Foreign Language Teaching Materials Research Articles

Teaching strategies and materials in foreign language teaching in Finland

The purpose of this study was to investigate what teaching strategies and teaching materials are used in foreign language teaching in Finland. The data were collected with an online questionnaire that was answered by 550 language teachers from primary school to adult education. Descriptive statistics and two-way ANOVA were used to analyse the dataset. The results showed that printed textbooks, mechanical exercises, communicative tasks, and comprehension exercises were widely used in foreign language teaching, while fiction, non-fiction, and national and international collaboration were rarely implemented into teaching. Major differences in the use of teaching strategies and materials were detected across educational levels. The results imply that training for teachers and student teachers is required, and greater attention should be given to diversifying foreign language teaching materials. Providing ready-made materials for teachers and considering the effect of the matriculation examination on teaching strategies and materials are also essential implications of this study.

新时代背景下高校韩语教材建设的内涵与路径探索

This article is based on the connotation of foreign language teaching material construction in the context of the new era, focuses on the specific path of Korean language textbook construction in colleges and universities, and explores how the construction of Korean language textbook in colleges and universities can fulfill the mission of the times shouldered by foreign language teaching materials from three aspects: curriculum ideology and politics, new liberal arts construction, and digital transformation: First, how to organically integrate Chinese culture into Korean language textbooks in colleges and universities; second, how to build Korean language textbooks in colleges and universities to adapt to interdisciplinary requirements and achieve cross-integration between disciplines; and third, how to build digital Korean language textbooks in colleges and universities. Through the discussion of these issues, we hope to provide reference and inspiration for related academic research and practical exploration of foreign language teaching material construction in the new era.

Investigating the Effects of Infographics-Based Teaching on Efl Students' Grammar Retention

Infographics have become more common in education as a way to graphically convey complex information. They offer a visually appealing structure that facilitates comprehension and retention, particularly for language acquisition. This study examines the impact of infographics in grammar courses on grammar retention as well as the attitudes of first-year non-English majors toward using infographics in grammar lessons. Freshmen at Mekong Delta University taking General English classes at the beginning of their first semester made up the participants. The goal of the study is to determine whether infographics assist students in remembering grammar and what they think of it. It emphasizes remembering five English tenses. As part of a quantitative research methodology using a quasi-experimental design, participants were split into two groups: an experimental group (EG) that received instruction via infographics and a CG that received traditional schooling. The study used a pre-test, post-test, delayed post-test, and a questionnaire to assess attitudes and retention. The findings suggest that including infographics into English language training can enhance students' perspectives on the subject and their memory of grammar. Teachers should consider the attitudes of their students while developing foreign language teaching materials and techniques.

Authentic Materials And Task Design: A Teaching Amalgam

The use of authentic materials in foreign language teaching has been a growing practice over the last few decades. With the emergence of technology, these materials are more accessible, particularly in digital formats. Despite being primarily designed for non-pedagogical uses, these materials have become valuable resources for English language learning. However, using them effectively for teaching and learning purposes requires a systematic structure. This article examines the use of authentic materials in relation to various language skills, with a particular focus on listening comprehension framed within a pre-, while-, and post-stage cycle at both local and international levels, with the latter referring to the Colombian context. A review of scholarship shows that the use of authentic materials is a seemingly frequent practice among teacher-researchers, but not among a larger audience of practitioners. Additionally, studies do not provide guidance on how to prepare practitioners to design appropriate activities that complement authentic materials. Therefore, after examining studies and based on our teaching-research experience, we aim to contribute to the implementation of a pedagogical strategy that combines the systematic use of authentic materials with listening comprehension and a task design that provides a balance of challenge and support.

Гадаад хэлний олон улсын стандартад тулгуурласан сургалтын хэрэглэгдэхүүн боловсруулах арга зүйн асуудалд (МУИС-ийн ерөнхий суурь хичээлд зориулсан “Япон хэл 1” сурах бичгийн жишээгээр)

In this article, we will be considering the issues on the methodology for developing the textbook “Japanese 1” for NUM’s Liberal arts education. When creating the textbook “Japanese 1” us authors, have aspired to follow the methodologies for developing foreign language teaching materials, common criteria for textbook, internationally accepted CEFR and the JF Standard for Japanese-Language Education. CEFR and JF standards both clearly define the Level A or beginners’ learning goals and objectives. We took those goals and objectives as our main indicators for evaluation and took a student- centered, communication-oriented approach. Furthermore, when setting learning goals and objectives and evaluating the results, we used the Can-do statements evaluation method, which focuses on “What will the learner be able to do?”. As the above-mentioned textbook is targeted for Mongolian students, it is structured around concepts concerning Mongolian cultural elements. In the future, we firmly believe that this textbook should be used as a comprehensive teaching aid for Japanese language and should be improved along the way. Also, we hereby acknowledge the necessity for developing the basis of creating the textbook for the next level.

