scholarly journals Debates about Educational Issues: A Pedagogical Strategy to Explore Argumentative Skills in the EFL Classroom

HOW ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (27) ◽  
pp. 49-67
Author(s):  
Ángela Vanesa Duarte Infante ◽  
Sandra Milena Fonseca Velandia ◽  
Bertha Ramos Holguín

This article describes a pedagogical proposal, based on debates, to determine the type of arguments that pre-service English language teachers constructed at a public university in Tunja, Colombia. We implemented a series of debate workshops about educational issues. Thirteen modern languages pre-service teachers in their sixth semester participated in the debates. In each debate, we collected data through recordings, focus groups, and field notes to understand the impact of the pedagogical intervention. Findings suggest that the arguments pre-service teachers built were based on examples. In this sense, the arguments built were based on their personal experiences and their partners’ opinions. We argue for the need to implement more research proposals that will contribute to the understanding and awareness of what argumentation implies.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eny Kusumawati

The purpose goal of this study was to test the impact of typographical features of subtitles including size, colour and position on L2 English viewers’ retention and recall of texts in game visual novel, and also the voice effect of the visual game. Quasi experimental research played in this study with 54 students of two departments, with the same characteristics. It was played the game visual novel into both classes, and administered 45 multiple choice test and questioners in the end of the classes. Both classes went through the same procedures, but one class watched the customized subtitled of the visual game novel. The data gathered were subjected to the statistical procedure of paired sample t-test. And, the result showed that the experimental class showed the better result on their understanding of the story, but there is contrarily on their listening comprehension result, that is their vocabulary comprehension, it is found that the both subtitles did not have an effect on participants’ comprehension. This study has implications for English language teachers and material developers to benefit customized bimodal subtitles as a mnemonic tool for better comprehension, retention and recall of aural content in game visual novel via Computer Assisted Language Teaching approach. Keywords: Typographical features, game visual novel, subtitles, retention and recall, Listening, vocabulary comprehension.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 1659
Author(s):  
Xin Zhang

This paper investigated students’ conceptualizations of English language teacher. Metaphors play an essential part in understanding of a variety of disciplines and educational issues. It is regarded as a powerful means to examine students’ conceptualizations. This study elicited an exploratory angle, describing student participants’ conceptualizations of English language teacher through an analysis of metaphors they created in the ‘X is Y’ format (e.g., “EFL teacher is … because…”). The elicited metaphors were collected, categorized and analyzed. Through the understanding of students’ beliefs of English language teacher, it provided insightful suggestions for EFL teaching.


Author(s):  
Darren A. Bryant

Purpose – In 1997, Joseph Boyle critiqued the Hong Kong Government’s policy of recruiting native-speaking teachers (NSTs) of English into secondary schools. Boyle examined NSTs from a post-colonial and socio-linguistic stance. He concluded that the scheme was “largely ineffective” and that efforts to expand the scheme would likely fail due to the government’s implicit lack of trust in the capacities of non-native-speaking teachers’ (NNSTs) of English. However, almost two decades later the scheme has expanded across the primary and secondary sectors. The purpose of this paper is to explore how changing educational contexts and reform efforts have influenced conceptions of NSTs as articulated in Hong Kong policy. Design/methodology/approach – The research is approached retrospectively through an interpretivist paradigm, analysing policy documents, implementation materials, evaluation reports, and interview transcripts. Over 41 scheme stakeholders participated in the interviews, inclusive of policy makers, government officials, academics, teacher educators, principals and teachers, who were active over different phases of the scheme. Findings – The intended role and perceived competencies of the NSTs have been impacted by imported education reforms leading to new rationales for maintaining and expanding NST deployment. These shifts, however, lead to new tensions among idealised images of NSTs, their capacities, and the aims of policy makers and scheme implementers. Originality/value – The value of this paper lies in its reconsideration of the role of NSTs in light of educational reform efforts influenced by global change. This perspective varies from conventional critiques that focus on NSTs’ and NNSTs’ differing capacities as English language teachers by considering the impact of historic developments on later policies, and the tendency of policy makers to legitimise reform by importing international innovations. Second, it demonstrates how idealised images of NSTs simultaneously justify policies and pose challenges to effective implementation.


