Dat Bao
Monash University, Faculty of Education, Department Member
- Dr Dat Bao has worked with Leeds Beckett University in the UK, Cornell University in the US, the National University ... moreDr Dat Bao has worked with Leeds Beckett University in the UK, Cornell University in the US, the National University of Singapore, the Assumption University of Thailand, and is presently a senior lecture in Monash University. His expertise includes silence studies, curriculum design, intercultural communication, materials development, literacy development, creative pedagogy and visual pedagogy in language education. He is also a creative writer and artist with poems, short stories, and illustration art works published in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Mainland China. He is the author of Understanding Silence and Reticence: Nonverbal participation in Second Language Acquisition (Bloomsbury, London), Poetry for Education. Classroom Ideas that Inspire Creativity (Indiana, USA: 2017), Creativity and Innovations in ELT Material Development: Looking beyond the Current Design. (Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters (2018), Transforing Pedagogy through Engagement with Students, Teachers and Communities (Springer, 2021). In 2018 he received the Education Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at Monash University. Dat Bao is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Silence Studies in Education. Website: https://jsse.ascee.org/index.php/jsse/indexedit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This chapter discusses Vietnamese nationalism as informally expressed through the social platform Quora Digest. This platform, based on our observations, provides a background for what Vietnamese nationalism is currently about and how it... more
This chapter discusses Vietnamese nationalism as informally expressed through the social platform Quora Digest. This platform, based on our observations, provides a background for what Vietnamese nationalism is currently about and how it is being constructed through a shared social lens. At the heart of this discussion is an account of how the Vietnamese language is viewed, employed, and theorized as policy through dynamic public discourse regarding language learning, teaching, and use. Structurally, the chapter is shaped by the duality of nationalism and language education. The first half looks at Vietnamese nationalism, while the second half delves into language use and education as revealed by the data and supported by the authors' interpretations. The chapter
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This article reports a survey of 300 intermediate-level EFL adult learners’ views about the instruction they receive and of 15 of their teachers at the National University of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. Its main focus is on how learners... more
This article reports a survey of 300 intermediate-level EFL adult learners’ views about the instruction they receive and of 15 of their teachers at the National University of Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. Its main focus is on how learners can contribute to ELT methodology. The article reviews the literature on learner cultures and perceptions in language education and on the contributions that learners have made and could make to decisions about classroom methodology. It also reports the conduct and the results of the survey and uses this to discuss implications for L2 classrooms in Vietnam and elsewhere, and to suggest pedagogic interventions that could help to facilitate learner contributions and cater for learner needs and wants. The survey indicates that the teachers (as reported in other similar studies) were largely unaware of what their students felt and thought about the methodology of their courses, and that the learners would welcome changes to the culture of their classrooms.
Research Interests: Psychology, Cognitive Science, Perception, Mathematics Education, Pedagogy, and 12 moreLinguistics, Vietnamese, Language Teaching, Materials develpoment for ELT classes, Principles & Methods of ELT, Surveys, Teaching Methods, Elt Methodology, English Language Teaching (ELT), Questionnaires, Curriculum and Pedagogy, and Ho Chi Minh
This chapter presents the outcome of an empirical investigation in Vietnam into the phenomenon of student reticence in six classrooms at two secondary schools, namely Bui Thi Xuan and Le Hong Phong schools. It seeks for a solution to the... more
This chapter presents the outcome of an empirical investigation in Vietnam into the phenomenon of student reticence in six classrooms at two secondary schools, namely Bui Thi Xuan and Le Hong Phong schools. It seeks for a solution to the lack of effectiveness of education, in order to gear it towards a more successful pedagogy. Many Vietnamese students, after over ten years of schooling toward intellectual maturity, have not demonstrated their basic communicative skills; rather, there is an identifiable reticence, a reluctance to speak out in class and an apparent unwillingness of students to express themselves which, to outsiders, may be construed as a lack of motivation or shyness. While some educators point to the speech output of students and wonder why it remains so poor, this study attempts to look ethnographically into the process of what students actually do when they are learning in the classroom, a process which seems to lead to such poor results. The research responds to the current context of Vietnam, where recent academic publications and government policies express increased dissatisfaction with students’ lack of interaction in many Vietnamese schools and universities. Although educational experts from outside the country have been invited to provide teacher training, such training has been much less successful than intended: Since it is externally generated, it is largely detached from the country’s socio-cultural and institutional context.
Research Interests:
Reflective students who are pro-active in thought processing in the classroom often do not receive the same level of positive appraisal from teachers. Many educators have been conditioned by universal norms to believe that to talk... more
Reflective students who are pro-active in thought processing in the classroom often do not receive the same level of positive appraisal from teachers. Many educators have been conditioned by universal norms to believe that to talk profusely during class time means to engage while to remain frequently quiet tends to denote a lack of engagement. The chapter challenges this positioning and argues that teachers who neglect introverted students or treat them all as a low-engagement community risk perpetuating exclusivity in pedagogy. The discussion unpacks the dynamics of productive mental processing and points to the need of revamping pedagogical practices in ways which not only acknowledge students' need to learn contemplatively but also provide equitable assistance to the learning process. With education offered in this way, both highly articulate students and their reflective counterparts can benefit from a compassionate and inclusive pedagogy that does not diminish any individuals as peripheral.
