, la planification est la résultante d'une accommodation entre
des éléments didactiques organisateurs et les apports potentiellement désorganisateurs
du contexte d'interaction. Ces résultats descriptifs corroborent ceux qui ont été obtenus
dans d'autres disciplines et acquièrent de ce fait une certaine généralisabilité.

- by Francois V Tochon
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- Teacher Education, Distance Education, Mentoring, Academic Writing

An English as a foreign language test for reading, writing, and cultural diversity awareness for high-school students. In G. Gorsuch (Ed.), Tests that second language teachers make and use (pp. 129-155). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

- by Vander Viana
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- TESOL, Language Assessment, TEFL, L2 pedagogy

The purpose of the present study is to examine the Iranian EFL learners' level of willingness to communicate in English, and the relationships between willingness to communicate, communication confidence, and classroom environment. For this purpose, 243 Iranian EFL learners participated in this study. Results of the descriptive statistics indicated that participants were moderately willing to communicate in English inside the language classroom, felt low levels of anxiety, and perceived themselves moderately confident to communicate in English in the classroom. Correlational analyses also indicated that willingness to communicate is positively correlated with classroom environment and perceived communicative competence, and negatively correlated with communication anxiety.

- by behzad Ghonsooly
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- Education, Languages and Linguistics, TESOL, TESL

REVIEWS 239 un niveau d'6tudes avanc6. Rares sont les suggestions concernant les d6butants. L'auteur insiste sur la dimension formative de son approche et n6glige consciemment une mise en rapport syst6matique entre l'acquisition de la comp6tence envisag6e et le cours de langue. Cependant la langue h apprendre n'est-elle pas elle aussi, un fait social et le produit d'une culture? Est-il donc loisible de d6tacher la r6flexion sur les finalit6s culturelles des probl~mes de la progression proprement linguistique? I1 n'est pas interdit, certes, d'utiliser/~ certaines occasions la langue maternelle dans la classe de langue. Mais il serait dommage qu'elle y devienne une 6chappatoire par trop facile.

- by Friederike Klippel
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- English, TEFL, Language Teaching, ELT

This paper documents the strategies used in providing students with feedback in a large scale action research project that was
designed to help students develop their language and literacy skills. The Scaffolding Literacy in Academic and Tertiary Environments (SLATE) was designed to provide students in a university in Hong Kong with discipline specific language and literacy support (see Mahboob, Dreyfus, Humphrey, and Martin, 2010, for a detailed description of the program). This support was provided by language tutors from around the world – with a large team of the tutors based in Sydney. In order to do this work, the SLATE team in Sydney developed a number of protocols and procedures for providing online support to the students. This paper describes these processes in some detail.

- by Devrim Yilmaz and +1
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- Discourse Analysis, English Literature, Teaching English as a Second Language, Phonology

In foreign language learning the listening skill has proved to be extremely essential for carrying out coherent and effective oral communication with other people. Listening is a key skill and is better performed if there is an integration of all four skills and, especially, speaking. The present teaching proposal attempts to develop an original listening lesson focusing on the process of listening on the basis of modern pedagogical theories and methods. To this end, the paper discusses the proposal's rationale with reference to the listening input, class profile and lesson preparation as well as the procedure and listening tasks' efficiency providing a post-lesson evaluation of the teaching outcomes as well. Given that listening is the most underestimated skill in the Greek school context, this paper aims to encourage foreign language teachers to be independent course designers in order to assist their learners develop their listening competence overcoming listening comprehension problems.

- by Maria D. Tzotzou
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- Educational Technology, TESOL, Teaching Methodology, TEFL

This study examined the role of metacognition and intelligence in foreign language achievement on a sample of 143 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. Participants completed Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices as a measure of intelligence, and Metacognitive Awareness Inventory as a measure of metacognition. Learners' scores at the end of the semester were aggregated as a measure of foreign language achievement. The findings revealed that intelligence accounts for 12.2% of the variance in foreign language achievement, and metacognition accounts for 17.6% of the variance. Although each of them had a unique impact on foreign language achievement, metacognition outweighs intelligence as a predictor of foreign language achievement. Finally, the pedagogical implications were discussed in light of foreign language achievement.