Author(s):  
Eman Saleh Al- Sagier Shaiegy

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of teachers’ teaching experience on the implementation of English language curricula in public schools in the Aqaba Governorate, Jordan. Approach/Methodology/Design: The Rand Change Agent Theory of curriculum implementation guided this study. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The sample included 167 English language teachers who were selected purposively from 240 public school teachers in the Aqaba Governorate, Jordan. A questionnaire was developed as an instrument for data collection. It consisted of 36 items, and it was validated by presenting it to a group of arbitrators. The reliability was assured by carrying out a test-retest on a sample chosen from outside the sample of the study. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze data. Findings: The study findings indicated that there are statistically significant differences at (α≤0.05) between the implementation of English language curricula and the teacher’s teaching experience. This means that the teaching experience of the teacher affects the implementation of English language curricula. Practical Implications: The study presents certain implications for curriculum development policies. The study recommends engaging teachers in programs that assist them in exchanging experiences, knowledge, and skills to ensure effective execution of the curriculum in addition to the necessity for teachers to pay attention to self-development. Originality/value: Teaching experience plays a crucial role in curriculum implementation. It enables teachers to gain competence and effectiveness.


Author(s):  
Tahani R. K. Bsharat ◽  
Fariza Behak

This study stresses the global impact of Microsoft teams’ app in enhancing teaching-learning English during the Coronavirus (COVID-19). As one of the preventive steps for transmitting coronavirus infection, the introduction of lockdown and social distancing has been implemented, resulting in complete paralysis of global activities. There exists a shift from the usual learning practice to online learning, especially the complete shutdown of the education system to comply with the academic curriculum. This can be cited with more online courses, workshops, meetings, etc. It should be remembered that, during this crisis, the world is fully dependent on information technology. The present research offers, therefore, an insight into the impact of Microsoft teams’ app in enhancing teaching-learning English during Coronavirus (COVID-19). Thus, the sample was chosen conveniently from the population of English language teachers and included (25) teachers, 56% of them were females, 52% ageing 31 to 40 years old, with 48% indicating a teaching experience over ten years questionnaire consisted of (15) items of one dimension developed by the researchers based on their experiences and the available literature, In addition, the teachers indicated that the most significant feature of Ms. Teams is that it enables students to share files and share content and that it includes screen sharing options that allow teachers the freedom to display what they choose during a class, indicating that it creates an interactive atmosphere between students, teachers and the community inside and outside the classroom. Furthermore, the researchers recommended using Microsoft teams’ app and giving the English language teachers, students, and parents online workshops on how to use the app, also for the ministry of education to adopt the app.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
Rob Miles

