Language Teaching In Universities Research Articles

A Qualitative Study Of The Affective Characteristics Of Students Who Learn Turkish As A Foreign Language

Article History: Received 28.03.2016 Received in revised form 02.05.2016 Accepted 13.05.2016 Available online 07.09.2016 This study aimed to gather the opinions of students who learn Turkish as a foreign language. Consistent with the study objective, this study examines the foreign students’ Turkish learning process and classroom environment as well as their opinions about each other. This is a qualitative survey. The study sample included 15 foreign students at upper-intermediate level who learned Turkish at the Ataturk University Language Education Application and Research Center. In the context of the study, the researcher created a semi-structured interview form. The data were analyzed using content analysis. The researchers presented the findings, which were provided by the examined data, in codes and categories and sought answers to the research questions. Based on the study results, students’ feelings during the learning process were determined. The students expressed that they were mostly happy to learn new things; they learned from their failures and felt ambition to study harder, liked to actively participate in the lesson, had positive feelings in an environment of close relationships and negative feelings in an environment of undisciplined behaviors, helped each other when their achievement levels were different and were glad to be told when they made mistakes. Knowing about their affective characteristics will provide data that can be used to design effective Turkish learning environments for foreign students. © 2016 IOJES. All rights reserved

Tendencies of formation of pedagogical competence of foreign language teachers in universities of Ukraine

In a period of updating of all aspects of vital functions of society and expansion of international connections the level of professional training of foreign language teachers is determined by the level of formedness of their personal qualities and professional abilities among which the special place is given to pedagogical competence. For this reason the article is dedicated to the formation of pedagogical competence of foreign language teachers. The various interpretations of conceptions “competency”, “competence” and “pedagogical competence” are given in the article. The variants of their interpretation by local and foreign authors in pedagogical theory and practice are analyzed. In the article pedagogical competence is defined as a system of scientific knowledge, intellectual and practical know-how and personal qualities which can provide realization of personal potential of a teachers in the process of pedagogical activities and which consists of definite structural components. Structural components and different types of pedagogical competence of foreign language teachers are studied in the article. Peculiarities of formation of pedagogical competence are determined and didactic principles that influence the formation of pedagogical competence of foreign language teachers at the higher educational establishments of Ukraine.

Does a picture say more than 7000 words? Windows of opportunity to learn languages – an attempt at a creative reflective poster

AbstractThis article originated in a creative attempt to engage audiences visually, on a poster, with ideas about language(s), teaching and learning which have been informing language education at university language centres. It was originally locally grounded and devised to take soundings with colleagues and with participants at the CercleS 2014 Conference hosted at the University of Fribourg. It uses a local campus building as a reflective canvas, as it were. Simultaneously, it deals with concepts of wider currency which may influence and engage language teachers’ awareness and practices in other tertiary contexts. The poster’s visual appeal not only contrasts with the linearity of academic writing but its open-endedness creates a space for exchange and discussion. It also creates a space for theory, which few practitioners will engage with of their own accord. The poster’s inherent dimension of interpretation by the viewer extends an invitation to respond. This article may render its content more tangible or accessible through verbal elaboration that complements the visual. The notions and cognitions discussed include reflection(s), languaging, a language formula, the Indo-European tree of languages, a multilingual linguistic sign, Douglas Adams’s Babel fish, the IPA vowel quadrilateral, a syntactic tree, and a pyramid of learning. Presenting this poster and article to a wider audience can be framed as a novel dialogue and dialectic about conceptualisations that are influential for university language teaching. It is also an unorthodox way of approaching theory didactically and with language teacher cognitions (

Demonstrating functional interactive language teaching in the Nigerian Universities

Demonstrating functional interactive language teaching in the Nigerian Universities

Teaching English as a foreign language in Chinese universities: The present and future

In the past two decades, there have been two important events in English as a Foreign Language (hereafter, EFL) teaching in Chinese universities throughout the country. The first event was a gradual growth in student enrolment in universities, and the second was the EFL teaching reform that aimed to introduce Communicative Language Teaching (hereafter, CLT) into the English classroom (Rao, 2010). There is an apparent conflict between the increase in student numbers in each class and the use of CLT in the language classroom, thus resulting in a series of problems for current EFL teaching in Chinese universities. On the one hand, frequent contact with foreigners speaking English nowadays makes it necessary for English teachers to develop students’ communicative competence. On the other hand, some problems such as large classes, high demands on English teachers and a lack of financial resources prevent teachers from getting their students involved in the communicative activities in their teaching process (Rao, 1996; Yu, 2001; Hu, 2002).

