ELT Program Research Articles

Not so non-marine? Revisiting the Stoer Group and the Mesoproterozoic biosphere

Funding for this project was provided by the NASA postdoctoral program (EES), the Lewis and Clark Fund (EES), an NSERC PGS-D grant (EJB), the NSF ELT (TWL, NJP) and FESD (TWL) programs, and the NASA Astrobiology Institute (TWL, NJP).

English language education in primary schooling in Argentina

This article describes public primary English language education in Argentina. I begin with background information about the country and a brief historical overview of education in general, accompanied by a portrait of primary schooling in particular. This overview involves local, political and economic considerations but also international influences that have played a key role in shaping the direction of language policies in primary education at the provincial and national levels in the country. I describe the national curriculum guidelines (Núcleos de aprendizaje prioritario, NAP) for foreign language education, contextualising them within the national education policies for primary school in force since 2003 and the new National Education Act (Ley Nacional de Educación 26.206). These guidelines and policies adopt an intercultural and plurilingual approach in the teaching of foreign languages, including English, at all levels of education and embrace a social justice conceptualisation of education in all cases. This approach has been materialised in ELT curriculum developments and programs in several of the 24 jurisdictions of the country with different degrees of development. I illustrate with the cases of the provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Entre Ríos and Chubut using interview data collected in 2015. Program leaders in these provinces describe their local initiatives. The article closes with a brief account of the affordances observed and the challenges ahead.

STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE LEARNING STYLES: AN ETHNOGRAPHIC CASE STUDY AT UIN WALISONGO SEMARANG

This research is aimed at knowing kinds of learning preferences the students intend most and types of learners’characteristics appear in ELT classrooms.This research was conducted through qualitative approach. The data are collected questionnaires, documentation, and observation. The result of this study shows that students of ELT program at UIN Walisongo Semarang tend to study by various kinds of learning. Among students of 2A, 11.2% are visual students, 16.02% are audio-lingual, 5% are kinesthetic and the rest 14.11% are others, would use multimedia which available in the classroom. Whereas, students of 2B show that 13% of them are visual learners, 11% are audiolingual learners, 6.72% are kinesthetics and the rest 13,72% are others. Students of 2C, 12% of them are visual learners, 11.17% are audiolingual, 7.25% are kinesthetics and the rest 14% are others.

The educational and technical courses in the ELT program in Turkey: Do they contribute to ICT skills?

The present study investigated the contribution of the educational and technical courses in the English Language Teacher Training Program (ELTTP) at universities in Turkey to the information and communication technologies (ICT) knowledge and skills of the students. The participants were 74 teachers/trainees who were attending their last year in the Faculty of Education at Uludag University or graduates of the ELTTP from nine different universities in Turkey. The data were collected by a Likert scale questionnaire by which teacher trainees were asked to rate each course that fell under the specific group of educational or technical courses that they attended during their education; and by interviews through which participants were asked to evaluate to what degree the technical courses contributed to their ICT-informed personal and professional development, and whether they felt ready to employ ICT in their classes as teachers. Results revealed that neither the educational nor the technical courses supported the ICT knowledge and skills of the participants at a satisfactory level, suggesting that the pedagogical knowledge that teacher trainees receive during their education is not in parallel with the technical knowledge that in fact should facilitate the implementation of pedagogical skills in the current age of technology. The present study speculated that the insufficient technical knowledge of the field and underdeveloped technical skills result in evasion of technology use and innovation in education. The study ended with suggestions related to teacher training programs and to the philosophies and approaches to English Language Teaching education.

Teachers’ Beliefs on the Effectiveness of Iranian First Grade of Junior High School Textbook in Fulfilling the Stated Objectives

The most prominent factor influencing students' learning, in any instructional program, is the textbook (Litz, 2001). Due to such an importance, the textbook is regarded as the ELT program heart and an essential constituent to many EFL/ESL classrooms. Therefore, textbooks should be evaluated and selected as carefully as possible to avoid any adverse consequences (Sheldon, 1988). Thus, this study intends to investigate the effectiveness of Iranian first grade Junior High School English textbook from the teachers' points of view. To achieve the goals of study, 100 male and female EFL teachers from junior high schools were randomly selected. They were given a researcher-designed, 5-point Likert scale questionnaire including 45 items for investigating their beliefs on the effectiveness of the textbook regarding eight main factors: grammar, general features, listening, vocabulary, speaking, comprehension, writing, and teacher guide. In addition to the questionnaire, a semi-structured interview conducted for providing qualitative information about the EFL teachers’ beliefs based on the questionnaire and knowing the participants’ underlying reasons for their beliefs they offered in written questionnaire. The results of study revealed that female teachers, by getting higher mean scores in some factors such as grammar, vocabulary, and writing, showed that they are more satisfied with the effectiveness of these parts, while male teachers were more satisfied with general features, listening, speaking, comprehension, and teacher guide.