Research Interests:
This article narrates the experiences of eight Japanese individuals who travelled to Melbourne, Australia, not to study English in a formal classroom, but to activate their language skills in a genuine social context. Speakers were... more
This article narrates the experiences of eight Japanese individuals who travelled to Melbourne, Australia, not to study English in a formal classroom, but to activate their language skills in a genuine social context. Speakers were willing to take risk in the social process to acquire fluency and develop confidence. Based on data generated from two years' observation of and interviews with the participants, the author documented the pleasure and the challenges that occur in their unique experience. The project reveals a range of preferences, strategies and tension in the languageusing environment. Educational implications are drawn from several key characteristics of this self-motivated experiential model that may be absent in the current academic discourse in English-language teaching practice.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Psychology, Education, Teaching English as a Second Language, Second Language Acquisition, Teacher Education, and 11 moreCritical Pedagogy, Educational Psychology, Applied Linguistics, Silence, Nonverbal Communication, Vietnamese, Talk, Learner perception, Music Information Dynamics, Learning Experience, and Universitas Ahmad Dahlan
Research Interests:
This chapter discusses a case study based on six-week teacher placement in a bachelor program. The placement, which provides training to students who will become primary school teachers in the future, is treated at the same time as a... more
This chapter discusses a case study based on six-week teacher placement in a bachelor program. The placement, which provides training to students who will become primary school teachers in the future, is treated at the same time as a research project in which data are collected from participants' reflective journals. The purpose of the study is to serve the improvement of the program as much as it serves student learning. A cohort of 28 student teachers volunteered to participate in an eight-week placement. Their major task is to teach basic English to disadvantaged primaryschool-age children in Thu Dau Mot suburban areas. The disadvantaged children include orphans, members of low-income families, and children with disruption or absence of schooling. Findings from the study reveal participants' rich, hands-on experience with real-world challenges in bringing education to at-risk children, a deep understanding of multiple perspectives on the teaching profession, and insightful lessons from the everyday struggle to motivate children learning. Involving participants in the dual role of both teacher and researcher, the project demonstrates how a higher-education curriculum can be negotiated by the students themselves. The study also expands literacy practice by prioritizing new experience over current knowledge, by accepting student self-discovery over expert authority, and by constructing mutual support over the transfer of academic skills.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Psychology, Perception, Teaching English as a Second Language, Drama, Developing Listening Skills Using Authentic Material, and 10 moreActive Listening, Listening Skills, Strategies of Developing Listening Skills, Receptive and Productive Skills, Listening Skills and Needs, Teaching Listening Skills, Reflective Listening, Education Learning, Tactics for listening expanding, and Tactics For Listening Developing
This article reports a case of unprecedented efforts to bring pedagogical improvement. It is unique not only because the teachers demonstrated new practice but also because they did so without knowing that they were blending a diverse... more
This article reports a case of unprecedented efforts to bring pedagogical improvement. It is unique not only because the teachers demonstrated new practice but also because they did so without knowing that they were blending a diverse range of ELT traditions into one solution to confront learning challenges in their school. This would feel like divergent colours and shades coming together in a rainbow. They say in Irish cultural beliefs, at the end of a rainbow you would find treasure. When these teachers created a workable spectrum of pedagogies, the treasure was student learning efficiency. That was what I witnessed during a visit to an elementary school located in Kanagawa prefecture in Japan. The case study signifies a process of how regular teaching was questioned and revised, which is then positioned against the current discourse of English language teaching. When teachers move beyond the everyday routine to address a problem and persistently experiment with it, a miracle might occur towards a more rewarding way of teaching. If we assume that ELT experts have already produced sufficiently rich methodological knowledge that there is not much more for the ordinary teacher to modify, maybe think twice.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
A great deal of discourse in visual research demonstrates interest in professionally produced images which come from classical or modern arts, architecture, and the media including comic strips, cartoons, movies, photography, and... more
A great deal of discourse in visual research demonstrates interest in professionally produced images which come from classical or modern arts, architecture, and the media including comic strips, cartoons, movies, photography, and artefacts. Most of such works are created by professional artists, designers, film-makers, cartoonists, photographers, and architects; and are accessible from official channels such as in museums, archives, the Internet, public library books and private collections.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... EFL courses for adults ... Only a thorough 'whilst-use' evaluation, and a rigorous longitudinal post-use evaluation, could reveal reliable evidence about the value ... Overall course criteria 1 Publishers' claims We... more
... EFL courses for adults ... Only a thorough 'whilst-use' evaluation, and a rigorous longitudinal post-use evaluation, could reveal reliable evidence about the value ... Overall course criteria 1 Publishers' claims We found that publishers seem to have become more descriptive and less ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This chapter discusses Vietnamese nationalism as informally expressed through the social platform Quora Digest. This platform, based on our observations, provides a background for what Vietnamese nationalism is currently about and how it... more
This chapter discusses Vietnamese nationalism as informally expressed through the social platform Quora Digest. This platform, based on our observations, provides a background for what Vietnamese nationalism is currently about and how it is being constructed through a shared social lens. At the heart of this discussion is an account of how the Vietnamese language is viewed, employed, and theorized as policy through dynamic public discourse regarding language learning, teaching, and use. Structurally, the chapter is shaped by the duality of nationalism and language education. The first half looks at Vietnamese nationalism, while the second half delves into language use and education as revealed by the data and supported by the authors' interpretations. The chapter
Research Interests:
This chapter discusses the experience of Chinese in-service teachers of English who participated in a professional development program in Australia. The program reflects an increasing trend in English language education in today’s context... more
This chapter discusses the experience of Chinese in-service teachers of English who participated in a professional development program in Australia. The program reflects an increasing trend in English language education in today’s context of globalisation and transnationalism where it is common to see practitioners from one context seek interaction with colleagues and senior experts in another context. The chapter presents, first of all, an overview of the current discourse on EFL teacher develop- ment in China. Instead of focusing on a Western view, the discourse takes on a Chinese perspective which is a less-commonly discussed positioning on this theme. In doing so, the review looks at both the need and the challenge in teacher development in context.