Teacher learning across boundaries: a challenge to the legitimacy of language teachers’ disciplinary knowledge

The legitimate forms of knowledge recognised for language teachers in Chinese universities are differentiated by strong academic boundaries, subject only to disciplinary authority and fashion. Classroom practice on the whole tends not to be informed by research. For many language teachers, a disconnect exists between the academic discipline in which they are situated and the knowledge they apply in the language classroom. The ethnographic study addresses this disconnection. It is based on 3 years of fieldwork, which investigated a case of disciplinary innovation in the English language department of a Chinese university. Two aspects of teacher learning are investigated, namely institutional boundary practice as discursive space for learning and the learning experience of individual teachers within that space. The study reveals that boundary practice can be a source of transformative energy in developing learning cultures within which individuals may experience a process of identity integration.

Об особенностях методики преподавания иностранного языка в МГТУ им. Н.Э. Баумана

Об особенностях методики преподавания иностранного языка в МГТУ им. Н.Э. Баумана

On Connotative Development of Foreign Language Teaching in Chinese Universities

This thesis studies connotative development of foreign language teaching in universities in China, and commits further analysis of the implication of the university education connotative development, illustrates three stages of evolution of the university education connotative development; it states that university education connotative development advocates the principle of self development. It also analyses current situation of foreign languages teaching in colleges and universities, China has a good foundation for the construction of a global country, to realize its internationalization and modernization connotative development of foreign language teaching in universities in China becomes more important than before. The demand conditions of foreign language talents in China makes the students should understand the western advanced civilization achievements, broaden their horizon, extend knowledge, set up the international consciousness through learning English, so as to promote international communication; the reform of the original mode and the building of a new English professional talent training mode is what society call for. Furthermore, it constructs connotative development mode of foreign language teaching in universities, university education values in training talents that adapt to the new era of social development, and then promote the development of social productive forces. The thesis sums up that the research results and then puts forward the essence of connotative development of universities in China.

The assessment competence of university foreign language teachers: A Ukrainian perspective

AbstractThis article considers the assessment challenges and prospects faced by foreign language teachers in Ukrainian universities in the context of the country's joining the Bologna Process. A major problem relates to adapting higher education to a common framework designed to facilitate comprehension and comparison of the content and outcomes of degree programmes and devising methods of quality assurance in foreign language teaching. The implementation of reforms in the area includes the improvement of assessment standards, the creation of new assessment instruments, and ensuring that teachers' professional repertoire includes skills in accurately measuring students' performance. Given the increased role of assessment in Ukrainian language education and the challenges this new demand poses to teachers, we investigated university foreign language teachers' readiness to carry out complex and multifaceted functions related to formative and summative assessment. Specifically, we replicated the European Survey of Language Testing and Assessment Needs and carried out a survey of our own design to identify specific strengths and weaknesses in the assessments performed by university foreign language teachers. The surveys yielded results that are broadly comparable with the European data, but with minor variations that mostly have to do with newly introduced forms of assessment. Our study shows that Ukrainian university foreign language teachers are quite test-wise and prepared to do a good job in language testing and assessment. The insights drawn from the data can contribute to developing syllabi for pre- and in-service teacher training in the area.

