scholarly journals ESL in Australia – A chequered history

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda Oliver ◽  
Judith Rochecouste ◽  
Bich Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
White Middle Class ◽  
Constant State ◽  
The Difference

A historical perspective of English as a second or additional language (ESL/EAL) in Australia reveals the field as in a constant state of flux, in spite of Australia’s status as a nation of immigrants. This paper provides a contemporary review of the various phases of English language teaching in Australia for both adults and school-aged learners. It does so in the context of earlier pro-British monolingual attitudes, external global forces, ongoing changes in education policy, more recent national assessment regimes and the various global and local developments in the teaching of second languages. Historically the impetus for teaching English as a Second Language came with large-scale post-World War II arrivals from Europe. Language support for child migrants was only introduced some time later and has continued, although decreasing in availability in recent years. From the 1970s, more focussed programs were instigated with the arrival of refugees from war-torn countries. In this paper we describe the constant changes experienced by the providers and the recipients of English language instruction in Australia. Theoretically, the development of ESL instruction in Australia began with an essentially post-colonial perspective whereby the process of assimilation focussed on normalising the difference and/or deficit of non-English speakers and attaining the language skills of normative white middle-class native speakers (Pavlenko, 2003). Despite various investments in multiculturalism, the non-native English speaker in Australia remains the ‘other’, subject to sometimes intermittent and ad hoc funded assistance. 

The Oxford History of the Novel in English

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
English Language ◽  
Book History ◽  
World Order ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Novel ◽  
History Of The Novel ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of

Volume Nine of this series traces the development of the ‘world novel’, that is, English-language novels written throughout the world, beyond Britain, Ireland, and the United States. Focusing on the period up to 1950, the volume contains survey chapters and chapters on major writers, as well as chapters on book history, publishing, and the critical contexts of the work discussed. The text covers periods from renaissance literary imaginings of exotic parts of the world like Oceania, through fiction embodying the ideology and conventions of empire, to the emergence of settler nationalist and Indigenous movements and, finally, the assimilations of modernism at the beginnings of the post-imperial world order. The book, then, contains chapters on the development of the non-metropolitan novel throughout the British world from the eighteenth to the mid twentieth centuries. This is the period of empire and resistance to empire, of settler confidence giving way to doubt, and of the rise of indigenous and post-colonial nationalisms that would shape the world after World War II.

scholarly journals Allometric Equations for Estimating Biomass and Carbon Stocks in Afforested Open Woodlands with Black Spruce and Jack Pine, in the Eastern Canadian Boreal Forest

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 59
Author(s):  
Olivier Fradette ◽  
Charles Marty ◽  
Pascal Tremblay ◽  
Daniel Lord ◽  
Jean-François Boucher
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Allometric Equations ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest

Allometric equations use easily measurable biometric variables to determine the aboveground and belowground biomasses of trees. Equations produced for estimating the biomass within Canadian forests at a large scale have not yet been validated for eastern Canadian boreal open woodlands (OWs), where trees experience particular environmental conditions. In this study, we harvested 167 trees from seven boreal OWs in Quebec, Canada for biomass and allometric measurements. These data show that Canadian national equations accurately predict the whole aboveground biomass for both black spruce and jack pine trees, but underestimated branches biomass, possibly owing to a particular tree morphology in OWs relative to closed-canopy stands. We therefore developed ad hoc allometric equations based on three power models including diameter at breast height (DBH) alone or in combination with tree height (H) as allometric variables. Our results show that although the inclusion of H in the model yields better fits for most tree compartments in both species, the difference is minor and does not markedly affect biomass C stocks at the stand level. Using these newly developed equations, we found that carbon stocks in afforested OWs varied markedly among sites owing to differences in tree growth and species. Nine years after afforestation, jack pine plantations had accumulated about five times more carbon than black spruce plantations (0.14 vs. 0.80 t C·ha−1), highlighting the much larger potential of jack pine for OW afforestation projects in this environment.

