Trabajando duro, trabajando inteligentemente y trabajando consistentemente: Hacia la conceptualización y medición de la constancia en el aprendizaje de lenguas extranjeras

Academic tenacity, at its most fundamental level, concerns how hard and how smart an individual works over a long period. While this notion is meant for a broad range of academic contexts, it is particularly recognizable to those who make a lifelong commitment to learning a foreign language (FL). This study reports an initial attempt to conceptualise and measure foreign language tenacity (FLT). The Foreign Language Tenacity Scale (FLTS)—a self-report instrument—was developed and validated with a sample of 272 tertiary-level students studying English as a foreign language (EFL). FLT emerged as a multifaceted construct that positively correlated to foreign language enjoyment (FLE), mental well-being (MWB), language achievement and self-perceived language proficiency, and negatively correlated to foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA). Tenacity appears to effectively represent the key characteristics of successful FL learners. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that FLT and FLCA were significant predictors of language achievement and that including FLT in the analysis (rather than solely FLE and FLCA) explained additional variance.La tenacidad académica, en su nivel más fundamental, se refiere a cuán duro y cuán inteligente trabaja un individuo durante un largo período. Si bien esta noción está destinada a una amplia gama de contextos académicos, es particularmente reconocible para aquellos que se comprometen de por vida a aprender una lengua extranjera (FL). Este estudio informa un intento inicial de conceptualizar y medir la tenacidad en el aprendizaje de idiomas (FLT). The Foreign Language Tenacity Scale (FLTS), un instrumento de autoinforme, se desarrolló y validó con una muestra de 272 estudiantes de nivel terciario que estudiaban inglés como lengua extranjera (EFL). FLT surgió como un constructo multifacético que se correlacionó positivamente con el disfrute en el aprendizaje de idiomas (FLE), el bienestar mental (MWB), el logro del idioma y la autopercepción del dominio del idioma, y se correlacionó negativamente con la ansiedad en el aula de idiomas (FLCA). La tenacidad parece representar efectivamente las características clave de los estudiantes exitosos de FL. Un análisis de regresión múltiple jerárquico reveló que FLT y FLCA eran predictores significativos del rendimiento del lenguaje y que incluir FLT en el análisis (en lugar de solo FLE y FLCA) explicaba la variación adicional

Cultural Presentation in Thai Secondary School ELT Coursebooks: An Analysis From Intercultural Perspectives

Globalization has accelerated the growth of English and created a need for several changes in English language teaching (ELT), one of which is related to the role of ELT materials in facilitating interaction across cultures. Considering the fast growing importance of cultural content in ELT, this study explores issues of cultural presentation in Thai secondary school ELT coursebooks. The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to analyze cultural content presented in visuals and reading texts; second, to investigate teachers’ attitudes toward cultural presentation in ELT coursebooks. The coursebook sample included seven approved ELT coursebooks entitled Bridge 1, English in Mind 1, Messages 1, Motivate! 1, New World 1, Time Zone 1, and Your Space 1. The findings suggested that native speakers’ contexts were dominantly portrayed in both visuals and reading texts in all the coursebooks except Time Zone 1, which yielded a great deal of non-native speakers’ contexts. Nevertheless, Thai cultural context was completely absent from the reading-focused activities, and only a few pictures presenting Thai culture were identified. The questionnaire findings revealed that Thai secondary teachers are ready to embrace the intercultural aspects of ELT, as the overwhelming majority of respondents’ opinions signified the shift toward localized and culturally diversified materials

English language teaching in times of crisis: teacher agency in response to the pandemic-forced online education

Teacher agency occurs when teachers demonstrate a capacity to solve pedagogical and curriculum challenges. This article delves into how tertiary English teachers in Thailand practice their agency in response to the abrupt conversion to online teaching amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This study drew on teachers’ responses to a questionnaire (n=162) and semi-structure interviews (n=3) to identify their positioning and agentic actions. The results suggest that teachers’ positioning as being professionally responsible for students’ learning outcomes remains intact, even though the situation restricted them from going beyond their fundamental responsibilities. From a pedagogical standpoint, teachers’ agentic actions identified were endeavoring to create an interactive learning environment; implementing social media platforms to compensate for the loss of face-to-face communication; working with students to adjust their teaching practices; promoting autonomous learning; and incorporating formative assessment approaches. Teachers might find themselves struggling to achieve their pedagogical goals, but once they become familiar with the new learning environment and master suitable teaching methods, online learning can be a viable option for formal language education, even in the normal situation