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In this issue: Feature Articles The Effect of Sociocultural Factors when Integrating ICT into ESP Instruction - Ibrahim M. Shaabi The Effects of Three Teacher Variables on the Use of Motivational Strategies in EFL Instruction in Oman - Charles Asante , Rahma Al-Mahrooqi, Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan Life Syllabus: A New Research Agenda in English Language Teaching - Reza Pishghadam & Reza Zabihi
Reader Response Lesson Ideas Educational Technology Reviews Networking TESOL Arabia News SIG Reports Chapter Reports Volume 19
No. 1
January 2012
TESOL Arabia Perspectives
www.tesolarabia.org
Feature Articles
C o n t e n t s
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Pe r s p e c t i ve s Volume 19 No. 1 January 2012
From the Editors
2
Message from the President
3
Letter from the Conference Co-Chairs
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Feature Articles The Effect of Sociocultural Factors when Integrating ICT into ESP Instruction
Ibrahim M. Shaabi
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The Effects of Three Teacher Variables on the Use of Motivational Charles Asante, 12 Strategies in EFL Instruction in Oman Rahma Al-Mahrooqi & Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan Life Syllabus: A New Research Agenda in English Language Teaching
Reza Pishghadam & Reza Zabihi
23
Ghassoub Mustafa
28
Rania Jabr
31
Kathryn Glennie
33
Emad Jasim
35
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary New 8th Edition
Dr Asmaa Awad
38
Avision MiWand Handy Scanner
Sunayana Manoj
39
Neil McBeath
40
James Buckingham
42
Colin Toms
44
Ali Shehadeh
47 48 50
Reader Response From Legendary Love of Books into TV Hooks
Lesson Ideas Common Principles in Assigning Homework in EFL Settings Using Mobile Phones to Improve Speaking
Educational Technology Online Personal Journals: Enhanced EAP Experience
Reviews
The Omani ELT Symphony The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media Oxford iTools Headway Plus
Networking 4th Biennial International Conference on Task-Based Language Teaching 15th Annual Current Trends in Language Assessment Conference 15th Anniversary Uzbekistan Teachers of English Conference
Les Kirkham
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TESOL Arabia on Facebook! Special Interest Group Reports Chapter Reports Volume 19
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January 2012
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www.tesolarabia.org
Feature Articles
C o n t e n t s
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Pe r s p e c t i ve s Volume 19 No. 1 January 2012
From the Editors
2
Message from the President
3
Letter from the Conference Co-Chairs
4
Feature Articles The Effect of Sociocultural Factors when Integrating ICT into ESP Instruction
Ibrahim M. Shaabi
6
The Effects of Three Teacher Variables on the Use of Motivational Charles Asante, 12 Strategies in EFL Instruction in Oman Rahma Al-Mahrooqi & Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan Life Syllabus: A New Research Agenda in English Language Teaching
Reza Pishghadam & Reza Zabihi
23
Ghassoub Mustafa
28
Rania Jabr
31
Kathryn Glennie
33
Emad Jasim
35
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary New 8th Edition
Dr Asmaa Awad
38
Avision MiWand Handy Scanner
Sunayana Manoj
39
Neil McBeath
40
James Buckingham
42
Colin Toms
44
Ali Shehadeh
47 48 50
Reader Response From Legendary Love of Books into TV Hooks
Lesson Ideas Common Principles in Assigning Homework in EFL Settings Using Mobile Phones to Improve Speaking
Educational Technology Online Personal Journals: Enhanced EAP Experience
Reviews
The Omani ELT Symphony The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media Oxford iTools Headway Plus
Networking 4th Biennial International Conference on Task-Based Language Teaching 15th Annual Current Trends in Language Assessment Conference 15th Anniversary Uzbekistan Teachers of English Conference
Les Kirkham
TESOL Arabia News 52
TESOL Arabia on Facebook! Special Interest Group Reports Chapter Reports Volume 19
No. 1
January 2012
53 57 TESOL Arabia Perspectives
www.tesolarabia.org
Feature From theArticles Editor 2 Dear Colleagues, Our warmest wishes for the New Year. We hope itís gotten off to a good start!
Editors
Our first feature article, “The Effect of Sociocultural Factors when Integrating ICT into ESP Instruction,” Ibrahim M. Shaabi looks at what can happen if the implementation of Information and Communication Technology is not well planned.
Melanie Gobert Abu Dhabi Men’s College
If asked, “Which is the most effective motivational strategy you use with your students,” what would you say? Read what EFL teachers in Oman said in our second feature article, “The Effects of Three Teacher Variables on the Use of Motivational Strategies in EFL Instruction in Oman,” by Charles Asante, Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan and Rahma Al-Mahrooqi. See if you agree. In our third feature article “Life Syllabus: A New Research Agenda in English Language Teaching,” Reza Pishghadam and Reza Zabihi argue that English Language Teaching should do more than just teach language skills. Their “Life Syllabus” prepares learners for meeting life’s challenges. Our Reader Response article by Ghassoub Mustafa, “From Legendary Love of Books into TV Hooks” laments the lack of reading in the Arab World and offers tips and strategies to encourage our students to read. We have two Lesson Ideas in this issue.The first one “Common Principles in Assigning Homework in EFL Settings,” by Rania Jabr, looks at the dreaded homework debate and offers a fresh perspective on how homework can be better utilized. In our second Lesson Idea “Using Mobile Phones to Improve Speaking,” Kathryn Glennie deals with mobile phone use in the classroom, but instead of banishing them, she encourages us to embrace them. Our Educational Technology section, by Emad Jasim, looks at using Online Personal Journals to improve independent learning, extensive reading, and academic writing. We also have five books and materials reviewed in our Reviews section and our regular Networking, SIG, and Chapter Reports. In just a short time the TESOL Arabia Conference 2012 will be upon us. It’s exciting to be part of such a large, positive and innovative body of professionals. Attending is a great way to energize us for the long haul ahead.The Conference Chairs give us a look at the lineup of featured and plenary speakers. Don’t forget about the Development Courses that are running simultaneously. We hope to see you at Dubai Men’s College in Academic City, Dubai, March 8-10, and especially at the TESOL Arabia Publications presentation on March 8, at 3.30 p.m. in Room L115 where we invite you to learn how to become a contributor, materials or peer reviewer of Perspectives.
Tandy Bailey Abu Dhabi Women’s College
Reviews EditorCindy Gunn American University of Sharjah
Advisory Panel Cindy Gunn Daniel Mangrum Fatma Alwan Janet Olearski Kourosh Lachini Lynne Ronesi Muhammad Abdel Latif Nicolas Moore Paul James Dessoir Peter McLaren Saleh S. Al-Busaidi Jane Hoelker Patrick Dougherty Neil McBeath Rachel Lange Abdelhamid Ahmed Dina El Dakhs Joanna Buckle Laura Lau Richard Lau Mick King
CREDITS Layout / Artwork
Melanie Gobert
Sudeep Kumar
Tandy Bailey
Editors, Perspectives
Printing International Printing Press Dubai, UAE
The editors would like to remind the readers that the views expressed in this periodical are those of the individual authors. These views are not necessarily shared by the other authors in this issue or by TESOL Arabia. Responsibility for the content and opinion of articles and advertisements rests with the authors. TESOL Arabia is a non-profit organisation based in the United Arab Emirates with membership from the Arabian Gulf and beyond. TESOL Arabia
November Cover Photo Peter Waters Abu Dhabi Men’s College
does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, gender, national origin, disability, religion, age, or native language. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.tesolarabia.org
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Message Feature Articles from the President
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Dear TESOL Arabia Members, I have just returned from a visit to our sister association in Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan Teachers of English Association (UzTEA), and this extremely enjoyable visit has given me cause to pause and consider the workings and importance of teachers’ associations (TAs) worldwide. UzTEA was very interested in learning about how we have developed TESOL Arabia activities, and it seems they will adopt many aspects of our model for the future. As many of you will know I am a strong supporter of teachers’ associations, and also hold a post on the board of IATEFL (the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language) as the “Associates Representative.” In that capacity I establish and maintain relationships with TAs all over the world. IATEFL currently has Associate Agreements with over 100 TAs, and TESOL Arabia also hopes to have formal associate relationships formalized with sister organizations soon. Some such representatives will be our guests at our International Conference in March so I encourage you to talk to them. In fact, TESOL Arabia has very influential ties with both of the international TAs – TESOL International Association & IATEFL. Christine Coombe (Conference Co-chair and Co-chair of the TAE & L&M SIGs) is also the current President of TESOL and I am, as I said, Associates Representative on the Board of IATEFL. I don’t think any single TA has had this degree of influence internationally before, so this reflects very well on the activities and status of TESOL Arabia. Wherever I go in the world, I find that we are held in high esteem. This is something we can be very proud of and should shout out from the rooftops! The UAE and the whole Arab Gulf region benefit from our international reputation. The heart of all TAs lies in its members, and the ownership that individual members take in their association. We all have a stake in this organization, and the benefit flows in both directions. As a family of like-minded people, let us face our fascinating future with this in mind, along with sister organizations all over the world. Best wishes,
Les Kirkham TESOL Arabia President 2011-2012
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18th Annual TESOL Arabia International Conference and Exhibition 2012
Thursday, March 8 - Saturday, March 10, 2012 Pre-Conference Professional Development Courses on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 at Dubai Men’s College, Academic City, Dubai “Achieving Excellence Through Life Skills Education”
http://tesolarabia.org/conference/ Dear Colleagues: The organizers of the 18th International TESOL Arabia Conference are busy at work to ensure a high quality professional development event. In less than two months we will all gather together for an amazing lineup of invited speakers from all over the world as well as more than 250 sessions offered by regionally-based educators. The 2012 conference will be held at Dubai Men’s College, located in Academic City. We are grateful for DMC’s offer to host the event, with even more areas and space than previous conferences held at this venue. According to UNICEF, the United Nations’ associate organization, quality education must include life skillsbased education. As such, life skills education has thus been made a critical element in their definition of quality education. Therefore, this year’s theme, “Achieving Excellence through Life Skills Education,” promises to be an important and timely one. The intention behind the current theme is to reflect on these and other changes we face, and to share how we are meeting them or how they are influencing our practice. Overall, the theme invites participants to explore the ways in which EFL teachers and educators adapt to changes in their workplace and society to become better teachers. As with past conferences, TESOL Arabia delegates will once again be offered the opportunity to participate in a range of specialized professional development courses both before and during the conference. On March
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7, participants have the choice of three pre-conference development courses: Teaching and Learning through the Arts (featuring Paula Wilson, Jeremy Harmer and Maher Bahloul), Personalized Professional Development (featuring Nancy Mullins, Andrea Stairs and Dave Allan), and Teaching and Learning Online (featuring Nicky Hockly and Justin Shewell). In addition to conference sessions, two development courses will be running during the conference: Achieving Excellence Through Life Skills Education and Young Learners. Facilitators for both of these in-conference development courses are a mixture of invited speakers and regionally-based experts. These specialized courses require payment of fees in addition to your main conference registration. As spaces on these courses are limited, you are advised to register for them early to avoid disappointment. For book lovers and material writers, as well as those looking for the latest teaching aids or edition of their preferred texts, the TESOL Arabia Exhibition will once again host the major education publishers and distributors and also many tertiary institutions. In addition to the Exhibition, we continue to offer the Innovative Material Showcase. This part of the conference gives publishers, distributors, and education establishments a chance to showcase their latest products in interactive presentations and workshops. The Innovative Material Showcase, coupled with the Exhibition, provides delegates with great networking and learning opportunities. The 2012 Conference will continue to offer a comprehensive Job Fair, which will once again bring together job seekers and the major recruiting organizations in the region. Looking for qualified candidates to fill a variety of posts, including some positions that are filled onsite, the TESOL Arabia Job Fair retains its position as the premier employment opportunity for both recruiters and job seekers in the EFL teaching profession in the region. Please note that job seekers must register for the Conference in order to attend the Job Fair. The TESOL Arabia conference would not be possible without the support of our many sponsors. To date these are: our Platinum Sponsors, IDP Education (IELTS) and the British Council; our Gold Sponsor, the Higher Colleges of Education; our Silver Sponsors, International House Dubai, Arab Gulf Education, the British University in Dubai, and the University of Wollongong Dubai; and our Bronze Sponsor, Cambridge University Press. We are most grateful to all of them for their generous and continued support of our professional development events. On behalf of TESOL Arabia’s Conference Organizing Committee we look forward to welcoming you all to the 2012 Conference!
Dr Christine Coombe Conference Co-Chair
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Beth Wiens Conference Co-Chair
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The Effect of Sociocultural Factors when Integrating ICT into ESP Instruction This research examines the role played by social and cultural factors in deciding the success of implementing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in ESP (English for Specific Purposes) in a Saudi context. The perceptions of six teachers and their administrator in an ESP tertiary course in respect to the sociocultural elements involved in the ICT implementation were explored. Analysis of the social structure of the ICT-enhanced ESP course revealed that human collaboration and cultural adaptation were oversimplified and overlooked which affected the integration of technology. It was found that effective ICT integration requires a critical level of planning, coordination, and cultural adaptation.
Background The importance of English in the Saudi job market has increased recently due to rapid growth in the rate of annual trade between Saudi private/public sectors and overseas multinational corporations since Saudi Arabia joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2005. The existence of professional English language training programs that cater for the needs of Saudi youths is essential to the Saudi government’s intention of making these young people work-ready. The Ibrahim M. Shaabi is an ESL teacher at language training the Institute of Public Administration, programs provided Saudi Arabia. His doctoral research is on by academic Information and Communication Technology implications in English for Specific Purposes institutions in instruction. His interest is facilitating Saudi Arabia have teachers’ use of the rich technological become responsible resources available nowadays. for establishing the various ESP courses that equip these students with the specific language needs for their careers. Moreover, incorporating ICT into these specific language programs is essential for the effective linguistic preparation of this younger generation who will work in a modern technology environment. Effective implementation of ICT in language instruction is a major challenge internationally. In the Saudi Arabian context, there is evidence Volume 19
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Ibrahim M. Shaabi Institute of Public Administration Saudi Arabia
that the challenge is intense (Abalhassan, 2002). Findings of previous Saudi research indicate some successful attempts to integrate ICT into EFL/ESL (Al-Shammari, 2007), but many cases of ineffective ICT integration were reported as well (Abalhassan, 2002). The literature reports several factors affecting ICT integration, in particular, administrative, pedagogical, personal, and technical (Al Saif, 2005; Byungho, 2003), whereas this research is focused on investigating the social and cultural perspectives (sociocultural factors henceforth) in ICT use in the Saudi ESP tertiary context.
Sociocultural Factors in Literature Generally, sociocultural factors are well researched as important in determining the success of ICT use in language education (Braul, 2006; Liu, 2006; Mullamaa, 2010; Pugh, 1997). Research also emphasizes that the introduction of ICT hardware in the classroom, although essential, is just the beginning of the integration process (Jones, 2001). There are complex matters to organize beyond the technological infrastructure itself, matters which include social rules (Pugh, 1997). Research emphasizes that for effective ICT utilization to take place, teachers as well as administrators have to apply a significant degree of cooperation and coordination between the parties involved (Jones, 2001). Thus, the literature implies that enhancing language education through ICT means more than simply putting learners in front of instructional technologies. Ultimately, the literature concludes, successful ICT integration in language education depends on the relationship between the individuals involved in ICT. For example, Hsu (2006) found that formal and informal interactions between students, teachers, IT technicians and administrators are all influential for the success of ICT in language education. Other researchers support this and argue that the absence of effective collaboration between the individuals TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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context.The concept of contradictions (tensions between the elements of a community) is highlighted by Engeström as a necessary tool to understand the social interaction within a community.
involved in ICT integration hinders the whole process (Liu, 2006). Moreover, the traditional social patterns in school environments are not always efficient for the implementation of technology (Hayes, 2007; Hu & Webb, 2009; Timucin, 2006). Therefore, there has to be sociocultural change in these educational institutions for smooth technology implementation.
Research Context and Methodology This research was concluded in 2010, nine years after CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) was introduced into the ESP preparatory course. The research sought to examine factors that facilitated and/or inhibited ICT implementation in one of these ESP preparatory courses.
Theoretically, ICT use in ESP can be related to Vygotsky’s (1978) view of learning as a social enterprise and, therefore, could be examined through a social lens.To help investigate the sociocultural factors in the context of this study, an analytical framework developed from Vygotsky’s social theory was used. This framework is generally based on the sociallyoriented Activity Theory and uses its analytical model, the Activity System Model (Engeström, 1987), which has the capacity to assist in describing the dynamic sociocultural aspects related to the present research
To address the research question a qualitative case study was undertaken. Six ESL teachers and their administrator participated in the study. These participants were initially approached for this research because the researcher had convenient access to them. Their qualifications, ages, and teaching experience varied (Table 1).
Table 1 Participants’ Information Participant (pseudonym)
Position
Qualification
Age
Teaching Experience at the Research Site in Years
Abdullah
Administrator
Doctorate in Language Education
45-50
19
Kareem
ESL teacher and CALL coordinator
BA in ESL
45-50
9
John
ESL teacher
MA in ESL
45-50
2
Ali
ESL teacher
MA in ESL
45-50
9
Hani
ESL teacher
MA in ESL
30-35
8
Peter
ESL teacher
MA in ESL
30-35
7
Omar
ESL teacher
MA in ESL
30-35
8
Data collection was conducted over one school quarter (8 weeks). Methods of data collection were field notes, interviews, and observations of the teachers’ lessons. First, observation field notes about the ICT structure and resources were gathered. Next, a series of extensive semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the participants’ ICT attitudes and experiences.The interview questions were informed by the literature review in order to capture all the aspects of ICT use (individual, historical, social, and cultural). Soon after completing the interviews, ESP Volume 19
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teaching sessions given by the participants to students in classrooms and CALL labs were observed to support the interview data. Later, the three sets of data were analyzed separately: the field notes, transcripts of the interviews, and observation notes based on video recordings for the teaching sessions. The field notes were first classified into broad categories of data.These categories were labeled and contrasted with the other data taken from the interviews and observations. Finally, triangulation was used to confirm the reliability of the three sets of data. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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Findings and Discussion Focusing on the Sociocultural Factors Early findings of this research suggested that sociocultural aspects were significant for the success of technology implementation. To find out more detail about the situation, the question that was highlighted in the analysis was: How do the sociocultural factors of an ESP learning context affect ICT implementation?
Collaboration and coordination The gathered evidence showed that from the beginning technology implementation was an individual effort rather than a group effort. Most teachers reported that they had not been contacted, consulted, or given a chance to make suggestions on the design or structure of ICT. Hani, for instance, regretted that the teachers’ role in ICT implementation was limited (Hani interview).
