Global issues and global values in foreign language education : selection and awareness-raising

The global education trend has recently been gaining in significance in education systems throughout the world. This paper discusses a number of issues regarding the possibility of incorporating a global perspective into foreign language education, and considering also some of the implications of this for language teacher education Firstly, I shall describe my former teaching context – a pre-service foreign language teacher training course at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University in Minsk, Belarus. Then, I shall briefly discuss the concept of global education and its particular relevance to foreign language teaching, focusing on global issues and values as ways of incorporating a global perspective into foreign language education. Next, I shall report on and discuss the findings of my 2001 study of EFL teachers’ attitudes to certain aspects of the incorporation of a global perspective into foreign language education

Learners’ motivation and learning strategies in english foreign language (EFI) in Indonesian context

This paper focuses on the field of individual differences in English Foreign Language (EFL) teaching and learning. Both motivation and language learning strategies in individual differences of students are emphasized among other factors. Motivation and language learning strategies are important to be understood as parts of student differences in English Foreign Language (EFL) learning in the context of learner-centered instruction. The issue of individual differences becomes important to develop the quality of EFL teaching and learning process. It summarizes the concept of motivation and language learning strategies, constraints in current English curriculum implementation, the importance of understanding motivation and language learning strategies in EFL teaching and learning, and poses those issues for further research on motivation and language learning strategies

When the textbook is not enough: How to shape an ELF classroom?

This chapter is devised for English language teaching (ELT) practitioners to reflect on how language and culture are portrayed in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks, and explore how an English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) approach can be further integrated into their teaching practices through supplementary activities and teaching materials. The target audience is pre-service and in-service teachers as well as course-book designers. After reading the chapter, readers will be informed of several ELF-related teaching activities and materials that focus both on language and culture, so that they could explore and apply them in their teaching contexts

Listening & Speaking, Reading & Writing: Improving Four English Language Skills through the Eclectic Approach of International Educators in Japan

This paper elaborates on the language teaching experiences of four international educators working in Japan. With diverse nationalities and backgrounds, and as language learners themselves, these professionals’ eclectic approach is the result of many years of teaching within a multilingual and multicultural environment. It is argued that alternative forms of teaching might influence student’s motivation towards speaking, listening, reading and writing in an L2 (second/foreign language). In addition, the authors provide a few suggestions of activities that might contribute to successful outcomes in the English language education in Japan, which presently strives for communicative language teaching practices.研究ノー