Internet-assisted technologies for English language teaching in Turkish universities

Although the enormous potential of the Internet has gained attention in Internet-assisted language teaching (IALT), a solid background of research is still lacking about/investigating English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers' use of Internet assistive technologies. This study set out to determine Turkish university level EFL instructors' perceptions and perspectives on the use of the Internet for pedagogical purposes. A total of 486 instructors from 11 universities located in Turkey participated in a survey and responded to the questions about what type of resources they utilize on the Internet, how they perceive and use Internet-assisted language instruction, and how they assess themselves in terms of language learning technology. The findings reveal that although EFL instructors utilize the Internet densely and with a positive perception in their teaching, the quality of that utilization varies and needs to be improved via professional development programs for Internet-assisted language instruction. Suggestions were made for further research.

Cloud Service Model Based on University English Reading Database

The Rapid development of cloud computing impels the new situation of information technology services in foreign language teaching in universities, and brings more quality requirements to subject librarians in universities. The teaching database of English reading in universities combines image, audio, video, text, animation and interactive contents for teaching to create a fresh, vivid, interesting English learning environment. The paper proposes the implementation strategies of university English reading teaching datebase construction and the cloud service model according to the concept of cloud computing; It thinks that the subject librarians should supply personalized services for the readers, at the same time, they should also strive to be cloud librarians.

Investigating students’ experiences in an ESL programme at the University of Sindh, Jamshoro, Pakistan

The recent emphasis on the importance of English language teaching and learning in public universities in Pakistan has resulted in the introduction of a new English as Second Language (ESL) program...

Europe versus Asia: foreign language education other than English in Japan’s higher education

The era of Asia has been felt in foreign language education in Japan, with more and more youth reportedly opting to study Chinese and Korean as the second foreign language. The shift in popularity, from European to Asian languages, not only reflects the societal demand for the institutional rearrangement of academic staff but also stirs teachers of European languages to appeal for the continued study of their language. The present discussion paper, drawing from secondary statistics and scholarly knowledge, first reviews a series of Japan’s foreign language education policies from the 1990s to 2012 that have been affecting the organizational structure of foreign language education in Japanese higher education. The study then addresses an array of issues that emerge with the changing needs of the times: the waning popularity of European languages, the Japanese government’s policy shift to English and Chinese, English language professionals’ detached attitudes toward other language education, and the dominance of university language teachers with little to no language teaching training. By addressing these pending yet gravely overlooked issues that merit due attention from language teaching professionals beyond Japan, the present study hopes to provide insight into the traditionally one-sided, English-centric discussion on foreign language education in Japanese higher education in a matter that is informative for international scholarship.

Avenues for Peer Development in Cross-subject Teams

The current tendency to promote university teacher’s research capacities has long over-shadowed the demand for high-quality teaching and made educator’s human capital and professional intellect look insignificant and not appreciated. Moreover, though it is commonly recognised that co-operative strategic intelligence creates most of the professional intellect of an organization, some are dubious about the value of collaborative educator work in a university for the benefit of students and the reputation of the institution itself. The paper shares insights into how to boost the teacher’s confidence in self and others, and what affects such cultivated self-esteem would have in modern needs-based cross-cultural training environments. The reflections are based on the experiences in the CLIL project implemented by the Institute of Foreign Languages of Vilnius University, and comparisons are made regarding the purposes and ways of collaboration between subject and language teachers in secondary schools and universities. In addition, an analysis of the most interesting accomplishments and an overview of key learning experiences are shared for a development of similar projects in future. To place the experience in a broader context, observations are causally linked with the overall situation in higher education where a gradual shift away from conventional teaching methods to more unstructured, learner-centred programmes is being made.

Languages for specific academic purposes or languages for general academic purposes? A critical reappraisal of a key issue for language provision in higher education

The debate about the subject specificity of university language tuition has been going on for decades; it has mostly been discussed in the context of English for Academic Purposes. This paper considers the case for disciplinary specificity with regard to languages other than English. Few, if any, developed curricula, syllabuses, suitable textbooks or other teaching materials are available for other languages. When designing such a Language for Specific Academic Purposes (LSAP) course, university language teachers often have to start from scratch. The task is particularly challenging for university language teachers who are not specialists in the subject discipline. This paper reviews the debate and also undertakes a critical reappraisal of the key points. The main argument against subject specificity is based on the assumption that there is a common core of language features used in a range of academic contexts and that it is useful and indeed sufficient to familiarize students with these. The second argument concerns the feasibility of LSAP teaching whereas the third and final argument revolves around the question whether university language teachers are sufficiently qualified to teach LSAP courses. In the second part of the paper, the focus is on the steps involved in LSAP course design, using the example of a German for Accounting course. The paper concludes that non-specialist university language teachers need a pioneering spirit to teach LSAP courses in a non-English context – and time.