Lack of a unified objective There was disagreement among the research participants on the purpose of technology use in the ESP course. Whereas Abdullah (the administrator) labeled ICT as “supplementary” and emphasized the centrality of the textbook for ESP instruction, the teachers had different objectives for ICT use, such as delivering an effective ESP lesson (Hani, John, and Ali), taking a break from classroom teaching (Peter), appearing to be computer savvy (Kareem), and finally having no specific objective (Omar) (teachers’ interviews). The lack of agreement about the purpose of using ICT in ESP instruction shows a community with varied objectives.
Uncertainty about the role of ICT in ESP instruction The data showed ambiguity about the potential of ICT in ESP learning.This is seen in some participants’ hesitation over whether to incorporate web-based tools into the ESP curriculum. In fact, the data indicated that some participants lacked interest in the applications of web-based tools in ESP teaching (teachers’ interviews). Moreover, Abdullah (the administrator) was concerned about the effect of the Internet as a learning resource on the students’ cultural standards: The cultural concerns that we have for using such technology [the Internet] in our ESP instruction necessitates that we make Volume 19
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sure that whatever the students do, doesn’t violate our cultural values and religious values and community values in general in this part of the world (Abdullah interview). Although aware of the importance of CMC (Computer Mediated Communication) in enhancing students’ ESP learning, the participants did not think that students were ready to use web-based tools. Failure to acknowledge the specific potential of web-based tools in ESP instruction and denying students Internet access in CALL labs indicated in yet more ways how the existing culture could affect ESP instruction.
Lack of policy Examination of the hierarchy of the institution showed that the administrator was the main reference for ICT implementation instead of systematized rules. The existing culture of the institution is built on a central authority which assumed that ICT could be implemented without teachers’ input on and choice of CALL facilities. Kareem, the CALL coordinator, emphasized that teachers’ requests about ICT were rarely responded to by the administration (Kareem interview). The central authority of the institution also assumed it could impose technology from the top down by making facilities available to users who would simply adopt them.
Fragile interrelationships The nature of the relationships within the ESP community also affected ICT integration.The relationships of the teachers and the administrator on the one hand, and the relationships of the teachers with each other, on the other, were governed by inherited hierarchical rules from the pre-ICT period. For instance, teachers’ ICT requests and suggestions towards the development of ICT integration were always mediated by the CALL coordinator. Some teachers wondered why there was not direct communication between teachers and the administrator. Peter complained that the teachers’ requests and suggestions were rarely listened to or met (Peter interview). The relationship of the teachers with one another also affected ICT integration. Analysis of the social interaction within the ICT-supported ESP context showed hardly any contact among teachers to discuss ICT integration in their ESP lessons. Teachers rarely coordinated with each other or shared their technology experiences (teachers’ interviews). In TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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the few accidental times teachers communicated with each other about ICT, their communication was reported to not always be fruitful. John revealed that when he was interested in learning an ICT application, he emailed all the teachers for support, but received few replies, and none from the CALL coordinator himself (John interview). Ways of interaction, communication, and coordination in regard to ICT integration were reported by all teacher participants to be unsystematic and influenced by teachers’ individual personal perceptions (teachers’ interviews). For example, Omar claimed that teacher cooperation was based more on personal relationships than work relationships: There is a wide gap between teachers in this institution, if you don’t know a teacher personally, you cannot ask him about how he uses the technology or even expect him to offer help (Omar interview). Additionally, Omar reported that some teachers feel embarrassed to ask for assistance in ICT integration. On the other hand, he said technology-confident teachers felt uncomfortable when they received questions from other teachers about their technology use (Omar interview).
Distribution of tasks There was uncertainty among participants about the distribution of responsibilities and the division of tasks within the ICT-supported ESP course. Participants had different opinions about which individuals/units were responsible for what. This confusion was part of a wider confusion about the objectives of the technology use and the rules governing the relationships within the activity system. For instance, the CALL coordinator was supposed to perform two tasks: coordinating and teaching. In practice, he was always busy because of his full teaching load, so there was no support for teachers. This was noticed by Peter: I have always thought that CALL coordination should be separate from teaching. Now we have our CALL coordinator who is also a teacher… he teaches a full load, so how do we expect him to work on developing the technology use in our English language center, that’s impossible (Peter interview). Volume 19
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Contradictions Within the ICTsupported ESP Instruction Multiple contradictions (tensions) related to the sociocultural factors appeared in the ICT-supported ESP environment. These contradictions could be seen in six situations. First of all was the absence of an effective communication and experience sharing system. The nonexistence of effective and continuous contact between teachers prevented the sharing of knowledge. Teachers in the researched context were unable to manage their roles or have ICT support.The administrator was the single point of reference with a total absence of ICT written rules to refer to. Centralization of authority allowed the administrator to have control of ICT improvement and update decisions, with teachers having little influence or participation. Success of ICT implementation fundamentally depends on engagement and social interaction among participants (Ma & Yuen, 2011). Thus, teachers being unable to effectively share their knowledge was the first obvious form of contradiction. The second contradiction was that participants did not agree on the objective of technology use in their teaching. The participants said there was not a stated objective that was acknowledged by the institutions’ administration. Absence of a unified objective caused confusion. This confusion was not always eased or controlled because there was not any standardized expectation of ICT usage. The third contradiction was the participants’ uncertainty about the role of ICT in ESP instruction. Although web-based tools (chatting, blogging, emailing, and audio/video conferencing) are well reported in the literature as having beneficial learning prospects in ESP instruction (Flowerdew, 1995; Hayes, 2007; Mustafa, 2001; Shamsudin & Nesi, 2006), they were barely emphasized by the study’s participants. Most teacher participants did not acknowledge the importance of web-based tools in ESP teaching and learning. They believed that the use of the Internet could threaten students’ cultural standards. Such concerns were foremost and limited the use of ICT resources (particularly the applications of CMC and web-based tools). Therefore, it became difficult for ICT to be effectively integrated in the researched ESP context. The fourth contradiction was the lack of rules governing ICT integration into the ESP course. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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The existing rules were spoken, but most of the time unknown to the teachers (teachers’ interviews). Absence of the use of needs analysis and a periodic evaluation were two instances of the lack of rules. The nonexistence of a written ICT policy that included a clear ICT objective and procedures resulted in confusion among teachers about the sincerity of their institution in its attempt to integrate ICT and about how much to incorporate ICT into their ESP lessons. The fifth contradiction related to the sociocultural factors in the ICT-supported ESP environment and was the fragile interrelationships between teachers. Analysis showed that less-confident teachers were inhibited from making contact with more-confident teachers about ICT out of fear of losing face, whereas more confident teachers were reported to feel defensive of their practice being scrutinized by others. It is reported in the literature that teacher cooperation is necessary for proper technology use in language education (Braul, 2006; Gillespie & Barr, 2002; Jones, 2001; Timucin, 2006), but this was lacking in the research context. The sixth contradiction was in the distribution of ICT tasks. ICT as one component in the ESP curriculum was not clearly positioned. Thus, the allocation of ICT responsibilities and the division of duties among the faculty members were not systematically distributed between the teachers. The fact that the CALL coordinator was unable to provide sufficient supervision over technology implementation indicated an attitude of oversimplification. This oversimplification affected ICT integration and resulted in a lack of formal structure as was evidenced in the confusion of boundaries.
The Role of Sociocultural Factors in the Success of ICT-supported ESP Instruction The focus of this research was on the impact of sociocultural factors on the success of technology implementation in ESP instruction. Examining the data through a social lens drawn from the Vygotskian sourced Activity Theory demonstrated that sociocultural factors are significant for any effective implementation of technology enhanced ESP instruction. It is not enough to introduce hardware and software. For effective ICT implementation, there has to be a communicating social framework to Volume 19
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meet the community needs. In the case examined in this research, failure to understand the importance of social relationships in the success of the delivery of effective ICT-enhanced ESP lessons implies that the administrator had, from the initial implementation stage, underestimated the effect of ICT introduction on the existing team approach of his colleagues. Failure to perceive the complexity of the new sociocultural rules in which the procedures, facilities, and objectives were not made clear meant that ICT integration was characterized by individual and uncoordinated attitudes in the use of ICT. The administrator, supported by the higher administration of the organization, oversimplified the necessary complex implementation of ICT which brought an added burden to ICT-enhanced lesson delivery, confusion and apprehension to the community, and collapse of the practice of teacher cooperation.
Implications for Practitioners in ICTenhanced ESP Contexts Although this research focused on a specific ESP case, its broader value lies in the outcome of applying a particular analytical framework and a set of categories that can be applied and tested in other contexts. Hence, the findings of the research highlight the role of sociocultural aspects in the success of technology integration into ESP and general language instruction. One of the positive impacts of technology is transformation and adjustment. The implementation of technological change in the learning situation is not a simple matter of providing a set of new instructional resources to be added within traditional methods. The existing sociocultural environment in the present study showed a dichotomy. Whereas the spirit of technology is innovation, adaption, and change, this particular ICT ESP educational context was centralized, fixed and not easily adaptable to new elements. Consequently, because of these sociocultural features, the employment of ICT in the current context of ESP inevitably could not result in full technology incorporation. Therefore, it is more accurate to report that ICT was being used in this ESP course but not integrated. Effective ICT integration requires a critical level of planning, coordination, and cultural adaptation. The social approach used for the current data analysis enhanced understanding of the social, TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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cultural, and hierarchical issues related to ICT use in the ESP course. Through the social approach the contradictions within the research context could be analyzed holistically, understood socially, and thereby become open for the beginning of any social process to seek to deal with such contradictions. These contradictions could be positively encompassed by first engaging a fresh sociocultural mindset towards the implementation of ICT. The conventional sociocultural rules implemented in the non-ICT instructional environment are not necessarily workable in an ICT-enhanced environment. Smooth transition for ESP into a technologically-enhanced environment requires a degree of sociocultural change within that conventional sociocultural environment to be achieved first and this would include such aspects as consultation, policy documentation, shared and organized responsibility, and ongoing adaption.
References Abalhassan, K. (2002). English as a foreign language instruction with CALL multimedia in Saudi Arabian private schools: A multi-case and multi-site study of CALL instructors pedagogies and beliefs (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Al Saif, A. (2005). The motivating and inhibiting factors affecting the use of Web-based instruction at the University of Qassim in Saudi Arabia. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Al-Shammari, M. H. (2007). English as a foreign language learners’ attitudes toward computer-assisted language learning. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Braul, B. (2006). ESL teacher perceptions and attitudes toward using computer- assisted language learning (CALL):Recommendations for effective CALL practice. (Master’s dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Byungho, P. (2003). Faculty adoption and utilisation of web-assisted instruction (WAI) in higher education: Structural equation modelling (SEM). (Doctoral Dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Engeström,Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit Oy. Volume 19
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Flowerdew, L. (1995). Designing CALL courseware for an ESP situation: A report on a case study. English for Specific Purposes, 14(1), 19-35. Gillespie, J., & Barr, D. (2002). Resistance, reluctance and radicalism: A study of staff reaction to the adoption of CALL/C&IT in modern languages departments. ReCALL, 14(1), 120-132. Hayes, D. N. A. (2007). ICT and learning: Lessons from Australian classrooms. Computers & Education, 49, 385-395. Hsu, H. (2006). Technological transformation: A case study of technology integration in a foreign language program. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Hu, L., & Webb, M. (2009). Integrating ICT into higher education in China: From the perspective of activity theory. Education and Information Technologies, 14,143-161. Jones, J. (2001). CALL and the responsibilities of teachers and administrators. ELT Journal, 55(4), 360-367. Liu, X. (2006). Socio-cultural factors affecting the success of an outline MBA course: A case study viewed from activity theory perspective. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Ma, W., & Yuen, A. (2011). Understanding online knowledge sharing: An interpersonal relationship perspective. Computers & Education, 56(2), 210-219. Mullamaa, K. (2010). ICT in language learningbenefits and methodological implications. International Education Studies, 3(1), 38-44. Mustafa, Z. (2001, May). Non-courseware factors involved in using multimedia in foreign language instruction. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, Laval, Quebec, Canada. Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED456661). Pugh, A. C. (1997). Call in context: French means business. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 10, 273-297. Shamsudin, S., & Nesi, H. (2006). Computermediated communication in English for specific purposes: A case study with computer science students at University Teknologi Malaysia. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 19(4/5), 317-339. Timucin, M. (2006). Implementing CALL in an EFL context. ELT Journal, 60(3), 262-271. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society:The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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The Effects of Three Teacher Variables on the Use of Motivational Strategies in EFL Instruction in Oman The large-scale adoption of the English language in the countries of the Arabian Gulf is a recent phenomenon which picked up pace in the 1980s. However, it must be said that there is clearly an unequal relationship between Arabic and English as Arabic maintains a supreme standing as the national language, the language of official government communication and the language of social communication among the Arabs. Nevertheless, the English language, the junior
partner in this linguistic relationship, represents a strong undercurrent in most of these oil-rich states, in which there are very large urban populations of contractual expatriate workers and their families.The labor force of Oman in 2007 was 0.968 million, of which 60% were expatriate workers (Theodora, 2010). Oman is a major oil exporter, and as a result of its dependence on foreign trade, the need for English can hardly be overemphasized. Rahma Al-Mahrooqi, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the English Department of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University. Her research interests focus on English language teaching, reading, literature, sociolinguistic issues, communication, and intercultural and cross-cultural communication.
Charles Asante, PhD, works as an Assistant Professor at the Language Center of Sultan Qaboos University. His areas of interest in research comprise learner motivation, communication in English, and e-learning.
Shahid Abrar-ul-Hassan, PhD, is a language educator (ESL/EFL) and teacher developer. He is currently a faculty member and a writing consultant at the Language Center of Sultan Qaboos University. His professional interests include the ecological approach to L2 learning, learner motivation, authentic assessment, applied linguistics research, and professional development. Email: shahidabrar@yahoo.com
Either by necessity or as a result of the pride of place legally enjoyed by Arabic, there is a significant degree of uncertainty in the attitude of the government to the English language. Arabic, being the country’s national language, enjoys the privilege and protection of the government. It is also keenly guarded by a number of public and traditional institutions, religious authorities, the older generation of Arab Omanis, experts of Arabic language and literature, and Omanis who can only communicate effectively in Arabic. The police force, the armed forces, and most government ministries conduct their Volume 19
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operations exclusively in Arabic.Yet, year after year the government provides the funds for training more and more English language teachers for the school system. The teaching of English is mandatory in public schools while Arabic remains the medium of instruction for subjects other than English. The government has continually revised the English teaching curriculum and policies in public schools since the1970s. However, in spite of the popularity and expansion of the English language in Oman, the low student motivation in English language teaching circles is common. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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Method Motivation involves both cognitive and affective aspects: the dynamic and growing stimulation in an individual that acts as a primary agent of cognitive processes that arouse desires and operationalize practical means to gratify those desires (Dörnyei & Ottó, 1998). Dörnyei (2001) emphasizes that teachers are powerful motivational socializers. Being the designated leaders within the classroom, they embody group conscience, symbolize the group’s unity and identity, and serve as a model or reference standard. To lead means to direct and energize, that is, to motivate (Dörnyei, 2001). For instance, achievement in L2 depends upon essentially the same type of motivation that a child apparently requires to learn L1, in that the L2 learner is expected to adopt certain communicative patterns which are characteristic of another cultural group (Gardner & Lambert, 1959). In the absence of the sometimes overpowering or even inevitable opportunities for motivation to learn engendered by submergence in a target language environment, the language teacher becomes the next best source of motivation.
Rationale and Aim Among the possible changes in the students’ linguistic environment that could enhance their ability to motivate themselves, the one advocated in this article is the structured use of the EFL practitioner’s motivational capabilities. However, there is little, if any empirical evidence which enables a judgment as to which set of EFL teacher characteristics correlates with positive student learning outcomes (Akbari & Allvar, 2010; Dörnyei, 1990).The researchers found no published empirical research into the effects of teacher variables on the much narrower area of student motivation in EFL in the Omani context.To this end, a nationwide study of a representative sample of EFL teachers in Omani schools, colleges and universities was conducted in an attempt to explore the importance that EFL teachers attach to the use of a set of 48 motivational strategies in their teaching practice (see Appendix). The study was a modified replication of Cheng and Dörnyei’s (2007) survey (see also Akbari & Allvar, 2010; Madrid, Ortega, Jiménez, Pérez, Hidalgo, Fernández, Pérez, García, Gomis,Verdejo & Robinson, 1992).Thus, the present study was principally aimed at determining how the following teacher variables, academic qualifications, teaching experience and gender, affected the choice and use of the 48 strategies by the respondents in their teaching. Volume 19
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Cheng and Dörnyei (2007) surveyed 387 EFL teachers in Taiwan to determine the importance they attached to each of the 48 motivational strategies and how frequently they used each of them.The survey was itself a modified replication of an earlier study by Dörnyei and Csizér (1998) on Hungarian English language teachers.The Taiwanese survey produced a set of macro-strategies, or top-ranked motivational strategies, which bore a resemblance to the set that emerged from the Hungarian survey.This reassured the researchers that the previously-tested 48 motivational strategies might be reliably used in different countries or cultures to test the effect of certain teacher variables on the motivation of EFL students. The present study was modified to include data on academic qualifications, teaching experience and gender, and how they might affect an EFL teacher’s preference for and use of the same 48 motivational strategies in Oman.The data collected included additional information on the respondents, but the researchers’ decision to focus on these three was influenced by their understanding that the EFL scene in Oman is characterized by an unusually wide assortment of teachers with an unusually wide range of academic qualifications and teaching experience in gendersegregated schools or mixed colleges/universities.
Participants The target population of this investigation was the large body of EFL teachers at levels ranging from primary school to university in Oman. Most of the participants in the selected schools were Omanis, whereas a large majority of the college-level participants were expatriates from the UK, North America, India, Pakistan, North Africa and the Middle East. A stratified sampling method was used in selecting the participants. In addition, to make the data collection more systematic and guided, the questionnaires were administered directly by the researchers to all the available EFL teachers in selected schools and higher education institutions throughout the country. The participants in each institution were comfortably seated in one large room and the purpose of the study was introduced. This provided a valuable opportunity for first-hand clarifications of the queries about items in the questionnaires. It must be noted that the sample was restricted to EFL teachers in public first- and second-cycle TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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Research Instruments
educational institutions while at the tertiary level a mixture of public and private universities were targeted. To obtain a representative sample of EFL teachers, participant institutions were chosen according to a number of criteria: ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Two self-report questionnaires were used, which were modified versions of the instruments from the study by Cheng and Dörnyei (2007). The main modification was the addition of statements or examples that clarified items which in our opinion were vague as determined by a pilot study conducted at the Language Centre of Sultan Qaboos University prior to the main study. Twenty teachers participated in the pilot, and their responses were used to modify the questionnaire for clarity. Another modification was the inclusion of a section eliciting participant background data such as gender, length of teaching experience and type of qualifications.
