ELT Journal - current issue

'Very good' as a teacher response

Wong, J., Waring, H. Z. — 2009-06-16

Much scholarly and pedagogical attention has been devoted to corrective feedback. In this paper, we turn to positive feedback, and in particular, call for a reconsideration of teachers’ use of explicit positive assessments such as ‘very good’. Based on examples from an ESL classroom, we show that utterances such as ‘very good’ may have the potential of inhibiting learning opportunities within particular pedagogical contexts. We then broaden our discussion by offering a range of suggestions for managing the complexities of positive feedback in the language classroom.

The value of a focused approach to written corrective feedback

Bitchener, J., Knoch, U. — 2009-06-16

Investigations into the most effective ways to provide ESL learners with written corrective feedback have often been overly comprehensive in the range of error categories examined. As a result, clear conclusions about the efficacy of such feedback have not been possible. On the other hand, oral corrective feedback studies have produced clear, positive results from studies that have targeted particular error categories. This article presents the results of a study that examined the effectiveness of targeting only two functional error categories with written corrective feedback in order to see if such an approach was also helpful for ESL writers. The ten-month study was carried out with 52 low-intermediate ESL students in Auckland, New Zealand. Assigned to groups that received written corrective feedback or no written corrective feedback, the students produced five pieces of writing (pre-test, immediate post-test, and three delayed post-tests) that described what was happening in a given picture. Two functional uses of the English article system (referential indefinite ‘a’ and referential definite ‘the’) were targeted in the feedback. The study found that those who received written corrective feedback on the two functions outperformed the control group on all four post-tests.

Traversing the lexical cohesion minefield

McGee, I. — 2009-06-16

When teachers hear the word ‘cohesion’, they usually think of grammatical cohesion—an aspect of cohesion reasonably well covered in student books and teacher materials. However, occupying an area that straddles both lexis ‘proper’ and cohesion lies ‘lexical cohesion’. In what follows, it is argued that the teaching and learning of certain aspects of lexical cohesion is problematic, and that this state of affairs may be behind the current neglect of this subject in EFL materials and classrooms. The paper begins with a brief overview of Halliday and Hasan's (1976) classification of lexical cohesion, and then looks, in turn, at four types of cohesive device. Learners’ uses of these different cohesive ties are discussed, the obstacles to correct usage are noted, and suggestions are made as to how teachers can help students to develop this aspect of their writing.

Critical reflection in a TESL course: mapping conceptual change

Farrell, T. S. C. — 2009-06-16

How can teacher educators gauge what participants have learnt after taking a course in teaching English as a second language (TESL)? One method that can help both language teacher educators and their students trace conceptual changes as a result of taking a course is the use of concept maps. This paper examines the conceptual changes of a group of MA participants in Canada as a result of taking a TESL course. Pre-course and post-course concept maps were elicited from the participants who were also asked to write short descriptions of changes (and the reasons for these changes) they observed between their pre- and post-course maps. Participants were also interviewed about the contents of their individual concept map and their perceptions of the course. Results indicate that the course had some impact on the participants' prior beliefs and that a concept map may be a useful tool for tracing conceptual change.

Challenges in teaching ELF in the periphery: the Greek context

Sifakis, N. — 2009-06-16

The paper presents a notional account of the challenges facing the introduction of English as an international lingua franca (ELF) curriculum in the state schools of the expanding circle, taking Greece as a case in point. It broadly delineates an ELF curriculum as one focusing on the skills necessary for carrying out successful communication involving non-native speakers and then highlights a set of challenges linked to both teaching context and teachers’ perceptions of professional identity. It focuses on challenges related to three facets of the professional identity of academically trained Greek state school EFL teachers, namely, their roles as users, specialists, and, ultimately, custodians of English for their learners and wider community. These facets are discussed with reference to a description of the country's current sociolinguistic and educational profile. The paper concludes with an overview of the strengths of an ELF curriculum for Greek state schools and discusses implications for ELF teacher education.

