ELT

While the role of culture in second and/or foreign language (L2/FL) learning and teaching has often been unquestioned, empirical research on culture learning and teaching in L2/FL education has been less common than opinion-oriented writings in relevant journals. This article offers a summary and synthesis of 52 empirical studies on L2/FL culture learning and teaching published during the 20-year period 1996-2015. In doing so, it first provides some background, then discusses the methods used for choosing, summarizing, and briefly analyzing these studies, and finally outlines a range of quantitative and qualitative findings. Culture learning and teaching research in L2/FL education during this period involved five main languages (English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish) in 19 different countries; adopted mainly qualitative research approaches; and addressed a diverse range of age and educational levels, although postsecondary research studies were most common. The survey here highlights a shift from a focus on ‘culture’ to the ‘intercultural,’ and reveals that culture learning and teaching research has moved beyond reporting teachers’ and students’ attitudes to a range of topics impacting L2/FL learning and teaching, including instructional approaches, teaching materials, assessment, and technology. It also points to connections between the studies outlined and offers possibilities and directions for future research in this important area.

Many second/foreign language (L2/FL) teachers do not see the relevance of research to their teaching. This article aims to help bridge this gap by addressing form-focused instruction (FFI), a current pedagogical and research issue of particular interest to both teachers and students. The article begins with background from second language acquisition research and outlines two main types of FFI. Next it addresses three main topics. First, it considers the role of FFI in communicative language teaching. Second, it reviews various influences that impact whether teachers should choose to use integrated or isolated FFI in their classes. Third, it discusses the connection between error correction and focus on form in FFI. In establishing these points, the article introduces literature that argues for clear connections between FFI and L2/FL learning. In essence, this article answers the question: how does focusing on form appear to help L2/FL learning, and how can teachers encourage ESL/EFL students? The article argues that form-focused instruction makes a positive difference. Research implications are summarized on grammar and vocabulary learning, and reference is made to key resources dealing with focusing on form. Teachers should thus think about how an understanding of FFI can improve their teaching and students’ learning.

Teaching Vocabulary explores different approaches to teaching vocabulary in ESL/EFL classrooms. It provides an overview of the place and importance of vocabulary in English language learning and teaching in an easy-to-follow guide that language teachers will find very practical for their own contexts. Topics covered include understanding vocabulary, the importance of vocabulary, relevant research findings that impact vocabulary, knowing your students’ vocabulary levels, and how to teach vocabulary effectively. [Note: The attached file includes the Table of Contents, front matter, and a sample of Ch. 1.]

How humans possess the language ability is a matter of long controversy among the linguists. Some of them believe that the ability of language is the result of innate knowledge. Unlike other species humans possess that innate ability which is genetically coded. To them language is the outcome of nature (genes). Conversely, others claim that the ability of language is learned through experience extracting all the linguistic information from the outside environment. It is the outcome of nurture (environmental factors/stimuli). At present, there is no clear winner regarding the debate as both genes and environmental factors/stimuli seem to play a vital and important role in language acquisition.

This paper reports on a case study of the teacher's approaches to teaching literature for young learners in Bandung. The research is an attempt to respond to controversy among the use of literature as a media in teaching English for young learners in Indonesian context. Besides, several English teachers have no idea on how to use poetry as learning material. An English teacher and nine six-grade students were participated in this interpretive qualitative case study. Three research instruments, which were observation, interview, and document, were used. Classroom observation as a primary instrument was triangulated by using interview and document analysis. The results showed that: 1) there were three phases in teaching; initial, exploration, and evaluation phase; 2) under the guideline to choose related topic to nature of young learners, the Language-Based Approach (LBA) was the main used approach, followed by Reader-Response Approach (RRA) and Information-Based Approach (IBA); and 3) The teacher played important roles in building classroom atmosphere.

Multi-level classes have always been a source of difficulty in English Language Teaching. The differences between individuals can sometimes give us a mountain to climb as we try to balance the needs of stronger and weaker learners. This shouldn't really be so surprising, though, because as soon as we have more than one learner, we have a multilevel class. But levels of what? In this article, we'll identify some of the many types of difference between learners. We'll also look at some things that are rarely spoken aboutthe positive aspects of multi-level classes, how different learners enrich our lessons, and how we can provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere that increases and maintains their interest and motivation.