The region and the city The type of school (where applicable) The grade levels (where applicable) The gender of the students The number of EFL teachers in the institution
The selection of schools was focused on the following main cities in all regions across Oman: Muscat, Nizwa, Sohar, Buraimi, Ibra, Sur, Salalah, and Khasab. The sampling technique chosen proved appropriate and 286 teachers participated in the study. This was a very diverse group comprising 127 males and 159 females holding qualifications ranging from post-secondary teaching diplomas to doctorate degrees, and with a collective teaching experience that spans 40 years.
The two questionnaires were administered to the same sample of participants to ensure that the same set of participants responded to the two questionnaires. The participants were asked to first rate the motivational strategies on a 5-point Likertscale with choices ranging from “not important” to “vital.” Subsequently, and in the same sitting,
Table 1 Strategy Frequency (All Participants) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
2
Show students you care about them
286
4.48
.70
34
Provide students with positive feedback
280
4.41
.66
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
286
4.40
.77
28
Encourage students to try harder
279
4.34
.76
47
Be yourself in front of students
282
4.34
.88
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
281
4.30
.80
23
Establish good rapport with students
286
4.30
.86
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
286
4.16
.83
41
Avoid social comparison
279
4.16
1.12
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
283
4.10
.89
but with no opportunity to refer to their previous responses, the same respondents were asked to rate the same motivational strategies on a 5-point Likertscale that included the following choices ranging from “never” to “always.” The questionnaires were administered in English. Finally, to encourage honest responses, the questionnaires were anonymous, and the participants were assured of confidentiality. The research question was: What is the effect of the following teacher variables on the choice and use of motivational strategies in EFL classrooms in Oman? Volume 19
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◆ ◆ ◆
gender educational qualifications teaching experience
Results Although the participants responded to items for both importance and frequency, as mentioned in the previous section, a strong correlation between the two data sets emerged (Spearman’s rho = 0.94). Thus, the frequency of the motivational strategies reflected the importance participants attached to each strategy. Participants’ responses for each strategy are listed in descending order in all tables according TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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to the mean value of the given 5-point scale. Moreover, the ten strategies in each table are placed between “Very often” and “Always” (max 4.86, min 4.05) in terms of their frequency in the participants’ teaching practice.
15
fluctuates between 279 and 286. Table 1 presents the ten strategies which participants rated as the most frequently used in their language teaching practice. The mean values and the standard deviations of the ten strategies are quite close, with the exception of the standard deviation of item 41. The mean value of the ten strategies is between “Very often” and “Always” on the 5-point Likert-scale.
The ten most frequent strategies were selected from the strategies in the questionnaire based on the mean of all participants’ responses. This selection was meant to economize on extensive data derived from the responses of participants in the study (n=286). The decimal number ten was chosen because it is popular and convenient as a basic unit of analysis, as can be exemplified by the choice of the title of Dörnyei and Csizér’s (1998) original study of motivational strategies: “Ten Commandments for Motivating Language Learners.” In the sample, the number of participants who responded to the following items
The Gender Variable This sub-section groups the ten most frequent strategies according to the participants’ gender. Common strategies, between genders, in Tables 2 and 3 are shaded in the first column. Table 2 lists the ten strategies which female participants (n=156) most frequently used in their language teaching practice.
Table 2 Strategy Frequency (Females) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
2
Show students you care about them
156
4.59
.66
28
Encourage students to try harder
153
4.50
.67
34
Provide students with positive feedback
153
4.49
.62
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
154
4.41
.77
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
156
4.38
.79
47
Be yourself in front of students
154
4.33
.90
23
Establish good rapport with students
156
4.31
.87
41
Avoid social comparison
153
4.26
1.06
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
156
4.19
.79
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
155
4.14
.87
Table 3 Strategy Frequency (Males) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
127
4.43
.76
2
Show students you care about them
127
4.37
.73
47
Be yourself in front of students
125
4.33
.86
34
Provide students with positive feedback
124
4.29
.69
23
Establish good rapport with students
127
4.27
.86
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
124
4.17
.80
28
Encourage students to try harder
123
4.15
.82
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
127
4.12
.88
11
Design tasks that are within the students’ ability
127
4.10
.77
38
Encourage students to use English outside the classroom
124
4.08
.87
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The Teaching Experience Variable
ensure that our results were adequately differentiated. Nearly half of the participants were senior (n=63) and experienced (n=81) practitioners, whereas novice practitioners (n=29) were the smallest group.
The teaching experience variable has six levels in the present study. The years of experience were subdivided according to bands that roughly correspond to common experience descriptors. The six levels are as follows: ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
The following five motivational strategies were among the top ten employed by participants across the six experience levels: Caring about students, Giving positive feedback, Showing enthusiasm, Being oneself, and Recognizing students’ efforts. This common set of strategies is shaded in the first column of each table. In all Tables 4-9 the mean values and the standard deviations are similar. The standard deviations are less than 1 except for a few items, and the mean values are above 4 (“Very often”) but less than 5 (“Always”) on the given 5-point Likert-scale.
Group 1: Novice practitioners (0-2 years) Group 2: Junior practitioners (3-5 years) Group 3: Senior practitioners (6-10 years) Group 4: Experienced practitioners (11-18 years) Group 5: Highly experienced practitioners (1924 years) Group 6: Seasoned practitioners (24-more years)
This rather narrow sub-classification was chosen to
Table 4 Strategy Frequency (Novice Practitioners) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
34
Provide students with positive feedback
29
4.58
.56
2
Show students you care about them
29
4.55
.73
28
Encourage students to try harder
29
4.44
.68
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
29
4.41
.73
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
29
4.41
.73
47
Be yourself in front of students
29
4.37
.72
11
Design tasks that are within the students’ ability
29
4.31
.92
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
29
4.24
.73
12
Introduce various interesting topics
29
4.20
.86
41
Avoid social comparison
29
4.17
1.03
Table 5 Strategy Frequency (Junior Practitioners) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
28
Encourage students to try harder
36
4.52
.65
2
Show students you care about them
38
4.44
.76
34
Provide students with positive feedback
36
4.44
.60
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
36
4.30
.78
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
38
4.26
.89
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
38
4.21
.81
47
Be yourself in front of students
36
4.16
1.02
23
Establish good rapport with students
38
4.15
.94
38
Encourage students to use English outside the classroom
36
4.13
.99
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
38
4.13
.96
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Table 6 Strategy Frequency (Senior Practitioners) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
2
Show students you care about them
67
4.44
.76
23
Establish good rapport with students
67
4.44
.85
47
Be yourself in front of students
66
4.42
.82
34
Provide students with positive feedback
66
4.39
.72
28
Encourage students to try harder
65
4.36
.71
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
67
4.35
.89
39
Increase the amount of English you use in the class
41
4.31
.81
41
Avoid social comparison
66
4.28
.90
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
66
4.21
.92
38
Encourage students to use English outside the classroom
66
4.16
.86
Table 7 Strategy Frequency (Experienced Practitioners) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
2
Show students you care about them
81
4.51
.67
47
Be yourself in front of students
80
4.45
.80
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
81
4.43
.70
34
Provide students with positive feedback
80
4.36
.64
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
80
4.36
.78
23
Establish good rapport with students
81
4.28
.72
28
Encourage students to try harder
80
4.27
.79
41
Avoid social comparison
79
4.24
1
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
80
4.15
.81
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
81
4.11
.80
Table 8 Strategy Frequency (Highly Experienced Practitioners) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
2
Show students you care about them
34
4.58
.55
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
34
4.52
.70
23
Establish good rapport with students
34
4.47
.86
34
Provide students with positive feedback
34
4.44
.66
28
Encourage students to try harder
34
4.44
.78
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
34
4.35
.81
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
34
4.32
.76
47
Be yourself in front of students
34
4.29
.87
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
34
4.17
1.14
12
Introduce various interesting topics
34
4.14
.89
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Table 9 Strategy Frequency (Seasoned Practitioners) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
37
4.48
.76
2
Show students you care about them
37
4.40
.76
34
Provide students with positive feedback
35
4.34
.76
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
36
4.33
.67
23
Establish good rapport with students
37
4.27
.99
11
Design tasks that are within the students’ ability
37
4.21
.78
47
Be yourself in front of students
37
4.13
1.08
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
36
4.11
1.00
28
Encourage students to try harder
35
4.05
.87
37
Adopt the role of a “facilitator”
36
4.05
.89
The Teacher Qualifications Variable
(n=261), master’s degree (n=141), and doctorate degree (n=20).
Teachers’ educational/professional qualifications were the third variable in the study. This variable has three levels according to the highest educational/ professional qualifications of the participants: diploma or bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate degree. The breakdown of the academic qualifications of the participants was as follows: diploma/certificate (n=125), bachelor’s degree
This distribution is in consonance with the characteristics of the sample which included EFL practitioners working at all educational levels. The values for the means and standard deviations are very similar in Tables 10-12. Six of the ten strategies most frequently used by each group are the same (shaded in the first column of tables 10, 11, and 12).
Table 10 Strategy Frequency (Teachers’ Qualifications: Diploma/Bachelor’s Degree) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
28
Encourage students to try harder
136
4.50
.69
34
Provide students with positive feedback
136
4.49
.60
2
Show students you care about them
139
4.48
.74
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
139
4.36
.80
47
Be yourself in front of students
137
4.33
.84
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
136
4.29
.86
6
Give clear instructions by modeling
139
4.26
.76
41
Avoid social comparison
136
4.22
1.02
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
137
4.21
.81
23
Establish good rapport with students
139
4.19
.87
Table 11 Strategy Frequency (Teachers’ Qualifications: Master’s Degree) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
23
Establish good rapport with students
116
4.43
.80
2
Show students you care about them
116
4.43
.70
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17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
116
4.41
.79
34
Provide students with positive feedback
114
4.35
.70
47
Be yourself in front of students
115
4.32
.95
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
115
4.28
.75
39
Increase the amount of English you use in the class
62
4.17
.80
28
Encourage students to try harder
113
4.17
.81
41
Avoid social comparison
114
4.12
1.16
38
Encourage students to use English outside the classroom
115
4.09
.88
Table 12 Strategy Frequency (Teachers’ Qualifications: Doctorate Degree) Item
Strategy
N
Mean
SD
2
Show students you care about them
15
4.86
.35
46
Recognize students’ effort and achievement
15
4.60
.50
17
Show your enthusiasm for teaching
15
4.60
.50
15
Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work
15
4.60
.50
23
Establish good rapport with students
15
4.53
.74
34
Provide students with positive feedback
15
4.33
.72
12
Introduce various interesting topics
15
4.33
.81
38
Encourage students to use English outside the classroom
15
4.33
.72
11
Design tasks that are within the students’ ability
14
4.28
.82
47
Be yourself in front of students
15
4.26
1.03
Furthermore, encouraging students to try harder had stronger support from the first group of participants, based on academic qualifications, than from other groups. Moreover, establishing good rapport with students was the most frequently used strategy by master’s degree holders (see Table 11). Participants with doctorate degrees showed more preference for the strategies of caring about students and recognition of students’ efforts than all the other participant groups. Moreover, introducing interesting topics and designing tasks suitable to students’ ability were only indicated by doctorate degree holders among the ten most frequently used strategies.
Discussion The most striking finding was that among the strategies rated in the top ten by all the participants across the three variables, the one that is common to all three sample variables and levels was Show students you care about them. This strategy ranked first among all 48 strategies (see Table 1). It ranked first among female participants and second Volume 19
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among males (Tables 2 and 3). It was also ranked first, second, or third by each of the eleven levels (i.e., two levels for the two genders, six levels of teaching experience, and three levels of academic qualifications, as shown in Tables 2-12). This was also the highest-ranked strategy in Cheng and Dörnyei’s (2007) study. On the other hand, Williams and Burden (1997) offer a compilation of twelve suggestions or strategies for motivating language learners in which the teacher’s caring nature is not mentioned at all, while much of the older literature does not appear to advocate the use of the teacher’s caring nature as a motivational strategy (e.g., Brophy & Good, 1986; Lawrenz, 1988). Four of the 48 strategies were ranked among the top ten by respondents in all the eleven sample levels. These were: ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
Provide students with positive feedback Show your enthusiasm for teaching Be yourself in front of students Recognize students’ effort and achievement
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The first and fourth can be paired up because they are closely related in that they involve the provision of feedback of some sort, while the second and third are more closely related in that they involve the teacher’s personal behavior in the classroom. The provision of positive feedback is endorsed as a viable motivational strategy by Brophy and Good (1986), who even distinguish two types: informational feedback and controlling feedback. (Informational feedback comments on progress and competence, whereas controlling feedback judges performance against external standards). It is generally recognized that informational feedback should be more dominant since it enables students to recognize their standing in terms of goal-achievement and what they must do for further improvement (Jones & Jones, 1995). The recognition of students’ effort and achievement is also supported in the literature, though the two concepts are given differential emphasis. Dörnyei (2001) argues that student success should not be attributed entirely to effort, but also to a stable cause like talent, irrespective of how hard the student worked. As far as the pair of strategies related to the teacher’s personal behavior in the classroom is concerned, Dörnyei and Csizér’s (1998) study confirmed that the teacher’s own behavior is the most important set of motivational strategies although it is extremely underutilized in the classroom. The findings of the present study confirm the importance, but not the underutilization because showing enthusiasm and being oneself are rated among the top ten strategies. Cheng and Dörnyei’s (2007) study also ranked the recognition of students’ effort and achievement as the second most important set of strategies. In a study of British secondary school learners of German, Chambers (1999) also confirmed that the teacher’s classroom behavior was the most influential set of factors in motivating students of a second language. The experience of the present researchers strongly supports the observation that the teacher’s classroom behavior is a potent force in student motivation, but it would be interesting to determine to what extent these personal observations may or may not be confirmed by future studies of the correlation between the importance and the frequency of use of the teacher’s classroom behavior as a motivational strategy in other regions of the world.
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Interestingly, the strategy which was ranked fourth among the 48 surveyed strategies was among the top ten of all of the eleven sample levels except doctorate degree holders.This strategy was: Encourage students to work harder. It was possibly due to the fact that the twenty doctorate degree holders taught at the tertiary level where the students are more mature and may be less dependent on overt encouragement by the teacher. Female and male respondents had exactly the same strategies in the top seven of the ten most frequently used strategies (Tables 2 and 3). Additionally, of the lowest ranked among the top ten strategies in the two gender levels, two of the female results contrast subtly with the two lowest of the male responses. The females have Avoid social comparisons and Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work rated low, but these strategies did not feature in the ten for males. On the other hand, the two lesser important strategies on the males’ list were Design tasks that are within the students’ ability and Encourage students to use English outside the classroom. These two pairs of strategies provide insight into some fundamental differences between the genders in that the females’ choices are related to the teacher’s classroom behavior. This is at variance with the males’ choices that are related to non-classroom behavior. It also suggests that the females were more sensitive to social distinctions than the males, who tend to set objectives that might make them distinct in society. Moreover, the males’ two non-classroom strategies show their inclination towards pragmatic and functional factors, which reflects the connection between the society and the classroom through the use of the language in real contexts. There were a few notable differences between the novices and seasoned EFL practitioners as well. Firstly, novice practitioners considered Giving clear instructions by modeling, Introducing various interesting topics, and Avoiding social comparison among their most important strategies, whereas seasoned practitioners did not (Tables 4 and 9). On the other hand, the strategies Establish good rapport with students, Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and Adopt the role of “facilitator” were ranked among the top ten by the more experienced practitioners, but not by the novices (Tables 4 to 9). This may indicate that experienced teachers pay more attention to rapport because they have gained knowledge of how to relate to students and establish TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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connections with them. They may be more aware of students’ interests. On the other hand, the novice teachers may pay less attention to the need to establish rapport because they are closer in age to the students and thus may already have rapport with them.
Conclusion In this study, the spotlight has been on the effects of teacher variables, as determined by gender, experience and educational attainment, on the use of motivational strategies. While a relationship between the three variables cannot be established, undoubtedly the strong agreement among the population represented in the survey on certain motivational strategies cannot be ignored. The common elements among the ten top-ranked strategies in the present study were coherent since participants of both genders with six different levels of experience and three different levels of academic qualification ranked four of the 48 strategies among the top-ten strategies in their practice. It is conceivable that the teachers in the target population ranked teacher-centered strategies highly because they are fully aware of the cultural background of their Omani students who value such personal relationships with their teachers. It is interesting to note that most of the ten strategies in the present study seem to place the onus of motivation on the teacher’s behavior while Cheng and Dörnyei’s (2007) study ranks “proper teacher behavior” and “recognize students’ effort” among the top strategies. This tends to suggest that students in Oman and Taiwan may be more dependent on the teacher than on themselves, and that a teacher’s personal behavior in the classroom can influence them far more than their counterparts elsewhere. The most frequently used strategy in the present study–Show students that you care about them–is identical to that in the top ten strategies of the Taiwanese study. This may be indicative of the values of the cultures of both countries or to different factors including teacher training principles and techniques. Last, but not least, the effect of an understanding of Omani culture as a collective teacher variable on the choice and use of motivational strategies could be explored in a future study because the influence of culture is so profound that it may have the potential to overlap with other variables in an investigation.
References Akbari, R., & Allvar, N. (2010). L2 teacher Volume 19
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characteristics as predictors of students’ academic achievement. TESL-EJ, 13(4). Retrieved from http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/ volume13/ej52/ej52a2 Brophy, J., & Good, T. (1986). Teacher behavior and student achievement. In M. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed., pp. 328– 375). New York: Macmillan. Chambers, G. (1999). Motivating language learners. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual matters. Cheng, H., & Dörnyei, Z. (2007). The use of motivational strategies in language instruction: The case of EFL teaching in Taiwan. Innovation in language learning and teaching, 1(1), 153-174. Dörnyei, Z. (1990). Conceptualizing motivation in foreign language learning. Language Learning, 40, 46-78. Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Teaching and researching motivation. Harlow, UK: Pearson Education. Dörnyei, Z., & Csizér, K. (1998). Ten commandments for motivating language learners: Results of an empirical study. Language Teaching Research, 2(3), 203-229. Dörnyei, Z, & Ottó, I. (1998). Motivation in action: A process model of L2 motivation. Working papers in applied linguistics (Thames Valley University, London), 4, 43-69. Gardner, R. C., & Lambert, W. E. (1959). Motivational variables in second language acquisition. Canadian Journal of Psychology, 13, 266-272. Jones,V., & Jones, L. (1995). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating positive learning environments for all students (4th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Lawrenz, F. (1988). The relationships among elementary school teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about science and their teaching style. Paper presented at the 61st Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Madrid, D., Ortega, J., Jiménez, S., Pérez, M, Hidalgo, E., Fernández, J., Pérez, M., García, M., Gomis, A., Verdejo, M., & Robinson, B. (1992). Sources of motivation in the EFL classroom. Jornadas Pedagógicas para la Enseñanza del Inglés,1(2), pp. 18-36. Theodora (2010). Oman Economy, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/ oman/oman_economy.html Williams, M., & Burden, R. (1997). Psychology for TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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language teachers. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Appendix Motivational Strategy Frequency in your EFL teaching (Scale: 1=Never, 2=Rarely, 3=Often, 4=Very Often, 5=Always) 1. 2. 3. 4.