The countries of the Middle East 1 are part of what calls the Expanding Circle countries. As opposed to the Outer Circle countries, where English was established during colonization, countries in the Expanding Circle are those where English has been gaining status and use in the recent past. The expanding circle includes most countries of South America, South East and East Asia, Europe, parts of Africa, and, of course, the Middle East. However, it needs to be clarified at the onset that the Middle East is not a homogeneous region. The histories, cultures, politics, and economies of the countries included in this region are radically different from each other and it would be erroneous to put all of them into a single group for any indepth analysis. Keeping this in mind, this chapter first provides a broad-brush review of research on English in the region from a World Englishes perspective and then looks at the English language in Saudi Arabia in some detail.

Language minority students, many of whom come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, confront multiple obstacles to academic success and advancement. Yet the intersection between language minority students’ K-12 experiences and their potential to obtain higher education remains understudied. This paper examines how a set of institutional processes and practices—state-mandated classification, testing, and tracking—operates to systematically limit language minority students’ access to college-preparatory curricula. Using data from interviews, this study investigates Hmong American high school and college students’ experiences in English language development and mainstream academic tracks, as well as their perceptions regarding access to college preparatory courses. The evidence suggests that students tracked in English Language Development curricula not only have limited access to key resources, such as college preparatory courses, but also hold lower aspirations about college, compared to those who are in college preparatory tracks. The limitations of this study and implications for future research are discussed.

- by Yang Sao Xiong
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- English, Education Policy, TEFL, Immigrant children

The integration of language and culture has been one of the focal concerns of language pedagogy. This integration has become progressively more important with the increasing role of English as a global lingua franca. Therefore, it is important for language teaching materials to present various cultural elements in order to pave the way for the development of Intercultural Communicative Competence. Until now, it has been claimed that most of the government-issued coursebooks used in language classes in Turkey fail to create a meaningful relationship between home and target cultures, thereby overlooking the importance of cultural diversity. The present study is an attempt to explore whether this kind of limited cultural content persists in language teaching materials. Accordingly, a series of three coursebooks used as core language teaching texts at public elementary schools in Turkey was evaluated in terms of four cultural aspects: products, practices, perspectives, and people. It was found that contrary to the previous studies, all three of the coursebooks do take diverse cultures into account, although with a clear emphasis on Europe.

- by Servet Celik
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- Teaching English as a Second Language, English language, English, Culture

This is the handout from my presentation on "Activities to Lower the Affective Filter" delivered at the 2011 College and University Educators Conference (CUE) in Tokyo, Japan. In this presentation, I explained how Stephen Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis can be combined with Zoltán Dörnyei's work on motivational strategies to create assignments that that are more engaging for students (lowering the affective filter and boosting motivation). These strategies are aimed at the foreign language classroom but are adaptable for any teaching environment.

Although English for Tourism (EfT) is an acknowledged branch of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in both research and pedagogy, a clear definition of EfT and a clear methodological framework for EfT research seems to be lacking in the literature. This presentation will report the preliminary results of an exploratory study in progress that seeks to answer the deceptively “simple” question: “What is English for Tourism?”. More specifically, a representative (but not yet comprehensive) sample of all English for Tourism literature available on Google Books and Google Scholar, including both teaching material and academic literature, has been analyzed and coded in accordance with the methods of grounded theory. The preliminary results offer insights into the semantic, conceptual, theoretical, and methodological differences between the interdependent yet distinct perspectives of “English for Tourism” (EoT) and EfT, from which a working model of EfT is emerging. The results also reveal national tendencies toward either EfT or EoT and thereby expose particular gaps in the existing body of research.

This study examines the role of fear in the inhibition of more active learning in Indonesian class rooms. It examines the role that fear appears to play in contributing to passive learning styles among a large proportion of students and offers some indications on the types of pedagogical techniques that may help reduce the impact on student learning. This paper has been produced on the basis of classroom observations; the examination of various pedagogical theories; and informal class room experimentation. It is hoped that formal research and experimentation will be conducted in the future to validate or improve the suggestions offered.

- by Abdul Rahman Reijerink
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- TEFL, Motivation

We cannot ignore the necessity of learning English or any other important foreign language apart from L1 (mother tongue) in the present globalized world. Under given motivation, opportunity, and appropriate circumstances almost anyone can begin foreign language learning at any age of their life. But, the success in second/foreign language learning depends on a number of biological, social, and educational factors. Various determining factors for success in foreign language learning clearly specify that childhood is the probable perfect age for begging foreign language learning; hence for better mastering children should start learning foreign language as soon as entering school.

Sometimes, in many years of studying a foreign language, a student may not be skillful in speaking and listening.