Iranian EFL Teachers’ Challenges with the New ELT Program after the Reform: From Dream to Reality

There is no doubt concerning the interdependence of educational progress with human development, socio-economic growth, greater opportunities, welfare, and political stability. Hence,for further development and growth of education,transformations and reforms in curriculum are required to reflect the latest changes in theories and praxis of the modern world (Fterniati, 2006). In Iran, due to the inadequacy of the preceding ELT education policies in developing students’ communicative skills and capabilities, a reform occurred in the ELT program as new communicative based textbooks entitled as “English for School Series” and CLT pedagogywere introduced into the context of public schools. However, implementation of the innovative curriculum was associated with different feedback from English teachers. This qualitative study is, indeed, an attempt to explore concerns, problems, and constraints that EFL teachers experienced through the revolutionary reform of the ELT education. Thus, based on stratified purposive sampling, the researchers selected 35male and female teachers of English at grades one and two of junior high schools from both urban and rural regions of Tehran, Shiraz, and Yazd, Iran.The researchers usedtranscription and codification of data gathered through semi-structured interview to find the emergent themes concerning teachers’ challenges and problems in Iran. The findings also indicated that if the new English language reform and policy turn out to be successful at the national level, the government is necessarily required to take actions towards elimination of the potential impediments which block the materialization of the new curriculum.

Development and Validation of a Materials Preparation Model from the Perspective of Transformative Pedagogy

This study is a report on the design, development, and validation of a model within the main tenets of critical pedagogy (CP) with a hope to implement in education in general and applied linguistics in particular. To develop a transformative L2 materials preparation (TLMP) model, the researchers drew on Crawford’s (1978) principles of CP as a springboard. These principles provide the theoretical framework of the ELT program in general, but they need to be adapted to the specific features of L2 materials development. To this end, Nation and Macalister’s (2010) model of materials development were utilized to base different aspects of materials preparation. The newly developed model has driven 22 principles which was validated through a stepwise process. It was administered among 110 participants in 15 cities of Iran. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. The results indicated a high level of internal consistency and satisfactory construct validity. The TLMP model could be conducive for language policy makers, ELT professionals, materials and curriculum developers. Keywords: Critical pedagogy, materials development, transformative model, ELT community, development, validation

Use of Video and Audio Texts in EFL Listening Test

The study aims to discover whether audio or video modality in a listening test is more beneficial to test takers. In this study, the posttest-only control group design was utilized and quantitative data were collected in order to measure participant performances concerning two types of modality (audio or video) in a listening test. The participants, first grade students from an ELT program, were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups: audio-only text (AOT) (n=30) and video-only text (VOT) (n=27). Audio-only text (AOT) and video-only text (VOT) posttests were administered to the two randomly selected groups. Based on the results, the spread of the scores was wide in the post tests. In a nutshell, apart from texts 1 and 2, the AOT group performed significantly higher than the VOT group, despite the visual elements of the video. When considered all twenty items of the four texts, the significant difference found indicates that the audio modality was more favorable. This study examined differences in the effects of video listening text or audio-only listening text in terms of their effect on L2 test-taker performance. The quantitative results showed significantly higher success for AOT test takers. In other words, a consistent pattern presented in the listening comprehension test towards audio modality. However, the findings of the current research are not conclusive since various elements may have affected the outcome, such as motivation, physical factors, and topic familiarity, note-taking habits, and initial preference for audio or video. Therefore, further empirical research comparing AOT and VOT listening comprehension assessments is suggested to take into account these variables.

Analysis of research trends in ELT programs and curricula in Korea

Analysis of research trends in ELT programs and curricula in Korea

A Language Course Within the Scheme of Socially Responsible Teaching: ELT Trainees’ Expectations

The current study aims at investigating ELT teacher trainees’ expectations from a GILE-based course (Global Issues in Language Education) conducted in a large state university in Turkey. The course was offered in the ELT program for the first time as an elective to increase trainees’ awareness on global issues while improving their language skills. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted to investigate trainees’ expectations from the course. Data were collected via a questionnaire administered before and after the course was implemented to compare the trainees’ expectations from and views about the GILE-based course. All of the fourth-year ELT trainees (N=28) enrolled in the course contributed to the study. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of data indicated that the participants had positive attitudes towards the inclusion of environmental issues in foreign language learning and teaching. However, only a minority of teacher trainees considered GILE as essential for language teacher training. The findings were discussed in relation to foreign language teaching education. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n2p355

