Considerations about the importance of language in the Entitative-Functional college education

This paper seeks to establish the reflexive fundamentals about the importance of language in initiave-functional college education, with the general objective of finding and developing categories that allow synthesizing schemes of different approaches to language, in order to contribute to the teaching practice with discourse analysis techniques, which favor processes that promote the pupils’operative intellectual habits. To present this, we will show some propositions that underlie didactic strategies we have used, to motivate, stimulate, and provoke participation from the students in the teaching-learning process of the topics raised in the different subjects that integrate the Sciences of Communication course at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Therefore, the aim of this exposition of causes is to define: 1) our experiential context so to make explicit the limitations and challenges we experiment with and face in this academic exercise to provoke the pupils’ amazement or at least keep their interest; and 2) the theoretical assumptions that underlie our investigation about the relationship between observed language (system) and lived language (act)

DICHOTOMY OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION IN OMANI ESL CLASSROOM

Getting something done is always about motivation. Generally, teaching English language to non native speakers takes so much of effort considering the diverse factors that shape the educative process. In a pedagogical vantage point though, success in ESL teaching may be possible through learners' own initiative or motivation. Motivation is viewed as the main factor affecting directly or indirectly English language learning and teaching (Gardner, 1985). This study ventured on the types of motivation of the foundation students of the Ministry of Health Nursing Institute in Oman. A modified and enhanced survey instrument from Gardner's Motivation and Attitude Test Battery instrumented the research flow which was augmented by triangulation method for reliable analysis. Findings reveal that students have closely inter-related reasons for learning English which fall in two major categories: such as “instrumental" and "integrative". Findings also show that students are generally "highly" motivated and slightly "instrumentally" motivated to study English in the institute. Hence, legitimate improvement strategies and co curricular tasks are recommended to be reinforced either to sustain or redirect the existing motivations.  Article visualizations

What factors influence demotivation in Finnish language learners?:an exploratory study-related events and motivational factors

Abstract. An ever-globalizing world places further emphasis on the need for language skills that are essential for international communication. The complexity and motivation involved with language acquisition can be daunting, dissuading learners and threatening the engagement of language learning. Understanding the learner’s motivation is a crucial factor in creating an effective learning environment that caters to the student’s needs. As there are plenty of studies focusing on learners of English as foreign language, but not about those who are attempting to learn Finnish, the aim of this qualitative study is to explore experiences deemed to be demotivating as reported by learners of Finnish. This was achieved by asking the following research questions: What are the demotivating elements described by Finnish Language learners during a five-week case study? How are the reported demotivating experiences influencing the overall motivation of students? Dörnyei’s (2009) Active motivation theories and categories influenced by Sakai & Kikuchi (2009) as a cornerstone, this research delves into analyzing Finnish language learner’s motivational aspects in comparison to the already established research on English language learner’s motivation. Analyzing differences in demotivators based on implemented languages and speaker population size. This study analyzed the overall motivation and self-reported demotivational events of eight Finnish language learners over a five-week study. Participants detailed their weekly levels of motivation for learning Finnish, as well as events they encountered that could be deemed to be demotivating. Students were all university-level and participating in Finnish language courses on their own volition. Descriptions were analyzed and classified into categories, identifying key factors of the reported events. Results indicate that, while there are no unique phenomena in language learning demotivation related to Finnish language learners, they find themselves experiencing similar types of demotivation as English learners. Reported intensity of demotivational effects of events in different categories differs from that of English learners, however. Therefore, motivation doesn’t behave identically in every language and results suggest that such circumstances should be considered during the teaching and learning process

Understanding teacher development: case study of knowledge and beliefs in English language teaching in Mexico

