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Previous studies have shown that extensive graded reading (EGR) has an important role to play in second language acquisition. As educational websites for EGR become increasingly prevalent, their pedagogical potentials in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching have been noted. Newsela is a fast-growing online platform that provides high-quality graded reading materials and supports real-time assessment for reading comprehension. In this review, we first provide an overview of Newsela 's affordances, and then discuss the possible benefits it offers for EFL teaching. Finally, the challenges teachers may face are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores self-assessment (SA) practices and perceptions among primary school English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers in China. Data were collected through a qualitative web-based questionnaire from 97 EFL teachers in primary public schools across Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Jiangsu. The results indicated a general consensus among teachers on the value of SA for improving student learning and teaching practice. However, current implementation practices appeared less promising, with many teachers employing it infrequently and primarily using it as a measurement tool. Factors influencing their SA implementation were also identified, including students’ age and learning ability, effective assessment criteria, large class sizes, exam-oriented culture, sufficient professional knowledge and skills, and parental support. This study suggests that despite most teachers having a positive perception of SA, there is room for improvement in their practices, with a need to promote more regular and formative use of SA. Also, this study underscores the importance of addressing factors affecting the implementation of SA into teaching practices in the Chinese educational context.

This study investigates English as a foreign language learners' emotions and questions the authenticity of the communication in language classrooms in Turkey. To become more aware of learners' emotions and to make a speaking module more engaging, the teacher-researcher decided to utilise process drama as a participatory action research intervention. The data were collected over a three-week process drama. Drawing on 'ethics of care' and 'social and emotional learning', the findings demonstrated that authentic communication empowered learners when the content was relevant to their emotion labour. When learners' emotions are scrutinised explicitly through drama-in-education, they feel respected and more engaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the sociolinguistic and interactional approaches to L2 acquisition, learner participation is considered a necessary prerequisite for language learning. However, recent studies (e.g. Walsh & Li, 2013) have demonstrated that simply letting learners talk is not enough, and that for any learning to emerge, a solid amount of interactional steering work must first be employed by the teacher. This conversation-analytic study focuses on in-service EFL teachers. Based on video recordings of nine lessons (387 minutes) taught by six such teachers, it explores both the resources that they use to manage the participation of multiple learners at once during teacher-fronted whole-class activities, and the ways in which the learners respond to them. The study shows that there is a large range of resources which these teachers mobilise to secure the participation of their learners: these include Yes/No questions in the third-turn position, increased wait time, designedly incomplete utterances, continuers such as “uh-um” or acknowledging learners’ turns in advance by referencing a past learning event. Furthermore, the deployment of these resources is often tied to the pedagogical goal of an activity. These findings bear some implications for future teacher education, particularly in relation to the development of their Classroom Interactional Competence (Walsh, 2006).

