Secondary School English Language Research Articles

Teachers’ Perceptions about the Use of Authentic Material in Pakistani EFL Classrooms

This study explores the perceptions of teachers about the use of Authentic Material in Pakistani secondary school English language teaching classrooms. The research was descriptive in nature and used a quantitative approach to collect data through a survey questionnaire from 40 Pakistani Secondary school English language teachers. The questionnaire used was initially adapted from a research done in Hong Kong by Yeung Ting-fai in 2011, under the topic “English language teachers' attitudes towards the use of authentic materials in Hong Kong secondary schools” but then modified to a larger extent according to the scenario and situation of the Pakistani education system. The data was analyzed through SPSS and descriptive statistics were obtained. The results of this research are significant in Pakistani context. Although many teachers wanted to use Authentic Material in their classes, they were hesitant to do so due to the constraints related to curriculum, examination system and administrative pressure. The study recommends adapting curriculum and examination systems to provide administrative support that can provide space to Pakistani secondary school teachers for using Authentic Material in English language classrooms.

Ortaöğretim İngilizce Dersi Öğretim Programına Yönelik Durum Çalışması: Öğretmenin Programa Bağlılığı ve Öğrenci Beklentileri

This research aims to analyze students’ expectations and, achievement in different language skills in the Secondary School English Language Curriculum which renewed in 2017 and gradually implemented in the 9th grade. The curriculum was implemented with teacher’s fidelity to the new curriculum. The research was carried out with 65 students at 9th grade level in a public school in one of Kastamonu districts. Data were collected through students’ expectation questionnaire, mid-term evaluation questionnaire, and final assessment questionnaire developed by researchers. Multiple case holistic design was used in this research. Within the scope of document analysis, the English curriculum, students’ exams, and teacher’s notes were analyzed. The research data were analyzed with descriptive analysis. According to the results, it was seen that students expected to improve mostly on their listening and speaking skills, and they were willing to participate, educational activities such as role-play and educational games. Moreover, students expected the lessons to be conducted in English language. Considering the data analysis, it was concluded that the expectations of the students were met in the class of the teacher, who conducted the courses with the fidelity of the renewed curriculum by supporting the themes of the program with the proposed activities and materials in the suggested period of time.

Ecuadorian Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching English: Challenges in the Public Education Sector

The current English curriculum in Ecuador requires high-school students graduate with an intermediate (B1) level. Attaining this target depends on several factors, such as teaching strategies employed in class and teacher training opportunities offered. Ecuador is ranked low for English language proficiency and, therefore, an exploratory approach has been conducted as the main data collection method to investigate the possible reasons for poor performance. In the previous phase of an overarching research project, round table discussions were held to explore themes related to English teachers’ pedagogical practices. The data gathering process in the phase described in the present study involved conducting in-depth interviews with 10 primary and secondary school English language teachers. The transcribed interviews were analyzed by putting the material through the MAXqda qualitative analysis software. The resulting coded categories allowed the authors to investigate three specific issues dealt with in the present research study, namely: teachers’ perceptions of the importance of learning English, actual classroom teaching practices, and the teachers’ observations on in-service training options. The findings of the study demonstrated that English teachers in Ecuadorian public schools recognized the importance of English and are making a substantial effort to keep up with the professional demands related to teaching English as a Foreign Language, but they lack the required knowledge to develop skills, such as critical thinking and creativity. They are also facing several challenges, such as a demanding new curriculum and students’ lack of motivation at a time of apparently dwindling teacher training opportunities.

Teaching English Language in a Typical Nigerian Secondary School: A Review of Twenty Years Pedagogical Experience

The role of the English Language in the development of the Nigeria as a country is major and crucial to the fulfilment of SDG 2030 goal in the nation as a whole. The English language is used for education, trade, unity and link with the entire world. Lack of proficiency in English language therefore is equivalent to illiteracy or worst still poor educational achievement; consequently, the Nigerian child will find it difficult to compete in the world of work and employment. This paper highlights the challenges facing the teaching and learning of English language in secondary schools: facts are drawn from the researcher’s over twenty years of teaching English language in a typical Nigerian secondary school that feature students from the six geo-political zones of the country. Stakeholders of education in Nigeria must work tirelessly to ensure success in the acquisition and learning of the English language. The English language has incontrovertibly become the second language (L2) in Nigeria and at the secondary level, the language of classroom interaction: it is therefore essential that English language learners (ELL) at this level attain high level of competence. Keywords: SDG (2030) Sustainable Development Goals; SL-Second language; ELL English language learners DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/77-01 Publication date: March 31 st 2021