Conclusion

2021 ◽  
pp. 173-180
Author(s):  
Eric S. Henry
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
Cultural Dimensions ◽  
Entrance Examination ◽  
College Entrance Examination ◽  
Entrance Exams ◽  
The Difference ◽  
To Come

This concluding chapter begins by describing the decline of English teaching in China. Although English is still the most popular foreign language for students taking the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), the state has lately begun to expand the number of options available, including Japanese, German, and Spanish, particularly as those relate to expanding trade and global soft power. These indicators may presage a transformation of the English language industry in Shenyang to come, but it is important to appreciate the difference between the marketplace for language instruction and the more cultural dimensions of linguistic desire that this book discusses. A change in the economics of language schooling is an inevitable consequence of a maturing market. Similarly, the relatively minor reduction of English's weighting on university entrance exams underscores changes to the underlying ideology of education, but does not necessarily herald the doom of foreign languages in China or the elimination of English's linguistic capital. Nevertheless, the chapter surveys the ground traveled in this ethnography and highlights some of the issues brought to the fore. There is much still that could be said about language, education, and modernization in China, and the chapter points the way forward to further research on these topics.

Computer Aided Design of Chinese College English Teaching Materials Based on COCA Corpus

2014 ◽  
Vol 590 ◽  
pp. 916-919
Author(s):  
Yan Juan Huo
Keyword(s):  
Computer Aided Design ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Teaching Material ◽  
Teaching Resources ◽  
College English ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
Computer Aided ◽  
Aided Design

As the flourishing of computer technology and the appearing of lots of large-scale and well-designed corpora and concordance software, corpus-based approach, an advanced teaching resources, has been widely employed in language researches of various fields and perspectives. English teaching material, the main source of language input, has the quality and authority in Chinese English language teaching classes. The present study attempts to bring about some innovations in construction and designing of teaching material on the basis of the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA). Moreover, the research is intended to effectively improve teacher’s input and introducing data-driven learning (DDL), and to effectively stimulate the motivations of students by using this computer-aided and COCA-based designing.

scholarly journals CONTENT EDULCORATION AS IDEOLOGY VISUALIZATION IN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE COURSEBOOK

2020 ◽  
pp. 172-193
Author(s):  
Рафаэль Филиберто Фортеса Фернандес ◽  
Елена Валерьевна Рубцова ◽  
Саймелин Айлээн Фортеса Рохас
Keyword(s):  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Language Awareness ◽  
Teacher Language ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Discourse Practices ◽  
Western Discourse ◽  
The Mind

Основываясь на постструктуралистских определениях дискурса, данное исследование посвящено критике редукционистской сущности канонических определений понятия языковой осведомленности учителя (Teacher Language Awareness – TLA), осознаваемых как формула для регургитации западных дискурсивных практик в преподавании английского языка. Опираясь на принципы мультимодальности и понятие идеологического концептуального квадрата, в статье проводится тематическое исследование, демонстрирующее способы визуализации евро-американской имперской истории в энтекстуализации в неязыковом материале учебников английского языка, где авторы в процессе реэнтекстуализации избегают акцентировать внимание на негативном образе, отрицая не только прошлые колониальные злодеяния, но и их постколониальное повторение, такое как, например, фашизм в Испании. Эта маскировка, или санация, является частью незапятнанного образа Западного проекта, который проецируется в том числе через обучение английскому языку как важный элемент процесса глобализации и его связи с неолиберальными имперскими установками. И этот факт открыто бросает вызов обоснованности концепта языковой осведомленности учителя (TLA) как конструкта. В работе также вводится концепт «edulcoration» (education (образование) + dulce (in Spanish - сладость) + decoration (декорация)), понимаемый как средство синтаксического и лексического манипулирования языком, реализованное также в образах и аудиозаписях, которые делают пригодным для образовательных целей неязыковой материал. С практической точки зрения каждый из примеров, приведенных в исследовании, выражает контрдискурс, необходимый для практик противодействия неоколонизации ума. В работе предлагается переосмысление способов формирования и развития компетенций учителя в эпоху глобализации, а также возможность исследования аналогичных вопросов в других европейских языковых учебниках. Based on post-structural definitions of discourse(s), the article is aimed at criticizing the reductionist essence of canonical definitions of Teacher Language Awareness (TLA)], perceived as a formula for the regurgitation of western discourse practices in the English Language Teaching classroom. Based on a multimodal perspective and an ideological conceptual square, the research reports a case study illustrating how Euro-American imperial history is visualized in its entextualization in the non-language material of an English language textbook. The results of the case study reveal that in the process of re-entextualization the authors have de-emphasized the negative image of the Self by negating not only the Euro-American colonial atrocities but also their post-colonial repetition such as fascism in Spain. This concealment or content sanitation is part of the untarnished image the West projects through ELT as part of its role in the process of globalization and its connection to the neo-liberal empire, a fact that openly challenges the validity of TLA as a construct. The work also introduces the concept ‘content edulcoration’ (education + dulce (in Spanish) + decoration) understood as the means of syntactic and lexical language manipulation as well as its realization in the voice of transcript readers and images, all of which make non-language material suitable for educational purposes. From a practical viewpoint, each of the instances in the case study offers the counter-discourse necessary for resistance to the neo-colonization of the mind. The article suggests a reconceptualization of teacher formation and development in the era of globalization as well as the feasibility of researching similar issues in other major European language teaching textbooks.