Purpose: Due to the emergence of COVID -19, the transition from offline to online teaching also changes how drama techniques work. Specifically, the digital drama technique was used to teach English, when regular classes were almost impossible. There seems to be very little, if any, research on digital drama techniques, especially in the Vietnamese context. Consequently, this study examines how the digital drama technique affects Vietnamese students learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Additionally, the differences and similarities between teachers' and students' perceptions of the technique's impact are examined. Methodology: The study used a quantitative approach. A survey was used to collect data from 1207 students and 69 teachers. Findings: The survey revealed that the technique was helpful for EFL students' learning. The participants mostly perceived the positive impacts of the technique. However, differences in perception between teacher and student were discovered. The students considered it beneficial for improving their writing and reading skills while teachers perceived this technique as helpful in exploring new creative ideas. Practical implications: The technique was approved as useful for language teaching and learning. English teachers are encouraged to use this technique in their teaching in practice. Contribution to literature: The study becomes a good source for further research to build a more profound theoretical framework. More researchable ideas related to this unique online teaching technique are suggested to enrich the literature in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is known that students who learn English, which is the lingua franca of the world, as a foreign language in Turkey do not have satisfactory levels of competency. The present study evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of employing foreign nationals as English as a foreign language teachers in Turkey. As a part of the evaluation, foreign language teaching and teacher's education in Turkey and the recruitment processes of foreign nationals as well as the potential contributions they could make to the Turkish education system are analyzed in line with the related literature, laws and regulations, and statistics. It is understood that foreign nationals could serve as role models for both teachers and students in terms of pronunciation and the use of grammar, pave the way for communicative use of the English language, and increase intercultural awareness of both Turkish citizens and themselves. However, considering the laws and regulations, it is understood that hiring foreign nationals as EFL teachers is not an easy process and that there are a number of factors which can restrict the process. For example, the criteria set by the Ministry of National Education (i.e. being a Turkish citizen and having obtained a sufficient score in the public personnel selection examination) makes it almost impossible to hire foreign nationals in elementary and secondary public schools. Lastly, although hiring foreign nationals to teach a language has the potential to make a positive impact in the Turkish education system, the emergence of such positive impact depends on Turkish educators being aware of foreign nationals' contributions and ensuring a work environment that prioritizes cooperation rather than competition among Turkish and foreign national educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers involved in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching play a significant role in the process of moving toward educational equity. Teacher cognition is very influential in shaping teacher practice and thus affects students' academic performance. However, although the role of EFL teachers as equity agents has been recognized, few studies have explored EFL teachers in-depth in terms of their cognition and practice. Moreover, no review studies have given sufficient attention to the task of elucidating the interrelations between EFL teachers' cognition and practices in the context of educational equity. Therefore, to provide a novel perspective and generate fresh insights into this research field, the current study attempts to explain the connotations of these constructs, highlights the interplay between EFL teachers' equity-oriented cognition and practice, and identifies both experiential and contextual factors that might have an effect throughout the teaching process. Finally, practical implications and directions for teachers, researchers, policy-makers, and social justice leaders who are interested in actualizing education as a means of attaining equity are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is based on a Project-based Learning (PBL) experience which has been successfully developed during the last academic year, 2021-2022, with the students of the 2nd year of study, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Specialization Pedagogy of Primary School and Preschool Education, in the context of promoting and sustaining innovative learner-centred methods. In fact, it was an attempt to move from theory to practice as a result of my recent participation within a project, financed by the EU through the Erasmus+ programme, the Restart for Education in a Digital Era through Project-Based E-learning (Restart4EDU). Therefore, the paper aims to share my first project-based learning (PBL) experience designed and implemented in an English as a Foreign Language (ELF) classroom, as a way of involving the students in an simultaneous process of learning language, content and skills. The learning outcomes did not take long to appear. On the one hand, the students received PBL very well. They acquire not only the 21st century skills, but also those related to language such as listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills, with their related components, vocabulary, gramma rand pronunciation). Moreover, they come to use authentic language materials and improve communication competences. On the other hand, there were some challenges that should be considered before using this approach in the classroom. Further studies focusing on implementing PBL are needed, in particular on measuring its efficiency, and finding ways to overcome its disadvantages. Finally, PBL should become part of the university curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sought to assess and characterise the amount of first language use that two English as a foreign language teachers used to accomplish a number of functions in two classroom modes. An adapted version of the Functional Language Alternation Analysis of Teacher Talk scheme was used to analyse teacher talk in six English as a foreign language classes at a public high school. Results showed that the first language holds a hegemonic presence in these classrooms across a wide range of pedagogical functions. It is argued that initiatives that present prescriptive approaches to foreign language use need to take into account linguistic, contextual, and idiosyncratic factors in the English as a foreign language classroom.

Teachers involved in English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching play a significant role in the process of moving toward educational equity. Teacher cognition is very influential in shaping teacher practice and thus affects students’ academic performance. However, although the role of EFL teachers as equity agents has been recognized, few studies have explored EFL teachers in-depth in terms of their cognition and practice. Moreover, no review studies have given sufficient attention to the task of elucidating the interrelations between EFL teachers’ cognition and practices in the context of educational equity. Therefore, to provide a novel perspective and generate fresh insights into this research field, the current study attempts to explain the connotations of these constructs, highlights the interplay between EFL teachers’ equity-oriented cognition and practice, and identifies both experiential and contextual factors that might have an effect throughout the teaching process. Finally, practical implications and directions for teachers, researchers, policy-makers, and social justice leaders who are interested in actualizing education as a means of attaining equity are also discussed.