An Investigation into the Level of Burnout in Secondary School English Language Teachers and their Perception of Prevention of it

Research on burnout gained popularity in the 1970s but in the last three decades’ research about burnout gained immense popularity (Hedden, 2005, Harmesh, Laurenz, Maulana & Veen., 2018). Frudenberger (1974) defined the term (Burnout) for the first time who opined that when there are too many professional demands with limited resources and rewards, it causes a sense of chronic stress and failure. The current research study was undertaken to find out the level of burnout among secondary school English teacher and also their perception of prevention from burnout. The data from the respondents were collected through CBI inventory to measure their level of burnout and its effects on teachers at the secondary school level in district Swat. An open-ended 7 items questionnaire was used to identify the perception of the teachers about preventing them from burning out. The population for this study is comprised of government secondary schools’ teachers (230) male-only from which the sample group was selected through systematic sampling techniques. The reliability coefficient was measured through the Cronbach alpha method the= .00000. All the respondents used the categories indicating a low level of burnout and the average score of all the respondents is below 40 in most of the categories of burnout. The study recommends that the school management should take preventive measures to help teachers fight burnout on a school level and larger scale (directorate level) organizations should help teachers maintain balance in their work so that they do not fall victim to burnout. The study is of immense importance for the wellbeing of the teachers and the effective teaching-learning process. To be able to generalize the findings of the study, it is recommended for future researchers to undertake it on a larger scale such as provincial or country level. Moreover, the current research has been conducted only among male secondary school teachers. It would be interesting to see the research-based results across both genders.

Assessment Beliefs and Practices of Libyan Secondary School English Language Teachers

Despite the increasing concerns about the importance of assessment, the studies that directly address the assessment beliefs and practices among Libyan secondary school English language teachers are scarce. The present study aimed to investigate the Libyan teachers’ classroom-based assessment beliefs and practices and the relationship between them. For this purpose, a total of 90 Libyan English teachers participated in a survey by responding to a questionnaire which explored their beliefs and practices in the four stages of assessment; namely, planning, implementing, monitoring and recording. Based on their perceptions, other than their confusion over ethical matters in assessment, the teachers’ beliefs and practices generally seemed to be at an acceptable level. The results also demonstrated that the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices is positively moderate and significant in all stages of assessment. The findings are expected to provide insights into the difficulties encountered by the language teachers and learners in the assessment processes, and therefore, enhance assessment practice and learning conditions.

ASSESSMENT OF COMPUTER LITERACY AMONG PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN BENIN METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has increasingly become part of human existence in today’s contemporary society. There is no doubt that ICT has come to stay. In fact, it is obvious that man cannot do without it in this 21st century. Effectiveness in the educational system to a large extent depends on ICT. It is on the basis of this knowledge that this researcher decided to carry out an assessment of computer literacy competency of English language teachers in Benin metropolis. Three research questions guided this study. The descriptive survey was used for the study. The population for the study consisted of 302 English language teachers in Benin metropolis. A total of 151 teachers were randomly selected from the population. An instrument titled English Language Teachers’ Computer Literacy Questionnaire (ELTCLQ) was used to collect data for the study. The simple percentage was used to analyse the data. Based on the analysis, findings were made, amongst which is that the level of computer literacy among secondary school English language teachers is very low. As a result of the findings, it was recommended among others, that teachers should practice the use of ICT in their day to day teaching/ learning activities. Article visualizations:

A pedagogical framework for digital multimodal composing in the English Language classroom

ABSTRACT With the increasing recognition in the importance of multiliteracies, this study argues for the need to develop a pedagogical framework to teach and support students’ digital multimodal composing practices, such as video production, in the classroom. The framework, informed by Systemic Functional Theory and Design Thinking, organises the knowledge and skills of digital multimodal practices into the critical, creative, and technical domains. Based on the framework, we develop a lesson package, comprising four lessons, which was implemented in a secondary school English Language classroom in Singapore. These findings suggest that rather than assuming students are intuitively capable of digital multimodal composing skills, a pedagogical framework that guides their development and demonstration of these skills can be useful.

