English Language Teaching Curriculum Research Articles

Disinventing Native Speakerism in English Language Teaching

This article explores native speakerism, a chauvinistic ideology, in reference to relevant literature. It first exposes its ideological essence and adverse effects on English language teaching (ELT), and then moves to deconstruct the native speakerist practices concerning English language teachers, English language norm, cultural foundation of ELT curriculum, and teaching methodology, particularly the approaches of communicative language teaching (CLT) and task-based language teaching (TBLT). Through unearthing the culturist essence of native speakerism and the fallacies embedded in native speakerist ELT practices, this study is intended to contribute to eliminating native speakerism and building up more equitable and harmonious ELT profession.

Experiences of non-North American teachers of English in American English-dominant Korean ELT

The dominance of North American (U.S. and Canadian) English is widely prevalent in Korean English language teaching (ELT). Students show more positive attitudes towards American English than any other English variety (Jung, 2005; Yook & Lindemann, 2013), and teachers impart and reinforce American English norms (Ahn, 2017; Ahn, 2011). Administrators and employers consider American English as the sole model for Korean ELT (Ahn, 2013; Harrison, 2010; Jenks, 2017; Song, 2013). Koreans’ preference for American English dates back to the 1950s, when the first national ELT curriculum explicitly favored American English over British English (Lee, 2015). Since then the status of American English as the standard among all varieties of English has been strengthened due to Korea's strong political, military, and economic ties with the US (Harrison, 2010; Yim, 2007).

Construindo um currículo decolonial com as vozes do sul: inglês como língua de denúncia contra violações de direitos humanos

Despite being inherent to the process of hegemonic globalization, English can be configured as a language of denunciation and interaction between human rights defenders in the global South. Bearing this in mind and based on the intercultural dialogue with these voices from the South (SANTOS, 2010), we put forward a decolonial English language teaching curriculum aimed to cater for the needs and demands of these defenders. We made use of unidentified questionnaires for the national and international contexts, whose 159 answers enabled a deeper understanding of defenders’ identities, belongings, activisms and linguistic engagements. First, we adopted a listening posture guided by Boaventura de Sousa Santos’s intercultural imperatives (2010; 1997). And, in the course of this dialogical process, we propose a curriculum comprised of sections gathering themes, literacies, form-functions and genres that favor defenders to project their agendas of activism and resistance in the international arena. Thus, mastering the English language in this context can minimize death threats toward defenders by making their actions more visible and notorious.

Intercultural sensitivity and its effects on ELT curricula – Teacher insights

PurposeThis qualitative research set out to understand what teachers’ assessments were of the context of teaching as it relates to the curriculum, and what they consider appropriate for an optimal teaching and learning experience in a university English language teaching (ELT) context.Design/methodology/approachQualitative data were deemed required to understand the effects and understanding teachers had of the ELT curriculum as it played out in their teaching context. Focus group interviews and observations were the main method for data generation.FindingsThe context has a bearing on the ongoing development of teachers’ intercultural sensitivity (IS) frames and how they address IS over time in their context of teaching as it pertains to curriculum.Originality/valueThis is an original research paper which gives insight to knowledge about the relationship between ELT, curriculum and culture.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS' PRACTICES OF DEVELOPING DISCOURSE COMPETENCE THROUGH SPEAKING SKILLS FOR GRADE 10 STUDENTS: A CASE STUDY

Being one of the compulsory foreign languages in Vietnam and recently regarded as one of the requirements for higher education enlistment, English has received growing attention from Vietnam high school students (Nguyen, 2021). In Circular 32 (2018), the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training [MOET] officially recognised communicative competence as the primary outcome of the English National Program of which Discourse Competence (DC) is a crucial component (MOET, 2018). Although the program aims to achieve the outcome with more emphasis on listening and speaking skills, Vietnamese high school students remain to struggle to form extended spoken discourse (Le, 2011). With the view to gaining insights into the actual state of cultivating DC through speaking skills in students, the study investigates four Grade 10 teachers with varied backgrounds and teaching styles in a private school awarded twice by the MOET for educational reforms and their attempts to integrate CLT in the English language teaching curriculum. After conducting the interviews and classroom observation, the findings imply that teachers devised a combination of approaches that had implicit impacts on different aspects of DC-based on students' English proficiency while preserving their teaching philosophies. Such innovativeness could suggest a rudimentary framework for teaching and teacher training programs regarding fostering DC in speaking for EFL students.

