English As A Foreign Language Courses Research Articles

Sharing Roles in the Classroom: Everyone is a Teacher, Everyone is a Learner

In this paper I will discuss results of classroom-based research I undertook in English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms at two universities in Mexico. The data collected was written responses from the adult learners as to their experience of an introductory EFL course I had designed specifically for them. The theme of sharing roles was an arresting one that emerged from the data, and I would like to share some of the learners' commentaries on the subject, along with my interpretations. The indications are that when working with adults, sharing teacher/learner roles is of great benefit to everyone involved.

Reimagining Communicative Context: ELF Interaction in Second Life to Learn EFL

Drawing upon a semiotic approach to English as a lingua franca (ELF), this study investigates English as a foreign language (EFL) students' interactions with international speakers of English in the real-time, multiplayer virtual world Second Life. The author integrated pedagogical strategies of classroom interactions, online conversations, and student reflections in an EFL course to facilitate students' understanding and use of ELF. Qualitative analyses of written conversations and reflective observations by some of the students showed distinctive features of ELF communication with regard to interactional resources and discourse strategies in international encounters. Student responses to post-task survey questions further reflected the benefits and challenges of connecting multiple proficiencies and identities in developing ELF across spaces and events. This article concludes with discussions on issues and recommendations for re-envisioning communicative contexts that are relevant to playful interaction as ELF practice.

The development of conjunction use in advanced L2 speech

The article discusses the results of a longitudinal study of how the use of conjunctions, as an aspect of spoken discourse competence of 13 selected advanced students of English, developed throughout their 3-year English as a foreign language (EFL) tertiary education. The analysis was carried out in relation to a number of variables, including 2 reference levels, one representing English native discourse and the other observed in teacher talk in actual EFL classes, language type exposure, as registered by the participants of the study on a weekly basis, and teaching procedures. The study investigated possible factors determining the development of 3 aspects of conjunction use: (a) formal conjunctions, (b) specific conjunctions, that is, those conjunctions that are both characteristic of natural English discourse and are underrepresented in L2 discourse, and (c) conjunction diversity. The results point to a restricting effect of teacher talk on the development of specific conjunction use and conjunction diversity. These 2 aspects of conjunction use enjoyed only a slight rise, approaching the teacher reference level. On the other hand, formal conjunctions use did increase radically throughout the study, exceeding the native reference level. In this case teacher talk played a reinforcing role at most. As indicated in a correlational analysis, although there was a clear tendency of the participants’ development of conjunction use towards the native reference level, exposure to authentic English may not have been facilitative of the development of this discourse aspect. An interesting observation was made with reference to the effect of formal instruction on the development of conjunction use: Although the subjects did receive intensive training in conjunction use in the 1st semester of their EFL course, it was not until the 2nd year that their levels of formal conjunction use in spoken output increased. This suggests that formal instruction may have no immediate effect on the development of spoken discourse competence.

კოდების გადართვის ფუნქციები და გამოყენების სიხშირე ქართულ საგანმანათლებლო დისკურსში

Within the context of teaching English as a foreign language, code-switching – alternating between two or more languages, in the context of a single conversation or situation – is a common practice. This article is the first to investigate the frequency and functions of code-switching by lecturers of general English language courses across two main universities in Tbilisi, Georgia. Building on existing literature [Myers-Scotton, 1993; Ferguson, 2003, etc.], this quantitative study uses survey responses from 92 lecturers and 220 students enrolled in general English courses at the university level in Georgia. The objective is to reveal (1) the frequency of code-switching used by the EFL (English as a foreign language) course lecturers in the higher education discourse; (2) the functions of using code-switching in the EFL course; (3) and the EFL course lecturers' and students’ attitudes towards lecturers’ code-switching behavior. Based on the results of the study, code-switching in the classroom can serve several functions such as communicative and intercultural difference. Moreover, students were found to hold far more positive attitudes towards their lecturers switching from English into Georgian during class than the lecturers themselves. Thus, it shows that lecturers believe in a conventional view (using only one language) of teaching a language. Surprisingly, although lecturers have a negative attitude towards using Georgian, 50-60% of participants use Georgian.

A Case for Improved Reading Instruction for Academic English Reading Proficiency

This article presents a study of the academic reading proficiency in English of 217 senior level Norwegian upper secondary school students who upon graduation are considered qualified for higher education. Testing with an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic Reading Module revealed that two thirds of the 178 respondents with ordinary EFL courses did not achieve the equivalent of the IELTS Band 6 score minimum that is usually required for admission to British and Australian universities. In comparison, two thirds of a sample of 39 respondents with a single, sheltered Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) subject achieved a Band 6 score or better. Closer analysis indicates that the poor test scores can be attributed to weaknesses in current English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction where reading is neglected, where students do not learn to adjust how they read to reading purpose, and where they do not learn how to handle unfamiliar words to avoid disrupting the reading process. The article ends with suggestions on how to improve EFL instruction, in Norway and elsewhere.

Decision-Making between Online and Frontal EFL Courses

This research provides an understanding of how Western Galilee College (WGC) students decided which course delivery format to take i.e., online self-access learning vs. face-to-face (F2F) for a mandatory academic English course. The current study investigated the compatibility or incompatibility of the online course initiatives to the students’ decision-making behaviours. For the study, interviews as well as a questionnaire before the final department-wide exam were utilized. Moreover, information concerning learning outcomes (final course grades) for all students registered in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses was received from the WGC IT department. In general, the study found that WGC students emphasized the technical aspects (price, convenience, flexibility) instead of the essential aspects of the course (personalization, quality of learning, success in the course) in choosing a virtual course over a F2F format. Additionally, in the selection process, these students did not consider the uniqueness of an English course (as a language course) and its relative lack of suitability in the virtual format. Moreover, the students did not rely on professional consultation to weigh the suitability of the online course for them. Finally, students’ grades at the end of the English course were remarkably lower in the online course than in the traditional courses. Based on the evidence presented, it can be concluded that language classes are not always suitable for an online delivery platform. The results of this research will have ramifications as to how to tailor future English courses to the students’ learning needs.