This small-scale qualitative case study aimed to investigate English language teachers’ perceptions of the impact of iPads in classrooms in ideal, actual and realistic terms. The study took place at the end of a five-year initiative that saw iPads introduced to English Language classrooms in a UAE Federal Institution. The investigation was carried out from a constructivist epistemology perspective using observations and interviews, analysed through the lens of the SAMR Model (Puentedura, 2010). While curriculum constraints limited the impact in this initiative, the device has the potential to engage students in collaborative tasks and assist in classroom management. A potential two-dimensional SAMR model is proposed, as are opportunities for further research. ﺗﮭ د ف د را ﺳﺔ اﻟ ﺣﺎﻟ ﺔ اﻟﻧ وﻋﯾ ﺔ اﻟ ﻣ ﺻ ﻐرة ھذه إﻟ ﻰ اﻟﺑ ﺣ ث ﻓ ﻲ ﺗ ﺻ ورا ت ﻣﻌﻠ ﻣ ﻲ اﻟﻠ ﻐﺔ ا ﻹﻧ ﺟﻠﯾ زﯾ ﺔ ﺣول ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر ا ﻷﺟﮭزة اﻟﻠ وﺣﯾ ﺔ ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻔ ﺻ ول اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ ﺑ ﺻ و ر ة ﻣﺛﺎﻟﯾ ﺔ و و اﻗ ﻌﯾ ﺔ و ﺣ ﻘﯾﻘﯾ ﺔ. و ﻗد ﺑﻧﯾ ت ھ ذه اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ ﻣﻧ ظ و ر ﻧ ظ ر ﯾ ﺔ اﻟﻣﻌر ﻓﺔ اﻟ ﺑﻧﺎﺋﯾ ﺔ ﺑﺎ ﺳ ﺗ ﺧ دا م اﻟﻣ ﻼ ﺣ ظ ﺎ ت و اﻟﻣﻘﺎﺑ ﻼ ت ، وا ﻟﺗ ﻲ ﺗم ﺗ ﺣﻠﯾﻠ ﮭﺎ ﻣ ن ﺧﻼل ﻋد ﺳﺔ ﻧ ﻣوذ ج SAMR .(Puentedura, 2010) ( ﻓﺑﺎﻟ رﻏم ﻣ ن أ ن ﻗﯾ ود اﻟ ﻣﻧﺎ ھﺞ ﺣد ت ﻣ ن ﺗﺄﺛﯾ ر ا ﻷﺟﮭزة اﻟﻠ و ﺣ ﯾ ﺔ إ ﻻ أ ن ﻟ دﯾ ﮭﺎ اﻟ ﻘد ر ة ﻋ ﻠ ﻰ إ ﺷ ر ا ك اﻟط ﻼ ب ﻓ ﻲ اﻟﻣﮭﺎم اﻟ ﺗ ﻌﺎ و ﻧﯾ ﺔ و اﻟﻣ ﺳ ﺎ ﻋ دة ﻓ ﻲ إ دا ر ة اﻟ ﻔ ﺻ و ل اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﯾ ﺔ. ﺗﻘﺗ ر ح ھ ذه اﻟد ر ا ﺳ ﺔ ﻧ ﻣو ذ ج SAMR ذو أﺑ ﻌﺎد ﺛﻧﺎﺋﯾﺔ، ﺑﺎ ﻹ ﺿ ﺎﻓﺔ إﻟ ﻰ ﻓ ر ص ﻹﺟرا ء ﻣزﯾد ﻣ ن اﻟﺑ ﺣو ث.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Thi Thom Thom ◽  
Pham Thi Thanh Thuy

Teachers’ professional development (PD) is viewed as the center of educational reforms in many countries, and this topic has been widely researched by scholars such as Avalos (2011), Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin (2011), Le (2002), and Whitehouse (2011). However, primary English language teachers (PELTers)’ PD has been under-researched in Vietnamese contexts. This paper outlines a project researching PELTers’ PD in a period of ongoing educational transformation, initiated by the National Foreign Languages Project. The authors highlight a ‘mixed methods’ research design with data collected from 68 surveys and five individual semi-structured interviews in a province in North Vietnam. Both the impact of language policy on Vietnamese PELTers' PD and their responses to top-down PD requirements and provision are under investigation. Some initial findings are (i) PELTers' rationales for PD; (ii) their engagement in PD forms and topics; (iii) benefits of PD; (iv)their PD need areas; and (v) factors affecting PD engagement. PELTers' suggestions for improving PD in their contexts are also discussed. This paper offers significant insights for EFL researchers, policy-makers, EFL teacher training institutions and other educators.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-214
Author(s):  
Diego Ubaque-Casallas

This paper describes a narrative study that emerged from various conversations with an English language teacher at a public university in Bogotá, Colombia. This research is based on intersectional narratives to locate the intersections between English language pedagogy and the identities of English language teachers. Second, the study examined discourses that can construct English language pedagogy and teachers’ identities by avoiding simplistic generalizations and essentialisms. Findings suggest that although there are still colonial roots that repress other ways of being and doing, English language pedagogy goes beyond the instrumental sense of teaching. As such, English language pedagogy is about transformation as it is never static because it is an extension of identity.


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