Bring in and encourage humor Show students you care about them Allow students to get to know each other Familiarize students with the cultural background of the target language 5. Explain the importance of the class rules 6. Give clear instructions by modeling 7. Invite senior students to share their English learning experiences 8. Monitor students’ progress and celebrate their victory 9. Remind students of the benefits of mastering English 10. Encourage students to set learning goals 11. Design tasks that are within the students’ ability 12. Introduce various interesting topics 13. Make tasks challenging 14. Teach self-motivating strategies [e.g., remembering inspiring stories/role models, past success, etc.] 15. Make sure grades reflect students’ effort and hard work 16. Let students suggest class rules 17. Show your enthusiasm for teaching 18. Break the routine by varying the presentation format 19. Invite-English speaking foreigners to class 20. Help students develop realistic beliefs about English learning 21. Use a short and interesting opening activity to start each class 22. Involve students in designing and running the English course 23. Establish good rapport with students 24. Encourage peer teaching and group presentation 25. Give good reasons to students as to why a particular task is meaningful 26. Find out students’ needs and build [respond to] them into curriculum 27. Encourage students to create products [e.g., posters, magazines, videos] 28. Encourage students to try harder Volume 19
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29. Give students choices in deciding how and when they will be assessed 30. Create a supportive classroom climate that promotes risk-taking 31. Display the class goal in a wall chart and review it regularly 32. Introduce authentic cultural materials 33. Make clear to students that communicating meaning effectively is more important than being grammatically correct 34. Provide students with positive feedback 35. Ask students to work toward the same goal 36. Teach students learning techniques 37. Adopt the role of a “facilitator” 38. Encourage students to use English outside the classroom 39. Increase the amount of English you use in the class [Write in N/A if not applicable.] 40. Share with students that you value English [learning] as a meaningful experience 41. Avoid social comparison [e.g., socio-economic status, tribe, etc.] 42. Promote effort attributions [e.g., encourage risktaking and effort exertion in language-learning.] 43. Make tasks attractive by including novel and fantasy elements 44. Encourage students to share personal experiences and thoughts 45. Present various auditory and visual teaching aids 46. Recognize students’ effort and achievement 47. Be yourself in front of students 48. Allow students to assess themselves ❉
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Donate to the TESOL Arabia Book Drive at TACON 2012. Contact:
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Life Syllabus: A New Research Agenda in English Language Teaching Considering the fact that the selection and ordering of what is to be taught are of great concern to teachers, a considerable number of syllabi have been proposed in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) to give shape to instruction. These syllabi have been designed in terms of structures, notions, functions, topics, or tasks, to facilitate language learning. Traditional procedures for syllabus design primarily involved the selection and sequencing of integrated linguistic features like grammar and vocabulary as well as notions, functions, and topics. Nevertheless, these approaches to syllabus design were criticized for their failure to satisfy learners’ communicative needs, and also for misrepresenting the process of second language acquisition as linear (Baleghizadeh, 2008). It was not until recently that a range of alternative syllabi were devised, including procedural and task-based, whose focus was primarily on meaning, the learning process, and the learner. In fact, the task-based syllabus has been the latest attempt to tackle the process of language teaching and learning. In a groundbreaking article, Pishghadam (2011) introduced a new type of syllabus which directed English teachers to give priority to life issues rather than language in class. This implies that the language syllabus must be planned according to the principles of the syllabus of life. This is not to suggest that language learning should be ignored in ELT contexts, but that it should not be considered the end product of a language class. Rather, primacy ought to be given to the improvement of learners’ life qualities through the development and application of life syllabi in ELT classes. This study aimed to illuminate the concept of the life syllabus, presenting it as a new research agenda Volume 19
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Reza Pishghadam Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran
Reza Zabihi University of Isfahan, Iran
for second/foreign language studies. According to the life syllabus theory, language learners should become empowered in language class to tackle the problems they may encounter in life. In this way, language learning class becomes a site for enhancing life qualities. The following section provides a brief overview of the philosophy behind the notion of “education for life,” followed by an introduction to ELT for life.
Education for Life Although a nation’s annual income as measured by the Gross Domestic Product, may be considered an indicator of life quality and well-being, there are numerous other factors which can be looked at and enhanced in order to improve the quality of life. These indicators include social relations, safety, physical health, freedom, human rights, success in marriage, happiness, emotional abilities, job satisfaction, and so on. Education is one area in which such broad factors are dealt with and are supposed to be improved. Accordingly, humanistic educators assert that students should be empowered to lead a good life. In fact, the core principle of humanistic education is that “there is only one subject-matter for education, and that is life in all its manifestations” (Whitehead, 1929, p. 6). That is to say, if the curriculum is to be developed based on life and all of its manifestations, then teaching should not only comprise mathematics, chemistry, or literature, but also emotions, relationships, attitudes, thinking styles, feelings, and states of mind. The importance of life issues in education has been highlighted by educational philosophers such as Dewey (1897), Freire (1998), Krishnamurti (1981), and Walters (1997), who firmly believed that any system of education has an obligation to prepare people for meeting life’s challenges in advance of TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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making them ready for employment or other personal gain.Thus, the primary aim of education should be to make humanity ready for that lifelong learning process. As Walters puts it, life is a meaningful and purposeful enterprise; therefore, any education system should aim to educate people in order to achieve the true purpose of life. Freire also demands that all educational practices entail an unrestricted Reza Pishghadam is an Associate Professor inquiry toward life of TEFL who currently teaches in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. He has published and its challenges. more than 70 articles and books in different In a similar vein, domains of TEFL. His major research interests are the psychology and sociology of language Krishnamurti calls education. Email: pishghadam@um.ac.ir for positive change in educational systems which train students to be like automatons and to seek and fight for personal gain, rather than helping them cultivate an integrated outlook on life and, hence, lead effective lives. He further argues that “The present system of education is making us subservient, mechanical and deeply thoughtless; though it awakens us intellectually, inwardly it leaves us incomplete, stultified and uncreative” (p. 7). Fortunately, over the last few decades, the philosophy of education for life has been accepted by some schools such as the Education for Life Foundation (ELF) and the Ananda Living Wisdom College, which were established with the goals of improving children’s life qualities, preparing them to meet life challenges and, in general, Reza Zabihi is a PhD student of TEFL in helping them reach University of Isfahan, Iran. His major research their full potential. interests include syllabus design as well as Sadly, the English sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic studies. He has published more than 15 research articles in language teaching international journals and is currently teaching profession has not BA General English courses at University of Isfahan, Iran. Email: zabihi@hotmail.com adopted much of this philosophy. In what follows, the authors recommend that ELT classes also be sites for enhancing learners’ life qualities, and have come up with the idea of a life syllabus to be incorporated into the ELT curriculum.
Syllabus Design Since many scholars have defined syllabus differently over the course of time and due to the fact that new trends in language teaching are emerging, there is no one single definition of the term. For example, structures have given way to situations, and tasks have replaced notions and functions. As a Volume 19
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case in point, Paulo Freire’s (1970) and John Dewey’s (1916) democracy-seeking views on education have inspired many scholars, researchers, and teachers who were ready to help learners have their voices heard within and out of the classroom. Their ideas were a protest against the “banking” approach to education, which prevented learners from thinking critically. In this approach the teacher was expected to transfer knowledge to students, who were expected to receive and accept the information without the right to question the knowledge being transferred. The banking concept of education was rejected by critical pedagogues as an instrument of oppression, and lesson planners and materials developers adapted more learner-based approaches to syllabus design. Irrespective of the conflicting views on the nature of a syllabus, it is important to note the different definitions of the term in order to better clarify its meaning. The simplest definition was proposed by Hutchinson and Waters (1987, p. 80) as “a statement of what is to be learnt.” In a similar manner, Breen (1984) defines a syllabus as “a plan of what is to be achieved through our teaching and our students’ learning.” Moreover, Wilkins (1981) and Prabhu (1984) contend that a syllabus involves the stipulation of language teaching content based on some degree of order for the purpose of making teaching and learning more effective. Widdowson (1979) also regards a syllabus as “the specification of a teaching programme or pedagogic agenda which defines a particular subject for a particular group of learners.” Other scholars (e.g., Prabhu, 1987; Breen, 1984; Candlin, 1984; Foley, 1991), on the other hand, look at syllabi from a retrospective perspective and argue that the content of ELT classes should not be determined in advance. That is to say, syllabi are localized accounts of what actually takes place in the classroom where the situated and emergent conditions make the process of syllabus design an ongoing and cyclical one (Candlin, 1984). As Allen (1984) puts it, language is a highly complex entity which may not be taught all at the same time; therefore, language teachers should always be concerned with adapting their material selection to the objectives of the course, the proficiency level of the learners, and the duration of the program. Accordingly, every attempt at syllabus design necessarily involves some degree of selection and grading of the content to be taught (Nunan, 1988). TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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ELT for Life As well as educational policies fostering or hindering the improvement of individuals’ lives, English language teachers can play a pivotal role in shaping learners’ lives. Sometimes even a simple gesture on the part of a teacher, be it a significant one or not, may have an abysmal effect on a student’s life (Freire, 1998). A study by Pishghadam and Saboori (2011) revealed that if language teachers highlight Standard English or respect language varieties, correct errors on the spot or just correct those which might otherwise hinder communication, and emphasize the use of the target language or allow optimal use of the students’ home language, they can play an important part in shaping an important aspect of learners’ lives, as well as their national and cultural identities. Therefore, the authors suggest a new notion, ELT for life, given the fact that ELT, among several other disciplines, has already gained a superordinate, independent, and scientific status which grants it a more contributory role. The authors back Pishghadam’s (2011) notion of applied ELT in which he claims that ELT has achieved an autonomous status, and therefore, it cannot be considered a part of linguistics anymore. ELT has already been enriched in theoretical foundation and now it is ready to export and contribute its ideas to other disciplines of knowledge. In what follows the authors briefly explain the dominated past, the dependent present, and the superordinate and independent future of ELT, arguing for a change in its focus from applying linguistic theories and the findings of other disciplines to playing a more contributory, life-changing role. Although ELT primarily emerged out of the findings of theoretical linguistics (Berns & Matsuda, 2006), it soon liberated itself from those confines to the extent that it is currently studied as a branch of applied linguistics, receiving insights from the findings of other fields like sociology, psychology, neurology, and computers. Psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics, for example, are two major branches of linguistics which have shed enough light on English language learning and teaching to help ELT practitioners enrich their understanding of the field. However, Pishghadam (2011) denounces the idea of ELT relying heavily on other fields of study to enrich itself. Rather, he argues that ELT should not be regarded as a part of applied linguistics any more. He invites the ELT community to Volume 19
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take a fresh look at the principles of the field and announce its independence. In other words, English language teachers should not be merely consumers of the findings of other disciplines (Schmitt, 2002). Rather, as an independent and superordinate field of study, “ELT has the potentiality to be applied to other domains of knowledge” (Pishghadam, 2011). Unfortunately, only a very few studies have been conducted so far to examine this potentiality. Below are a few examples that show contributions of ELT to the fields of psychology and sociology. Pishghadam (2008), for example, studied the role of literary discussion in an EFL class on learners’ critical thinking abilities. The results indicated that literary discussion in a foreign language could enhance learners’ critical thinking. When ample opportunities for interaction and discussion are offered to learners in English language learning classes, learners’ critical abilities can be increased. Moreover, Hosseini, Pishghadam, and Navari (2010) examined the role of English language classes in the development of emotional intelligence among sixty-three female students from Iranian high schools and private language institutes. The results of the study show that the communicative approach (based on interaction and group work) used in private language institutes enhanced language learners’ emotional intelligence competencies. English language classes conducted according to the communicative theory helped learners overcome their anxiety, manage their stress, and enhance interpersonal competencies. However, ELT classes do not always enhance learners’ life qualities. As a case in point, in their attempts to qualitatively analyze the Iranian ELT context in the light of the theory of “World Englishes,” Pishghadam and Saboori (2011) interviewed twenty-five English language teachers and learners, and observed seven language classes. The results of their study revealed that ELT in Iran still lives in the modern era. That is to say, the majority of English teachers considered American English the best standard to be followed in language classes, banned the use of Farsi (learners’ home language) in their classes, and emphasized nativelike pronunciation. English language teachers can play an important role in shaping learners’ national and cultural identities. Having observed that Iranian English language teachers showed positive attitudes towards American culture and tried to act like native speakers, the authors concluded that English language TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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teachers, if not well-trained enough, can alienate learners from their own home culture. These studies indicate that while ELT teachers may negatively affect some aspects of learners’ lives, ELT classes can provide teachers with opportunities for enhancing learners’ life qualities.This is exactly what Pishghadam (2011) means by the notion of “applied ELT.”
Life Syllabus Notwithstanding the fact that the evolution of ELT syllabus design from grammatical and lexical syllabi to functional-notional orientations, and later on to procedural and task-based models has shown considerable positive changes, there is one point on which scholars of the field have consensus and about which we want to express our serious concern: The primacy of language learning. Hopefully, one of the current trends in ELT syllabus design is to include non-linguistic objectives in the syllabus. That is to say, ELT no longer confines itself to only developing learners’ language knowledge and skills; rather, it is also responsible for advancing learners’ wholeperson development, including not only intellectual development but also learning strategies, confidence, motivation, and interest (Richards, 2001). Any such attempt would, of course, enhance learners’ life qualities. However, even such a trend may not help ELT reach its full potential. In order to accomplish this goal, ELT practitioners should design their linguistic syllabus around the life syllabus so that, unlike in previous trends, the ELT profession becomes a life-and-language enterprise, giving priority to the quality of learners’ lives in advance of enhancing their language-related skills. Therefore, it seems quite necessary to present life syllabus as a new agenda which makes issues of concern in life, and not in language, its utmost priority. The rationales for proposing life syllabi in ELT contexts are, according to Pishghadam (2011), the unique features offered by English language learning classes. These include the possibility of holding discussions on a variety of social, political, and scientific topics, the great emphasis placed on group and pair work, the comparability of the home culture and the foreign culture, the acquaintance with the structures and words of a second/foreign language, the ease of projecting one’s own true identity through the L2, the serious attempts made by learners to learn another language, and the enjoyable atmosphere of ELT classes. By virtue of these unique features, by using the life Volume 19
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syllabus, the English language teachers would first reinforce learners’ creativity, motivation, emotional intelligence, and so on, and then teach a language. As a result, learners’ depression, stress, anxiety disorders, burnout, and so on would be diminished, or even eradicated. Language teachers need to stipulate in advance which domain of learners’ lives is going to be targeted, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, or creativity, and then they should design their linguistic syllabus to achieve this goal. In this way, language learning becomes a more purposeful and educational process.
Closing Remarks In sum, after traditional approaches to syllabus design, such as grammatical and lexical, were discarded due to their failure in both preparing learners for effective communication, and in perceiving second language acquisition as a nonlinear process, some alternative models such as task-based and procedural syllabi were proposed. Since even these approaches were flawed, some modifications were made to them. These modifications paved the way for introducing some new trends to syllabus design, including, the coexistence of the traditional and the new types of syllabi, the focus on the process of language learning, the inclusion of non-linguistic objectives, and the advent of the integrated syllabus. However, it was suggested that due to their heavy emphasis on the primacy of language learning, these trends may not help ELT reach its full potential. In order to make this happen, we now need to pass to the scientifically tested approach to ELT which results in a fundamental shift or change that has evolved out of the past practices and theories. Accordingly, this articles suggests the life syllabus as a new research agenda in second/foreign language studies. The authors strongly recommend that this new type of syllabus be applied to ELT classes. Despite inherent differences in design and application, all ELT syllabi concede to the primacy of language learning. The authors have provided a new framework for researchers of the field to integrate language learning with issues of concern in learners’ lives. Following Pishghadam’s (2011) notion of Applied which looks at ELT as a full-fledged and scientific field of study ready to contribute and be applied to other disciplines, it is suggested that language classes be considered places where the enhancement TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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of different aspects of learners’ lives, including social intelligence, creativity, motivation, critical abilities, and so on, is pre-meditated. For example, if a language class is aimed at improving learners’ critical thinking abilities, language teachers need to design their linguistic syllabus in a way to achieve this purpose. To this end, it is suggested that critical thinking be enhanced as a core academic skill rather than as a warm-up or mood-changing activity. Critical thinking can simply be enhanced through English language teachers’ manipulation and mediation of learners’ cognitive abilities. This may be accomplished by asking challenging questions which raise learners’ critical awareness. To give but one example, Fisher (2003, cited in Jarvis, 2005) suggests seven types of questions that may stimulate critical thinking, namely, context, temporal order, particular events, intentions, choices, meaning (meta-discourse message), and telling. These questions can be utilized to help learners improve their language proficiency, and at the same time to enhance their critical thinking abilities. Finally, it is worth noting that the investigation of how to design and implement life syllabi in English language learning classes opens a new horizon for interested researchers who can give practitioners greater insight into those areas of life where language learners need more improvement.
References Allen, P. (1984). General purpose language teaching: A variable focus approach. ELT Documents, 118, 61-74. Baleghizadeh, S. (2008). Task-supported structural syllabus. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 3, 8-22. Berns, M., & Matsuda, P. K. (2006). Applied linguistics: Overview and history. In K. Brown (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of language and linguistics (pp. 394-405). Oxford, UK: Elsevier. Breen, M. P. (1984). Process Syllabuses for the Language Classroom. In Brumfit, CJ. (Ed.), General English syllabus design. London, UK: Pergamon Press Ltd. and the British Council. Candlin, C. N. (1984). Syllabus design as a critical process. In Brumfit, C. J. (Ed.), General English syllabus design (pp. 29-46). London, UK: Pergamon Press Ltd. and the British Council. Dewey, J. (1897). My pedagogic creed. The School Journal, 54(3), 77-80. Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York, NY: Macmillan.