The demand for English as a lingua franca (ELF) around the world is inextricably linked to the global economy and the so-called global village. International communication is more than just big business; it is an economic, political, and social necessity. This larger world economy is itself a product of the availability of cheap fossil fuel which has led to the replacement of small, local trading networks with much larger international corporations where things are produced in all corners of the globe cheaply through economies of scale. For example, many of the books we use in our
classrooms might have been flown in from other countries where it is cheaper to print them. The necessity of having one common language that people across the globe can use for international business is the reason we have now, for the first time in recorded history, a language with more L2 than L1 speakers.

A person’s ability to identify, understand, use, and manage emotion provides the basis for the kinds of social and emotional competencies that are important for success in almost any job. It is said that the more complex the job, the more Emotional Intelligence (EI) matters. There are a number of practical applications for EI to improve the student experience, increase academic achievement and develop well-rounded graduates with the skills desired by employers. Active use of emotional intelligence and other components contribute to the development of professional and pedagogical qualities, competencies, teacher-training, and improve the system as a whole. Studies have shown that people who score highly on tests of EI have better interpersonal skills and are more positively evaluated by their peers (Jaeger 2003) - which should translate to better social interaction in the workplace. The represented article explores how emotions impact on student learning and concludes emotionally intelligent people are change agents, self-aware, empathetic, not perfectionists, balanced, curious, and gracious and know how to make work, and the world a better place. Emotional intelligence is recognized as a highly relevant and important requirement for academic leadership in higher education. Its traits related to empathy, inspiring and guiding others and responsibly managing oneself are most applicable for academic leadership to run efficiently and smoothly.

Both native and nonnative language teachers often find pronunciation a difficult skill to teach because of inadequate training or uncertainty about the effectiveness of instruction. But nonnative language teachers may also see themselves as inadequate models for pronunciation, leading to increased uncertainty about whether they should teach pronunciation (Golombek & Jordan, 2005). Although studies have regularly shown that instruction is effective in promoting pronunciation improvement (Saito, 2012), it is not known if improvement depends on the native language of the instructor, nor if learners improve differently depending on whether their teacher is native or nonnative. This study investigated the effect of teachers' first language on ratings of change in accentedness and comprehensibility. Learners in intact English classes were taught one class by a nonnative- and one by a native-English-speaking teacher. Each teacher taught the same pronunciation lessons over the course of 7 weeks. Results show that native listeners' ratings of the students' comprehensibility were similar for both teachers, despite many learners' stated preference for native teachers. The results offer encouragement to nonnative teachers in teaching pronunciation, suggesting that, like other language skills, instruction on pronunciation skills is more dependent on knowledgeable teaching practices than on native pronunciation of the teacher.

Teaching language is not like teaching other subjects. It is not exactly about sharing and providing knowledge to students. Since language is about communication, students ' activities in terms of communication, e.g. listening, speaking, and writing, are crucial in their learning. A lot of language teachers, therefore, focus their teaching on various techniques to encourage students ' participation. Nevertheless, language learning is inevitably related to linguistic knowledge, which can be acquired implicitly or explicitly. The use of corpora can contribute to language learning in both implicit and explicit ways. Corpora have been introduced in language teaching as another approach to teaching language. Data-driven learning views language learning as a kind of research process in which students are expected to discover the knowledge themselves. In Thailand, though corpora are not widely used in ELT, in many universities corpus-based research, such as move analysis on acade...

This paper evaluates the Language Policy and Planning's (LPP) Methodological Rich Points (MRP) in the geographic, ethnic and linguistic composition of Afghanistan. The theoretical construct is taken from the work of Nancy H. Hornberger on MRP in LPP. The paper explores a range of primary and secondary sources, and finds that the presence of inequality, marginalization and oppression in intra-ethnic and intralanguage group relations, sharing of resources and power account for neglect of the MRP in Afghan LPP. The geographic details in conjunction with explanation of historical process of migrations and conquests explains that most of the minority language speakers are concentrated in the difficult to reach areas of Afghanistan for their safety. Further, the limiting factors of Afghan geography explains the preservation of minority languages from the effects of majority languages. The study concludes with the proposal that it would be helpful to avoid the pitfalls of the current L...