This thesis reports on a case study that discusses the interconnection between the knowledge, beliefs and practices of teachers of English as a foreign language in a state university in Mexico. Previous research suggests that there is a knowledge base for teaching that is significant for teachers irrespective of the subject they teach. Research also indicates that teaching practices are shaped by teachers’ beliefs about the nature of language, the nature of the learning process and the nature of the teaching act. Nevertheless, it appears that the development of language teachers tends to be focused on increasing the knowledge required for the teaching of English without recognising that teaching practices are also informed by the beliefs that teachers hold. The purpose of this case study was therefore to increase our understanding of how the knowledge and beliefs of the case study teachers intersected to inform their teaching practices, and to draw some conclusions that could be used to further English language teacher development. The case study involved four teachers of English in a state university in Mexico. It was conducted from an interpretivist approach and drew on the perspectives of the participant teachers. The methods used were: observations and video recordings of classes; focus groups, interviews and conversations with the case study teachers; teachers’ journals. The words and actions of the teachers were the units of the within-in case and cross-case analysis undertaken. The findings of the study illustrate three main aspects: Firstly, teacher’s knowledge plays a supporting role in their teaching practices and appears to be composed of different knowledge categories that are not independent but interwoven. In addition, any category presupposes other knowledge categories since any of them implies knowledge covered by other categories. Secondly, teaching practices are not only informed by teachers’ knowledge but also by their beliefs. Moreover, the study suggests that teachers’ beliefs have a predominant role in their teaching since teachers claim to use only the knowledge in which they believe. Finally, the case study suggests that the learning and teaching experiences of the teachers are a major source of their knowledge and beliefs, and beliefs that are experientially engrained appear to be more influential than theoretically embraced beliefs. The case study concludes that teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and teaching practices interact and inform each other persistently in a dynamic process that could usefully be represented as a gear model of the relationships between the three elements. This model would illustrate the dynamic process more accurately since it represents them within a constant interaction process. It is also argued that the relations between the three elements are pertinent irrespective of the context of the study as this offers a frame of reference for other researchers and teacher educators interested in understanding the interconnection between teachers’ practices and their knowledge and beliefs

Today’s teachers’ CEFR competence in the classroom – a view of critical pedagogy in Vietnam

This paper aims to investigate new perspectives about today’s teachers’ CEFR Competence1 in the classroom under the view of critical pedagogy in Vietnam. The focus is on recognizing teachers’ CEFR competence in their teaching practice and beliefs in the context of Vietnam when developing learners’ CEFR competence. In light of pedagogical innovation and the social-adaptive divergence of English teaching and learning practices, various critical pedagogical perspectives would be analysed using the data collected from 13 Vietnamese teachers teaching learners with various CEFR goals with the instruments of a survey and semi-structured interviews. The data would be processed using Padilla’s technique of unfolding matrix and then classified to be relevant to different categories of CEFR competence in teaching language in today’s Vietnamese society. The findings would be considered in terms of types of teachers’ CEFR competence in teaching to satisfy learners’ goals in their learning. To some extent, teachers showed their unfamiliarity with or alienness to CEFR principles for teaching and learning English in which teachers were aware of and prepared themselves with new abilities, skills, and expectations to strengthen their language competence. The results of this study may be valuable for pedagogical trainers, educators, teachers, and teacher trainees of English at different levels of education and schools where learners represent a diversity of abilities and goals

The Effects of Blended Learning and Smart Technologies on English Language Teaching The practices, perceptions, attitudes, and challenges of the EFL teachers from tertiary education in Republic of Macedonia

Blended learning is a combination of online integration and face-to-face learning that complement one another to enhance and support learning. It is widely used by non-English speakers to improve their English writing and speaking skills. This thesis aims to outline the significance of using a blended learning approach as a supplement to the face to face learning in English language teaching and to understand the perception, the attitudes, and the challenges of the EFL teachers from tertiary education in Republic of Macedonia, regarding blended learning in English language teaching. The thesis looks at the reasons for applying multimedia technology to English language teaching, growth of ELT through technology, benefits of incorporating technology into learning, multimedia technology application for English teaching, problems that arise from multimedia technology application, the benefits of using new technology to teach English, blended learning history and finally, the first chapter concludes with some of the latest innovations and trends in English Language Teaching. The second chapter looks at the previous work done by other blended learning experts upon which a blended variety is discussed which is followed by blended learning implementation, technological descriptions and categories and the various blended learning models at university level. Finally, the paper critically analyses the benefits of using blended learning over other methods of learning while acquiring knowledge about a new language. Questionnaires were used as a data collection method where 20 respondents filled them in, and the results were returned electronically. The questionnaire consisted of 22 questions out of which 4 were general while 18 directly related to the application of modern technologies in the study of the English language, the respondents were university professors. There are a variety of models to choose from and yet no blended learning model is ready-made to be used to teach the English language. This creates challenges for the teachers that are still new to the blended learning idea. This paper aims to assist teachers from Universities in the Republic of N. Macedonia to choose the right blended learning model that can be incorporated in the EFL classroom depending on their syllabi. Several teaching models address numerous technological options for teaching