Conceptual-analytical framework for exploring culture in EFL coursebooks: Analysis of teaching materials from a multimodal perspective

Employing literature on coursebook analysis and evaluation and informed by the research on multimodality in language teaching materials, this study proposed a conceptual-analytical framework for exploring how cultural meaning is conveyed in foreign language teaching materials through the way in which text, task, and image combine in a learning activity. Through the application of the proposed framework, we explored cultural representations found in texts, students' meaning-making opportunities guided by tasks as well as alignments and potential contradictions between verbal and visual messages by analysing images. In doing this, we attempted to evaluate the potential of language teaching materials to cater for diverse groups of learners within a given socio-cultural context. In our investigation, we drew on two types of coursebook evaluation - micro-evaluation and macro-evaluation - which were supplemented by the deductive content analysis. We illustrate how the proposed framework might help teachers evaluate the effectiveness of coursebooks’ use of multiple representations to support student learning and meaning-making.

Развитие медиакоммуникации у студентов внешнеэкономических специальностей через медиаобразование

The author examines various aspects of building the capacity for media communication of foreign economic specialties students in the guided conditions within the organized media education settings. The author proposes using media language materials in foreign language teaching. The article stresses the importance of media-education factor in foreign language teaching, which is supported by topical pedagogical approaches of D. A. Mezentseva, E. S. Kilpelainen, N. A. Mikhailova, A. Dorr. Taking media-communication formation as a media competence into consideration, the article presents a methodological aspect of organizing the educational process, reveals the structure of foreign language communicative competence and the scheme of media-competence vectors and its development model. The author points out the importance of including courses in the curriculum for the students of foreign economic specialties, which are focused on the analysis of media; the applied vectors of foreign language teaching in the development of media communication as the basic media competence of a student focused on the work in the foreign economic structures (e.g. customs administration) are given. Particular attention is paid to the author’s typical course content and analysis of the advantages of using media resources by university professors in teaching foreign languages as part of professional communication ("blending learning"). In conclusion, the author emphasizes the need for a comprehensive and organized media education as a factor of synergy between mass media and professional competencies of future specialists, as well as the importance of using an integrated approach to the development of media communication as professional communication of graduates.

The Effect of 21st Century Skills Training on Foreign Language Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Their Educational Technology and Materials Development Competencies

This study aims to show whether 21st Century Skills Material Design Teacher Training and Professional Development Program enhance foreign language teachers’ perceptions regarding their educational technology and material development competencies. It is worthy of recommendation that teachers should learn what 21st century skills are and how to bring these skills into classroom by creating their own foreign language teaching materials through digital technologies. To that end, an 8-week teacher-training program was held at Istanbul University. Thirty-three English teachers participated in the study. Application-based Educational Technology and Material Development Competencies Scale was conducted as pre-test and post-test before and after 8-week training in order to measure changes of the teachers’ perceptions. In addition, teachers' opinions have been obtained through structured interview technique to deepen the parts that are not acquired from quantitative data. Results of the study indicate that this type of strategy training was found useful for developing teachers’ perceptions regarding their educational technology and material development competencies on 21st century skills.

Linguistic units as carriers of ethno-cultural information and their place in foreign language teaching materials

Linguistic units as carriers of ethno-cultural information and their place in foreign language teaching materials

The importance of interactive tasks and their systematization in language teaching

This article discusses the importance of foreign language teaching and its current position including foreign language teaching materials. The interactive methods used by foreign language teachers, additionally, the personal and scientific pedagogical skills required in language teaching and their role in the development of innovative new effective education systems are revealed. It compares interactive methods with traditional teaching methods and shows clear conclusions. Furthermore, non-traditional interactive teaching methods, which are useful in extra language learning, are intended to achieve effective results in teaching 4 aspects of foreign languages (reading, listening, writing and speaking skills). At present, this article focuses on the psychological aspects of language learning.

Authentic Social-Cultural Reading in Foreign Language Learning and Teaching

The paper concerns the use of authentic social-cultural reading materials in foreign language learning and teaching of international students. The study was started from the assumption that authentic materials allow international students to link mastering a foreign language and the real world since they meet learners’ needs and contribute to better social adaptation in a foreign country. The purpose of the article is to characterize the place and role of work with authentic social-cultural reading materials in foreign language learning and teaching of international students. The theoretical and mixed methods were used to achieve the purpose. The study was conducted with first-year international students of different faculties of SNAU. In the context of the mixed method both quantitative (numerical) data from questionnaire (in the middle of the semester) and qualitative (namely students’ comments, observation and analysis of students’ activity during foreign language classes, monitoring the students’ reaction to the use of authentic reading materials from different sources (printed mass media, TV, Internet) throughout the semester were gathered and processed to bring the results together in the overall interpretation. Conclusions: the outcomes demonstrate that international students consider authentic social-cultural reading worthwhile and see more potential advantages in work with them than constraints. International students support using different thematic materials from personal contexts (family life and habits) to public ones (country’s traditions and events). The benefits of using them also include a possibility for enhancing reading skills, acquisition of the language and reality of the foreign country, better students’ social adaptation, and motivation to learning.