Why and how textbooks should encourage extensive reading

Brown, D. — 2009-06-16

Extensive reading is believed to have considerable benefits for learners both in terms of learning gains and motivation and seems to be becoming ever more popular in the ELT world. So far, however, there seems to be almost no integration of extensive reading and textbooks.

This article argues that textbooks should be encouraging extensive reading, since this will confer further legitimacy on extensive reading and may ease many of the practical difficulties that adopters of extensive reading face. The article then shows how textbooks could encourage extensive reading: directly, by including material involving extensive reading; and indirectly, by approaching textbook reading activities in ways more in tune with extensive reading. A number of proposals for each of these approaches are discussed.

Process-oriented pedagogy: facilitation, empowerment, or control?

Littlewood, W. — 2009-06-16

A feature of language teaching in recent decades has been the development of process-oriented approaches. This orientation towards processes encourages us to facilitate learner choice and individual development. However, it is challenged by the current educational climate, which prioritizes accountability and assessment. In this situation, a new perspective on process orientation has emerged. This perspective focuses not on the processes which occur as part of learning but on the processes which are the intended outcomes of this learning. Discrete features of the communication and learning processes become pre-specified ‘learning outcomes’, which are to be observed and assessed. Outcomes-based education is promoted as a means of empowering learners with the knowledge and skills required for living. However, it is also a powerful instrument for effecting compliance with centralized conceptions of education and can minimize the voices of learners and teachers in the process of education.

Another breakthrough, another baby thrown out with the bathwater

Bell, D. M. — 2009-06-16

‘Process-oriented pedagogy: facilitation, empowerment, or control?’ claims that process-oriented pedagogy (POP) represents the methodological perspective of most practising teachers and that outcomes-based education (OBE) poses a real and present danger to stakeholder autonomy. Whereas POP may characterize methodological practices in the inner circle primary school context described by Littlewood, it does not fairly characterize practices in most L2 classrooms. Littlewood's dichotomy of product and process is better understood in terms of direct and indirect teaching. Effective pedagogy seeks an appropriate balance of direct and indirect teaching in diverse contexts in order to fulfil particular student goals. OBE helps identify and make explicit learning goals and empower students to attain those goals. Raising fears of control and totalitarianism demonizes OBE. We need to accept both OBE and POP as enriching the repertoires of teachers and their ability to respond to the complex and changing needs of their students.

OBE: a coin with two sides or many different coins?

Littlewood, W. — 2009-06-16

A tale of two songs: Singapore versus Hong Kong

Kirkpatrick, A., Moody, A. — 2009-06-16

ELT and the challenges of the times

Lima, C. — 2009-06-16

Comment is a feature which allows contributors to express a personal, and sometimes controversial, view about a matter of current concern in the profession outside the format of a reviewed academic article. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or the Publisher. Reaction to Comment features is especially welcome in the form of a letter to the Editor.

Teaching Other Subjects through English, Cross-Curricular Resources for Young Learners, Uncovering CLIL

Darn, S. — 2009-06-16

Developing and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence: A Guide for Language Teachers and Teacher Educators, To Get to Know Each Other Leads to Better Mutual Understanding

Andernovics, S. — 2009-06-16

The TeMoLaYoLe Book: Teaching Modern Languages to Young Learners,Teaching Foreign Languages in the Primary School

Smith, S. — 2009-06-16

Literature and Stylistics for Language Learners: Theory and Practice

Paran, A. — 2009-06-16

Oxford Learner's Thesaurus: A Dictionary of Synonyms

Coffey, S. — 2009-06-16

Building a Validity Argument for the Test of English as a Foreign LanguageTM

Laborda, J. G. — 2009-06-16

Form-focused Instruction and Teacher Education: Studies in Honour of Rod Ellis

Elliott, D. — 2009-06-16

IATEFL Cardiff Online 2009

Eastment, D. — 2009-06-16

Correspondence

Swan, M. — 2009-06-16

iatefl

Williams, M. — 2009-06-16