A Proposed Training Program for Developing Reciprocal Teaching Skills For Secondary School English Language Teachers

Abstract: T his research aims to prepare a proposed training program for developing reciprocal teaching skills for secondary school English language teachers. To achieve this goal, the researcher prepared a list of reciprocal teaching skills. In the light of this، a questionnaire was prepared to identify the training needs of English language teachers at secondary school and their level of the 315 English language teachers in the secondary school which affiliate to the department of education in Asseer Region. The researcher used the descriptive approach in preparing the research tool. The results of research resulted in a list of training needs in the light of reciprocal teaching skills for secondary school English language teachers and were generally high level of need. Accordingly, a proposed training program was prepared to develop the reciprocal teaching skills of secondary school English language teachers.

Understanding the teachers’ perspectives on the role of teacher autonomy in English classrooms in Chinese secondary schools

ABSTRACT This article reports findings from a small-scale qualitative study conducted in partnership with a group of secondary school English Language teachers in China. The study explored the teachers’ perspectives of the role of teacher autonomy in the teaching of English as a foreign language. Using semi-structured interviews, nine teachers from three selected secondary schools were able to articulate their perceptions of teacher autonomy as a professional attribute that plays a significant role in the enhancement of English language teaching. The study established that self-engagement in continuous professional development activities, setting own goals and the willingness to manage systemic constraints contribute immensely to the development of English teaching in schools. The study reiterates the link between teacher autonomy and learner autonomy including the need for school management to shift control to teachers in promoting the autonomous practice. This article discusses the pedagogical implications of teacher autonomy within the language learning setting and provides some suggestions for further study in the field of teacher autonomy in language learning in schools.

An Investigation of Teachers’ Practice of Teaching Vocabulary in EFL Class: The Case of Otona Secondary School English Language Teachers

This study is aimed to investigate teachers’ practice of teaching vocabulary in EFL classes. It was conducted at Otona Secondary School on English Language teachers. The descriptive research design was employed to achieve the intended aim of the study. In this study, 18 English language teachers were taken as participants through purposive sampling technique. Interview and classroom observation were used to collect data from the participant English language teachers. The data collected through interview and classroom observation were analyzed qualitatively based on the research objectives. The findings revealed that English language teachers did not give great emphasis on vocabulary instruction to create a participatory classroom through vocabulary lesson; as result, students could not engage new words in meaningful context. Based these findings, conclusions and recommendations were made. Keywords: Teachers, Practice, Vocabulary, and Teaching DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/66-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2020

Oral Communication Challenges Encountered during the Instruction of English Language in Secondary Schools in Kenya

Oral Communication Challenges Encountered during the Instruction of English Language in Secondary Schools in Kenya

Analysing Teaching Strategies Teachers use to Develop Communicative Competence in Secondary School English Language Learners.

Analysing Teaching Strategies Teachers use to Develop Communicative Competence in Secondary School English Language Learners.

Language learning and learning strategy use in international university students’ English as a lingua franca communication

English as a lingua franca (ELF) has received wide interest in the past decades from researchers, teachers, and users of English in general. The present study investigates whether or not speakers of English approach ELF contexts not only as contexts for communication, but also as contexts for language learning. Interview data was collected from 12 international university students in Czechia and Hungary to explore if indeed they believe they are using ELF communication for their own language learning, and if so, what learning strategies they use. Results show that these English speakers are indeed learning in these contexts and employ a variety of strategies to do so. Implications for how secondary school English language instruction might prepare students for learning while using English as a lingua franca are discussed

THE POTENCIAL OF USING SMARTPHONE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN SECUNDARY SCHOOLS

This article systematically reviews the literature on the Potential of using Smartphone in teaching and learning of English Language in secondary schools. It focuses on the benefits, perceptions, challenges, and solutions towards incorporating smartphones in secondary school education. Through online research, 9 empirical and theoretical articles, case studies, and surveys defending the use of a smartphone in teaching and learning of English language in secondary schools were analyzed. The results from the study show that smartphones do have potential at improving teaching and learning of English amongst the teachers and learners in secondary schools. However, it is revealed also that there is need to establish effective pedagogical ways of using the smartphones in order to reduce indiscipline, distraction, and cases of cyberbullying.