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Foley, J. (1991). A psycholinguistic framework for task-based approaches to language teaching. Applied Linguistics, 12(1), 62-75. Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York, NY: The Seabury Press. Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civic courage. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Hosseini, A., Pishghadam, R., & Navari, S. (2010). Tasire classhayaye zaban dar afzayesh hooshe hayajani. Language and Literature Studies, 42, 1-11. Hutchinson, T., & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: A learning centred approach. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Jarvis, M. (2005). The psychology of effective learning and teaching. London, UK: Nelson Thornes Ltd. Krishnamurti, J. (1981). Education and the significance of life. London, UK: HarperCollins Publishers. Nunan, D. (1988). Syllabus design. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Pishghadam, R. (2008). Afzayeshe tafakore enteghadi az tarighe mobahesye adabi. Journal of Literature, 48, 153-167. Pishghadam, R. (2011). Introducing Applied ELT as a new approach in second/foreign language studies. Iranian EFL Journal, 7(2), 8-14. Pishghadam, R., & Saboori, F. (2011). A qualitative analysis of ELT in the language institutes of Iran in the light of the theory of “World Englishes.” Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2(3), 569-579. Prabhu, N. S. (1984). Procedural syllabuses. In: Read, J.A.S. (Ed.), Trends in language syllabus design (pp. 272-280). Singapore: SEAMEO Regional Language Centre. Prabhu, N. S. (1987). Second language pedagogy. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Richards, J. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Schmitt, N. (2002). An introduction to applied linguistics. London, UK: Arnold. Walters, J. D. (1997). Education for life: Preparing children to meet the challenges. Nevada City. CA: Crystal Clarity Publishers. Whitehead, A. N. (1929). The aims of education and other essays. New York, NY: Macmillan. Widdowson, H. G. (1979). Explorations in applied linguistics. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Wilkins, D. A. (1981). Notional syllabuses revisited. Applied Linguistics, II, 83-89. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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From Legendary Love of Books into TV Hooks Teachers and educators with insufficient knowledge of Arab affairs might be wondering why Arab students, especially in higher education, are not interested in reading, neither for studies, nor for pleasure. In point, it requires great efforts to convince them to read. In the classroom, once given a passage to read, their agony begins to reflect on their faces. Then a typical scenario takes place. Some students are surveying the ceiling, others are fidgeting in their seats, and their body language is sending a very clear message that this is not an interesting activity. Suddenly, a voice comes from the corner, “Sir, is this English?” followed by loud laughter.You play the role of the teacher and you tell them to focus and avoid wasting time. At that moment, the loud mouths in the group launch into a tirade that this passage has too many difficult words, that they do not understand, then plead to do something else.You know from experience this is one of their excuses, but the painful fact is: They hate reading!
Arab Society Does Not Read Our students, like everybody else in the world, are a product of their upbringing and the environment they exist in. The United Nations Development Programme Literacy Report for 2007-2008 revealed that the average Arab in the Middle East reads approximately four pages worth of literature a year, whereas Americans read an average of 11 books a year and the average Briton reads eight books (Average Arab, 2008). Dividing those four pages into 365 days, it turns out that a Middle Easterner reads around five words a day. Those five words, in my experience, could be the description of a dish on a restaurant menu. Recently, a prominent Arabic newspaper based in London, quoting the Human Development Report 2011, published that the average Arab reads about six Volume 19
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Ghassoub Mustafa Dubai Women’s College Dubai, UAE
minutes a year while a western person reads about 12,000 minutes, or 200 hours. It adds, among other disturbing facts, that an Arab child reads between 6-12 books a year (Al Aroosi, 2011) whereas their western counterparts are continuously read to by caregivers.
The Arabs as Legendary Book Lovers in Their Golden Age The irony of all ironies is that the very first philosophical novel was written by Ibn Tufayl, Latinized as “Abubacer,” an Andulsian Arab polymath, novelist and thinker who lived in the 12th century in Cordoba, Islamic Spain. His novel, Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, “Alive,” or “Son of Awake,” known in the west as Philosophus Autodidactus, “…was even more far-reaching, for his work inspired another tale of a lonely castaway and his companion on a desert island. The book was no more than Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, published just eleven years after Ibn Tufayl’s original was translated into English in 1708” (Graham, 1970, p. 109). History tells of other western writers that have been inspired by the works of Arab and Muslim authors. For example, Dante Alighieri, in the 13th century, derived his visions of Hell and Heaven in his Divine Comedy, the preeminent work and great epic of Italian literature, from the Andalusian Islamic philosopher Ibn Arabi’s book The Night Journey. “It almost sounds like sacrilege to say…the plot of the Divine Comedy is largely borrowed from Islamic literature” (Graham, 1970, p. 90). Baghdad derived much of its glory in the17th century from The House of Wisdom, “Bait Al Hikma” in Arabic, which led to the climax of reading in the Arab community. Bait Al Hikma was an unrivaled intellectual center for the studies of the humanities and sciences. It was a translation TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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center, a research center, a global academy, and an observatory that welcomed scholars from all over the world. Indeed, reading and writing were accelerated by the paper industry that started in Baghdad and later spread into Europe through Cordoba in Islamic Spain (Zaimeche, 2005).
which is a recipe for creating a habit. A habit is “… the intersection of knowledge, skill, and desire” (Covey, 1989, p.47). This is simply a colossal task for teachers. Our greatest challenge as teachers is how we can instill reading in our Arab students as a habit, rather than a tool to decipher a text to pass an exam.
There are two main historical reasons that brought about the lack of reading in Arabic society. Firstly, the destruction of Baghdad and the sacking of its House of Wisdom in the 12th century by the Mongols, and secondly, the fall of Cordoba in the 14th century, both of which led to the loss of millions of Arabic books.
In my long inquisitive journey to unearth some secrets that enable me as a teacher to motivate my adamant Arab students to read, I have formed my own theories and adapted a great deal from the existing literature to my students’ needs. Most importantly, I have adopted Krashen’s admonishment that “Pedagogical activities that promote language acquisition are enjoyable, and those that do not are not enjoyable” (2003, p. 22).
Why Arab Students Do Not Read Television is the most powerful rival that Arab students face. Imad Karam’s 2007 research (as cited in Harmon, 2008) on television consumption and affluenza among people aged 16-27 in the Arab world provides valuable data. “More than half the 200 respondents to his survey reported watching television up to three hours a day on a typical school or work day” (Harmon). Harmon cites the example of the phenomenally successful Star Academy TV show in the summer of 2003 on channel LBCI, where viewers followed the contestants 24 hours a day. The second obstacle to reading is society’s perceptions. Reading is perceived as mainly a school task and one should always be reading their textbooks. This disposition stems from the fact that the whole school system evolves round exams and parents’ obsession with marks. Thus individuals’ are not encouraged to acquire skills or habits, but to work relentlessly for higher marks. As a result, reading for pleasure or for knowledge has disappeared from school and from home. Consequently, children have grown up hating reading as a boring school task and have not acquired the habit to read in their mother tongue. If children are not reading in their mother tongue, they will be very reluctant to read in foreign languages. Nuttal (1996, p.37) affirms that “…students from certain educational traditions may not read efficiently even in L1. When this happens, it is a hindrance to the development of efficient reading in L2.”
Some Strategies and Principles that May Rekindle Reading as a Habit among Arab students The love for reading results from a balanced mixture of passion, craving, desire, thirst, hunger, and appetite, Volume 19
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Strategies and Principles to Promote Reading Start by having an interesting discussion and brainstorming with students the advantages of reading.You will be surprised at their lack of knowledge of the great merits of reading. I sometimes begin by seating them in groups and having them brainstorm on three points: (a) why Arabs do not read, (b) what are the impacts of no reading on society, and (c) how we can encourage students or individuals to read. Once groups complete their exhaustive lists, we begin the debate. Pre-prepare a few jokes on reading that will create more intimacy.Your objective is to convince Arab students that reading performs miracles. Remember to be a good marketing person.You are selling ice to Eskimos! Show short videos on reading and get them to comment and discuss. Have another debate on the disadvantages of not reading by comparing TV with reading.You can divide them into two groups: one defends reading and the other defends TV. Invite a colleague from time to time to talk to students about their reading habits. They were once fascinated when an Australian colleague told them that her daughter had started doing research in books when she was 4-years-old. Begin by light reading as a bridge. “…lighter reading can prepare readers for heavier reading” (Krashen 2003, p.22). Thus, start by reading jokes, short anecdotes, recipes, short poems and short inspirational stories. This can be a group activity in the beginning. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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Make sure you censor your material for offensive words and ideas to your Muslim learners. You can start by reading aloud. Reading aloud is beneficial; it improves speed, creates fun, helps them improve their pronunciation, and encourages them to speak. Use the salting technique. This technique was invented by Shahrazad, the main character in the Arabian Nights. She would tell the king a thrilling story and stop in the middle, so the king spared her life to hear the rest of the story the second night. “Al Rawi Majlis” Arabic for storytelling, provokes nostalgia for this deep-rooted tradition in Arab culture. Divide your students into groups of five or four and provide each group with a book.There are English novels that are written using the 3000-5000 high frequency words which are comprehensible to our students. Select a few pages and get one to read aloud to the group. Get the groups to exchange books.This has convinced some of my students to read. Each student selects an article of 300-500 words, then prepares and presents to the whole class in one to two minutes. Each article must cover a different area according to students’ interests. Don’t force them to read something they are not interested in. This activity has many advantages: it encourages them to read, teaches new vocabulary improves presentation skills, and provides new ideas. If you have students who read books, get them to talk about these books in class and in assemblies. Visit the library frequently. Help students select a book they can read, even graded readers as a start. Let them tour the magazine and journal section thoroughly and discover the selection. This is a tour of exploration that may lead to more visits in the future. Just like Columbus, once he had discovered the new land, he kept going back. Create a club, or something similar. I have created the Speakers Readers Club where students read books, present them in assemblies, and inspire each other. We give books as awards to the Reader of the Year or the Month. If your institution issues a journal written by students, this will be an ideal source of reading to most students. Articles will be comprehensible, very interesting, and relevant, so will appeal to most of them. Volume 19
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Conclusion Television remains the unchallenged rival of reading in the Arab world. It has such a strong impact on Arab viewers that it, in many cases, shapes their thinking and many of their habits. It has even destroyed their oral culture. In contrast, the night before July 21, 2008, people had been queuing in lines outside bookstores in Europe to buy a copy of the new Harry Potter. They even slept outside bookstores. Harry Potter sales have exceeded 400 million copies. The equation is the more you read, the more you want to read, and the more TV you watch, the more TV you want to watch; thus, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
References Al Aroosi, W. (2011). A reading crisis in the Arab World. Al Quds Al Arabi, 17(33), 30. Average Arab reads 4 pages a year - UN survey. (2008, November 11). Ria Novosti. Retrieved from http://en.rian.ru/ world/20081111/118255514.html Covey, S. (1989). The seven habits of highly effective people. New York: Fireside. Graham, M. (1970 ). How Islam created the modern world. Beltsville, MD: Amana. Harmon, D. M. (2008). Arab youth, television and “affluenza.” Retrieved from http://www. arabmediasociety.com/?article=691 Karam, I. (2007). Satellite television: A breathing space for Arab youth? in Sakr, N. (ed.) Arab media and political renewal: Community, legitimacy and public life (pp.80-95). London: I. B.Tauris. Krashen, S. (2003). Exploration in language acquisition. Heinemann: Portsmouth. Nuttal, C. (1996). Teaching reading skills in a foreign language. Oxford, UK: Heinemann. Zaimeche, S. (2005). Baghdad. Retrieved from http://www.muslimheritage.com/uploads/ baghdad3.pdf
Ghassoub Mustafa holds a Doctorate of Education from Exeter University, UK. At present, he teaches English, History, and International Studies at Dubai Women’s College. He has been a member of the Research Committee at DWC for the last 7 years, and had served as head of that committee for 2 years.
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Common Principles in Assigning Homework in EFL Settings
Rania Jabr The American University in Cairo, Egypt
Why do we give homework? When I asked my colleagues this question, they cited a number of very valid reasons. To practice what is taught, to provide a record of performance, to prepare for the next lesson, to exploit outside class resources, to shift mechanical, time-consuming tasks out of class, to monitor progress, to give feedback on student strengths or weaknesses, and even to involve parents in the teaching/learning process, were some of the responses received. The list goes on and shows that our intentions are practical and even pedagogically sound.
Is it, then, that we are giving homework for the wrong reasons? Do we give it simply to complete the syllabus, to punish students for poor work in class, to provide evidence of our diligence, or to complete work started in class? The answer is yes, and this forces our students to “collaborate.”
Homework Problems
Cheating or Collaboration
Homework has its disadvantages. It is time consuming for both the teacher and the student. Students resent having to do it and teachers resent having to correct it. Research has shown that there is a wide gap between low and high achievers which remains constant when analyzing the homework variable (Borg, 2003), and that both parental interference and cheating negatively impact student performance on homework assignments (Dörnyei & Csizér, 1998).
This is often mentioned as a problem teachers face when assigning homework - students copy their assignment or someone helps them with it. The question they often ask is: “How can we prevent students from cheating on their homework?” My answer to them is and will always be, “You cannot, so don’t even try!” My rationale is very simple. We should be very careful with the message we choose to send to our students. Are we actually saying to them, “Never try to learn anything from anyone/anything except me?” In this day and age, we simply cannot.
Our reasons for assigning homework are legitimate, but somehow the results are often unsatisfactory no matter what materials we use: our own worksheets, the textbook, commercial workbooks, other teachers’ worksheets, or free Internet materials. The goal of homework ought to be two-fold: teaching students how to go about it and the time-frame within which they are
Rania Jabr is a Senior English Language Instructor at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, a teacher trainer, test developer, and published author. She is also the Chair of NileTESOL 2012, AUC’s International English Language Conference. She can be contacted at jabr_r@aucegypt.edu.
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expected to complete it. This rule ought to apply to all skill areas and all levels. But do we actually clearly communicate this crucial piece of information to our students? Our goal is often rather shortsighted; simply to assign homework and make sure it is done.
In fact, we should allow them to talk to family members and ask for their input, ask classmates about collective problems, use a dictionary, spell and grammar check, consult reference books, and certainly use the Internet.
Homework vs. Tests Based on years of teaching and teacher training, one common misconception both students and teachers share about assigning homework is the attempt in one form or another to use it to assess student progress. This ought to be done through tests/quizzes TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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administered under formal test conditions, not on homework assignments. We need to draw a clear line between the two, encourage students to “cheat,” and encourage self-evaluation and comparison with classmates’ performance.
Student Self-reflection Doing homework is a life skill, as it teaches selfregulation and self-appraisal. It requires perseverance and the application of basic trouble-shooting skills to solve problems and make decisions. How can all this be achieved? In a weekly feedback session, I have students in groups share and compare their homework habits. I encourage them to go into detail, like time spent on a task, number of breaks, whether someone helped them or not, and even their feelings while doing it. This is followed by an all class discussion of the findings of each group, with particular focus on evidence of efficiency or lack of, what needs improvement, and most importantly, what would an observer notice/conclude about their homework strategies. This attempt at self-reflection and the ensuing discussion aims to encourage students to perceive homework as a task that not only requires completion, but also as a chance to provide evidence of study plus their ability to master the skill of time management. However, to teach our students these valuable skills, we should not turn it into busy work in the form of mindless drills. It should not be too long or too short, and preferably with a suggested time-frame for its completion. I also would suggest that late homework and incomplete work not be accepted.
A Positive Student Experience My goal is to succeed in creating student ownership of the homework process in general. I find that if I give homework due attention and carve out a place for it in my class, in time students will come to realize its true value. The message we send to our students when we assign homework stays with them. Here are some possible tips that I have tried over the years and they actually work! 3 Consolidate, do not replicate what was covered in class 3 Give feedback immediately after each assignment 3 Set specific class time for handing it in or Volume 19
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checking it 3 Share good student work with your class 3 Make it enjoyable 3 Mark it promptly 3 Assign it at the end of class 3 Have students choose from a number of similar tasks 3 Create homework buddies 3 Create to do lists/checklists to keep them on track 3 Encourage students to self reflect on their strategies or progress 3 Allow students to compare their work with their peers Teachers ought to shoulder responsibility for the fact that homework is an often ignored and forgotten variable in language learning. Homework is a cumulative, step-by-step building process. The affective dimension of the learner is all-important, and emphasis ought to be placed on autonomous and independent learning. That homework materials increase the classroom motivation of learners is a claim often made, but little effort is made on the part of some teachers to do it right. I would like to offer my own definition of homework. It is attention, interest, and persistence in completing required assignments. It is a continuous process in which learners learn to improve factual knowledge, understand concepts, form ideas, problem-solve, and finally acquire self-discipline and valuable study skills. If we do it right, I have concluded from experience that learners are quick to realize the benefits of homework assignments as a means toward academic progress in general.
References Borg, S. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36, 81-109. Dörnyei, Z., & Csizér, K. (1998). Ten commandments for motivating language learners: Results of an empirical study. Language Teaching Research, 2(3), 203-229. ❉
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Using Mobile Phones to Improve Speaking Know how to listen and you will profit even from those who speak badly. —Plato
Kathryn Glennie British Council Rabat, Morocco
Students can record their voices on their mobiles.
Students can use Bluetooth to pass their recordings to each other.
We are all beginning to reconsider our position on mobile phones though they were once the bane of the classroom. Mobiles have so many useful applications for the language classroom: dictionaries, calculators, video, and camera, just to mention a few. I’d like to focus on two: the voice recorder and Bluetooth.
the counselor provides the “air.” Curran sat students in a circle until one of them decided to speak into a tape recorder. This was reformulated with the help of the counselor. A conversation ensued where the students’ language was reformulated and rerecorded. Great idea. Let’s get the students to take on the role of the counselor.
The voice recorder enables us to put some of Charles A. Curran’s valuable ideas about counseling learning into practice with a twist, and Bluetooth can facilitate delivery. Curran’s (Maley, 2000-2011; Community, 2004) observed that language learners knew what they wanted to say, but didn’t always have the tools to express it, so a teacher should be rather like a helpful friend who aids the learner to speak correctly. Curran likened the process to that of a swimmer coming up for air between strokes where
In this lesson idea, a relevant topic is chosen, such as “My Favorite Holiday,” and the students, in pairs, are given a few moments to think about what they might like to say. The student pair then records their
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Kathryn Glennie has been teaching EFL since she graduated and has worked mainly in Italy and the UK. She has a Diploma and the CertIBET. She specialized for a short time in Business English, but she has taught all ages and courses since. She particularly likes to experiment with the new opportunities technology offers.