Technology Applications in English Language Teaching in Egyptian Universities

A study was conducted in Egypt to investigate how technology is used in English language instruction at the university level. Results indicate that teachers and learners alike are ready and, in some cases (mostly in the private-university setting), are effectively applying technology tools in the classroom and online. Specific findings indicate teachers' readiness to use technology tools in the teaching of English language skills in Egypt because of their belief that technology is both affectively and pedagogically useful to high-quality instruction. At the same time, teachers are fully aware of their needs and limits in linking technology with classroom instruction. Details on these and other results are presented.

ELTAO Seminar in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

This article is a summary of a seminar devoted to computer assisted language and translation teaching (ELTAO), which was held in Las Palmas. It focused on the CALIS authoring language and was attended by 45 secondary and university language and/or translation teachers. The seminar revealed possibilities of computer-based approaches for drafting complementary lesson material teaching both language and translation.

Developing communicative competence in university language programmes

This article deals with university language teaching in the perspective of its shift from linguistic competence towards communicative competence, and presents some aspects of the underlying process. It analyses the findings from a survey conducted within the Leonardo project “Transparency in the Acquired Language Competences” (TALC; SK/05/B/F/LA-177427). This survey was organised using a genre-based approach to identify language needs in real professional contexts. Its results point to the need to focus on integrated skills in course design. Ideally, learning should model the processes linked to the genres typically used by in-group members of an academic/professional field, which generally involve coordinated use of two or more skills. This integrated skills model of professional language use provides a sound basis for language programme design. The article presents examples of language programmes of various different lengths.

IKT panaudojimas integruojant kalbos ir dalyko mokymą

The present article generally focuses on the implementation of content and language integrated learning (CLIL ) methodology in Lithuanian schools of general education. Although CLIL has already enjoyed quite a long history of its application in various parts of the world and has to some extent been present in Lithuanian schools, the problematic aspects of its implementation in Lithuania are still pending to be resolved. Among a few shortcomings such as the lack of legal regulations or the absence of the ‘whole school policy’ approach, insufficient CLIL teachers’ competences can be placed at the top of the problem list. This is evidenced by the fact that the most popular type of CLIL in Lithuanian schools entails a subject teacher and a foreign language teacher working together in a CLIL class. To improve the situation the subject teachers need to perfect a number of competences including CLIL didactics, application of active methods, use of ICT, etc. to be prepared for a quality CLIL class. In light of this observation, the present study aims at analysing teachers’ attending a CLIL training course attitudes towards the application of ICT in various contexts ranging from the daily life routines to professional activities and to CLIL classes as a fertile area for ICT-based activities. It also aims at comparing the attitudes of teachers from general education schools with the ones obtained from university language teachers and students in earlier studies. It is an analytic quantitative study with 96 teachers participating as respondents. The study has revealed the teachers’ largely positive attitudes towards the application of ICT in CLIL classes indicating a number of advantages: the use of authentic subject-related resources in a foreign (target) language and the possibility to differentiate tasks and the teaching process as well as to motivate and organise students’ individual work. The application of ICT in CLIL classes is also highlighted by the teachers as an effective means of fostering students’ creativity through subject-related team projects such as webquests or by initiating cooperation with students from other schools and countries. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7220/2335-2027.1.11

A note on internationalisation, internationalism and language teaching and learning

In the editorial of The Language Learning Journal of July 2011, readers' attention is drawn to the decline in language teaching and learning in British schools and universities, and to the attempt ...