Research Interests:
This article reports a research project that I conducted on the role and nature of drawing as a self-expression tool among teenaged English learners in China and Thailand. Empirical work regarding how drawing affects English language... more
This article reports a research project that I conducted on the role and nature of drawing as a self-expression tool among teenaged English learners in China and Thailand. Empirical work regarding how drawing affects English language learning focuses on both linguistic form and social meaning, ranging from vocabulary retention (Hendricks, 2005; Altun, 2015) to generation of ideas (Adonous, 2015) among L2 learners. However, such ELT research on learners’ drawings is minimal compared to the sizable quantity of studies on this theme in psychology, anthropology and social education. By and large, it remains fairly uncommon to see rigorous attempts to connect research outcome with the need for improving classroom pedagogy in any discipline. As a visual artist and TESOL educator, I am particularly interested in understanding learners’ ability to express themselves in drawing pictures and how that ability compares with their writing ability in terms of richness in content, reasoning skills and communicative functions. Based on that, I am also making effort to draw theoretical implications from data for enhancing ELT methodology and materials design.
Research Interests:
This chapter is built upon nearly two decades of personal experience of a scholar who enjoys visiting and working with a number of educational institutes connected with language education in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Malaysia... more
This chapter is built upon nearly two decades of personal experience of a scholar who enjoys visiting and working with a number of educational institutes connected with language education in Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Malaysia and the Philippines. To take account of other countries in the region in my discussion, I also give attention to the less mainstream literature written by local researchers on materials issues in their own contexts, as well as inter- views with 42 English teachers, policy makers and administrators in Southeast Asian countries. I hope to be able to provide a revealing synopsis of which English textbooks are currently in use, how productively they have worked, how teachers and learners live with them, as well as what needs to be modified to enhance their learning value and impact.
Research Interests:
h i g h l i g h t s Developing the creative agency of new teachers through engaging with poetry. Employing poetry writing in initial teacher education to foster literacy practices. Harnessing poetry in teacher education to promote... more
h i g h l i g h t s Developing the creative agency of new teachers through engaging with poetry. Employing poetry writing in initial teacher education to foster literacy practices. Harnessing poetry in teacher education to promote critical and creative thinking.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Sociology and Linguistics
The article revisits the role played by listening skills in second language learning by challenging the perception of listening as a receptive skill. It argues that listening can be made productive by incorporating drama in classroom... more
The article revisits the role played by listening skills in second language learning by challenging the perception of listening as a receptive skill. It argues that listening can be made productive by incorporating drama in classroom tasks to bring out more productive features of learning. To instantiate the implementation of drama, a listening activity is proposed with a framework. The article opens a new dialogue in scholarly characterisation of language skills through re-visualising what learners can perform during listening tasks as well as how this performance can stretch our conventional thinking about the nature of language practice.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This review outlines some key contents and features of a recently published handbook, perhaps the first comprehensive collection of scholarly works that brings together the three related themes, solitude, silence and loneliness. The... more
This review outlines some key contents and features of a recently published handbook, perhaps the first comprehensive collection of scholarly works that brings together the three related themes, solitude, silence and loneliness. The volume also represents a dialogic and idea-sharing space among researchers in these areas. Some authors are members of the International Society for Research on Solitude (ISRS); others are editorial members of the Journal of Silence Studies (JSSE). As a humble but growing field, these themes have increasingly attracted scholarly attention, evident in activities such as the annual Alone Together Symposium initiated by Prof Julian Stern (UK) and Dr Malgorzata Walejko (Poland), the forthcoming Solitude Book Series with Bloomsbury, many research articles contributing to the Journal of Silence Studies (JSSE), among other undertakings that are expanding the body of research-based knowledge in silence studies.