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ideas using their mobiles. Having done this, they exchange their telephones with another pair. They listen to each other’s recordings and make notes on anything they consider incorrect or they do not understand. As a teacher you have two options here: either give your students specific criterion on what to listen for or allow students a free rein. Once they have done this more than once, they will become very discerning. The students then pass back the recordings and the notes. The students have to respond to the notes and re-record their piece. The students can then swap again to hear the improved version. Depending on the class, this could happen more than once. This is something which can be done inside and outside the classroom. It is advisable to do it for the first time in class, so there is guidance from the teacher. It is the best speaking homework available to most students. Students can swap their recordings and do the listening at home for the next lesson. Another alternative is for the teacher to listen; however, we are often very pressed for time, so make sure you set a recording limit for your students. This activity has many advantages. It develops active listening, peer correction, student autonomy, and group spirit. Students have to listen carefully not only for overall meaning, but for precise correctness; thus, top down and bottom up processing are involved. Students are engaged in helping their peers improve and grow more confident in being able to correct each other at any time. The students help each other to create a recording that is personal, correct, and mobile: they take it away in their pockets. In order to do this successfully as homework, you need to take advantage of Bluetooth, which enables you to send files from device to device quickly and easily if you are nearby (about a 100m2 radius), and most importantly, it is free. Students can Bluetooth their recordings back and forth with ease. Some telephones are not Bluetooth compatible, such as the iPhone, but students should be able to find someone with whom they are compatible. IPhones can now bump each other. If all else fails, they can email each other the recordings.
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Remember, as all students have their mobiles in their pocket, they have 24-7 access to their English course. They have a chunk of personal, relevant, perfect language in their pocket. Student feedback has been very positive, especially the idea of speaking homework. So get those mobile phones on the table.
References Maley, A. (2000-2011). Methodology: Community language learning. Retrieved from http://www.onestopenglish.com/support/ ask-the-experts/methodology-questions/ methodology-community-languagelearning/146410.article Community language learning. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/ articles/community-language-learning ❉
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Feature Articles Educational Technology
Online Personal Journals: Enhanced EAP Experience Online Personal journals refer to the journal tool that is available on course management systems (CMS) such as Black Board and Moodle.Technology-oriented communities, schools, and universities provide these CMSs to add web technology to their courses. For teachers who do not have the luxury to use a free CMS, blogs provide the same service. CMSs and blogs enable teachers to create a course website where enrolled students can post their personal journals online. Unlike paper-and-pencil journals, online personal journals enable students to post their entries, get faster feedback, and more easily share their journal entries. Generally speaking, paper-and-pencil journals have long been used in English language teaching to serve important pedagogical purposes such as giving students a greater opportunity to produce the target language, to reflect on the learning experience, and to assess students’ abilities to use the target language (TL) in non-threatening situations (Brown, 2004, pp. 260261).The huge flow of ideas unleashed by information technology, the shift towards more computer-assisted language learning (CALL), and the collaborative possibilities that CALL-based tasks offer have given online personal journals a greater potential to provide students of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs with an enhanced learning experience. Such enhancement can be in terms of maximizing opportunities for input through extensive reading, extending opportunities to use language through journal writing, and, because of the collaborative features of online journals, giving teachers opportunities to offer various kinds of feedback.
Extensive Academic Reading Tertiary education ushers in a new stage in students’
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Emad Jasim Zayed University Dubai, UAE
language learning, a stage in which they are required to develop academic linguistic competence that prioritizes extensive academic reading. SavilleTroike (2006) defines academic competence as “the knowledge needed by learners who want to use the L2 primarily to learn about other subjects, as a tool in scholarly research, or as a medium in a specific professional or occupational field” (p. 136). Within academic competence, reading is viewed as an essential means for acquiring knowledge specific to students’ specialties, for laying the foundations for synthesis and critical evaluation, and for independent learning, whether the goal is better performance of learning tasks, knowledge acquisition about the subject area, or enhancing language abilities. Indisputably, reading is the most important area of activity EAP students utilize for the development of L2 academic competence. EAP students are required and encouraged to develop the reading fluency that enables them to read long texts as they are required at some point in their academic study to read extensively. Teachers should consider using online personal journals to ease students into extensive reading. One possible approach is to assign extensive weekly readings based on students’ fields of study and/ or encourage students to use materials that are not course specific, and to require students to post one journal entry per week that centers on the reading material. McCarter and Jakes (2009) argue that frequently asking students to read and comment on texts helps develop students’ critical reading skills as much as it helps them develop their language ability (p. 43). McCarter and Jakes also propose that teachers
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give guidelines for posts. Guidelines may include the number of words in each post, a summary of the main points, the source, students’ opinions of the reading, and the extent to which the writers were successful in conveying their ideas (ibid.). In addition to these guidelines, I require my students to pay global attention to meaning, or content, and not to worry about the grammatical correctness of
their posts. This approach enhances a basic principle in Second Language Acquistion (SLA) which is the communication of meaning. According to Richards and Rodgers (2001), activities that involve the communication of meaning promote learning (p. 223). Thus, attention is principally focused on the communication of meaning rather than form. It is also a good idea not to restrict students to a specific
Emad A. Jasim teaches in the Academic Bridge Program of Zayed University, Dubai. He has a master’s degree in TESOL from the American University of Sharjah. Over the past 14 years he has taught ESP, EAP in Jordan, North Africa and the UAE. His professional interests are task-based language learning and teaching, language testing, CALL, and culture.
Figure 1. Students’ Online Personal Journals number of paragraphs. Students are evaluated on the number of posts. Each student has her online personal journal (See Figure 1). All posts in these journals are organized chronologically making them easy for teachers to track. This feature is immensely useful for teachers as it provides them with evidence of students’ abilities to incorporate feedback given on previous posts. It also provides insights into further and more appropriate assistance, and enables teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of their feedback in assisting student performance, especially on linguistic features the students previously struggled with. Effectiveness can be measured through tracking students’ ability to use the linguistic features more appropriately in subsequent tasks and posts.
Input and Output A balanced language program gives ample opportunities for input and output, two essential principles in SLA. In his principles of instructed Volume 19
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learning that are drawn from a variety of theoretical perspectives, Ellis (2005) points out that besides input, “successful instructed language learning … requires opportunities for output” (p. 20). Online personal journals are one way to achieve this balance as they can be an additional channel for output. Moreover, the sample of students’ language obtained through these posts can be an accurate picture of their current linguistic level, or interlanguage, as grammatical accuracy is not emphasized as much as the conveyance of intended meaning. Furthermore, students’ posts can be used by teachers to draw individualized attention to a variety of linguistic features such as collocations, grammatical structures, appropriateness, and so on.The comment button feature offers teachers the ability to provide students with rapid and extensive feedback which is a reward in its own right. Online personal journals, therefore, enhance the learner-centeredness in the language class. According to Swain’s (1995) Output Hypothesis, another role for output is to help students notice TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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gaps (linguistic problems) in their interlanguage as it brings their attention to what they need to learn about the L2 (p. 126). Swain argues that when students notice the gap between what they want to say and what they can actually say with the TL, they will be stimulated to stretch their current interlanguage capacity in order to fill these gaps, “enabling them to control and internalize linguistic knowledge” (p. 126). Swain calls the language produced as a result of this stretched interlanguage the “pushed output” (p. 126). The notion of explicit attention to linguistic features as a necessary condition to acquire these features is well accepted in SLA. According to Schmidt’s (1994) Noticing Hypothesis, linguistic features cannot be acquired unless noticed (p. 17). Thus, teachers’ comments on surface features have great potential for students to internalize linguistic knowledge. Students’ posts in their online personal journals are writing assignments that free students from the requirements of academic writing such as adherence to a prescribed format, writing a specific number of paragraphs, grammaticality, and so on. Such guidelines can be anxiety-provoking, hindering students from developing writing awareness and resulting in lethargy as far as writing is concerned. From a psychological point of view, Goleman (1995) argues that “worry is the nub of anxiety’s damaging effect on performance of any kind” (p. 96). Consequently, teachers notice that when writing assignments are given in class, students’ alarm bells start ringing. Thomas (2000) argues that in order to assist learners in gaining control of written language, the writing class must embrace basic concepts like “the chaos model of the writing process …. and a primary focus on content over surface features” (p. 39). Online personal journals capitalize on these concepts by not restricting students to follow a linear model that constrains them. Instead, it aims to give students opportunities to produce language through writing without worrying about producing a fiveparagraph essay with an introduction and a thesis statement and without worrying about grammatical accuracy because online journals give a primary focus on content and meaning, not form. Thus, this approach with online personal journals captures the concepts of the chaotic nature of writing and the primacy of content over form. Another advantage is that tasks given to students are modestly challenging Volume 19
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and achievable even for low-proficiency students, but they still give students a sense of self-efficacy when they see their posts published online. Online journals also enhance other SLA principles like rapport-building and motivation. The collaborative and interactive nature of online personal journals fosters a personal connection between the teacher and the learner. They are definitely a motivational technique when teachers leave a comment praising students’ good work, especially when the comment refers to accomplishments in their interlanguage development. Teachers can find other creative uses and positive aspects of this approach to online personal journals that may add further enhancement to their courses. Teachers only need to know that this approach entails an increased load for busy teachers as finding appropriate texts and skimming through the posts of large classes is definitely a laborious process. However, responsible educators do not mind walking the extra yard. Others may discover creative ways to take the extra step with minimal energy.
References Brown, H. D. (2004). Language assessment: Principles and classroom practices. White Plains, NY: Longman. Ellis, R. (2005). Principles of instructed language learning. In P. Robertson, P. Dash, & J. Jung (Eds.), English language learning in the Asian context (pp. 12-26). Pusan: The Asian EFL Journal Press. Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence:Why it matters more than IQ. New York: Batman Books. McCarter, S., & Jakes, P. (2009). Uncovering EAP: How to teach academic writing and reading. Oxford: Macmillan. Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching (2nd Edition). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Saville-Troike, M. (2006). Introducing second language acquisition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Schmidt, R. (1994). Deconstructing consciousness in search of useful definitions for applied linguistics. AILA Review, 11(1), 11-26. Swain, M. (1995). Three functions of output in second language learning. In G. Cook, & B. Seidlhofer (Eds.), Principle and practice in applied linguistics: Studies in honor of H.G.Widdowson (pp. 125-144). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Thomas, P. L. (2000). Teaching writing as we know we should. The English Journal, 90(1), 39-45. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary New 8th Edition A.S.Hornby, Joanna Turnbull, Diana Lea , et al. (Eds.) Oxford University Press, 2010 ISBN: 978-0-19-479902-7 1796 pages As an English language teacher, I prefer using monolingual dictionaries in my classroom as they are excellent learning tools that give clear definitions and contextualized examples of how items of language are used. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary New 8th Edition (OALD) in particular is a user-friendly monolingual dictionary designed for the upper-intermediate to advanced English learner. OALD has a writing tutor (blue pages from WT1 to WT32) and an iWriter on CD-ROM that give learners tips and guidance to plan, write and review their written work. Learners can use the iWriter to write different types of essays, oral presentations, dissertations, summaries, reports, book reviews, letters, emails, CVs and cover letters. The model stage guides learners to select the type of writing, then shows them how to use the structure provided to help them organize their notes and develop their piece of writing. There are also tips that help learners choose the right vocabulary and combine words naturally and effectively to express their ideas. All that a learner needs is to double-click on a word in the Oxford iWriter to immediately see the entry from OALD with all the extra help it offers on synonyms, collocations, grammar, and usage. Finally, the checklists take the users through all the key things to remember when reviewing their written work. A learner can easily check any problem area such as parts of speech, irregular forms, grammar, prepositions, spelling and phrasal verbs. Through the interactive whiteboard-friendly CDROM, a learner can access the Oxford 3000 key words that occur most frequently in English based on the British National Corpus and the Volume 19
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Oxford Corpus Collection plus 1000 new words and meanings, including words such as citizen journalism, social bookmarking, stack it, carbon trading, and malware. The CD-ROM has “My Topics” vocabulary banks as well to assist students in looking up and learning new words used in society, politics, science, technology, and culture. My Topics is also designed to allow students to create their own lists. Overall, OALD is a delight to use whether paperbased or electronic. Although it is quite tiring for a student to bring it to class on a daily basis because of its heaviness, OALD is an interesting addition to university level students and adult learners in the Middle East. Students can use it with confidence and teachers should encourage its use so that their students become more independent in their language learning.
Dr Asmaa Awad University of Sharjah Sharjah, UAE
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Avision MiWand Handy Scanner Can technology make an instructor’s life a little easier? Recent years have exposed us to a variety of gizmos which promise to sweep us off our feet. Most of us are too weighed down by assignments, assessment, developing classroom material, and keeping up with curriculum demands to take a second look. However, we owe it to ourselves to find out about the latest technological innovations. Scanners have been used by most of us at some time or other, but are we able to slip one out of our laptop bag or our backpacks when the need arises? The Avision MiWand Scanner is one such device that is small, compact, and very handy around the classroom. The MiWand Scanner is originally from Taiwan and very useful in a sticky situation. It performs without a computer and does not need any attachments.You can scan 700 pages before recharging the battery. The most attractive part is that it takes just 1.6 seconds to scan a full A4 page at 300 dpi in color. The high quality images can be saved to a JPEG or PDF format in a micro SD card, which in turn can be used with a card reader. The other option is to attach the scanner with a USB cable to your laptop and drag/drop your images. A fast fellow, the MiWand is sleek and a high performer. According to Avision (2011), this scanner has a built in, clear LCD display and two LED lights that show the scanning status. The LCD display also shows the selected image type, resolution, file format, remaining battery life and scanning speed. The operating procedure is ridiculously simple. Turn on the scanner, press the scanner button, and glide the scanner over a page. Press the scan button again to stop the scan. The scan is completed. The scanner automatically implements an overspeed alert to control your scanning speed, so the final effect is completely satisfactory.
The MiWand by Avision is a portable scanner that you can easily bring into the classroom. the classroom.This tiny scanner is also particularly useful for uploading supplementary material onto Blackboard or any other online learning platform. It can also be used to provide feedback on student papers. Just scan one and project it onto a screen for analysis. At present the MiWand costs AED 270 and is bundled with a page manager software application which locates and organizes the images and converts them to PDFs that can be indexed and searched. All those gizmo enthusiasts whose curiosity has been piqued can write to info@almoe.com to procure one of these mobile units. A complete demonstration is also available at You Tube.
References Avision MiWand Handy Scanner (2011). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=4fpiPQuLxSQ Avision. (2011). A vision of your office. Retrieved from http://www.avision.com.tw/
Sunayana Manoj Al Ghurair University Dubai, UAE
The MiWand can be used in several ways.You can scan a picture from a reference book for use in Volume 19
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The Omani ELT Symphony: Maintaining Linguistic and Socio-Cultural Equilibrium Rahma al Mahrooqi & Victoria Tuzlukova (Eds.) Sultan Qaboos University Press, Academic Publication Board, 2010 ISBN: 978-9948-15-664-2 536 pp
Despite the publication date, this book did not appear until March 2011, by which time, unfortunately, the demands of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) had resulted in certain terms being changed. References in the text to the Intensive English Language Programme (IELP) would now read as the Foundation Programme English Language (FPEL) and the inevitable result of this is the superficial impression that the book has already dated.
foreigners must pass if they are to move between the norms of their own and the host culture. He then offers lists of general, and classroom “do’s and don’ts,” but what is particularly important about this paper is that it is a response to Lessing’s (2009) and Goodman’s (2009) complaints that it is common for young men and women who have had years of education to know nothing of the world. Swetman tackles the problem of parochialism head on, and is to be commended for so doing.
Look deeper, however, and it becomes clear that the editors have done a remarkable job. They have assembled no fewer than 20 papers, sub-divided into four sections. These sections, or parts, are: Sociocultural and Linguistic Aspects of the ELT Profile in Oman (pp. 14-141); Critical Factors in Teaching and Learning English in Oman (pp. 143-279); Materials and Curriculum Design in the Omani ELT Context (pp. 283-421); and Independent and Computer Assisted Language Learning in Oman (pp. 425520). Despite the repeated emphasis on the Omani context, however, much of what appears in these papers would be equally applicable across the states of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council.
A second outstanding paper is Sokirkina’s “Listening Skills for Effective Academic Communication” (pp. 253-279). Working from Rost’s (1990) division of listening skills into perception, analysis, and synthesis, she explains how students can be assisted by being taught bottom-up, top-down or metacognitive strategies. At the same time, she indicates that the present demands of the OAAA are such that students “must acquire both interactional and transactional listening skills” (p. 264) and that this would be a burden for most native speakers of English.
Owing to space limitations, four papers, one from each part, will be reviewed. Each paper demonstrates the wider reach of this collection. Swetman’s “Cultural Considerations for Non-Arab Teachers New to Oman” (pp. 111-120) is based on Bennett’s (1993) six steps, from denial of difference to integration of difference, through which Volume 19
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Her proposed solution is to move students from traditional, university top-down orientated listening activities into the safer, student-centered environment of Moodle. This virtual environment places control of the play-back button into student hands, and allows them to integrate visual support with what they hear. It also accepts that “the packed curriculum does not leave much classroom space” (p. 271), but the question of whether the curriculum should be so packed is left unanswered.
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The third paper is Mullick’s “Significant Factors for Designing In-House Materials” (pp. 283-314). Based on her personal experience of having designed, written and used in-house materials with Sultan Qaboos University Foundation Level students, she offers a very full account that covers materials design, layout, copyright, and the production cycle. She concludes that in-house materials are preferable to commercially published texts, but they have advantages only when “The teachers know the students and therefore the materials are customized to their needs. ◆
The topics are localized and conform to the learners’ likes and dislikes. ◆ There is a great deal of flexibility in the selection of input and the design of tasks as only the institution where it is prepared is involved. ◆ The materials reflect the curriculum and the content can be calibrated to suit the available time. ◆ They can be piloted and revised according to feedback.” (p. 313) Omit, or fudge, any of these criteria and institutions may end up paying a fortune for poor quality trash (McBeath, 2006, 2007). The final paper that I would single out is Hall and Sandell’s “Designing E-Learning Language Courses in the Omani Context” (pp. 437-456). To some extent, this paper synthesizes the papers of Sokirkina and Mullick, as it is concerned with course design, but course design within the specific parameters of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The authors begin by examining Arab, rather than particularly Omani, cultural values (pp. 440-441) and then suggest the possible learning preferences that might emerge from adherence to those values. Present challenges to university teaching, particularly the continued school emphasis on formal and rote learning, coupled with the lack of a reading culture, are also explored. The authors then offer guidelines on task design, orientation, developing a learning community during orientation, designing tools to scaffold learning and teachers’ responsibilities in implementing these new courses. This is entirely practical advice, and is based on the belief that “The Omani society, like other Arab societies, reflects an oral culture with Volume 19
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collectivist values and courses should be designed to reflect this” (p. 451). It is this wider awareness of Arab culture that makes this book so outstanding. For far too long, practitioners in the Arab Gulf have been lectured by jet-in-jet-out experts on how, and what, they ought to teach.The Omani ELT Symphony moves serving teachers to center stage and their colleagues in other GCC countries are likely to benefit immensely from this book.
