Book reviewed: Parrish, B. (2019). Teaching adult English language learners: A practical introduction.

I reviewed this book for the Modern English Teacher Journal published by Pavilion Publishers My Introduction to the book was: This book includes a collection of key Adult English Language Learning (AELL) issues that form the core of many teaching AELL programmes or courses. Although I have been a language teacher trainer and mentor for almost twenty years, I feel that for me this book offers tremendous value in terms of the depth of understanding of issues that Parrish relays, and the useful refreshing approaches and suggestions that are made about core aspects of ELT. The explanations, tasks and resources included in each chapter and the addition of current practices related to some shifts in learner groups, such as an increase in low literacy learners and advocating for learners by empowering them, enriches the content

The impact on language teachers of trends in the literature on language teaching and learning: A questionnaire-based study involving teachers of English as an additional language

I report here on specific aspects of a survey of a sample of 93 teachers of English as an additional language from five different countries who completed a questionnaire that included questions relating to objectives specification and the inclusion of coherence, cohesion and genre in their teaching. The data collected suggest that although literature on language teaching and learning appears to have had some impact on the beliefs and practices of these language teachers, that impact has, in general, been a superficial one

Youth in care with emotional and behavioural challenges: Alternative pathways to tertiary education

This article aims to start a discussion on whether an alternative pathway to tertiary education can be found for New Zealand youth who are in care and who are experiencing mental health and/or behavioural difficulties and, more specifically, conduct problems. Our purpose is to challenge the conventional approaches to education and to propose a method that could support the development of more tailored and effective educational pathways. These proposed, potentially more effective, pathways would see youth in care – who would not ordinarily achieve New Zealand’s National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA) levels 1 and 2 (due to externalising behaviours which impact progress to tertiary education) – gain success in these qualifications

Changing perspectives on syllabus design in ELT: Textbook trends and tertiary teacher decision-making

By the mid-1900s, the impact of behaviourism and linguistic structuralism had led, in the area of second/ additional language teaching, to the development of structural syllabuses and audio-lingual methodology. It was not long, however, before both behaviourism and full-blown linguistic structuralism began to be challenged, challenges which underpinned a raft of proposals relating to both methodology and syllabus design. In some cases, the distinction between syllabus and methodology has become blurred to such an extent that it has been suggested that any attempt to differentiate between the two is irrelevant or even, perhaps, misguided. There can be few who do not accept that the interaction between the what (content) and the how (methodology) of language teaching is a critical one. This should not, however, mean that any research that focuses on the content of language courses is no longer relevant. Even so, while there is a considerable body of research that relates primarily to methodology, there is much less that relates primarily to syllabus. It is with issues relating to the language syllabus that this thesis is concerned. More specifically, it explores the impact that a range of syllabus design proposals has had, directly or indirectly, on a sample of English language textbook writers and English language teachers. One part of the research programme reported here focused on English language teachers and language programme managers operating in the tertiary education sector. A sample of English language teachers who completed a questionnaire-based survey were found, in general, to favour clearly articulated blended syllabuses that include a primary focus on vocabulary and grammar and, to a lesser extent, discourse features. However, there was considerable disagreement about the nature of the content that is appropriate at different levels and evidence of a high degree of uncertainty and confusion in the area of achievement objectives setting and discourse-based specifications. In addition, approximately one third of the respondents reported that they relied heavily on commercially produced textbooks in determining the detailed content of the language courses for which they were responsible. A sample of language programme managers/ co-ordinators who participated in semi-structured interviews all stressed the importance of having explicit syllabuses for the courses and programmes offered by their institutions. Grammar, tasks, vocabulary, language skills and learning skills were each considered to play an important role in General English (GE) courses, and skills and discourse features were considered fundamental in the case of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. In only one case, however, did the programme documentation provided by the interview participants include a reasonably clear indication of course content and, once again, as in the case of the teachers who took part in the questionnaire-based survey, there was evidence of considerable reliance on commercially produced textbooks in determining detailed course content. In another part of the research programme, representative samples of widely used, commercially produced textbooks focusing on GE or EAP were analysed from the perspective of the nature of the syllabuses underpinning them. So far as the GE textbooks are concerned, it was found that the structural syllabus was becoming situationalized and lexicalized by the mid-1960s, with indications of incipient functionalization emerging in the early 1970s. Some attempts to design textbooks around a more wholly functional syllabus in the late 1970s and 1980s appear to have been largely abandoned by the 1990s. By that time, the syllabuses underpinning GE textbooks were found to have a largely situationalized and functionalized lexico-grammatical core. From the 1990s onwards, there was an increasing focus on skills (including learning skills), with a limited range of discourse features being added to the mix, yielding a more complex type of hybrid syllabus. With very few exceptions, the writers of commercially available GE textbooks appear to have shown little enthusiasm for syllabuses that are primarily lexical, task-based or relational in orientation. In the case of the EAP textbooks, the underlying syllabuses were found to be largely discourse-based, the primary emphasis being on cohesive devices and, to various extents and in varying combinations, paragraphing, generic cross-disciplinary organizational structures (e.g. general/ particular and problem/solution) and a variety of text-types and discourse modes. While some textbook writers appear to have accommodated the different strands of what are essentially hybrid syllabuses with little difficulty, others appear to have been less successful in doing so, leading to a somewhat disjointed, even haphazard approach to syllabus specification. While several proponents of different approaches to syllabus design have tended to reject other approaches out of hand, textbook writers and language teachers appear, in general, to have opted for a compromise position. However, that compromise appears to have been, at times, an uneasy one, one that can result in syllabuses that are neither coherent not theoretically grounded

