Volume 7, Issue 2 April 2015
The Preference of Learning With Various Authentic Materials on an E-Platform: A Survey on Advanced-Level Students
Min Lun Yeh
Abstract:
Numerous academic findings have shown that authenticity engages students in learning languages. Also learners have relied on authentic materials as evidenced in much research. The purpose of this paper is to determine the viability of applying authentic materials to an e-learning platform by collecting quantitative information from a questionnaire surveying 77 freshmen students at a technology university in Taiwan. These students were placed at an advanced level. They were exposed to various kinds of authentic materials in the one-year Freshmen English class. By the end of the school year, they were asked to fill out a Likert-scale questionnaire concerning their attitude toward the authenticity presented in the class. The findings are intended to illuminate the effectiveness of authentic materials in an e-learning platform.
NNESTs on the Rise: Learning and Teaching of L2 Pragmatics
Akiko Chiba
Abstract:
It has been a widely accepted perception that only the native-language teachers can teach the authentic language form, whereas nonnative-language teachers are considered as second class professionals (Mahboob, 2004; Brain, 2010; Kumaravadivelu, 2012); the so called “native speaker fallacy” (Phillipson, 1992). With such preference to native teachers still being prominent on one hand, the population of nonnative English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) today outnumbers its counterpart on the other (Kahmi-Stein, 2004). Although the benefit of the local NNESTs are somewhat recognized (Medgyes, 1999; Mahboob, 2004), the favoritism toward native teachers seems to be deep-rooted (Mahboob, 2004; Braine, 2010). This phenomenon brings about several disadvantages to nonnative-language teachers, such as limited employment opportunities and difficulties in teaching areas such as pronunciation and culture, which can lead to diminishing confidence as language-teaching professionals altogether. Despite this undesirable circumstance, research on instructional pragmatics, which specifically targets the needs of nonnative English-speaking teachers, is rather scarce. Thus, this paper examines how NNESTs can be empowered to teach the target community pragmatics, by investigating NNESTs’ challenges in learning and teaching the target community pragmatics, and secondly, by exploring means to overcome some of the disadvantages that hinder NNESTs as English language professionals.
The Effects of Journaling on Taiwanese EFL Students’ Extensive Reading Habits and Attitudes
Keith M. Graham
Abstract:
This research study examines the effects of journaling on the extensive reading habits and attitudes of Taiwanese English as a foreign language (EFL) students. The study was conducted with eleven eighth grade students enrolled in a private junior high school in northern Taiwan. Students were asked to submit weekly journal letters online to their teacher about English novels read outside of class. The teacher responded with comments and questions. Data from the study show that using journaling as an activity increased the amount of extensive reading done in English as well as improved many students’ attitudes toward extensive reading.
Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions of Team-Teaching Practices in Two Japanese Senior High Schools
Takaaki Hiratsuka
Abstract:
In this study I explored the perceptions of local Japanese teachers of English (JTEs), foreign assistant language teachers (ALTs) and their students of team-teaching practices in language classrooms in Japan. Data were collected from two pairs of team teachers and four of their students in two Japanese senior high schools through multiple qualitative methods, including interviews, pair discussions and focus group discussions. Findings suggest that the teachers and students considered team-teaching practices to be: unique, because of the participation of a native English speaker in the team, and also because of the particular nature of teamwork by both teachers; open-ended, due to vague definitions; and less important than other commitments at school. It is noteworthy that the participants had these perceptions with different degrees (from very strong to very weak) and with various, sometimes opposing, attitudes (from very positive to very negative). These participants’ complex perceptions derived from their personal experiences, contextual factors and research conditions.
Pedagogical Implications of Discourse Analysis: One-on-one Teacher-student Interaction in a Second Language Preschool Class
Anna Belobrovy
Abstract:
The study connects two areas of language research: discourse analysis and second language pedagogy. The overall goal of this study is to raise young learners’ language teachers’ awareness on how to improve the quality of classroom talk in order to make it more comprehensible to students. As professional development is a long process, in this study I will only introduce three techniques language teachers of young children can explore in order to achieve a more comprehensive and engaging language classroom without having to give up natural speech. The language activity chosen for analysis is based on the content-based theory, which allows connecting drawing with language learning in the international preschool context. In the activity described in this research, students were engaged in one-on-one conversations with teachers and answered their questions to show comprehension. Two teachers’ interaction patterns were tested in terms of repetitiveness, turn-distribution and reference to the information provided by students. Based on my findings, I recommend three tools language teachers can utilize to modify their interaction style and enhance students’ comprehension: systematically repeat key words provided by students, create opportunities for students to initiate conversation and use reiteration to emphasize grammatical patterns. With this study, I hope to open new doors in the field of preschool language acquisition in Japan and encourage more researchers to support second language educators of that age group.