English Language Preservice Teachers’ Stages of Concern for Web 2.0 Technology Integration

This study explores the English Language preservice teachers (PST)’ stages of concern (SoC) for Web 2.0 technology integration in the Learning Technology by Design (LBD) based course. It aims to identify and better understand PSTs’ concerns. Understanding the concerns has advantages of describing and addressing the needs of PSTs prior to actual in-service experiences. SoC model, a component of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, was used as the theoretical framework. An embedded mixed methods design was implemented, which included 24 English language PSTs. The PSTs attended a semester-long course in which they were involved in LBD activities that included Web 2.0 technologies. While the quantitative data were collected through the SoC questionnaire, the qualitative data were gathered from the focus group and individual interviews. According to the findings, the PSTs improved their knowledge and skills regarding Web 2.0 technology integration and increased the Consequence stage’s intensity significantly. Namely, the PSTs gained an understanding of how to design technology-integrated lesson activities that can promote learning. The findings further identified that the Unconcerned, Informational, and Personal stages’ intensities remained predominant and unchanged over the semester. Recommendations for addressing the PSTs’ concerns include: integrating LBD activities into the English language teaching curriculum and reinforcing the LBD activities with modeling, mentoring, or teaching practices to assure PSTs’ commitments for technology integration.

An Ex-Post Facto Study on the Affective Domain of the 5th Grade English Language Teaching Curriculum

The primary purpose of this study was to analyze the affective domain of the fifth-grade intensive English curriculum. The study sample was 366 fifthgrade students from seven schools selected through convenience sampling from 1803 students in 47 secondary schools in Iğdır. We used “The Scale of Affective Objectives of Teaching English to Young Learners” developed by Şad (2011) to assess 5th grade English language teaching curriculum in terms of the affective domain by comparing pilot schools and regular schools. Besides, “Foreign Language Teaching Activities Scale” by Şad (2011) was the other data collection tool used to explore what sorts of teaching activities, teacher or learner-centered, are used in schools to provide a deeper understanding of the affective domain of the curriculum. The study results showed no significant difference between the students regarding four dimensions of affective domain in terms of certain variables. Students in both pilot and regular schools had a high level of positive attitude towards English language learning. Teacher-centered activities as teaching activities were commonly used in schools. To conclude, the number of class hours did not seem to be a principal factor in changing affective components of attitudes towards English language learning.

Glocalizing ELT Reform in China: A Perspective from the Use of English in the Workplace

With the largest number of English learners in the world, the influence of the English language teaching (ELT) reform in China cannot be underestimated. This article explores the implications of the actual use of English in China’s workplace for ELT reform in the context of English as a lingua franca (ELF). On the basis of cross-validated data (questionnaire survey and focused interview) collected from 2495 participants, we argue that ELT reform in China should be geared towards using English communicatively in ELF settings –that is, firstly, ELT curriculum and pedagogies should focus more broadly on improving students’ communication skills instead of narrowly measuring whether they have successfully adhered to lexico-grammatical accuracy pertaining to Standard English norms. Secondly, the native-speaker-based pedagogical model of ELT in China should be enriched with judiciously selected indigenized variants as long as meaning is not adversely affected. Last but not least, for ELT reforms to bear fruit, it is absolutely crucial to ensure a steady supply of properly trained and resourceful ELT teachers.

The Perception of MSU TESL Practicum Students Towards the Idea of Using English Songs with Written Lyrics in Teaching Vocabulary.