Research Interests:
This article reports a case of unprecedented efforts to bring pedagogical improvement. It is unique not only because the teachers demonstrated new practice but also because they did so without knowing that they were blending a diverse... more
This article reports a case of unprecedented efforts to bring pedagogical improvement. It is unique not only because the teachers demonstrated new practice but also because they did so without knowing that they were blending a diverse range of ELT traditions into one solution to confront learning challenges in their school. This would feel like divergent colours and shades coming together in a rainbow. They say in Irish cultural beliefs, at the end of a rainbow you would find treasure. When these teachers created a workable spectrum of pedagogies, the treasure was student learning efficiency. That was what I witnessed during a visit to an elementary school located in Kanagawa prefecture in Japan. The case study signifies a process of how regular teaching was questioned and revised, which is then positioned against the current discourse of English language teaching. When teachers move beyond the everyday routine to address a problem and persistently experiment with it, a miracle might occur towards a more rewarding way of teaching. If we assume that ELT experts have already produced sufficiently rich methodological knowledge that there is not much more for the ordinary teacher to modify, maybe think twice.
Research Interests:
h i g h l i g h t s Developing the creative agency of new teachers through engaging with poetry. Employing poetry writing in initial teacher education to foster literacy practices. Harnessing poetry in teacher education to promote... more
h i g h l i g h t s Developing the creative agency of new teachers through engaging with poetry. Employing poetry writing in initial teacher education to foster literacy practices. Harnessing poetry in teacher education to promote critical and creative thinking.
Research Interests:
This chapter first highlights some prevalent methodological trends that have influenced and shaped many essential components in the development of material design for spoken language. Second, a practical framework is proposed for... more
This chapter first highlights some prevalent methodological trends that have influenced and shaped many essential components in the development of material design for spoken language. Second, a practical framework is proposed for designing materials for speaking skills. Then, the chapter presents a rational for effective instructional materials for the discussed skills, proposes a set of criteria for evaluating materials for speaking, and finally throws light on some methodological aspects that deserve further scholarly attention.
Research Interests:
h i g h l i g h t s Developing the creative agency of new teachers through engaging with poetry. Employing poetry writing in initial teacher education to foster literacy practices. Harnessing poetry in teacher education to promote... more
h i g h l i g h t s Developing the creative agency of new teachers through engaging with poetry. Employing poetry writing in initial teacher education to foster literacy practices. Harnessing poetry in teacher education to promote critical and creative thinking.
Research Interests:
This review outlines some key contents and features of a recently published handbook, perhaps the first comprehensive collection of scholarly works that brings together the three related themes, solitude, silence and loneliness. The... more
This review outlines some key contents and features of a recently published handbook, perhaps the first comprehensive collection of scholarly works that brings together the three related themes, solitude, silence and loneliness. The volume also represents a dialogic and ideasharing space among researchers in these areas. Some authors are members of the International Society for Research on Solitude (ISRS); others are editorial members of the Journal of Silence Studies (JSSE). As a humble but growing field, these themes have increasingly attracted scholarly attention, evident in activities such as the annual Alone Together Symposium initiated by Prof Julian Stern (UK) and Dr Malgorzata Walejko (Poland), the forthcoming Solitude Book Series with Bloomsbury, many research articles contributing to the Journal of Silence Studies (JSSE), among other undertakings that are expanding the body of research-based knowledge in silence studies. This is an open access article under the CC-BY-SA license.
Research Interests:
This is an open access article under the CC-BY-SA license.
Research Interests: Teaching English as a Second Language, Developing Listening Skills Using Authentic Material, Listening Skills, Strategies of Developing Listening Skills, Receptive and Productive Skills, and 4 moreListening Skills and Needs, Teaching Listening Skills, Tactics for listening expanding, and Tactics For Listening Developing
Dat Bao and Phan Le Ha echo the growing scholarship on translanguaging and bilingualism/multilingualism (Garcia and Wei 2014; Garcia and Kleyn 2018) and further argue that when a multilingual person is conversing or writing in a language,... more
Dat Bao and Phan Le Ha echo the growing scholarship on translanguaging and bilingualism/multilingualism (Garcia and Wei 2014; Garcia and Kleyn 2018) and further argue that when a multilingual person is conversing or writing in a language, other languages do not switch off or disappear. Instead, the multilingual presence persists in a covert, saturated manner, in the same way as marination in the cooking process that might not be visible but delicately caters to the taste.
Research Interests:
When Japanese students come to study in Australian universities, they realize that the behaviour that was appreciated in their Japanese classrooms is not considered normal here: they find themselves much less verbally involved than many... more
When Japanese students come to study in Australian universities, they realize that the behaviour that was appreciated in their Japanese classrooms is not considered normal here: they find themselves much less verbally involved than many of their Australian and international classmates. In conjunction, Australian lecturers often feel that some Japanese students are very quiet during classroom discussions. This article address this tension.
Research Interests:
This article reports a case of unprecedented efforts to bring pedagogical improvement. It is unique not only because the teachers demonstrated new practice but also because they did so without knowing that they were blending a diverse... more
This article reports a case of unprecedented efforts to bring pedagogical improvement. It is unique not only because the teachers demonstrated new practice but also because they did so without knowing that they were blending a diverse range of ELT traditions into one solution to confront learning challenges in their school. This would feel like divergent colours and shades coming together in a rainbow. They say in Irish cultural beliefs, at the end of a rainbow you would find treasure. When these teachers created a workable spectrum of pedagogies, the treasure was student learning efficiency. That was what I witnessed during a visit to an elementary school located in Kanagawa prefecture in Japan.