This article reflects my ongoing development of a principled and flexible methodological framework beyond pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all methods; a framework free from traditional or dogmatic constraints, flexible enough to take into account new ideas and insights, but also critical of current popular trends and the claims of authorities and experts.

In this article I examine some common attitudes towards methodology selection, discuss the notion of eclecticism and outline the nature and implications of principled decision-making and practice in ELT. I argue that principled teaching requires a) awareness of different views on the nature and use of the target language, as well as language learning (see Brown, 1994; Richards & Rogers, 1986; Rivers, 1972), b) awareness of one’s own beliefs and theories, and c) the ability to observe critically, recognise patterns and draw conclusions.

This study aims at investigating comic strips and assessing the probable effect of using comics as reading material for improving Turkish intermediate EFL learners reading, and finding out the probable effect of comics on students' comprehension of comics and accordingly other reading materials. 91 Turkish teenage intermediate EFL learners from fifth and sixth grade students at Final School in Erzurum were divided into control and experimental group. A Nelson Proficiency Test was ordered to define the similarity of the two groups. The analysis showed that the experimental group students' reading was improved significantly at the end of the reading program. Özet Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türkiye'deki İngilizce ders kitaplarında ihmal edilen bir tür olan çizgi romanların niteliğine ışık tutmak ve okuma malzemesi olarak çizgi roman kullanımının ortaokul seviyesinde İngilizce öğrenen Türk öğrencilerin üzerindeki muhtemel etkisini ortaya koymaktır. Bu araştırma için, ortaöğretim seviyesinde İngilizceyi yabancı dil olarak öğrenen Türk öğrencilerden iki grup seçildi. Katılımcılar Erzurum Final Ortaöğretim Okulu'ndan 91 beşinci ve altıncı sınıf öğrencisinden oluşturuldu. Bu iki grubun homojenliğini belirlemek için bir Nelson Seviye testi uygulandı. Analiz, öğrencilerin okuma programı sonunda önemli düzeyde artmış olduğunu gösterdi. Deney grubu öğrencilerinin okuma motivasyonunun çizgi roman okuma ile yüksek ölçüde ilişkili olduğu bulundu.

This paper examines the application of a systemic-functional linguistic (SFL) Genre Theory approach to an L2 classroom in Spain, where English systems and their formal and functional characteristics were explicated in the teaching-learning process in order to help students improve their writing skills. It analyses various facets of the effectiveness of this approach through a careful consideration of student report writing, first by analysing the assessors’ marking parameters and concentration, and second by thoroughly going through the papers themselves to summarise the nature and quantity of the various writing issues, paying particular attention to areas in which the existing assessment was questionable, incorrect, or not indicating errors in standard English.

Faith and learning integration is a significant goal, yet there is a lack of research on whether it takes place in ESL/EFL at Christian universities, and if so, how. Outlining a study in ESL and EFL classes in the U.S. and Indonesia, this chapter begins to address this gap, summarizing background issues and describing the research methods. Using the eight participating instructors’ email questionnaire responses as data, it answers four research questions, concluding that integration takes place in various ways, although resources for it are reportedly limited. Also considered are benefits and challenges, and potential implications for integration in ESL/EFL.

The preceding statement was made by a second-grade child (aged seven) during classroom discussion. Such statements may be commonplace in many classrooms across the United States, just as they are in this one. Why is this one noteworthy? It is noteworthy because it ...

It is believed that Project-based Learning is very essential for the accomplishment of higher education students including Polytechnic students because it offers autonomy, collaboration and mastery in learning. In line with this, the researcher tried to explore student interest and motivation towards Project-based Learning and to examine their contributions towards the writing achievement of students. It was a quantitative correlational research conducted on 50 samples taken randomly. The research was conducted in the English Department Sriwijaya State Polytechnic in the academic year 2013-2014. There were two instruments used in this current research: a Measure of Student Interest and a Measure of Student Motivation. A Measure of Student Interest was used to measure student interest towards Project-based Learning and a Measure of Student Motivation was used to measure student motivation towards Project-based Learning. Meanwhile, writing scores taken from the archive of the English Department was used to describe the writing achievement of students. The hypotheses were tested by using Pearson Product moment Correlation Coefficient, Multiple Regressions, and One way ANOVA. The results showed that student interest and motivation in Project-based Learning correlated significantly towards the writing achievement of students partially and simultaneously. Meanwhile, the difference in terms of gender towards the writing achievement of students was not significant. Therefore, the recommendations are to continue this Project-based Learning and to promote equal learning process between the two genders, especially in the course of writing.