Despite the fact that English songs with written lyrics are already familiar in Malaysia, however only a few that recognizes the potential use of the material in teaching vocabulary especially among Malaysian English teachers. The researcher finds it necessary to understand the perception towards the idea of using English songs with written lyrics in teaching vocabulary especially in Malaysian context. This quantitative research aims to identify the MSU TESL practicum students’ perception towards the idea of using English songs with written lyrics in teaching vocabulary and to find out if there is any difference according to gender and program (DTESL/BTESL) in the practicum students’ perception. A total of 164 TESL practicum students are used as the sample in this research where an online questionnaire is distributed to collect data. The results reveal that the practicum students exhibit a positive perception towards the idea of using English songs with written lyrics in teaching vocabulary. No significant difference in perception is found regardless the gender and programs. The findings are hopefully to give significant to the English teachers and the English Language Teaching curriculum developer. Further recommendation is given for a better understanding of the perception.

The projection of identity of an English language teacher in language teacher education programs

In recent years, the image of ELT teachers, or teacher identity, has received due attention in research on English language teaching and teacher education. This study aimed to explore institutional perceptions of ELT teachers' identity as they are projected in English teacher education programs at Vietnamese universities. The study analyzed documents including mission statements, English Language Teaching curricula, and other related policies and conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 institutional stakeholders from three teacher education institutions across Vietnam. Findings showed that the identity of ELT teachers had not received adequate attention from universities in the development and implementation of teacher education programs. In universities where such images were incorporated in the curricula and/or policy documents, their conceptualizations of ELT teachers' identity did not appear to reveal the complexities involved in the widely-expected roles for an English language teacher in the current ELT context in Vietnam. The study served as a call for more systematic considerations in creating the ELT teacher image in teacher education programs at Vietnamese universities to meet society's needs and contribute to the improvement of the national education system.

Language teachers’ attitudes towards English in a multilingual setting

With the growth of English as a global language, there is a need for change in English Language Teaching (ELT) practices that should reflect the use of English for global communication (Cameron & Galloway, 2019). Prior to implementing such change in ELT informed by the perspective of Global Englishes (GE) it is important to conduct research on attitudes towards English which offers insights into the feasibility of the ELT curriculum innovation. Although research on language attitudes is growing, there are few studies on teachers' attitudes towards English conducted from the perspective of their multilingualism (Gorter & Arocena, 2020). By addressing this gap, the present research reveals that the teachers' attitudes to English in the context of higher education in Kazakhstan are related to dominant language ideologies which might impact incorporating GE and ELT in a multilingual setting. Interpreted within a sociolinguistic context of Kazakhstan the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how teachers’ language attitudes are enacted in relation to their multilingualism in order to move forward discussions on the feasibility of GE-informed curriculum innovation.

English as a Foreign Language: Insights from a Public University in Bangladesh

This study intends to examine the perspective of learners from a public university regarding English Language Teaching (ELT) syllabus and pedagogy. The learners in this study are studying Masters (MA) in ELT at Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU). MBSTU is a public university situated in Tangail, Bangladesh. Being their direct teacher, I thought it would be interesting to find out how my students are perceiving ELT courses, in fact the process of data collection and analysis has been an important learning experience for myself, allowing me to delve into the loopholes and strengths of the current ELT curriculum. The survey questionnaire was sent to thirty of the currently enrolled MA students but fourteen responses were obtained due to the current Corona virus pandemic situation. It is worthwhile to mention that this is the first cohort of students for the MA in ELT program at MBSTU. The MA in ELT program was introduced in the university in 2019. This study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire, and data was analyzed qualitatively. The findings from the study suggest that the students prioritize speaking English fluently and pronouncing English vocabulary correctly. The MA syllabus was highly commended by students as it focuses on pronunciation through the course of Phonetics and Phonology.