Integrating Linguistics Theories in Developing Foreign Language Teaching Materials (German Grammar Textbook for Indonesian Learners)

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of German grammar textbook using linguistic approaches in increasing students’ academic motivation, learning outcome, and linguistic understanding. This German grammar textbook is composed for Indonesian learners. This study employed experimental approach by involving two experimental groups without control group. The total research participants were 45 Indonesian students in the second semester of the German language education department divided into two classes. There were three variables observed in this study. Students’ learning outcome was measured by a grammar test developed by the researchers, while students’ academic motivation was measured using a scale developed by Vallerand et al. (1992) consisting of 28 items that had been translated into Indonesian and tested by Natalya & Purwanto (2018). Students’ linguistic understanding was measured using the linguistic understanding scale developed by Hasmawati (2021). The treatment was conducted in six meetings in which each meeting took place for two hours using Zoom video conference platform. Data were analyzed using a descriptive statistic, a correlation test, and a paired sample t-test using the SPSS-26 application. The study found that the integration of linguistic approach, error analysis and contrastive analysis, in composing a grammar textbook of a foreign language is more likely to positively affect students’ academic motivation, learning outcome, and linguistic understanding.

Foreign Language Policy and Pedagogy in the Philippines: Potentials for a Decolonial Approach

The implementation of the Department of Education’s Special Program in Foreign Language (SPFL) marked the beginnings of the nationwide institutionalization of a range of foreign languages (FL) in the Philippines, stimulating new sites of inquiry for the field of critical language studies. Many of the languages offered under the SPFL do not share the historical and social grounding of the country’s official languages. However, they find common ground with English in the extant colonial framings of language teaching and learning, which have often impeded local agency in structuring or reimagining encounters with the “foreign.” As such, this paper aims to explore decolonial approaches to issues that have emerged alongside the promotion and teaching of foreign language classes across all levels of education in the Philippines by drawing inspiration from the decoloniality movement in Latin America and related efforts to de-center knowledge and digress from extant canons. First, it problematizes the implicit reinforcement of the one-nation one-language habitus, paying particular attention to assumptions that guide foreign language policies, materials, and teaching methods that reinforce global linguistic hierarchies and assumptions in favor of “competitiveness.” Second, considerations for alternative foreign language teaching approaches and materials are put forward, factoring in the Philippines’ sociolinguistic and historical features that have guided its framing of the “foreign,” as well as extant challenges in promoting intercultural reflection in an increasingly neoliberal educational setting. Challenges in integrating a decolonial perspective in institutional conceptualizations and policies on foreign language teaching in the Philippines conclude this paper to stimulate reflection on how language teaching may offer opportunities to rethink our relationship to language and interlingual/intercultural encounters.

Опыт апробации песенных материалов, переведенных с русского на английский язык, в преподавании иностранного языка в школе на начальном и среднем этапах обучения

The development of methods of foreign language teaching using song materials is one of the most pressing problems of foreign language teaching in modern practice. The purpose of this article is to describe the experience of using song materials of Russian composers and poets translated into English in the practice of foreign language teaching in primary and secondary schools. The research objectives are to identify and experimentally describe the translated song materials and test the author's methodology for its use. The aim of the study is also to find out peculiarities of psychological and emotional features of the perception of educational material by students via personal perception of song lyrics. Methods of theoretical analysis and comparison, as well as conducting an experiment to test the author's methods of foreign language teaching, which allow to solve the tasks and achieve the goals of the study, has been used. As a result of the research, new data were obtained on the use of song materials in foreign language teaching. Also, a teaching methodology, based on the principle of combining structural, pragmatic, cultural, prosodic and communicative aspects of teaching a foreign language, was formed.

Authentic Language Input in Foreign Language Teaching Materials: Advantages and Disadvantages

Following the domination of the communicative approach in foreign language teaching, the idea that language development is possible through message-oriented input has resulted in discussions about the kind of input presented to individuals during language teaching, and the use of authentic language teaching materials (tools) by integrating them as input into language teaching processes has become one of the major arguments of the communicative language teaching approach. In line with this, the present study aims to examine the concept of authenticity, which has an ever-increasing importance in foreign language teaching, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of authentic language teaching materials as rich sources of linguistic input within the context of the literature on foreign language teaching following a formative research methodology.