References Bennett, M. J. (1993). Towards ethnorelativism: A developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. In. R. Michael Paige (Ed.) Education for the intercultural experience (pp. 109-135). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. Goodman, A. E. (2009). Another inconvenient truth: Extracts from an address to graduates at Chatham University, May 2009. In T. Al Kamali (Ed.) 22: An anthology celebrating the twenty-second anniversary of the Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates (pp. 81-85). Abu Dhabi, UAE: HCT Press. Lessing, D. (2009). On not winning the Nobel Prize. Nobel Lecture, Stockholm, December 2007. In T. Al Kamali (Ed.) 22: An anthology celebrating the twenty-second anniversary of the Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates (pp. 164-179). Abu Dhabi, UAE: HCT Press. McBeath, N. (2006). Teachable versus unteachable materials: Two examples of English for miltary purposes. Retrieved from www. developingteachers.com/articles_tchtraining/ matspf_neil.htm McBeath, N. (2007). Overpriced and pointless: Reinventing course materials. In A. Jendli, S. Troudi, & C. Coombe (Eds.) The power of language: Perspectives from Arabia, (pp. 286-303). Dubai, UAE: TESOL Arabia. Rost, M. (1990). Listening in language learning. Harlow, UK: Longman.
Neil McBeath Sultan Qaboos University Sultanate of Oman
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The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media T. Bingham & M. Conner American Society for Training and Development, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2010 ISBN:978-1-60509-702-2 240 pp In The New Social Learning: A Guide to Transforming Organizations Through Social Media (2010), Bingham and Conner aim to provide an easy to read, “what’s all the fuss” review of how social media tools are relevant for use in common professional settings today. Its key premise? Realizing communities are fundamental to all of us as we engage in learning with one another, constructing meaning together, and staying current or relevant today wherever we may be. Today’s social learning tools just offer more opportunities that we never thought possible to both strengthen existing communities and build new ones. Based on the ideas found in The New Social Learning and the way they have been presented, such tools can be seen as highly relevant to EFL educators in the Gulf region. To elaborate, community building is a major theme of the book so, not surprisingly, it examines in simple terms fundamental ways to build a community. It explains the need for promoting a culture of sharing, one that supports expressing one’s understanding of things, and sharing that understanding with others in an effort to have it tested and more deeply understood. The authors explain how, in order for this sharing and learning to take place, that same community also needs to cultivate trust. Ultimately,
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the argument is made that these sorts of dynamics can be supported more now through the use of social media tools because of their ability to promote more frequent interaction between community members, especially in smaller communities where face to face interaction traditionally takes place far less frequently due to costs in time and money. With the help of such social media tools, communities of specialists can now emerge, sharing knowledge with one another, creating teams amongst themselves, and moving ideas forward more rapidly. I note how much of this is currently underway in the region. Existing EFL communities are being strengthened, such as TESOL Arabia, its Special Interest Groups, and its Chapters, and new ones are emerging, using both formal and informal online meetings amongst EFL instructors (i.e. Learning2Gether, TAEDTECH Ning, etc.). The way Bingham and Conner ground the use of social media tools on the premise of community building first, makes the book stand out. Without doing so, it would simply be another anthology of current social media tools, an exercise that has been repeated online by countless websites, blogs posts and wiki pages. It goes further than this by exposing typical opposition stances towards using
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various social media strategies in today’s professional work environments, some of which are likely to be familiar to many of us working in the Gulf region. Then it offers a no nonsense list of well thought out and practical rebuttals. These become opportunities once again to reinforce the benefits of social learning and to illustrate how various social media tools can be used to help realize them. Equally important is how much of this is presented in a way that is likely to be more palatable to naysayers. Many of the ideas presented are not new to those already using social media. For example, it details how to use microsharing (i.e., Twitter,Yammer) as a means to sharing and engaging co-workers. It speaks of the importance of storytelling and sharing those stories via video (i.e.,Youtube, Teachertube). However, for the uninitiated, the book provides some targeted, practical and relevant ways to realize effective use of these tools. The most interesting points to come from the text can be categorized according to two perspectives: the global and practical. From a global perspective, Bingham and Conner note how social media may be helping to blur the lines between the roles of management and subordinates. Decision making is becoming more decentralized and, as a result, more and more of today’s employees are assuming more on the job responsibility in finding ways to improve the efficiency and design of their given task. In response, there are signs that to help inform their work, they are increasingly “upskilling” themselves by collaborating with others anywhere and anytime. Much of this would not be possible without the use of social media tools. Thus, the traditional role of an all knowing management directing largely subservient employees is becoming undermined by the ability of all employees to collaborate and participate in the direction of a company. Are the roles of teacher and student changing in much the same way and for similar reasons? Perhaps so. I note how today’s students, if they wish to, can search for information, apply that information to experience, and offer insights on what has been learned in a manner similar to what many teachers do in the design of instruction. From a practical perspective, the book notes the ability of social media tools both to evidence
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community development and to facilitate community participation. The former seems particularly relevant to the Gulf region where high staff and management turnover typically undermine continuity, thus subjecting most institutions to “reinvention of the wheel” syndrome. Instead of allowing such exchange and ideas to leave the country upon an employee’s departure, social media tools may help archive them for future reference. The latter seems useful for supporting face to face events. Bingham and Conner illustrate how social media tools can be used at traditional face to face events to invite dialogue between members and to also increase the quantity and breadth of such dialogue. By doing so, membership is being encouraged to move away from being passive consumers of information on issues to becoming active participants in sharing ideas and thoughts. The result is the nurturing of a culture of sharing. I note how all of these ideas seem particularly relevant to supporting the efforts of the various EFL communities in the Gulf. Bingham and Connors provide a well-grounded, general review of the importance of using social media tools in professional settings today. They accomplish this by intentionally avoiding the temptation to simply list and introduce these tools, opting instead to discuss their relevance in the context of nurturing professional communities. The authors also distinguish themselves by researching and detailing common objections to social media tool use in professional settings and then offering compelling strategies to overcome these. The book should be of interest to any educators less familiar with social media tools, but who are interested in either nurturing a professional community or participating in one.
James Buckingham Zayed University Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Oxford iTools Headway Plus John & Liz Soars, Gareth Davies Oxford University Press, 2010
Unbelievable though it may seem, there actually was a time before Headway existed. It was, however, a very long time ago. For Headway Intermediate, the granddaddy of them all, made its appearance back in 1986. Since then, the series has expanded easily outselling all but the hardiest of its competitors, and now we have Headway Plus iTools, on CD-ROM. First, we should point out that this package is not a course per se. Each CD-ROM (Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate) is designed to complement, rather than subsume, the course book to which it relates. The software both buttresses and expands, reproducing the pages, audio recordings, and scripts of the books, while offering additional material to enrich them. Accompanying each disc is a comprehensive teacher’s guide, wherein much is made of using the CDs in tandem with an Interactive Whiteboard (IWB). There is a page outlining the pedagogic arguments for doing so, followed by several pages of instructions on how to set about it. This information is replicated on the software. Open up the Home Page (of any level) and you’ll find a video tour, which not only guides you around the contents of the disc but also offers handy hints on exploiting the IWB. The aforementioned Home Page is admirably unfussy. Click on the “Video Tour,” “Teacher’s Guide” or “Start Using iTools” icons and away you go. It really is that simple, and everything else on the disc is equally straightforward. The Unit Menu allows easy selection of any given chapter and any specific page within it. In each unit, the Student Book is reproduced in its entirety but, as hinted above, there’s also a glossary, grammar reference, and sound chart, constantly available on a toolbar at the foot of every page. All the activities are ergonomically designed, featuring legible fonts, an economy of composition and colors which highlight rather than dazzle.
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The fare on offer ranges from the customary (gapfills, matching) to the contemporary (sound files, drag and drop labeling). The Teacher’s Guide (hard or soft) takes you step by step through the modus operandi of each activity, all the while suggesting ways to incorporate the IWB into the proceedings: “Remember, IWB pens can be used to write over the pictures….” Everything is clearly flagged and easy to navigate, lifting the material off the printed page and bringing it vividly to life in the classroom. All of this will help you….bring a whole new dimension to your teaching of Headway!” (Teacher’s Guide, p.5) Do we really need it? In a word, no. After all, we could keep on teaching Headway just as we have done all these years. However, reword the question and ask: “Do we really want it?” and the answer becomes altogether affirmative. For the iTools Headway Plus series is surely a welcome addition to the existing Headway canon, one which will bring “a whole new dimension to your teaching.” On the strength of the material reviewed here, it is twenty five years and counting. Headway is going to keep on rolling for the next quarter century at least.
Colin Toms Petroleum Institute Abu Dhabi, UAE
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Calendar of Upcoming Events February 25-26, 2012
8th Annual CamTESOL Conference on English Language Teaching, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Email: buneang.vinh@idp.com
February 25, 2012
“Tracking Foundation, Pre-sessional and EAP students,” University of Kent Baleap, The Global Forum of EAP Professionals. Contact: Jane Short, j.short@kent.ac.uk. Register before February 6 at www.baleap.org
March 8-10, 2012
18th International TESOL Arabia, “Achieving Excellence Through Life Skills Education,” Dubai Men’s College, Academic City, Dubai, UAE. Website: http:// tesolarabia.org/conference
March 19-23, 2012
IATEFL 46th Annual Conference and Exhibition, Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre, Glasgow, Scotland. Website: http://www.iatefl.org/glasgow2012/46th-annual-conference-and-exhibition
March 17-18, 2012
TESOL Greece, “Teaching, Testing and Technology,” Hellenic American Union, Athens, Greece. Website: http://www.tesolgreece.org
March 28-31, 2012
46th Annual TESOL Convention & Exhibit, “A Declaration of Excellence,” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Email: conventions@tesol.org Website: http:// www.tesol.org/s_tesol/convention2012/index.html
April 13-14, 2012
Qatar TESOL, “Learner Motivation, Involvement and Autonomy,” College of the North Atlantic, Qatar (CNA-Q), Doha, Qatar. Website: http://qtesol.org
April 18-19, 2012
12th Annual International ELT Conference, “Quality in ELT: Raising Pedagogical Standards.” Sultan Qaboos University, The Language Center, Oman Website: www.squ.edu.om/LanConference
April 21, 2012
“EAP Administration,” University of York, Baleap, The Global Forum of EAP Professionals. Contact: Paul Roberts, paul.roberts@york.ac.uk.
April, 20-21, 2012
Innovation & Integration in English Language Teaching, “Rethinking Praxis in a Connected World,” Shantou University, Guangdong, China. Email: mingluo@stu. edu.cn. Website: http://elc.stu.edu.cn/iielt/
May 25-26, 2012
Venezuela TESOL, “VenTESOL 30th Convention: An Affirmation of Excellence, Pearl Edition” World Trade Center,Valencia, Carabobo State,Venezuela. Email: venezuelatesol@gmail.com. Website: http://ventesol.ning.com.
May 31-June 2, 2012
Middle East Technical University, “Embracing Challanges,” Culture and Convention Center, METU, Ankara, Turkey. Email: elt2012@metu.edu.tr.
June 1-3, 2012
Japan Association for Language Learning (JALT) CALL 2012, Konan University’s Hirao School of Management, Nishnomiya, Japan. Email: sig-member-at-large@ jaltcall.org. Website: http://conference.jaltcall.org
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Feature Articles 46I feel the breadth of the
modules, the enthusiasm of the tutors in their subject areas and the discussion between participants makes this programme top-notch.
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EdD TESOL student, Dubai
TESOL Programmes The Graduate School of Education is recognised as a leading School of Education with a diverse and highly successful track record, including:
• Ranked 5th in the UK for world leading and internationally excellent research (RAE 2008) and influencer of national Education policy
• ESRC-recognised outlet for part-time, full-time, distance learning and CASE research training • ESRC quota for research studentships • International community with postgraduates from over 70 countries studying in the School over the last five years
Doctor of Education (EdD) – available in Dubai Dubai Knowledge Village. Programme Coordinator: Dr Salah Troudi, email: s.troudi@exeter.ac.uk This is a professionally-oriented taught doctorate degree suitable for EFL/ESL professionals, including primary and secondary teachers, college lecturers, and programme coordinators. The degree is taught part-time over four years and local tutors are available for your support. The programme consists of two compulsory research methodology modules, plus the following three content modules: • Critical Issues in Teaching English • TESOL Classrooms and Pedagogy: Theory and Practice • The Meaning and Practice of Professionalism You will then complete a research-based thesis of up to 50,000 words.
MPhil and PhD – available in Dubai The School has an outstanding reputation for research training and offers MPhil and PhD degrees involving independent study under two supervisors, culminating in the presentation of a written thesis. Full- and part-time study is available. This programme can also be studied via distance learning.
Masters programme (MEd) – intensive summer study option The Masters in TESOL is aimed at professionals working at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The programme is flexible, allowing you to choose from the wide range of modules available. Prior to starting, a member of our academic staff will help you plan out the best programme to meet your needs. The MEd is available full-time (1 year) and through an intensive summer programme that takes place in July over two consecutive summers. This programme is available in Exeter.
Graduate School of Education For more information please visit www.exeter.ac.uk/education telephone + 44 (0) 1392 724837 or email ssis–admissions@exeter.ac.uk Volume 19
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4th Biennial International Conference on Task-Based Language Teaching The University of Auckland, New Zealand
Ali Shehadeh United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE
The 4th Biennial International Conference on TaskBased Language Teaching (TBLT) was held at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, November 1820, 2011 under the theme of “Crossing Boundaries.” I contributed to the conference in two major ways. My first contribution was convening and chairing a colloquium on TBLA titled “Classroom Applications of Task-Based Language Assessment in EFL Contexts.” In this colloquium it was argued that although classroom applications of TBLA in EFL contexts have witnessed noticeable progress in recent years, the implementation, application or utilization of TBLA in many teaching situations around the world, in particular in EFL contexts, still faces obstacles and hindrances at different levels. These included sociocultural factors, administrative factors, and classroom factors. In an attempt to combat these hindrances and obstacles in implementing and utilizing TBLA in the classroom, three researchers were invited to report on three recent classroom-based studies that have successfully implemented TBLA in four different EFL contexts: Brazil and Indonesia (Jan Dormer), China (Paula Winke), and the Middle East (Betty Lanteigne). The lessons to be learnt from their successes are useful not just to the classroom teacher, but also to researchers who will get firsthand knowledge from the implementation end, and be able to evaluate their theories and research in light of the challenges and successes obtained from authentic classroom contexts. The colloquium was wellattended and the issues raised by the contributors were well-debated by the audience. Volume 19
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Over three days, the conference brought together researchers and educators from around the world to share and learn from one another’s innovations and research in task-based language teaching and task-based language assessment. More than 60 individual paper and poster sessions, keynote speeches, research forums and symposiums were offered at this thematically-based conference. Some of the issues that were addressed in the conference included the following: how teachers evaluate tasks; how to develop TBLT as a researched pedagogy; the advances in TBLT research; TBLT-based English courses for professionals; tasks and the real world; and fostering English learning through technologymediated tasks. Other key questions on TBLT such as the following were also addressed: Can we use tasks with learners at all levels? How do we design task-based language courses? How is the syllabus in TBLT organized? How do we assess task-based language learning and teaching? Following the theme of the conference (“Crossing Boundaries”), a number of presentations and keynote speeches approached TBLT from various perspectives and viewpoints including its relation to other approaches to language teaching methodologies like communicative language teaching, community language learning, and content-based language teaching. My second contribution was chairing academic sessions at the conference. I was invited by the organizing team to chair four sessions at the conference. For each session, my responsibilities consisted of introducing the presenter(s), keeping the time, handling the audience’s questions during the Q&A, and making sure that the session started and finished on time. I am pleased to say that this event has provided me with much input both for my professional as well as personal development. It is worth mentioning, finally, that the Task-Based Language Teaching Conference is convened every two years. The next conference will be held in Canada in September 2013, at the University of Alberta. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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15th Annual Current Trends in Language Assessment Conference Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The 15th Annual Current Trends in Language Assessment Conference (CTELT) was held at Dubai Men’s College, November 24-25, 2011. The conference featured three prominent testers and teacher educators as plenary speakers and 26 concurrent sessions on topics ranging from “Classroom Reading 2.0,” by Richard Peel to “Teacher Practices and Approaches and Practices in Varying Cultures,” by P.J. Moore. The conference opened with Dr Ramin Akbari from Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, speaking on “Demystifiying Comprehension Through Vocabulary: How Many Words Do We Need to Comprehend?” Akbari proposed that vocabulary remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of instruction and testing. Using the literature and a research project that he has been involved in, Akbari showed that the percentage of words in a passage that must be known to comprehend the passage and to have incidental vocabulary learning is 99% for graded readers and 98% for unassisted reading and reading for pleasure. He also showed that for listening in general and watching television programs, 95% of the words must be known. To achieve these goals, he encouraged teachers to focus on the General Service List, which will cover 90% of the words used in fiction, 75% in non-fiction, and 76% in academic texts; the Academic Word List, which covers an additional 10% in academic texts and 1.4% of fiction texts; and the University Word List, which covers and additional 9.8% of the words in academic texts.
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Dr Christine Coombe of Dubai Men’s College, Dubai, co-chair of conference organizer TESOL Arabia’s Testing, Assessment, and Evaluation Special Interest Group (TAE SIG), delivered the first keynote address on the second day of the conference on “Foreign/Second Language Teacher Assessment Literacy: Issues, Challenges, and Recommendations.” Coombe divided her talk into four parts: the changing assessment landscape, wherein teachers are expected to be assessment literate despite the fact that there is a growing gap between testing and teaching; challenges and threats to teacher involvement; models of in-house test development; and techniques for developing teachers as testers. Coombe advocated teacher involvement because teacher buy-in must be achieved for testing to be effective, and studies have shown that 20-30% of a teacher’s time is taken up with assessment. Coombe identified the reasons teacher do not become involved in assessment as negative associations with assessment, the testing field as being unapproachable, and inadequate or poor training. Coombe proposed that the best model for test development was teachers and testers working together to develop tests. Coombe then introduced the standards for teacher development in assessment proposed by the American Federation of Teachers, the National Council on Measurement in Education, and the National Education Association in 1990 which are choosing assessment methods appropriate for instructional decisions; developing appropriate assessment methods; administering, scoring, and interpreting the results of both externally produced
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Keynote speaker Dr Ramin Akbari of Tarbiat Modares University,Tehran, Iran, giving the opening plenary at CTELT, Dubai.
and teacher-produced assessment methods; using assessment results when making decisions about individual students, planning teaching, developing curriculum and improving schools; developing valid grading procedures which use student assessment; communicating assessment results to students, parents, and other stakeholders; and recognizing unethical, illegal & inappropriate assessment methods and uses of assessment information.