The case study signifies a process of how regular teaching was questioned and revised, which is then positioned against the current discourse of English language teaching. When teachers move beyond the everyday routine to address a problem and persistently experiment with it, a miracle might occur towards a more rewarding way of teaching. If we assume that ELT experts have already produced sufficiently rich methodological knowledge that there is not much more for the ordinary teacher to modify, maybe think twice.
The case study signifies a process of how regular teaching was questioned and revised, which is then positioned against the current discourse of English language teaching. When teachers move beyond the everyday routine to address a problem and persistently experiment with it, a miracle might occur towards a more rewarding way of teaching. If we assume that ELT experts have already produced sufficiently rich methodological knowledge that there is not much more for the ordinary teacher to modify, maybe think twice.
Research Interests:
This chapter argues that language coursebook activities can arrange for learners to be involved in a process of drawing pictures to express individualised meaning. If learners are recognised as rightful negotiators of their own learning,... more
This chapter argues that language coursebook activities can arrange for learners to be involved in a process of drawing pictures to express individualised meaning. If learners are recognised as rightful negotiators of their own learning, materials writers might consider occasionally liberating them from the heavy reliance on the illustrations provided by the coursebook.
Research Interests:
This chapter argues that language coursebook activities can arrange for learners to be involved in a process of drawing pictures to express individualised meaning. If learners are recognised as rightful negotiators of their own learning,... more
This chapter argues that language coursebook activities can arrange for learners to be involved in a process of drawing pictures to express individualised meaning. If learners are recognised as rightful negotiators of their own learning, materials writers might consider occasionally liberating them from the heavy reliance on the illustrations provided by the coursebook.
This entry first of all introduces the role of listening in L2 learning and development. Secondly, it reviews existing theories and research in listening strategies by highlighting key factors governing the listening process, key... more
This entry first of all introduces the role of listening in L2 learning and development. Secondly, it reviews existing theories and research in listening strategies by highlighting key factors governing the listening process, key approaches to listening practice, top-down versus bottom-up processing, and the subdivision of metacognition into five categories metacognitive knowledge, metacognitive awareness, metacognitive instruction and metacognitive strategies. Thirdly, it presents a list of the key research findings from research into listening performance as well as some areas in listening strategy which need further exploration. Finally, the discussion offers five main areas of pedagogical implications and recommends other areas of research attention as ways to build further understanding into the theme of L2 listening strategy development. Abstract This entry first of all introduces the role of listening in L2 learning and development. Secondly, it reviews
Research Interests:
This article argues that silence as a communication can be academically practised in the classroom as much as talk, simply because talk and silence are both essential components of everyday interaction (Nakane, 2012). These two constructs... more
This article argues that silence as a communication can be academically practised in the classroom as much as talk, simply because talk and silence are both essential components of everyday interaction (Nakane, 2012). These two constructs are interdependent in the sense that one would not exist without the other. Silence can be practised in two different ways: one is to employ it as a mental processing process in learning; two is to observe and discuss how silence is used in communication. The article begins by sharing the literature review on how silence works in education, how t deserves a place in SLS theorisation, and how it constitutes communication competence. Secondly, it highlights classroom tasks that trigger silent processing and explain why this is the case. Thirdly, the discussion recommends an activity which addresses the value of silence, which was developed by the author through research and experience. Finally, there are recommendations for task design in which similar activity types are introduced to assist the learning of reflective students.
Research Interests:
Abstract This article narrates the experiences of eight Japanese individuals who travelled to Melbourne, Australia, not to study English in a formal classroom, but to activate their language skills in a genuine social context. Speakers... more
Abstract This article narrates the experiences of eight Japanese individuals who travelled to Melbourne, Australia, not to study English in a formal classroom, but to activate their language skills in a genuine social context. Speakers were willing to take risk in the social process to acquire fluency and develop confidence. Based on data generated from two years' observation of and interviews with the participants, the author documented the pleasure and the challenges that occur in their unique experience. The project reveals a range of preferences, strategies and tension in the language-using environment. Educational implications are drawn from several key characteristics of this self-motivated experiential model that may be absent in the current academic discourse in English-language teaching practice. How tHe project tooK sHape It was in Melbourne, where I have taught TESOL over the past twelve years, that I observed a phenomenon that stays beyond my academic experience and that is yet to be documented in the TESOL research literature. It was a spontaneous movement of travellers from Japan to Australia with a passion for developing English communication skills on their own accord.