Preferences of ELT Learners in the Correction of Oral Vocabulary and Pronunciation Errors

Vocabulary is an essential component of language teaching and learning process, and correct pronunciation of lexical items is an ultimate goal for language instructors in ELT programs. Apart from how lexical items should be taught, the way teachers correct oral vocabulary errors as well as those of pronunciation in line with the preferences of learners is a crucial issue on which a consensus should be reached. This present study aimed to explore the preferences of ELT learners in a Turkish university on the correction of oral vocabulary and pronunciation errors by their instructors. The data were gathered from 213 ELT students through a five-point Likert scale, the items of which were derived from the answers given by the students to the open-ended questions regarding the research question. The findings in our study reveal that instructors teaching various field courses including the skill courses in freshman level in ELT departments need to be sensitive towards the preferences of learners in the correction of oral vocabulary and pronunciation errors, and they should explore how the learners would prefer their errors to be corrected as this can enable them to treat such errors more effectively and facilitate the learning process.

Revisiting Challenges of Traditional & Transformational Grammar in ELT: A Sign-based Approach

Complexity is a buzzword of post-modern schools of thought. Framed in a sign-based approach from Columbia School of linguistics, the current study aims at revisiting some challenges of traditional & even transformational grammar instruction in ELT programs which are highly decontextualized, sentence-based. Specifically, the application of gerund or infinitive form followed by some verbs such as “begin, start, continue, like, love, prefer, have, can’t stand, can’t bear” in traditional & transformational grammar which is claimed to be of little or sometimes no difference in meaning is securitized. In so doing, data are collected from 50 samples in an online News site i.e. Reuters in 2012 without considering its genre. Findings show that there exists a significant difference in frequency distribution of gerund/infinitive problematize and confirm the complex debate of the application of gerund or infinitive form followed by the mentioned verbs. In fact, this complexity can be reflective of controversial issues in English Language Education and its sub skills like grammar education. Implications of this study can act as a departure point for textbook designers in grammar studies, linguists and ELT teachers, to name few.

The relationship between self-regulated learning strategies and academic achievement in a Turkish EFL setting

Self-regulation has gained worldwide popularity in the field of language teaching research with the help of recent interest in the active role of learners in the classroom. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between self-regulated learning strategies of the students in an ELT program and their Grade Point Average (GPA) scores. 240 participants from a major public university in Turkey filled out a questionnaire of 41 items and interviews were conducted with twenty randomly selected successful (10) and unsuccessful participants (10). The questionnaire had four dimensions: (a) motivation and action to learning, (b) planning and goal setting, (c) strategies for learning and assessment, and (d) lack of self-directedness. The results of the study revealed that there were significant positive correlations between three dimensions of self-regulated learning strategies (that is, motivation and action to learning, planning and goal setting, strategies for learning and assessment) and Grade Point Average scores of the participants. Qualitative analysis revealed that the top two reasons of success, as perceived by successful participants, were high interest in the field and being sensitive about the grades. On the other hand, unsuccessful students stated that they did not like their fields and they had poor interest levels. This study adds to the literature that demonstrates the relationship between self-regulated learning strategies and academic achievement by providing data from university level students in Turkey. Key words: Achievement, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Self-Regulation, self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies.

Efficacy of English Language Programs as Judged by Nurses and Students of Nursing: Do Nurses in Iran Need to Know English?

Summary Nurses among other medical professions are expected and need to communicate in English. The present study will report the views of nurses and students of nursing on the efficacy of English programs at Iranian medical universities in three major areas: general usage, medical usage, and research usage. This descriptive study included 130 students of nursing and 167 nurses selected through randomized clustering sampling. It was conducted in Sabzevar, Iran. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire including demographic information and 31 Likert questions on the effectiveness of ELT programs in medical universities. The participants judged the efficacy of EFL instruction in the General English section to be 25.7306±8.29288 (out of 50), the Medical English to be 21.1434± 7.40024 (out of 45), and the Research usage to be 24.6496±11.56735 (out of 60), showing a wide gap. However, the effectiveness of the current ELT programs was not so differently judged by male and female participants. Males considered the Research usage to be more affected by the current programs but females did not think so; however, the difference of views was not statistically significant (P=0.019). In general, the results indicated a wide gap between the judgment of nurses and students of nursing about the efficacy of the ELT programs in Iranian medical universities. Therefore, a change is needed to cater for the expectations from the nursing job as far as the English language is concerned as a means of communication in the world today.