scholarly journals Autonomous Clustering Scheme for Removing the Effects of Heterogeneous Node Degrees in Ad Hoc Networks

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-54
Author(s):  
Ryosuke Morita ◽  
Chisa Takano ◽  
Masaki Aida
Keyword(s):  
Ad Hoc Networks ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Cluster Head ◽  
Node Degree ◽  
Hierarchical Routing ◽  
Mobile Ad Hoc ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Hoc Networks ◽  
Heterogeneous Node

Abstract In large scale mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), it is effective to reduce the load of routing by introducing hierarchical routing, and it is conducted by clustering of nodes. A clustering mechanism based on the diffusion equation is a typical autonomous clustering in MANETs, and gives appropriate clustering if all the node degrees are uniform. However, node degrees in MANETs are heterogeneous in general, the fact causes the difference in the strength of diffusion effect. This difference causes that the position of cluster head tends to be around the boundary of networks and degrade battery efficiency of nodes. In this paper, by introducing an asymmetric diffusion depending on node degree, we propose a new clustering method independent of heterogeneity of node degrees. We show that the proposed method has efficient characteristics for battery consumption. In addition, we show the comparison of the proposed method with the conventional method with respect to the efficiency of routing.

scholarly journals Teaching English at Indonesian Islamic Higher Education: An Epistemological Perspective

DINAMIKA ILMU ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Dedi Irwansyah
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Language ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Language Pedagogy ◽  
Scenario Assessment ◽  
Islamic Faith

English Language Teaching (ELT) practices are strongly underpinned by an epistemological view. Different beliefs on what constitute as sources of knowledge and methods of knowledge acquisition bring about different instructional implications. The case is true within the context of ELT at Indonesian Islamic higher education where the desired goals of the English teaching are not only for mastering language skills and pedagogy but also for strengthening Islamic faith and nurturing virtuous action. This research, therefore, aims to provide a description of how the decision makers and ELT practitioners at the Islamic higher education view the Islamic epistemology conceptually and practically. It addresses an attitude toward the epistemological contestation between Islam and West, as well as the strategies of integrating Islamic epistemology into English language instruction. A case study with a qualitative technique of data collection was conducted. Four decision makers, with a formal educational background of Islamic epistemology, and three ELT practitioners were involved as the research participants. The findings show that: First, ELT has its roots in Quranic revelation and prophetic tradition. Second, the Islamic epistemology and the Western epistemology ought to be interconnected rather than to be put within a contestation framework. Third, the Islamic epistemology should be integrated, explicitly or implicitly, into the curriculum, teaching materials, classroom scenario, assessment, academic atmosphere, and research policy. It is recommended that ELT practitioners responsibly explore the notion of Qur'an as the basis of linguistics and language pedagogy, and creatively accommodate the issues of locality and particularity into their instructional activities.