Pilsētu teksti kā autentiski materiāli kontekstualizētai latviešu valodas apguvei ārvalstu universitātēs

Latvian as a foreign language has been taught in different parts of the world since the beginning of the 20th century. Currently, Latvian is taught in some 20 foreign universities in Europe, Asia and the US. Introducing photos of written texts seen in Latvian cities is one way of showing students the authentic use of Latvian in public communication and of drawing their attention to the principles of creating certain types of texts, including typical language tools and their functionality. The paper has two interrelated aims: 1) to theoretically discuss the usefulness of authentic materials in foreign language teaching by focusing on the involvement of Latvian city texts in the process of learning Latvian as a foreign language; 2) to provide practical advice on how to select city texts and which language topics (grammar, vocabulary, style) teachers may find useful and to illustrate these suggestions with examples of exercises. The article first analyses the term authentic texts and elaborates on the most common assumptions about authentic materials in language education. Then there is a brief description of existing research on the use of linguistic landscape approaches and data in language learning. Considering the theories discussed by the researchers on the one hand and the practical experience of educators on the other hand, it is shown further which types of texts can be useful in teaching/learning Latvian as a foreign language abroad and how to best utilize them in one’s teaching work. At the end there is a summary with conclusions. The article concludes that photos with written city texts from Latvia allow students abroad to: - get acquainted with Latvian cities (architecture, planning, history, social life of inhabitants). - see authentic Latvian written usage alongside information in other languages. - pay attention to the principles of text types and the typical linguistic tools notable within them. - to improve and strengthen vocabulary (especially that related to cities and urban life) and grammar (individual forms of nouns, verbs and adverbs, word combinations, simple syntactic constructions). The use of city texts in the teaching process is related to the study of Latvian culture and public life, promotes awareness of the language situation in Latvian public communication, and encourages development of linguistic, multilingual, and pragmatic competence and textual literacy.

DIDACTIC POSSIBILITIES OF USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

DIDACTIC POSSIBILITIES OF USING AUTHENTIC MATERIALS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING

Research on the Influences of English News Online Reading on Chinese College Students’ Intercultural Competence

This study discussed the current situation of English news online reading through questionnaires, constructed the English News Online Reading Situation Scale, and analyzed the reliability of the scale through SPSS 19.0. It also made a descriptive analysis of ICC six elements. In addition, it made a correlation analysis of English news online reading types and ICC six elements. The results show that the reliability of the scale is high; Chinese college students' attitude, knowledge about domestic culture, awareness and intercultural communication skill are superior to other factors; English news online reading on people's livelihood and education is related to college students' ICC at a higher level. The results of this study provide data support for related research on English news online reading, and theoretical reference for the application of English news materials in foreign language teaching.

ACQUIRING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE FROM COURSEBOOKS: AN ANALYSIS OF READING ACTIVITIES IN THE COURSEBOOK “SPEAKOUT”

Intercultural communicative competence is recently considered to be a significiant paradigm in language teaching area with the increasing role of English as a global lingua franca, therefore the integration of language and culture has become progressively more important. Since the textbooks are regarded as core teaching materials in foreign language teaching, it is essential for textbooks to contain various intercultural elements in order to construct the way for the development of intercultural communicative competence of learners. In this respect, intercultural content in English textbooks is a necessary issue to be investigated. This present study is an attempt to explore whether intercultural elements persist in language textbooks of Adana Science and Technology University School of Foreign Languages. As a result of the evaluation, it was found that textbook series of Speakout is not sufficient to enhance learners’ intercultural communicative competence through its content in terms of reading activities.

The use of authentic materials in foreign language teaching on A1 level

The following paper deals with the actual problem of authentic materials usage in foreign languages teaching on A1 level. The usage of authentic materials is regarded as one of the basic requirements of communicative approach meaning the highest possible likening of educative process to that of a real communication, and also as a precondition for sociocultural competence (an important part of communicative competence) development. As the main difficulty connected with authentic material usage (especially on A1 level) the problem of their deficient understanding by learners is regarded. The author gives a critical inquiry of widespread manner for easier authentic materials understanding through their preparatory methodic adaptation and makes arguments for uncontrolled materials usage (already on A1 level). While the main specialists handling this problem pay attention to possibilities of authentic materials usage on intermediate and advanced levels, the author analyzes their applying on A1 level. The author gives reasons for the importance and necessity of authentic materials usage with the beginners and formulates some concrete criteria for authentic materials selection on A1 level (based on Common European Framework of Reference: Learning, Teaching, Assessment and Russian Public Standard for Russian as a Foreign Language (Elementary Level A1)).