Learning from Analysis of Japanese EFL Texts

Japan has a long tradition of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). A common feature of EFL courses is reliance on specific textbooks as a basis for graded teaching, and periods in Japanese EFL history are marked by the introduction of different textbook series. These sets of textbooks share the common goal of taking students from beginners through to able English language users, so one would expect to find common characteristics across such series. As part of an on-going research programme in which Japanese EFL textbooks from different historical periods are compared and contrasted, we have recently focussed our efforts on using textual analysis tools to highlight distinctive characteristics of such textbooks. The present paper introduces one such analysis tool and describes some of the results from its application to three textbook series from distinct periods in Japanese EFL history. In so doing, we aim to encourage the use of textual analysis and seek to expose salient features of EFL texts which would likely remain hidden without such analytical techniques

LANGUAGE FORM USED IN EFL COURSEBOOK “PASSPORT TO THE WORLD”

Published EFL coursebooks are normally written by experienced and well- qualified peopleand the material contained in them is usually carrefully tested in pillot studies in actualteaching situations before publication. Todays, many EFL coursebooks in the market are written by novice Authors and unreputable publishers. If the coursebooks are not carefullyselected by EFL teachers, they will become good servants but poor masters in EFLclassroom. This study aimes at describing language form and language use used in an EFL textbook” Entittled” When English Rings the Bell” based on based on Cunningsworth (1984) clasification. This Study is a descriptive study. The source of data were two intialcahpters taken from the EFL textbook entitled: When English Rings the Bell” published in 2015. The result of the study shows that there 4 kinds of the language forms presented inthe book. They are: 1). Phonology: the producton of individual sounds, stress, rhytm andintonation. 2) Grammar: Morphology and Syntax; 3) Vocabulary (Lexis); and 4)Discourse: sequence of sentences. It is concluded that the Outhor of the EFL text bookpresented language form of Englis as suggested by Cuningsworth. Therofore, it could be said that, the book could be used as a source of study

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in EFL Context: Exploring Afghan EFL Lecturers’ Perceived Challenges in Implementing CLT

Many studies have been conducted to investigate the implementation of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in ESL and EFL contexts, but those conducted in EFL context, have reported that the application of CLT was challenging. Still, as far as the Afghan EFL context is concerned, there is a lack of empirical research investigating the issue. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore afghan EFL lecturers’ perceived challenges in practicing CLT. The study also aims to examine if there is any significant relationship among teachers use of CLT, the perceived challenges, and their demographic profiles. This study uses a quantitative research approach in which a survey questionnaire was given to EFL lecturers teaching in a public university. The results of the study revealed that the EFL lecturers had positive perceptions of using CLT activities, as there were evidence of a number of major CLT activities conducted in their classrooms. The results also revealed that they faced certain challenges that prevented them from implementing CLT effectively. Furthermore, significant correlation was found between students’ related challenges and teachers’ perceptions of using CLT; however, no significant correlations were found among teachers’ demographic profiles and CLT perceived challenges. This research is significant since it could be used as a resource presenting a comprehensive picture of CLT implementation in EFL classrooms in Afghanistan

The use of complaints in the inter-language of Turkish EFL learners (El uso de los reclamos en el Inter-lenguaje de estudiantes de Inglés como lengua extranjera en Turquía)

Many Turkish EFL learners struggle with giving complaints and criticisms in the EFL classroom. Language instructors must find way to provide students with the linguistic and pragmatic elements of EFL to be able to appropriately complain as EFL users. The purpose of this study is to investigate the complaint speech used by Turkish EFL learners in two different situations: speaking to a commiserating teacher and speaking to a contradicting teacher. Four kinds of data sources were used to collect data in the classroom: twenty native English speakers’ role-plays, twenty-five Turkish native speakers’ role-plays, and forty students’ role-plays. The subjects’ complaint speech act sets were a coding scheme borrowed from a previously conducted study by Murphy and Neu (1996). The baseline and the inter-language data were compared to see to what extent they were similar or different, whether or not the Turkish EFL learners made positive and negative transfer, and if there were any features unique to the inter-language of the learners. The findings revealed that when speaking to the commiserating teacher, students made both positive and negative transfer in using ‘demand’. The students speaking to the contradicting teacher made positive transfer in the components ‘explanation of purpose’, ‘complaint’ and ‘justification’. The component ‘demand’ was subject to negative transfer

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

Raising Teacher\u27s Grammatical Consciousness on English Medio-passive Constructions

Some researchers reported that the EFL learners\u27 ability in understanding and using tense, aspects, and voice of English at the English Department of Universitas Negeri Padang was not academically satisfied yet. Most EFL learners of English Education department were not in “expected” ability in understanding and using appropriate grammatical constructions both in writing and speaking. This condition may give negative ef-fects to the success of EFL learning in Indonesia. It seems that learners\u27 and teachers\u27 grammatical con-sciousness on EFL should be academically and practically raised in such a way that they may have basic and better competency standards. One of stylistic clause constructions in English which is called medio-passive has not yet a well-known construction for many teachers and learners of English in Indonesia. This paper briefly discusses how authentic materials may psychologically and academically raise the grammatical con-sciousness on the medio-passive constructions as part competency standards in EFL. Keywords: medio-passive, grammatical consciousness, authentic materials, competency standard

Investigating the washback effects on improving the writing performance of Iranian EFL university student

Because of the complex nature of writing as a social, cultural and cognitive phenomenon, and the variety of challenges faced by both learners and teachers, learning and teaching writing in EFL context, this study aimed to investigate the washback effects on improving Iranian EFL students' writing performance. Two research questions were addressed. The first was whether the test-oriented writing classes provide teachers with a taxonomy of more common errors in university EFL learners' scripts or not. The second aimed at investigating the significance of the difference in the writing performance of university EFL learners receiving washback treatment and those taught by the traditional method. The subjects of the research were ninety Iranian university EFL students, making up two intact classes of thirdyear majors. There were forty-five students per class, which consisted almost entirely female. The control group continued the traditional way of practicing writing in the classroom. The experimental group received washback–based instruction. The instructional program was then steered toward improving the areas of difficulty and focusing on the aspects that require more practice. The study showed that the rate of grammatical and lexico-semantic errors was more than errors in keeping cohesion, coherence and rhetorical organization.The diagnostic instructional program based on washback effect was satisfactory in improving the students' writing performance

English as a foreign language (EFL) review: final report

The Further Education Funding Council (the Council) has undertaken a review of the position of English as foreign language (EFL) qualifications for the college year 2000-01 and beyond. This final report presents the findings of the review and its recommendations for the funding of EFL