Critical thinking, EAP and supplementary resources

The development of critical thinking skills in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students is a major area of interest for teachers in the sector. While teaching on a sessional EAP course at a university in New Zealand, I used a range of supplementary materials to develop a three-stage framework to assist students in developing their critical thinking (CT) ability. As it was not possible to cover very many aspects of developing this crucial CT skill in the time allocated for critical thinking in the course, this framework seemed like a viable option to cover the core content. The three stages included critically evaluating their self-assumptions, critically evaluating academic articles on a macro-level and critically evaluating academic articles on a micro-level in terms of the language used. Ultimately, I hoped that this could lead to students developing the ability to critically evaluate their own writing once they developed the ability to be more critical of what they were reading

He waka eke noa1: Lockdown, CR4CA and teaching reflection

In the English language teaching (ELT) sector, the introduction of new technology tools over the last few decades has been greeted with a range of emotions ranging from excitement to trepidation and fear. However, 2020 and the unprecedented Covid-19 Lockdown in New Zealand arrived with a bang, escalating the move towards, what for many turned out to be, mandatory emergency remote teaching (ERT) (Hodges, Moore, Lockee, Trust & Bond, 2020). This initiated an urgent need for teachers to rapidly upskill in order to manage their online teaching. At the tertiary institution where the presenter teaches, one technique used to manage this ERT was the appointment of two centre representatives for course adjustment (CR4CA) during Covid-19 Lockdown. The presenter was one of two nominated CR4CA at the institutions’ Centre for Languages. This role was essentially created as a bridge between teachers and the institution’s centralised online technical staff. This presentation covers some key reflections related to pre-lockdown views of the role, the actual role during lockdown and course adjustment opinions and implementations, and post-lockdown evaluations. In this reflection, the presenter addresses some key tenets related to ERT mentioned by Hodge et al. (2020) and how the CR4CA role aligned with these tenets. The speaker will also evaluate the extent to which supporting and mentoring EL teachers remotely addressed core aspects covered by Caldwell & Ichaporia (2020) in their webinar on remote EL teaching