scholarly journals Investigating the Impact of Task-based English Language Teaching on Student Competencies at a Saudi EFL Context

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamza Alshenqeeti
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Language Instruction ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Saudi Students ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Perceived Relevance ◽  
The Impact

This study examines the impact of task-based English language teaching on Saudi students’ competencies, such as reading comprehension and writing proficiency. The mixed-methods approach, involving an experimental component and a qualitative component based on interviews with the participants, is applied in this study. The procedure for the experimental component was developed with attention to the design, implementation, and assessment of task-based English language instruction activities. A growing body of literature suggests that task-based English teaching has gained significance in recent decades because of its perceived relevance in augmenting linguistic and non-linguistic competencies of learners. The study results indicate that the use of tasks in language learning classrooms promotes students’ learning, the development of skills in reading and writing, social interaction, and the motivation to use English in real-life situations. These findings can be used to promote language learning in students studying English as a foreign language.

scholarly journals DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH TEACHING MATERIALS WITH POSTER PRESENTATION ASSISTED VLOG

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-303
Author(s):  
Rasmita Rasmita ◽  
Shally Amna
Keyword(s):  
Poster Presentation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
English Language ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Teaching Materials ◽  
Initial Product ◽  
Scale Field ◽  
Expert Validation

The purpose of this research is to produce English language teaching materials 1 through the implementation of poster presentation assisted vlog strategies for improving language skills and student learning outcomes at private Universities in Padang. This research uses research and development (RD) methods. The stages of development in this study using the development procedures of the Puslitjaknov team include; (1) needs analysis, (2) initial product development, (3) expert validation and revision, (4) small-scale field trials, (5) large-scale field trials. Data collection methods in this study are the observation sheets, questionnaires, expert validation sheets and evaluation (tests). The results of this development research are effective and applicable English 1 teaching materials used for non-English major students.

Snow Avalanches

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Ancey
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
World War ◽  
Avalanche Behavior ◽  
Intensive Exploitation ◽  
Avalanche Dynamics ◽  
The Alps ◽  
The Difference

Avalanches have long been a natural threat to humans in mountainous areas. At the end of the Middle Ages, the population in Europe experienced significant growth, leading to an intensive exploitation of upper valleys. At almost the same time, Europe’s climate cooled down considerably and severe winters became more common. In the Alps, several villages were partly destroyed by avalanches, forcing inhabitants to develop the first mitigation strategies against the threat. By the late 19th century, the development of central administrations led to the creation of national forestry departments in each alpine country, principally to tackle the dangers posed by avalanches. As a result, forest engineers conceived not only the science of avalanches but also the first large-scale techniques to alleviate avalanche risks (such as reforestation). However, with the steady growth of transport, industry, tourism, and urbanization in high-altitude areas, these earlier measures soon reached their limits. A new impetus was then given to better forecasting avalanche activity and predicting the destructive potential of extreme avalanches. Avalanche zoning, snowfall forecasts, avalanche-dynamics models, and new protection systems for the protection of structures and inhabitants have become increasingly more common since World War II. With the advent of personal computers and the increasing sophistication of computational resources, it has become easier to predict the behavior of avalanches and protect threatened areas accordingly. The success of this research and the protection policies implemented since World War II are reflected in the drastic reduction in the number of disasters affecting dwellings in the Alps (most deaths by avalanche now occur during recreational activities). Significant progress has been made since the 1980s, leading to a better understanding of avalanche behavior and the mediation of associated risks. Yet we should not assume that this progress is steady or that our capacity to control such hazards is more advanced than it was two decades ago. Efforts to predict avalanches contrast with work in other sciences such as meteorology, for which forecasts have become increasingly more reliable with advancements in computational power. Explaining the difference is simple: in meteorology, the material is air, a substance whose behavior is well known. The main difficulty lies in the computation of enormous volumes of air encountering various flow and temperature conditions. For avalanches, the material is snow, a subtle mixture of water (in different forms) and air, whose behavior is remarkably complex. Modern models of avalanche dynamics are able to predict this behavior with varying degrees of success.

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