This paper examines how a popular series like Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games trilogy can motivate students to improve their language and literacy proficiency by extensive reading. Moving on from there, we argue a thoughtful and collaborative deep reading of The Hunger Games can broaden as well as change perspectives; for without being openly didactic, the series is sufficiently multilayered to provide meaningful booktalk in the classroom and to trigger engaged debate. Recognising that the degradation of non-human nature through human action has become a major theme in education, we argue that the intentionally interdisciplinary approach of ecocriticism towards a literary text can be a contribution to global issues education in the English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. We offer an ecocritical examination of The Hunger Games, not as an ideal or model reading, but rather aiming to promote ecopedagogy and further critical discussion and creative language activities in the secondary ESL/EFL classroom and student teacher seminar. To illustrate an ecocritical reading, we trace the classical literary tropes of apocalypse, pastoral and wilderness and reflect on the trilogy's multilayered approach towards the relationship between the human and the non-human. Finally, we suggest how critical issues such as consumer manipulation, media and celebrity culture can well be discussed with reference to The Hunger Games trilogy.

The main purpose of this article was to examine students' experiences, opinions, perceptions, attitudes, and preferences with regard to math classes where content and language integrated learning (CLIL) approach was applied. A total of 125 students from the Kazakh National University participanted in the present study. Their mean age was M = 18.12 (SD = 0.96). There were 73 (58.4%) females and 52 (41.6%) males in the sample. The questionnaire administered to our participants was created to include questions relevant to this study. Results indicated that participants had moderate attitudes, preferences, and satisfaction with regard to CLIL approach wherein English was used as a medium in the delivery of math contents. Students' English competences were somehow improved and their attitudes toward British and American culture became more positive. Participants' level of English proficiency was in positive and significant correlations with their preferences of math classes and other subjects taught in English. Some shortcomings of the present study and recommendations for further studies of this topic were enclosed as well. Key words: Content and language integrated learning (CLIL), English as a foreign language (EFL), math classes

Christians teaching English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) address cultural issues to improve students' intercultural communication. In reflecting on my experience delivering a teacher training course, this article describes strategies for incorporating seven virtues in an Intercultural Communication for Teachers class. It first outlines foundational background and then offers examples of ways students in the course may go deeper with Christian virtues in their reflection and in their ESL/EFL teaching. It also introduces Scriptures and relevant resources that may be useful to professors involved in teacher training and to teachers who wish to incorporate virtues into ESL/EFL classes.

Reading comprehension is one of the main language ability and some studies have proposed that it is the most important skill needed by L2 students for academic success (McDonough and Shaw, 1993; Ostler, 1980). Being such an important skill for academic success, L2 reading comprehension is profoundly affected by various factors such as L1 reading comprehension, L2 grammatical knowledge, L2 lexical knowledge, decoding, and etc. The aim of this study is to find out the contribution of L1 reading comprehension, L2 grammatical knowledge, and L2 lexical knowledge to L2 reading comprehension of Turkish 1st and 4th grade ELT students. 91 Turkish ELT students participated in the current study. 4 different standardized tests were applied to measure L2 reading comprehension, L1 reading comprehension, L2 grammatical knowledge, and L2 lexical knowledge levels of the participants. Correlation matrix and multiple regression analysis were conducted and the analysis showed that there is high positive and significant correlation between L2 reading comprehension and L2 vocabulary, L2 grammatical knowledge, and L1 reading comprehension of 1st grade ELT students respectively. Similarly, L2 vocabulary, L2 grammatical knowledge have positive and significant contribution to L2 reading comprehension of 4th grade ELT students while L1 reading comprehension does not have significant contribution to L2 reading comprehension of 4h grade ELT students. The current study has been conducted with Turkish students who are learning English as a second language. Therefore, the results might be limited to Turkish ELF learners and might not be generalized to other L1 contexts. The findings of the study have been discussed with reference to the literature and pedagogical implications have been suggested.