Research Interests:
english in the real world: what classroom pedagogy has not taught aBstract This article narrates the experiences of eight Japanese individuals who travelled to Melbourne, Australia, not to study English in a formal classroom, but to... more
english in the real world: what classroom pedagogy has not taught aBstract This article narrates the experiences of eight Japanese individuals who travelled to Melbourne, Australia, not to study English in a formal classroom, but to activate their language skills in a genuine social context. Speakers were willing to take risk in the social process to acquire fluency and develop confidence. Based on data generated from two years' observation of and interviews with the participants, the author documented the pleasure and the challenges that occur in their unique experience. The project reveals a range of preferences, strategies and tension in the language-using environment. Educational implications are drawn from several key characteristics of this self-motivated experiential model that may be absent in the current academic discourse in English-language teaching practice. How tHe project tooK sHape It was in Melbourne, where I have taught TESOL over the past twelve years, that I observed a phenomenon that stays beyond my academic experience and that is yet to be documented in the TESOL research literature. It was a spontaneous movement of travellers from Japan to Australia with a passion for developing English communication skills on their own accord.
Research Interests:
This special issue interrogates the mobility and mobilization of major ideas that have been driving policy, pedagogy and practice of English language education (ELE) and English medium instruction (EMI) in varied world contexts since the... more
This special issue interrogates the mobility and mobilization of major ideas that have been driving policy, pedagogy and practice of English language education (ELE) and English medium instruction (EMI) in varied world contexts since the 1980s. These travelling ideas include 'on-going professional development', ‘English as an international language’, ‘English as a lingua franca’, ‘shared ownership of English’, ‘teacher as facilitator’, ‘learner-centered education’ and ‘communicative approach’, to name a few. Indeed, these constructs do not always travel freely or at the same speed. They often bear very different meanings across different contexts and settings. Most often, they do not possess any
‘intrinsic power’ to enable desirable changes and/or to bridge perceived gaps between ‘global’ and ‘local’ standards at all levels of policy, pedagogy and practice regarding ELE and EMI. They, nevertheless, carry many aspirations for change. Such aspirations, in many ways, could also bring about and generate inequalities, immobilities and unequal access to social mobilities and educational opportunities. In the same vein, not all forms of mobilities and immobilities are equal, either. All these observations have implications for ELE and EMI. ...
‘intrinsic power’ to enable desirable changes and/or to bridge perceived gaps between ‘global’ and ‘local’ standards at all levels of policy, pedagogy and practice regarding ELE and EMI. They, nevertheless, carry many aspirations for change. Such aspirations, in many ways, could also bring about and generate inequalities, immobilities and unequal access to social mobilities and educational opportunities. In the same vein, not all forms of mobilities and immobilities are equal, either. All these observations have implications for ELE and EMI. ...
Research Interests:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1358684X.2019.1590686 This essay comprises multiple sets of dialogues between us as colleagues and friends as we revisit the question of the status of English as a global language. Through the... more
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1358684X.2019.1590686
This essay comprises multiple sets of dialogues between us as colleagues and friends as we revisit the question of the status of English as a global language. Through the metaphor ‘multiple classrooms of life’, we share reflections and narratives arising out of our experiences with English that are embedded in our professional work, scholarship, pedagogy and creative interests. Our discussion encompasses a range of artefacts, including excerpts from our diaries, poems, vignettes, visuals, letters, songs and anecdotes. This amalgam of materials represents our personal engagement with English, as distinct from treating the spread of English simply as a metanarrative played out at a remove from personal experience. We reconstruct ‘sparkle moments’ arising from personal encounters and social interactions that have caused us to reflect on the role of English in our lives. We thus focus on ideology as personally felt and lived from within and through inter-personal interactions.
This essay comprises multiple sets of dialogues between us as colleagues and friends as we revisit the question of the status of English as a global language. Through the metaphor ‘multiple classrooms of life’, we share reflections and narratives arising out of our experiences with English that are embedded in our professional work, scholarship, pedagogy and creative interests. Our discussion encompasses a range of artefacts, including excerpts from our diaries, poems, vignettes, visuals, letters, songs and anecdotes. This amalgam of materials represents our personal engagement with English, as distinct from treating the spread of English simply as a metanarrative played out at a remove from personal experience. We reconstruct ‘sparkle moments’ arising from personal encounters and social interactions that have caused us to reflect on the role of English in our lives. We thus focus on ideology as personally felt and lived from within and through inter-personal interactions.
Research Interests:
This Special Issue is co-edited by three guest editors (Dat Bao, Phan Le Ha, and Osman Barnawi). It is published in "Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration", Volume 3, Number 2, November 2019.... more
This Special Issue is co-edited by three guest editors (Dat Bao, Phan Le Ha, and Osman Barnawi). It is published in "Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration", Volume 3, Number 2, November 2019.