Students, resources and critical thinking: An EAP perspective

Critical thinking(CT) should probably be developed within any English language course, however, the pressure on pre-sessional and sessional EAP course students to develop their CT ability is arguably more crucial than in many other language learning courses. In the teaching of EAP courses, teachers are encouraged to adopt a number of different approaches. Fairbairn and Winch (2011, p. 36) expand on the SQ3R approach proposed by Beard (1990), which is a planned and scaffolded approach. The other possible approach can be an unplanned ‘critical thinking moment’ (de Chazel, 2014). De Chazel suggests that teaching critical thinking that involves different cognitive processes should be seen as a ‘state of mind’ (de Chazal, 2014, p. 143) It has many challenges, the least of which is making students aware of diverse perspectives. This session starts with an initial short presentation and sharing of techniques and resources successfully used by the presenter to facilitate critical thinking for pre-sessional and sessional tertiary EAP students. It supports a combination of a planned and unplanned approach. Following that, the presenter will invite session attendees to share successful resources and technique they have found useful. The workshop will conclude with a Q and A session

WeChat and the facilitation of collaborative learning, teacher-support and student-reflection: the NZCEL EAP scenario

WeChat and the facilitation of collaborative learning, teacher-support and student-reflection: the NZCEL EAP scenario In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students’ learning. Apart from apps specifically designed for educational purposes, there are also other messaging applications that are not specifically designed for education purposes, but that could be really useful in supporting learners, including the messaging apps Whatsapp and Wechat. For the purposes of this project, Wechat was used as the messaging app, partly because of the prevalence of use with the cohort of language learning students chosen for the project. Research into the use of Wechat as an educational support tool has largely focused on usage in China and some studies such as that conducted by Jian and Li (2018) on linking up learners of Chinese in Australia with native Chinese speakers. However, there does not appear to be any research on the use of Wechat to establish a supportive and collaborative environment for English Language Learners in an English as another language environment. This presentation reports on the initial findings of a pilot study which aimed to evaluate the use of WeChat as a tool to facilitate collaborative, supportive and reflective learning for students in a New Zealand Certificate in English Language (NZCEL), Level 4 Academic course, within an EAP tertiary environment. The findings focus on the participants’ views of the app as a tool for peer-support, teacher-support, students sharing knowledge (collaboration) and reflection. Data was gathered through an online survey, semi-structured interviews and an analysis of the Wechat posts. Analysis of the Wechat posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers, at times serving as a social platform underlying the key educational purposes. This research aims to offer new insights into the use of a socio-cultural theoretical approach, incorporating a smartphone app. such as WeChat as a supporting tool for language learning, student collaboration, reflection and support

Facilitating reflective learning through ePortfolios: Students, teacher and eDesigner reflections

Facilitating reflective learning through ePortfolios: Students, Teacher & eDesigner reflections The increased use of technology to enhance education has led to a prevalence in the inclusion of online learning systems and tools. Underpinning this use of technology is the need to develop twenty first century digitally literate students and educators who are able to be more flexible and have a greater diversity of skill sets. One of the current tools used to support a range of learning objectives is the ePortfolio. Most research to date related to the use of the ePortfolio as an assessment tool at tertiary level, has been carried out in mainstream courses (see Hubert; Robert & Wu (2012) and Mason, Regler & Weller, 2004). The pilot study reported on in this presentation was conducted in a third-year undergraduate degree-bearing English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course. The research utilised a socio-cultural theoretical approach aimed at incorporating ePortfolios to facilitate integrated learning, collaboration and reflection within the EAP tertiary context and offer new insights into the use of the ePortfolio. This paper mainly reports on the reflection component of the research

Instant messaging and the facilitation of collaborative, student-led learning and teaching-support: The NZCEL EAP scenario

Abstract In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students’ learning. Apart from applications (apps) specifically designed for language educational purposes, such as Duolingo, there are also instant messaging apps that are not specifically designed for education purposes, but that can be useful in supporting learners. These include instant messaging apps such as, WhatsApp and WeChat. Instead of relegating phone app use to merely a source of entertainment and distraction, teachers increasingly use them as a vital form of communication to enhance education, including language learning. Apps have thus shifted from a tangential position to the forefront of the learning space. For the purposes of this research project, WeChat was used as the messaging app. This article focuses on the initial findings of a pilot study and concentrates on the perceived purposes for the participants’ posts as they relate to the use of the app as a tool for collaboration, peer-support, and knowledge sharing. Data was gathered through an online survey, semi-structured interviews, and an analysis of the WeChat posts. Analysis of the posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers, and, at times, served as a social platform underlying the key educational purposes of the programme