This paper provides a micro-analytical investigation into the action formation and ascription of interrogatives as reproaches and the interactional exigencies and functions that motivate this reproach design choice for classroom management. It is shown how the participants draw on an interplay of turn-design, epistemic territories and features of sequence organisation to produce these question-formatted reproaches. These can then be used to directly address forms of pupils' conduct as unacceptable, encourage the adherence to behavioural norms, establish the condition for upcoming reproaches and highlight pupils' failure to adhere to behavioural expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Applied Linguistics / Studie z Aplikované Lingvistiky is the property of Universita Karlova, Filozoficka Fakulta and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The following contribution analyzes language transfer promoting instruction in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction in 9th grade secondary classes in Germany. By combining data from questionnaires, tests, and video-data, the article sheds light on learning outcomes in the context of language transfer promoting instruction and presents teaching practice of interlanguage reflection in ESL-teaching. Results indicate a positive correlation of language transfer promoting teaching with EFL listening comprehension at the beginning of grade 9. A correlation between language transfer promoting teaching did not show up with text reconstruction. The analysis of selected videos revealed sequences that hint at an attempt to promoting language transfer actually take place in classes of teachers reporting high importance for language transfer promoting teaching. However, these sequences do not display an elaborated language transfer promoting teaching. Language transfer promotion is implemented in a rather implicit way, while referring to German language only. Results indicate the need for elaborated strategies of implementation of language transfer promoting teaching.

Copyright of Profile: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Action research methodology is commonly used in initial teacher education programmes as a pedagogical strategy to enhance student teacher learning. Action research is most often used in tandem with school-based practicum components in the latter stage of programmes as a means of bridging the theory-practice divide. It is also frequently used as a capstone assessment to assure prospective teacher capability for reflective inquiry. The study reported here focuses on the perspectives of teachers who were recent graduates of two initial English language teacher education programmes in Chile, who had undertaken action research projects as part of their degree programme. It also engaged the university-based supervisors who had overseen this work. These experiences are analysed in the context of the guiding epistemological and political foundations of action research. The outcomes of this research suggest that the use of action research in initial teacher education contexts may be more problematic than it is often assumed; particularly, where student teachers' work is professionally isolated. From this, it is suggested that action research in initial teacher education needs to be conscious of potential constraints in school-based contexts, as these may act to limit the current and prospective impact of this learning experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have demonstrated the value of teacher professional development programs (PDPs) as an effective strategy to improve teaching. The purpose of our study was to design and test an intervention that could be used as part of a PDP with three English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers at a Chinese university. The primary aim of our intervention was to help the teachers implement teaching strategies that would motivate students to engage in learning, with the ultimate goal of improving student motivation and achievement. The strategies implemented in the classroom intervention included group presentation activities and a grading rubric. Through the use of both quantitative and qualitative research methods, we documented that the intervention had a positive effect on students' motivation and achievement, and changed teachers' attitudes and beliefs about how group activities could affect students' motivation and achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) is a second language teaching method prevalent in most English teacher training programs in the Western world. The majority of teacher trainees in CLT-based programs learn English as a foreign language in order to return to their home countries and become English as Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. In many cases, students report that the CLT training environment varies greatly from their experiences as an EFL teacher. This paper investigates the perception of one Western-trained EFL teacher of CLT in China and the strategies she developed to balance communicative methods and traditional Chinese teaching. Realizing the obstacles to implementing CLT in her classroom, Laura developed strategies to adjust to the Chinese context. Using both her learning experience of growing up in China and her educational experience in the United States, Laura was able to navigate conflicting pedagogical backgrounds.