https://www.intellectbooks.com/transitions-journal-of-transient-migration
https://www.intellectbooks.com/transitions-journal-of-transient-migration
Research Interests:
Call for Special Issue in Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration To be published in September 2019 Mobilities, Immobilities, and Inequalities: Interrogating ‘Travelling’ Ideas in English Language Education and English Medium... more
Call for Special Issue in Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration
To be published in September 2019
Mobilities, Immobilities, and Inequalities: Interrogating ‘Travelling’ Ideas in English Language Education and English Medium Instruction in the Asia Pacific and broader Middle East regions
Guest Editors:
Phan Le Ha (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA, & Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei), Dat Bao (Monash University, Australia), and Osman Barnawi (Royal Commission Colleges & Institutes at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia)
This special issue interrogates the mobility and mobilisation of major ideas that have been driving policy, pedagogy and practice of English language education (ELE) and English medium instruction (EMI) in varied contexts in the Asia Pacific and broader Middle East regions since the 1980s. These travelling ideas include 'on-going professional development', ‘English as an international language’, ‘English as a Lingua Franca’, 'shared ownership of English', 'teacher as facilitator', ‘learner-centered education’ and 'communicative approach', to name a few. Indeed, these constructs do not always travel freely or at the same speed. They often bear very different meanings across different contexts and settings. Most often, they do not possess any ‘intrinsic power’ to enable desirable changes and/or to bridge perceived gaps between 'global' and 'local' standards at all levels of policy, pedagogy and practice regarding ELE and EMI. They, nevertheless, carry many aspirations for change. Such aspirations, in many ways, could also bring about and generate inequalities, immobilities and unequal access to social mobilities and educational opportunities. In the same vein, not all forms of mobilities and immobilities are equal, either. All these observations have implications for ELE and EMI.
We invite submissions that critically examine the above-mentioned observations and their implications for ELE and EMI in the Asia-Pacific and broader Middle East regions. All the full papers will go through a rigorous peer-reviewing process, following the Journal’s practice and instructions that can be found on the Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration website. We invite contributors to submit articles in all categories, including featured essays, empirical papers, reflective essays, and book reviews. It is expected that your submission will be related to at least one of the themes below:
• Discourse on the interplay between ELE/EMI and social mobilities (as influenced by both policy and practice) in the specified regions
• EMI as a travelling idea; dominant discourses associated with EMI; pressing issues underlying the mobility of certain EMI discourses
• Emerging EMI communities and discourses and the underlying issues concerning mobilities, immobilities and inequalities
• EMI and implications for the teaching and learning of other foreign languages
• English communication skills among university graduates and their contextual utility
• How the increasing mobilities of students and academics in these regions may reshape ELE and EMI policy, pedagogy and practice
• Rethinking English ownership and questions of professional identity in regards to varied forms of mobility/immobility
• Issues underlying the development and implementation of EIL/ELF pedagogies and curricula in peripheral contexts
• Theoretical contribution by local scholars and educators in English pedagogy and curriculum discourse
• Issues involving access to social mobilities and educational opportunities in the context of EMI simultaneously promoted alongside certain travelling ideas
• Various perspectives on power as generated and/or constrained by the global spread of the above-mentioned travelling ideas and concepts
Important dates:
• August 15th, 2018: Submission of abstracts of no more than 300 words excluding references to: halephan[at]hawaii.edu, dat.bao[at]monash.edu, and albarnawim[at]hotmail.com
• August 31st, 2018: Notification of abstract acceptance
• November 30th, 2018: Full paper submission
• December 1st, 2018 – June 30th 2019: Papers sent out for peer-reviewing and authors revising papers accordingly
• July 20th 2019: Final papers ready for publication
To be published in September 2019
Mobilities, Immobilities, and Inequalities: Interrogating ‘Travelling’ Ideas in English Language Education and English Medium Instruction in the Asia Pacific and broader Middle East regions
Guest Editors:
Phan Le Ha (University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA, & Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei), Dat Bao (Monash University, Australia), and Osman Barnawi (Royal Commission Colleges & Institutes at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia)
This special issue interrogates the mobility and mobilisation of major ideas that have been driving policy, pedagogy and practice of English language education (ELE) and English medium instruction (EMI) in varied contexts in the Asia Pacific and broader Middle East regions since the 1980s. These travelling ideas include 'on-going professional development', ‘English as an international language’, ‘English as a Lingua Franca’, 'shared ownership of English', 'teacher as facilitator', ‘learner-centered education’ and 'communicative approach', to name a few. Indeed, these constructs do not always travel freely or at the same speed. They often bear very different meanings across different contexts and settings. Most often, they do not possess any ‘intrinsic power’ to enable desirable changes and/or to bridge perceived gaps between 'global' and 'local' standards at all levels of policy, pedagogy and practice regarding ELE and EMI. They, nevertheless, carry many aspirations for change. Such aspirations, in many ways, could also bring about and generate inequalities, immobilities and unequal access to social mobilities and educational opportunities. In the same vein, not all forms of mobilities and immobilities are equal, either. All these observations have implications for ELE and EMI.