This paper aims to deploy model of teaching English for kindergarten teachers and students using cartoon picture and song. The rationale is that they are handy, more lively and authentic in the classroom. In addition, they also promote sentence repetition which can facilitate lexical, grammatical and cultural knowledge building to children with rich input of authentic material with the real voice of native speakers and real usage of English. Six teachers including 5 females and 1 male with different academic background participate in the experiment. Also, thirty one students with 8 female and 23 male students get involve in the study. This study uses quantitative research design and therefore test and questionnaire are utilized to answer the research questions from the study. The result shows that there was significant difference improvement between pre-test and post-test from both teachers and students. It specified teachers and students to their pronunciation, vocabulary, and phra...

Autonomy in language learning is a desirable goal for philosophical, pedagogic and practical reasons. However although many language programmes claim to be learner-centred and supportive of learner initiative, much classroom practice appears to subvert this goal. This paper discusses ways in which mechanisms for promoting learner autonomy have been incorporated into one English language programme. It also discusses the crucial role which teacher-student dialogue about learning plays within the classroom, and considers the implications for materials, task design, and time management.

In this reflective and practical workshop I will show how the natural play activity of childhood needs to be extended into second language classrooms at all levels in order to make acquisition less painful and more palatable. I will claim that SLA is more akin to performativity, as in young children’s dramatic play, than to naturalized acts of speech production. I will show how such a theory can be applied in the curriculum with existing resources and become language policy worldwide after a significant change in teacher education institutions.
I will regard performative activity and enquiry as a mode which brings into sharp focus a “stop” in the thought processes which, for a moment in time, creates a new understanding of being in language and being in action. In inhabiting the language, the learner, rather than telling or describing, engages in the doing of the speech act and at the same time, behind the mask, paradoxically discovers the self.
l refer briefly to a number of philosophers, notably Austin and his “How to do things with Words” and Butler’s writings on gender identity as being performativity to show how second language learners  also need to practice performative activities to establish their identities. Goffman, the sociologist will be cited with regard to his “The Presentation of Self in everyday Life” to explain the basis of this pedagogical practice and how personal identities are constructed not through simple behaviours, but through performative behavior, an inevitable prerequisite for belonging to a culture.
Performativity will be shown to replace more abstract conceptions of language as a structure of meaning or as a symbol system in creating spheres of interculturality in EFL classrooms . The emphasis will be on the role of language in the concrete, particular transactions of the speaking body in specific contexts and in specific moments of time. It focuses on language as action, and also on meaning as the effect of embodied processes of meaning-making.
The workshop will consist of little trainer talk but mostly participant talk and activity. Individual think time, group discussion and pair, group and whole group performative activity, practice and enquiry, will dominate, based on the assumption that knowledge is embodied in creative processes and rooted in a world of lived sensorial experience.

Currently, the South-Asian regions have ardently felt the presence of approaches to writing instruction, initially introduced and developed in North-America. To keep pace
with the times, the major Bangladeshi private universities have adopted these approaches to see whether the approaches will be appropriately feasible to have successful transmission
and integration into the new backdrop of Bangladesh. Based on the discussion of current approaches to teaching writing, this paper showcases the strengths and weaknesses of the product, process, and genre approaches to writing and proposes an integrated one to teaching English writing to university students. It attempts to address the major problem related to University entrants’ English writing: linguistic accuracy. Based on an observational report and an interventional study of university students pursuing their majors in manifold disciplines, the paper further argues that the three approaches are complementary to be the best suited to serve Bangladeshi students learning to write correctly in English.

This book explores multilingual speakers who use instant messaging (IM), Flickr, and Facebook.  Across spaces, users may take on multiple identities of who they are and how they wish to be seen online. The book highlights how users, in terms of metalinguistic awareness, can adopt either language learner and or language teacher identities when they provide explanations, translations, or comments.  The authors’ work indicates that language improvement is achieved through active participation in online spaces and social networks, and users may develop vernacular practices online together with more socially shared practices offline.