The effects of Blended learning and smart technologies on ELT

Blended learning is a combination of online integration and face-to-face learning that complement one another to enhance and support learning. It is widely used by non-English speakers to improve their English writing and speaking skills. This thesis aims to outline the significance of using a blended learning approach as a supplement to the face to face learning in English language teaching and to understand the perception, the attitudes, and the challenges of the EFL teachers from tertiary education in Republic of Macedonia, regarding blended learning in English language teaching. The thesis looks at the reasons for applying multimedia technology to English language teaching, growth of ELT through technology, benefits of incorporating technology into learning, multimedia technology application for English teaching, problems that arise from multimedia technology application, the benefits of using new technology to teach English, blended learning history and finally, the first chapter concludes with some of the latest innovations and trends in English Language Teaching. The second chapter looks at the previous work done by other blended learning experts upon which a blended variety is discussed which is followed by blended learning implementation, technological descriptions and categories and the various blended learning models at University level. Finally, the paper critically analyses the benefits of using blended learning over other methods of learning while acquiring knowledge about a new language. Questionnaires were used as a data collection method where 20 respondents filled them in and the results were returned electronically. The questionnaire consisted of 22 questions out of which 4 were general while 18 directly related to the application of modern technologies in the study of the English language, the respondents were university professors. There are a variety of models to choose from and yet no blended learning model is ready-made to be used to teach the English language. This creates challenges for the teachers that are still new to the blended learning idea. This paper aims to assist teachers from Universities in the Republic of N. Macedonia to choose the right blended learning model that can be incorporated in the EFL classroom depending on their syllabi. Several teaching models address numerous technological options for teaching

Teaching within a university: an in depth study of the every day use of technology

The assumptions underpinning this study are that in order to understand the real use of technology in teaching it is necessary to examine the everyday world of the university (Eisner & Peshkin, 1990, p. 99) and then to ‘tell it as it is’. The enquiry process is approached from a disciplinary context by capturing the views and actual practice of technology use in teaching of thirteen academics from different disciplinary fields within one university. A case study methodology framed the design of the study, requiring the collection of data from a variety of sources in order to describe the university which defined the study. My intention was to answer the following question: How is the use of technology shaped by the everyday teaching practice of academics within a university? The aim of the study therefore was to explore the use of technology by examining the academic’s views about how technology affected the way that they understood teaching. A feature of contemporary research into technology and teaching is an emphasis on small, context specific case studies. These often separate teaching and learning from other aspects of cultural practice, such as disciplinary and other institutional influences. In this study Bernstein’s theory of pedagogic discourse and his categories of recognition and realisation, along with the concepts of classification and framing provided a detailed coding structure as a way of analysing the resulting interview data. Analysis of practical examples of technology use in teaching revealed that academics are influenced by ideological conceptions of epistemic and social relations that are inherent within their own values and beliefs about their own roles and those of students. The coding structure revealed a variety of pedagogic practice linked to vertical (i.e complex) language use or horizontal (i.e everyday) language use. The detailed case studies of technology use by the individual academics gave rise to four different categories of teaching - knowledge and knower modes of teaching, with a vocational or non-vocational focus. This thesis contributes to professional knowledge in this field because of the use of a social theory which highlights the complex relationship between technology and pedagogic discourse and the institutional and disciplinary forces that shape the relationship

Chilean young learners’ perspectives on their EFL lesson in primary schools

Latest research in the field of applied linguists suggests that giving children a participatory and active role in the development of their foreign language skills could help teachers reveal overlooked aspects of language learning. Furthermore, challenging the role given to children in language learning research could provide useful insights about the learning processes. In this regard, little is known in the field of primary English language teaching in Latin America. In the case of Chile, the Curriculum Framework for primary English language teaching considers the relevance of children’s experiences as part of their learning process; however, reference to their active involvement in this process is still scarce. This article aims at identifying the perspectives about the English lesson of a group of fourth graders from state-funded schools in Chile. Through an exploratory study of qualitative nature, the viewpoints of 16 children are collected through semi-structured group interviews. The data from the four group interviews are interpreted by content analysis resulting into two categories, and five subcategories related to likes, dislikes, perceived value of learning English, hands-on activities and feedback. The findings suggest that given the chance, children are able to consistently reflect on their learning process and experiences. These learners pointed out preferences for hands-on activities and the relevance of opportunities for obtaining feedback as contributing experiences for successful language learning. Similarly, these results illustrate that, by considering perspectives from outside applied linguistics, researchers could uncover factors present in the language learning process