English language teaching (ELT) as a second or foreign language is a worldwide practice for Educational Systems in elementary schools. Educational reforms in Mexico have aimed at addressing English language learning within the elementary schools’ curricula, however, there have been shortcomings when implementing the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in all Mexican classrooms. This study was done to explore the possibility of general classroom teachers becoming EFL facilitators. The participants were 15 general classroom teachers with no specialization in ELT, from either a rural school in a Bilingual indigenous community or an urban school in the Mexican State of San Luis Potosí. A mixed-method research approach was employed, which included a socioeconomic questionnaire, an attitude towards English questionnaire and an ad hoc questionnaire; to explore the implementation of EFL in the participating schools. Results suggest that general classroom teachers without specialization in ELT may be a potential positive alternative to implementing ELT by becoming second language facilitators. The findings are discussed in relation to the concept of second language facilitators and recommendations for future studies to further explore this teaching role are laid out.

In this paper, we explore how English language teacher education could be envisioned in different ways if one were to adopt a 'social' approach toward English language education. More specifically, drawing on our experience, which we gathered as Korean faculty members of two Canadian universities, with the help of reflexive inquiry, we highlighted the importance of fostering critical intercultural competence among language teachers. Focusing on a small-scale case study of Korean teacher candidates who participated in a short-term community-based service learning in Canada, our analysis examines how to train English teachers to develop their own intercultural understanding through experiential learning activities, so they can better develop intercultural competence among their students. We argue that a critical understanding of linguistic and cultural diversity is an essential component of English language teacher education in increasingly diverse EFL classrooms across South Korea in the era of globalization, transnationalism, and multilingual/multiculturalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following contribution analyzes language transfer promoting instruction in the context of English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction in 9th grade secondary classes in Germany. By combining data from questionnaires, tests, and video-data, the article sheds light on learning outcomes in the context of language transfer promoting instruction and presents teaching practice of interlanguage reflection in ESL-teaching. Results indicate a positive correlation of language transfer promoting teaching with EFL listening comprehension at the beginning of grade 9. A correlation between language transfer promoting teaching did not show up with text reconstruction. The analysis of selected videos revealed sequences that hint at an attempt to promoting language transfer actually take place in classes of teachers reporting high importance for language transfer promoting teaching. However, these sequences do not display an elaborated language transfer promoting teaching. Language transfer promotion is implemented in a rather implicit way, while referring to German language only. Results indicate the need for elaborated strategies of implementation of language transfer promoting teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista EntreLínguas is the property of Revista EntreLinguas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This action research examines experiences that students in a grade 10 EFL class had with redesigning a grammar-unit into a topic-based unit. Strategies were formulating significant learning goals and objectives, and implementing and reflecting on activities with three dimensions of Dee Fink's (2003) taxonomy of significant learning: the human dimension, integration, and application. Students reported positive perceptions about learning with and about others, learning about themselves, integrating language and topics to their lives, and recycling and applying topics to other formats. They became more active and reflective language learners. Difficulties were linking significant unit goals and objectives to all participants' needs and interests, students' initial unwillingness to learn about others, and students' limited proficiency for integrating and applying English.

The aim of the article is to focus on the cognitive mechanisms that motivate the meanings of idioms as presented by Zoltán Kövesces. Contrary to traditional view, according to which an idiom is an expression whose overall meaning differs from the meanings of its constituents, cognitive linguistics claims that the meaning of a large number of idioms is not arbitrary but motivated. It rejects the "dead metaphor" perspective in favour of underlining relations between domains. The approach, which underlines the embodied aspects of language and cognition, appears tempting in particular in relation to body-related idioms. Metaphorical awareness can play a role of comprehensible input in learning idiomatic language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the learning journey of one Chinese teacher and postgraduate student as he explores the challenges of enabling a group of elderly Chinese immigrants to learn English as a foreign language by means of hermeneutic phenomenology - using personal reflection and reading as a guide. The author concludes that teachers need to think critically beyond the seeming limitations of their teaching task to maintain meaningful pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]