Meeting the Students’ Expectations: Evaluating the Implementation of English Language Teaching Curriculum

Educational institutions are in need of increasing their high standards as an essential factor in improving the level of quality in education. Hence, they are looking at better ways to develop such a curriculum which reaches the pre-decided standards. This calls for curriculum evaluation. This study was aimed at evaluating the implementation of the 2010 Curriculum (K-10) of English Education Department at the Universitas Islam Negeri Alauddin Makassar, Indonesia. The research design adapted Stake's Countenance Model. The data collected were quantitative and qualitative data. The findings revealed that at the transactions stage, the concordance level between the objective conditions and the standard actuality/objective intensity objective for the curriculum implementation components was overall classified as 'Medium' (Score 48.75%). It indicated that some of the subcomponents still required limited changes or revisions in accordance with the Indonesian National Education Standards Agency instructions. Thus, the formative evaluation of the department’s curriculum implementation needs to be conducted periodically (annually) to ensure the quality of the program and anticipate the changes and development of workplace needs.

LEARNER’S AUTONOMY: A CRITICAL STUDY AND RESEARCH PARADIGM FOR ELT CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO HIGHER EDUCATION

Autonomy in learning has been viewed by many scholars in 21 st as an approach enabling to hold the power or right to regulate, control and govern own learning activities. The idea of autonomy is fundamental to liberal philosophies which see the central goal of self-improvement as the development of independent minds and hence the capacity for independent action. The Latter traces back its origin in ancient Greek philosophy in the idea of self-mastery and determination for both Plato and Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics (1166a 17-19). However, this approach is still a debatable subject when a critic scholar comes to evaluate its application in ELT. Teachers in DRC still play dominant role; hence, learners’ autonomy toward decision-making and problem -solving is still ignored. The latter spend 11 years in ELT Class learning from secondary school to university but unable to communicate in English. The present paper has raised the question of how to improve English Language Teaching and learning curriculum from Teacher to Learner Self-directed learning toward communicative competence .To answer to this question, the study has applied qualitative research grounded classroom observation, focused groups interviews, and learners’ self-directed tasks based learning exercises, video-filming tasks performance and learning theories criticism. As a result, this pilot study has found that developing learning autonomy in English language teaching and learning not only improves significantly learner’s self-governance, but also self-improvement toward communicative language competence. Therefore, to promote language learning climate, teachers are recommended to provide variety of communicative language activities to promote independently learners own learning. Article visualizations:

Cultural Linguistics and ELT curriculum: The case of ‘Prospect’ English textbooks in Iran

This study examines Iranian English language teaching (ELT) Prospect textbooks in light of the recently developed discipline of Cultural Linguistics. Cultural Linguistics is a field of research that explores the relation between language and cultural conceptualisations. The Cultural Linguistics ethnographic‐conceptual text/visual analysis methodology is employed for the analysis of the cultural conceptualisations embedded across texts and visuals. It is revealed that lesson 3 of Prospect 3 captures the Iranian cultural conceptualisations of Nowruz and represents it as an event for (a) renewal of human beings and reinforcement of human relationships, (b) joy, (c) wishing good luck and avoiding bad luck, and (d) visiting. The current research has significant implications for both research and pedagogy in ELT.

Reasons of Burnout: The Case of Iranian English Language Teachers

This qualitative study aimed at investigating the reasons for burnout among Iranian English language teachers who were teaching in public Iranian high schools. To this aim, 15 male and female teachers who had scored high on the Maslach Burnout Inventory were selected and studied through semi-structured interview, journal keeping and observation methods. Qualitative content analysis of the collected data showed that students’ low proficiency, lack of support from administrators, student misbehavior, students’ lack of interest in learning English, time limitation and class oversize were among the major reasons for Iranian English language teacher burnout. The results support the recent renewal of the English language teaching curriculum for schools, but they have further implications for policy-makers.