Esperança é a habilidade criativa de representar visões positivas do futuro, que influencia o desenvolvimento humano. Refletindo a partir de investigações na filosofia e nas ciências cognitivas, Miccoli observa o processo de ensino/aprendizagem como um conjunto complexo de experiências nas quais o indivíduo transforma e é transformado através da interação e em situações específicas (1996; 1997; 2000; 2001a; 2001b; 2006; 2007a; 2007b; 2007c; 2007d). Através desse aporte teórico, o presente trabalho teve por objetivo identificar a esperança em experiências vivenciadas dentro e fora de sala de aula, através do mapeamento de 50 narrativas de aprendizagem de alunos do curso de Letras na Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. O resultado da triangulação das análises (qualitativa, quantitativa e fenomenológica) dos dados revelou que as experiências dos aprendizes são orientadas por expectativas e sonhos que os compele a agir – ponto de partida para a discussão de fatores relacionados à afetividade que podem promover empoderamento na aprendizagem de segunda língua.

- by Willy A Renandya
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- Teaching English as a Second Language, English, TEFL, Language Teaching

Journal of
Modern Education Review-
Students’ Speaking Skill through Voice Chat at University of Iqra Buru
Saidna Zulfiqar bin Tahir

- by Saidna Zulfiqar Bin Tahir and +2
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- TEFL, Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL), English EFL TEFL learning

The idea for the Plan Ceibal en Ingles (Plan Ceibal English) project in Uruguay developed because of a shortage of English teachers in the country. Experienced young learner teachers from elsewhere (Montevideo, Argentina, the Philippines)... more

- by Graham Stanley
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- ICT in Education, TEFL, Primary, Video Conferencing

Language assessment is a progressive activity of measuring, testing, and evaluating teaching learning language. This is become important for designing not an instant measure of student's ability. Language assessment work on empowering and endeavoring students multiple language and constructiveness in problem solving indicators. The discrete points of this are always dragged into a continuous research and treatment for present and future toward students' potential

Extensive reading (ER) as an effective approach for both first and second language (L2) learning has been in the literature for decades. In Korea, however, little mention of ER or research in this area has occurred until recently. Domestic and international ELT materials publishers are increasingly promoting ER reading materials and their benefits. Nevertheless, the ELT community and the general public of this test-driven society remain largely unconvinced that something as enjoyable as casual reading could be as effective as explicit instruction combined with memorization and testing.

The volume "How to teach English with Technology" is about language and second language teaching using the devices provided by the latest computer and the Internet technology. The authors, Gavin Dudeney and Nicky Hockley, are co-directors of a language consultancy (Barcelona, Spain) specializing in online and distance learning. The book has two main goals: introducing a wide range of teaching possibilities for those teachers who are not fully aware of computer technology and Internet, and providing ideas for classroom activities. The book has 12 chapters plus four appendixes which first describe the theoretical background of each topic, followed by a description of the technical devices, software or hardware, used in the chapter and some suggestions for classroom activities. Each chapter concludes with a summary, and has some follow up activities in the first appendix. The most interesting feature of this book is the possibilities of teachers who work with a variety of types of software or hardware (or even who actually do not approach language teaching with technology) to integrate the contents into their daily teaching plans. Additionally, the book has a CD-Rom which contains practical demonstrations of the contents of each chapter, interviews with practitioner teachers and some related webliography. These interviews reflect the ways, constraints and ideas of novel and experienced teachers when working with technology.

- by Nicky Hockly and +1
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- Educational Technology, TESOL, ICT in Education, TEFL

This case study re-envisions the objectives of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program as taught by expatriate staff in a Japanese university. EAP courses in Japan often assume students will study in English speaking countries and prepare them for a western academic experience. However, increasingly English medium content courses are offered in Japanese schools. These courses, while conducted in English are nevertheless grounded in a Japanese academic context and its customs. This qualitative study examines the values and opinions of Japanese Kiso Semi (a fundamental academic skills preparation seminar) teachers through questionnaires and interviews to better inform EAP decision-making. Findings reveal insights into both Japanese academic norms and Japanese faculty expectations for student behavior and performance. Understanding these norms and expectations has lead to a questioning of current EAP curriculum design and a proposed localization of that design. This has implications for specific EAP course objectives, particularly in terms of the importance of intertextuality, multimodality, the role of critical thinking, and the possible transferability of skills between content and language classes.

- by Viktoria Moulinou
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- Adaptation, Reading, TEFL, Teaching EFL