We invite submissions that critically examine the above-mentioned observations and their implications for ELE and EMI in the Asia-Pacific and broader Middle East regions. All the full papers will go through a rigorous peer-reviewing process, following the Journal’s practice and instructions that can be found on the Transitions: Journal of Transient Migration website. We invite contributors to submit articles in all categories, including featured essays, empirical papers, reflective essays, and book reviews. It is expected that your submission will be related to at least one of the themes below:
• Discourse on the interplay between ELE/EMI and social mobilities (as influenced by both policy and practice) in the specified regions
• EMI as a travelling idea; dominant discourses associated with EMI; pressing issues underlying the mobility of certain EMI discourses
• Emerging EMI communities and discourses and the underlying issues concerning mobilities, immobilities and inequalities
• EMI and implications for the teaching and learning of other foreign languages
• English communication skills among university graduates and their contextual utility
• How the increasing mobilities of students and academics in these regions may reshape ELE and EMI policy, pedagogy and practice
• Rethinking English ownership and questions of professional identity in regards to varied forms of mobility/immobility
• Issues underlying the development and implementation of EIL/ELF pedagogies and curricula in peripheral contexts
• Theoretical contribution by local scholars and educators in English pedagogy and curriculum discourse
• Issues involving access to social mobilities and educational opportunities in the context of EMI simultaneously promoted alongside certain travelling ideas
• Various perspectives on power as generated and/or constrained by the global spread of the above-mentioned travelling ideas and concepts
Important dates:
• August 15th, 2018: Submission of abstracts of no more than 300 words excluding references to: halephan[at]hawaii.edu, dat.bao[at]monash.edu, and albarnawim[at]hotmail.com
• August 31st, 2018: Notification of abstract acceptance
• November 30th, 2018: Full paper submission
• December 1st, 2018 – June 30th 2019: Papers sent out for peer-reviewing and authors revising papers accordingly
• July 20th 2019: Final papers ready for publication
Research Interests:
Multilingual Matters. ISBN 978-178309-971-9. Price USD 35.00 (pbk), GBP 20.00 (pbk). 256 pages. Materials development can refer to how practitioners create, adapt, and utilize materials in their teaching , but also the field of inquiry... more
Multilingual Matters. ISBN 978-178309-971-9. Price USD 35.00 (pbk), GBP 20.00 (pbk). 256 pages. Materials development can refer to how practitioners create, adapt, and utilize materials in their teaching , but also the field of inquiry itself that looks at underlying principles and theoretical influences that may impact materials development and evaluation (Tomlinson, 2012a). Importantly, these two aspects should exist in a reciprocal relationship, influencing the other, bringing together theory and practice (Tomlinson, 2012a). In this new book edited by Dat Bao, practical elements of English language teaching (ELT) materials development and discussions about its underlying principles come together with a focus on creativity and innovation. The book consists of 13 chapters, beginning with an introduction by Bao, followed by 12 chapters from a wide range of contributors divided amongst three sections. Although the book is about materials, English language learners remain "at the heart of much of the discussion" (p. 1); the volume emphasizes the importance of using engaging materials in the classroom to encourage open-mindedness and innovation while enhancing linguistic development. Part 1, "Improving ELT Materials Through Creative Pedagogies," looks at how second language materials can be enhanced through innovative methods, addressing an important gap in the literature that at times offers little assistance to teachers who seek to adapt materials (Tomlinson, 2012b). Chapter 2, by Brian Tomlinson, compares textbooks written for global contexts and Asian contexts with a focus on different activity types. Tomlinson laments that, for the most part, many of the activity types do not address elements needed for language acquisition. Tomlinson outlines his own frustrations preparing materials for publishers and governments, noting that although he often sought to include more creative activities, breaking away from traditional exercises was often frowned upon. However, Tomlinson shifts the focus towards teachers and notes that while teachers may be presented with coursebooks that lack creativity, there are numerous ways for teachers to take dull, mundane exercises and modify them for their own classrooms, creating much more engaging tasks for their learners .
Research Interests:
This is an important and original book which deserves wide attention. For one thing, it deals with a subject which is all-pervasive but little acknowledged: a kind of elephant in the room both of second language acquisition (SLA) research... more
This is an important and original book which deserves wide attention. For one thing, it deals with a subject which is all-pervasive but little acknowledged: a kind of elephant in the room both of second language acquisition (SLA) research and ELT practice. The whole thrust of most SLA research is towards analysing what people say, not what they do not say, as they acquire another language. And the current communicative teaching paradigm is based on the centrality of verbal interaction, not on the silences which, in fact, occupy large tracts of time between what we choose to say and not to say. What is more, in the western tradition at least, silence has acquired almost exclusively negative connotations; all too often it is regarded as some kind of pathological deficiency or as an act of resistance, or the result of demotivating teaching. The more positive benefits of silence have rarely been acknowledged. (Review by Alan Haley)
Research Interests:
What is the state of that which is not spoken? This book presents empirical research related to the phenomenon of reticence in the second language classroom, connecting current knowledge and theoretical debates in language learning and... more
What is the state of that which is not spoken? This book presents empirical research related to the phenomenon of reticence in the second language classroom, connecting current knowledge and theoretical debates in language learning and acquisition.
Why do language learners remain silent or exhibit reticence? In what ways can silence in the language learning classroom be justified? To what extent should learners employ or modify silence? Do quiet learners work more effectively with quiet or verbal learners? Looking at evidence from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, the book presents research data on many internal and external forces that influence the silent mode of learning in contemporary education. This work gives the reader a chance to reflect more profoundly on cultural ways of learning languages.
Why do language learners remain silent or exhibit reticence? In what ways can silence in the language learning classroom be justified? To what extent should learners employ or modify silence? Do quiet learners work more effectively with quiet or verbal learners? Looking at evidence from Australia, China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, the book presents research data on many internal and external forces that influence the silent mode of learning in contemporary education. This work gives the reader a chance to reflect more profoundly on cultural ways of learning languages.