İNGİLİZCE ÖĞRETME VE İZLEME ETKİNLİKLERİ PROGRAM İLKELERİ İLE UYUM GÖSTERMEKTE MİDİR? 2. SINIFLARDA İNGİLİZCE ÖĞRETİM PROGRAMININ UYGULANMASINA DAİR BAKIŞ AÇILARI

The implementation of macro-level language education policies in the field of teaching English to young learners (TEYL) plays a decisive role in designing and administering micro-level instructional practices. Bearing this in mind, the present study aims to describe English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching and monitoring practices in the 2nd grade, which is the starting level for English learning at state primary schools in Turkey. Following that, it attempts to display the match between EFL practices and the English language teaching (ELT) curriculum. To achieve these aims, qualitative data were collected from 13 EFL teachers through open-ended written surveys. Overall, the findings point out that the 2nd grade TEYL practices largely reflect the curricular underpinnings in terms of teaching and monitoring methodology, language skills and materials; however, there are slight mismatches in some issues such as teaching literacy skills, error correction and the implementation of projects. In line with these findings, this research elaborates on the importance of TEYL course content and principles in pre-service language teacher education. Also, it draws attention to teacher training on language assessment within the framework of continuing professional development.

Grammar Learning At Tertiary Level In Indonesia: A Curriculum Development Of Genre-Task Based Approach

This article explores the grammar learning in two influential English language teaching (ELT) curriculum approaches to tertiary level and the potential approach to interweave them. The two prominent approaches shaping language learning in Indonesia are communicative language teaching (CLT) specified in Task-based Instruction and Genre approaches rooted in Systemic Functional Language (SFL). Given the various curriculum which comes and goes, bringing together with miscellaneous methods or approaches, it is urgently needed to adapt rather than adopt the wholesale methods or approaches by making the nexus between those two aproaches to fit the context. This article aims at revisiting creative and innovative grammar teaching and learning at tertiary educational level. We elucidate how those approaches foster English as a Foreign Language (EFL), notably, how grammar should be learnt and assessed through them.

The Roles of Online Placement Test in English Language Teaching

The influence of technology in the world today and most especially by students have made it paramount for learning institutions to inculcate technology in the English language teaching curriculum. Could it be that there is a dire need to dive away from the traditional way of chalkboard teaching system to a more interactive whiteboard teaching system? It is worth-noting that constant attraction of students to the internet has made it important for learning institutions to keep abreast with the changes with no exception to context of the study. Thus, on the one hand through literature, this study will review the innovative strategies behind the use of online placement test to determine the course level of students enrolled in English language courses. On the other hand, the study will compare the final examination performance of students to determine the effectiveness of the online placement test. This study intends to address the following research questions: (a) what criteria are used to determine the course level of students before commencing any English language course? (b) Do students prefer the use of online placement test for English course leveling? And (c) how does the English online placement test affect students’ overall performances in the course? The study will adopt a triangulation approach which will comprise the use of surveys, in terms of questionnaires and the use of semi-structured interviews. Thus, the study on the roles of online placement test in English language teaching will shed new light on the importance of technology to enhance learning performances especially amongst students who live in a globalised and digitalised age in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Fostering a critical consciousness in ELT: incorporating a women, gender and sexuality course in a bilingual education university program in Bogota, Colombia

ABSTRACT This article presents a systematization of experiences of a course called ‘Women, Gender, and Sexuality’ in a bilingual education program within a teachers’ college in Bogotá, Colombia. In Colombia, there has been a recent controversial movement to address gender and sexuality in the classroom and in policy. The study provides an account of experiences that examined students’ reflective journals throughout the implementation of the course. In doing so, it underscores the importance of highlighting gender and sexuality within English language teaching (ELT) curriculum and teacher education programs; such topics aid students in debunking stereotypes, fostering empathy and forming their teacher identities. These are pertinent topics within the current ELT training courses as they encourage inclusive classrooms through representing unrecognized narratives and promoting a critical consciousness. Within the Colombian context, the construction of narratives and consciousness are also important for the post- conflict transition into a peaceful and inclusive society.