To What Extent does a University Level English Program Meet Workplace Demands

The aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of an English language program offered at the tertiary level in the Turkish EFL context. It specifically aims at evaluating whether the program meets job-related demands and graduates are able to maintain their English proficiency level at work. 122 senior electronics and computer engineering majors and 57 graduates participated in the study. The seniors were given a questionnaire to elicit their ideas about usefulness of the ELT program in their future careers. The questionnaire administered to the graduates aimed at obtaining their ideas about the English program and language skills they need/use at work. Each group was given a questionnaire to elicit their ideas about the English Program with respect to four language skills. To see the match between the ideas and the TOEFL scores of both the seniors and graduates for each skill, TOEFL scores were compared with the data obtained from the questionnaires. Moreover the TOEFL scores of the senior students and graduates were compared to see if graduates were able to keep their English skills at work. The data was analyzed and the responses of senior students and graduates were compared by using one-way ANOVA, and the TOEFL scores by t-test statistics. The results indicated that the English program generally meets the job-related English needs and graduates are able to increase their English proficiency. Finally the role of language program evaluation in language education and how it is to be carried out are discussed.

Choice Factors in M.A. ELT Programs

The present study has been carried out in order to determine professional targets of M.A. ELT program students, the factors that are influential in deciding to start M.A. ELT studies, and the ones that are influential in department selection. The study group comprises both students and graduates from various ELT departments and they are made up of three groups in terms of occupation: research assistants, instructors, and teachers. The results indicate that many students undertake postgraduate education primarily with a view to improve their intellectual skills and most of them state that they want to continue their PhD studies.

Research Trends in M.A. ELT Programs in Turkey

Each year a lot of master theses are written but the literature on language learning and teaching in Turkey does not include any studies that make an extensive analysis of these theses. To fill this gap, this study aims at analyzing the theses that have been written from 2005 to 2010 in MA ELT programs. To do this, selected master theses from five universities in Turkey were analyzed on the basis of a number of criteria related to topic and content. At the end of the study some conclusions are drawn about the common trends in ELT studies and this study suggests ways to conduct research in the mentioned field.

Student Teachers‟ Microteaching Experiences in a Preservice English Teacher Education Program

Microteaching has been widely used in pre-service teacher education programs to enhance prospective teachers’ instructional experiences. Within ELT programs, the use of microteaching offers valuable opportunities for trainee-teachers to develop effective teaching strategies. Understanding the perceptions and concerns of student teachers is crucial for promoting teacher education programs’ outcomes. This study aimed at investigating the views of sixty-one female teacher trainees from the English Language Education Program in the Faculty of Education in the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) regarding the microteaching component offered in two courses of English language teaching methods. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques was employed for the purpose of gathering the data. Mainly, a questionnaire and a focus group interview were used as the main tools for data collection. Overall analysis of the findings indicated that prospective teachers described a variety of benefits they gained from microteaching experiences. The study ended with recommendations and directions for future studies to further examine the highlighted results.

A Model for EFL Materials Development within the Framework of Critical Pedagogy (CP)

Critical pedagogy (CP) is implemented in ELT programs aiming to empower both teachers and learners to unmask underlying cultural values and ideologies of educational setting and society, and subsequently to make them agents of transformation in their society. However, despite the increase in the number of publications in the field of critical L2 pedagogy, remarkably little has been done on materials development in CP. Considering materials as the core resources in language-learning programs (Richards, 2010), the present paper attemptsed to offer a model for ELT materials development based on the major tenets of critical pedagogy. The principles of the model were organized according to the main factors involved in materials development, i.e. program, teacher, learner, content, and pedagogical factors. This model is sensitive to the particularities of the local context and to the learner’s problems and concerns. It offers ways to help the learners to improve their second language skills while developing a sense of critical consciousness of issues of social structures in the world around them. It could be helpful for local materials writers and language teachers in developing and critically evaluating ELT materials. Subsequently, the model might contribute to students to be more critical consumers of information.

Iranian Parents’ Resistance to Incompatible Aspects of Western Culture: Implications for ELT Material Development

The British and US varieties of English have now come under suspicion of promoting American and British ways of life and marginalizing the local identities of their learners. Prompted by these suspicions, many scholars and policy makers have voiced doubts about the cultural adequacy of the native speaker-controlled ELT programs. In a recent survey conducted by the present authors (forthcoming), the attitude of the Iranian education officials towards the teaching of English in its western cultural context was surveyed. The findings indicated that they strongly disapproved of the teaching of English along with its western cultural values. To find out whether the above official resistance in Iran has the backing of the general public, a cultural resistance survey was conducted. 393 male and female Iranian parents from different walks of life participated in this survey. The results showed that the high school students’ possible adoption of the western lifestyle and their exposure to the manifestations of incompatible western culture were resisted by their parents. Based on the findings of this research, the researchers made a number of recommendations for international, regional and local ELT material development.