An analysis of the cognitive rigour of questions used in secondary school English language textbooks in Singapore

An analysis of the cognitive rigour of questions used in secondary school English language textbooks in Singapore

Task-based Pedagogies in Iran: The Relationship between Oracy and Literacy

Despite the recent emphasis on oral English language proficiency in the Iranian education system, the teaching of oral communication remains a challenge for secondary school English language teachers. In this article, we suggest that this, in part, relates to the continued emphasis on literacy practices. The article explores the approach taken by three Iranian junior high school English language teachers to teaching oracy during a summer school task-based intervention. Data were gathered through observations and interviews, and third generation activity theory from Engeström (1996; Engeström 2001) was used to analyse teachers’ practices. Findings revealed that, while trialling aspects of task-based pedagogies, the teachers’ attention to oracy increased. However, they retained a strong traditional focus on literacy teaching, which had an effect on their approach to oracy and also appeared to constrain their movement towards less-controlled spoken language. This small-scale study offers insights into approaches to oracy teaching while employing task-based pedagogies in foreign language contexts like Iran. In this context, English literacy has been the historical focus, the Roman alphabet is new for the students, and there is often limited exposure to oracy practices outside the classroom context (Sadeghi and Richards, 2015).

Challenges Facing Teaching and Learning of English Language in Public Secondary Schools in Enugu State Nigeria

English language is the official language in Nigeria. The teaching and learning of English is important for Nigerian students especially at the secondary school level. However, several factors have led to mass failure of the subject by students at this level. This study sought to examine the challenges to effective teaching and learning of English language in secondary schools in Enugu state. The specific objectives included identifying the government factors; student based factors; teachers’ related factors and school administration/management based factors that contribute to the challenges. The study adopted survey research method and hundred questionnaires were used. Data were analysed with the use of descriptive statistics (percentages and mean). Respondents agreed that government based challenges included heavy workload and curriculum (=2.9) and do not provide sufficient learning materials (=2.6). The students based challenges included anxiety and fear for the subject (=2.7) and scarce English practice (=2.7). Teachers based challenges were not good qualification (=2.9) and lack of adequate teaching methods and instructional materials (=2.8). The school administration based factors included poor planning of learning structures (=2.9) and provision of malfunctioning or inappropriate curriculum (=2.9). Government is recommended to provide less workload, relevant curriculum, sufficient learning materials and adequate training for the teachers among others.

Availability and Utilization of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Resources for English Language Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools in Nsukka Urban: Implication for National Security.

The study examined the availability and utilization of ICT Resources for teaching English Language in secondary schools located in Nsukka urban of Enugu state, Nigeria. Two research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The design of the study was descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 9 teachers out 29 English teachers from the 9 public secondary schools in Nsukka urban. One English teacher each from the nine schools making it a total number of 9 teachers were used for the study. Checklist and questionnaires were used to collect data. These instruments were validated by three experts from university of Nigeria Nsukka. Percentages, mean and standard deviation and t-test were used to analyse the data collected. The findings of the study revealed that only 3 ICT resources were available for teaching English language in secondary schools. The study also revealed that the very few that were available were grossly underutilized. This implied that the teaching of English which is known for its capacity to douse linguistic tension in our multilingual Nigeria is not effectively and efficiently taught and learnt. Recommendations made include that government should make available ICT resources for the purposes of teaching English in secondary schools in Nsukka urban and that teachers should be exposed on how to use the ICT resources.

Quality of Teachers: Effective Teaching and Learning of English Language in Secondary Schools, Akoko North West Local Government Area, Ondo State

This study examined qualities of teachers as a panacea to effective and learning of English Language in selected secondary schools. The study population comprised all the public secondary school teachers in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State. Out of this a sample of 150 teachers was selected through simple ramdon sampling technique. Two instruments were used to collect data. The data collected were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and chi-square. The findings reveal that there is significant relationship between teacher’s quality and students’ academic performance in English Language in Secondary Schools; there is significant relationship between teacher’s experience and students’ academic performance in English Language in secondary schools; there is significant relationship between teachers’ qualification and students’ academic performance in English Language in secondary schools; there is significant influence between teacher’s qualification and experience on students’ academic performance in English Language. Based on the findings, it is recommended that Ondo State Government should intensify more efforts in the training of teachers in order to acquire higher qualification; teachers should bring their wealth of experience in teaching students that would enhance the internal efficiency in secondary schools in the State. Keywords : Teachers, teaching, learning, English language, secondary schools. DOI : 10.7176/DCS/9-2-02