The third keynote speaker, Peter Davidson of Zayed University, Dubai, co-chair of conference organizer TESOL Arabia’s Testing, Assessment, and Evaluation Special Interest Group (TAE SIG) talked about “101 Things You Should Tell Your IELTS Students.” A sampling includes: Ask the speaking examiner to repeat the question if you don’t understand; Learn to deal with topics that you might not be comfortable with, and “Skim the text first, identifying the main ideas of each paragraph.”
The audience listens to a presentation at CTELT, Dubai, held on November 24-25, 2011, at Dubai Men’s College, Dubai.
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15th Anniversary Uzbekistan Teachers of English Conference Tashkent, Uzbekistan
of Secondary and Higher Education, and other partners, the conference organizers welcomed over 300 members to the opening ceremony of the Conference at the International Business Centre in Tashkent on December 9, 2011. The theme was “Teaching English for Expanding International Understanding.”
Les Kirkham President of TESOL Arabia, 2011-2012
I was fortunate enough to have been invited by the Uzbekistan Teachers of English Association (UzTEA) to their 15th Anniversary Conference, December 9-10, 2011, as one of the plenary speakers and also to give two workshops. As it is a sister association to TESOL Arabia, and TESOL Arabia funded part of my visit via the TESOL Arabia International Travel Grant, I was also there as TESOL Arabia’s representative. In that capacity I was asked to advise on the current re-structuring being undertaken by UzTEA, using the benefit of my 10 years experience in the leadership of TESOL Arabia. Although our contexts are different, there are also many similarities which gave me a good enough basis to offer practical advice, especially as to composition and responsibilities of the new Board and Executive Committees, and the organization of Chapters and SIGs. In this role I was also able to visit and meet local representatives in the Bukhara and Urgench branches. As with all activities such as this, I learned as much as I taught, and feel that as a result I can offer TESOL Arabia some insights as to its future direction as well. Along with UzTEA’s main partners, the British Council in Uzbekistan (to whom I am also grateful for help and support), the Uzbekistan Ministries Volume 19
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Dr Feruza Rashidova, Head of UzTEA, opened the conference by describing how UzTEA’s role in ELT in the country is growing as a result of collaboration with local, international, public and private organizations. She also announced how UzTEA itself is planning big changes in its structure and organization in order to further democratize the organization and make its activities more effective in the new educational developments in Uzbekistan.
Les Kirkham, President of TESOL Arabia, 2011-2012, gives a plenary speech at Uzbekistan Teachers of English Association’s 15th Anniversary Conference, December 9-10, 2011, in Tashkent.
Also in the opening sequence, Rod Bolitho and his team presented a report on the pilot 5-year preservice training program for new teachers in the country (PRESETT). Huge changes are coming to
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through membership of teachers’ associations, and how the best systems worldwide pay attention to these.
education in Uzbekistan, including, for example, the planned project for the alignment of English testing and the English curriculum with the Common European Framework of Reference, on which the PRESETT team have already been working.
The 15th Anniversary Conference and Exhibition was an excellent start to a new phase in the life of UzTEA and I was very happy to have been able to play a part, along with an enthusiastic and attentive audience drawn from all parts of the country. I hope UzTEA and TESOL Arabia will continue to maintain close mutual relations.
My opening plenary on the second day dealt with successful school systems around the world and the importance of the development and support of effective teachers within them. I laid particular emphasis on the part to be played by professional development of teachers both at their work and
Over 300 members of the Uzbekistan Teachers of English Association (UzTEA) attended the conference. ❉
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TESOL Arabia on Facebook! Rehab Rejab Dubai Chapter Rep One of the main missions of TESOL Arabia Organization is to provide the teaching community with a forum for discussion and support. Over the past 17 years, TESOL Arabia managed to honor this goal through professional development workshops as well as the annual international conference. This year, the organization decided to adapt new platforms to communicate with educators who are interested in the organization’s activities. TESOL Arabia Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/tesolarabia was launched in October 2011.You can join it by clicking on the “like” button next to the page name. Both members and nonmembers of the organization can join and contribute to discussions, post comments or ask questions. So far 236 educators from 19 countries, 22 cities, joined the page to get updates on TESOL Arabia events, calls for papers, news and photos from chapter and SIG workshops.
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During the TESOL Arabia International Conference 2012, the page will host discussions on topics that will be discussed at the debates and the forums. Conference delegates will be able to upload photos taken during the three-day-event onto the “wall.” Moreover, members of the page are encouraged to post their reviews of events that they attend at local events.
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An Overview of ESP SIG Activities Saad Rabia ESP SIG Chair
A morning of workshops was held at Al Khamael Model School in the Western Province and attracted a wide audience. Four students from Madinat Zayed Women’s College, Shamma Rashed Khalfan Abdulla Zayed Al Mazrouei, Zahera Mohamed Amer Humaid Al Mansoori, Khulood Ismail Saleh Ahmed, and Haya Abdulla Khalfan Al Mazrouei, gave a presentation entitled “Tomorrow’s Environmentalists.” The presenters reminded us that “If we can teach our children to respect nature, they will carry it with them for the rest of their lives.” Another two instructors from ADNOC Technical Institute in Abu Dhabi, William Phalon and Azzeddine Ben Cherab, presented on “Issues in ESP. What ESP Is and How Is It Different from Standard ESL?” and “Implications of Multiple Intelligence Theory in Language Instruction,” respectively.
conference. The theme of the conference was “Excellence in Learning, Teaching, and Leadership.” Over 90 participants from local schools and universities attended the one-day event, which featured a broad range of presentations and a total of 13 workshops as well as two plenary sessions by distinguished speakers, Dr Ali Shehadeh, Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics, United Arab Emirates University, and Paul Jaquith, Associate Dean-Academic Central Services, Foundations and English, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT). Presenters came from Qatar, Egypt, Iran and the UAE. The conference also featured a mini book fair. A range of important issues was brought to the forefront, in particular approaches to EAP instruction in different university and high school settings. The immediate feedback on the conference was extremely positive and particular mention was made of the quality of presentations and the stimulating atmosphere of the conference as a whole. The event was the product of a collaborative team effort by the ESP Team who met regularly to plan the event.
A second ESP SIG event was held in joint collaboration with Al Ain Chapter, with Al Ain Women’s College providing a great venue for the event. A range of speakers from both the UAE and overseas presented. Workshops and presentations covered themes relating to EFL learning materials and texts, Multiple Intelligence theory and language instruction, reflective teaching practices, and strategic vocabulary building.
Special appreciation goes to the HCT team who assisted in the planning and actual conference day events. We look forward to the 2012 EAP conference and we would like to invite all current and prospective members and professionals in the field to make a contribution towards its success. For any enquiries, please write to esptesolarabia@gmail.com.
The first English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Conference was held on April 23, 2011, at Abu Dhabi Women’s College, which hosted the
ESP SIG Chair Saad Rabia and Co-Chair Sandra Zaher present Dr Ali Shehadeh with a certificate of appreciation at the first ESP Conference held at Abu TESOL Dhabi Women’s College. Arabia now has a facebook Volume 19
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An attendee wins a prize at the first ESP Conference held on April 13, 2011.
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Reading Project, Obstacles and Rewards Hala El Muniawai LLLA SIG Chair
Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world. —Hans Margolis Promoting reading in English language classes has always been one of the main objectives of the Literature, Literacy & Language Arts (LLLA) SIG, and one recent initiative, Read To Lead, was a reading project in two Sharjah government schools: Al Talaa Preparatory School and Ruqaya Secondary School for Girls. Forty-five graded reader classics, including the complete works of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and others, were provided by the TESOL Book Drive and the school libraries. The greatest obstacle ESL readers faced was being unable to understand most of the pages as they were accustomed to reading word for word, so it was important to modify students’ reading strategies
along with creating the motives for being a reader. Read To Lead inspired many participants to create posters and illustrations that summarized the themes of the stories they had read and which reflected not only on the morals behind each story, but also the joy and excitement received from the writer’s characters and from experiencing situations very different from the readers’ real lives. Such pleasures are only known to good readers, those who find in books the best companion on a train, a flight, or before going to sleep. The success or failure of the Read To Lead project is not really measured by the number of books read, but rather by the change in attitude towards reading. In reading, a lonely quiet concert is given to our minds; all our mental faculties will be present in this symphonic exaltation. —Stephen Mallarme ❉
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The new Teacher Training and Teacher Development SIG is a way of bringing together both experienced and less experienced professionals working in teacher training and development who can pool their resources, knowledge, experience and share in a systematic and organized way. The TTTD SIG aims to be an established and well-respected forum for sharing and working together in the field of training and development.
SIG Aims
To emphasize the concept of professionalism in relation to English language Teacher Training To promote Teacher Training (TT) and Development (TD) activities among educational institutions in the TESOL Arabia area To create a community of professionals involved in TT and TD To carry out TT and TD activities such as min-conferences, workshops, seminars on a variety of topics To carry out a needs analysis amongst TESOL Arabia members in terms of TT and TD To establish a culture of TT and TD amongst educational institutions in the TESOL Arabia area For more information contact: marion.engin@zu.ac.ae
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Breaking New Ground: The Research SIG Mohammad Azaza Research SIG Chair
The first research event “Researching Teaching and Learning” was hosted by the Emirates College of Technology and organized by the Research SIG and Abu Dhabi Chapter. Mohammad Azaza, Research SIG Chair, kicked off the day by welcoming the attendees and thanking the presenters. Mohammad also gave a presentation about the benefits of joining TESOL Arabia, and reminded participants that apart from attending professional development days and conferences, they could also benefit from TESOL Arabia grants (i.e., the TA Research Grant, Professional Development Course Grant, the TESOL Arabia Conference Travel Grant, and the TA International Travel Grant). Mohammad emphasized the role of the Research SIG in promoting educational and TESOL research in the UAE and the whole region. The event featured six presentations, showcasing some of the excellent research projects carried out in the country and the region. Mouhamad Mouhanna’s presentation explored teachers’ beliefs and practices about conducting research at an EFL university foundation program in the UAE. Mouhamad also shared with his audience what he called the most salient finding in his study: the lack of dissemination of in-house research at the institution. Mouna Abou-Assali led a discussion group on “Professional Growth Through Shared Reflection.” The presenter shared her experience of being involved in collaborative reflective professional discussions, and invited participants to recount their reflective learning experiences. The coffee break between the two concurrent sessions was an opportunity for participants to attend a poster session on “Using Language Exercises to Gather Data for Classroom Based Research” by Denise Özdeniz. The
session focused on normal language activities, such as a true for me dictation, Total Physical Response (TPR) activities, and sentence completion drills that can be used to elicit data on a research question. During the second round of sessions, Edith Flahive reported on a study investigating the leadership behaviors of school principals in private schools in the UAE from the perspective of teachers. Edith also discussed effective and ineffective principal behaviors and their impact on school climate and culture. In another concurrent session, Dr Suhair Al-Alami’s presentation “Research within EFL/ESL Contexts” answered two compelling questions: (a) “What makes a good applied linguist a researcher?” and (b) “What does research in the field of EFL/ ESL require?” A number of research-related issues (i.e., research sample selection, variables, research questions and hypotheses) were also discussed during the presentation. Finally, Hayet Amdouni reported on a study that compared the use of the conditional in grammar books to data from the British National Corpus, and discussed the gap between real-life discourse and grammar book norms, suggesting that corpora and concordancing technology can offer a view of grammar as a strand of discovering grammatical patterns in actual use. The Research SIG would like to thank everyone for helping to make the first research event such a success. Another initiative is the Online Research SIG Newsletter, which should be available by the end of February 2012. The Research SIG welcomes submissions from researchers and educators who want to share their research projects and ideas with their colleagues in the region. For more information, contact us at researchsig22@gmail.com. ❉
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Madares Al Ghad and TESOL Arabia Partnership Amr El Zarka LI SIG Chair
Al Numan Bin Basheer School will host TESOL Arabia’s Learner Independence Special Interest Group (SIG) for the third consecutive year. Hosting this SIG event has become a tradition for the Madares Al Ghad (MAG) School and the teachers in Ajman, Sharjah, UAQ and RAK Zones. This year’s event will take place in February. The principal of Al Numan Bin Baheer spares no effort to make it a successful event, exactly as he has done over the past 2 years with similar MAG/TESOL Arabia events. The event’s turnout is rarely fewer than 70 attendees from all walks of educational fields such as teachers, MAG staff and educational zone supervisors. Likewise, the presenters also come from a wide spectrum of professional backgrounds and institutes, and are both native and non-native English speakers. I dare say, teachers ask about the date of the next event before the end of the day.
Learner Independent SIG Chair Amr El Zarka and Secretary Ranya Al Haddad pose with three event attendees at Madares Al Ghad school Al Numan Bin Basheer, which will host the LI SIG event in February 2012.
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This is not the only partnership between MAG and TESOL Arabia. The organizing committee of the LI SIG is made up of two current MAG staff members, LI SIG Chair, Amr El Zarka, and LI SIG Treasurer, Samah El Shal, and yet another, LI SIG Secretary Ranya Al Haddad, is a former staff member. Another form of co-operation between TESOL Arabia and MAG is that MAG staff are sometimes invited to present at TESOL Arabia events: Ozge Yelmaz and Azza Gamal El Deen are two examples. They copresented at TESOL Arabia’s LI SIG at Sharjah Women’s College on November 26, 2011. MAG and TESOL Arabia are setting an example of continuous professional development, seeking the latest innovations in the field of teaching and learning. Meanwhile, they are setting another example of fruitful co-operation between educational institutions and organizations.
Workshop participants get actively involved in the most recent Learner Independence SIG event at Al Numan Bin Basheer School.
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Teaching for Reading Success Sally Ali TESOL Arabia’s Al Ain Chapter had its first event on October 15th at UAEU: Al Multaqa Social Club. The theme was: “Teaching for Reading Success.” Five speakers took part in this great event which was attended by many teachers and students. Peter McLaren’s paper focused on “Independent Learning, Motivation and the Arabic Speaking Tertiary Learner”. According to Peter, students enter tertiary education and study a variety of subjects using English as the medium of instruction, but are not equipped with the necessary language skills to cope. Peter reported on a reading project he conducted which encouraged students to read independently by having short sets of graded material available for them. Teachers not only encouraged students to read, but got them to evaluate what they read, too. Both male and female students reported high levels of interest, but female students were more prepared to read, therefore success is due to motivation. The question asked is what motivates students and what do they want to read? Maybe computer mediation is the answer! George Murdoch focused on “Encouraging Extensive Reading.” He quoted a proverb: “If a seed of lettuce will not grow, we do not blame the lettuce. Instead, the fault lies with us for not having nourished the seed properly.” Thus, we should not only train students to extract information from texts, but should ask them to respond to information, too. George discussed the need for extensive reading and referred to key principles like “Pleasure,” meaning students should read texts they enjoy. Another principle is “Freedom,” meaning students should
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be able to select texts themselves. The teacher should promote interest and a reading culture in the classroom. New tasks and activities give students more opportunities to read. Thus, we need to have less controlled activities like reading level-suitable articles from newspapers to encourage students to read more. He concluded by saying that if we are serious about extensive reading, then there needs to be more focus on texts. This will improve students’ overall language fluency not just reading. Dr. Melanie Gobert’s presentation focused on “Getting Published.” She identified the general editorial policies of Perspectives, the official publication of TESOL Arabia, and went over the submission categories and guidelines. She also looked at publishing options for various sections like feature articles, reviews, educational technology, networking, reader’s response, TESOL Arabia News Item, and lesson ideas, and gave examples of all. She explained what happens when a person makes a submission and referred to word length, references, and the adherence to the APA style, where she provided a brief guide (6th ed.) with a list of specifications and examples of various citations. She also provided recommendations for getting published, such as having someone else proofread the paper; including up-to-date-references; using academic resources; and reading the guidelines. Melanie concluded her session by playing “Getting Published Jeopardy” which reviewed everything she had mentioned in her presentation in a fun and competitive way! To conclude, this was just a taste of the sessions which made our chapter’s first event a successful one.
George Murdoch encourages teachers to focus on extensive reading. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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TESOL Arabia Special Interest Groups English for Special Purposes SIG Phone: 02 644 0339 Email: esptesolarabia@gmail.com
Saad Rabia Chair
Leadership & Management SIG
Najaat Saadi Hezber Co-Chair
Sandra Zaher Co-Chair
Literature, Literacy & Language Arts SIG
Phone: 050 619 4796 Email: christine.coombe@hct.ac.ae
Phone: 050 527 7685 Email: tarabialit@gmail.com
Phone: 050 813 3148 Email: pquirke@hct.ac.ae Dr Christine Coombe Co-Chair
Hala El Muniawai Teamleader
Phil Quirke Co-Chair
Teacher Training & Teacher Development SIG
Email: tatdsig@gmail.com Radhika O’Sullivan Dr Marion Engin Webmaster Co-Chair/Editor
Helen Donaghue Co-Chair
Ranya Al Haddad Secretary
Samah El Shal Treasurer
Mary Mayall Treasurer
Learner Independence SIG Email: tailearn@yahoo.com Website: http://ilearn.20m.com
Testing, Assessment & Evaluation SIG
Amr El Zarka Chair
Read SIG
Phone: 050 619 4796 Email: christine.coombe@hct.ac.ae
Daniel Stebbins Phone: 050 464 5002 Email:Daniel.Stebbins@moe.gov.ae
Phone: 050 843 8782 Email: peter.davidson@zu.ac.ae Dr Christine Coombe Co-Chair
Peter Davidson Co-Chair
Yasser Salem Phone: 0502668937 Email: yassersalem@yahoo.com
Daniel Stebbins Treasurer/Webmaster
Educational Technology SIG Email: edtechsig@gmail.com Ning: http://taedtech.ning.com edtecharabia.twitter.com #taedtech James Buckingham
Cindy Gunn
Vance Stevens
Research SIG Phone: 050 780 3988 Email: amelki22@yahoo.com researchsig22@gmail.com
Mohammad Azaza Anouar Bennani Chair
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Sevhan Acar Hammudeh Helene Demirci
Proposals/Publications Secretary/Networking Proposals/Publications Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator
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President/Membership Secretary
Past President
Les Kirkham c/o Al Ain Women’s College Higher College of Technology P. O. Box 17258, Al Ain, UAE leskirkham@gmail.com
Sufian Abu Rmaileh UAE University - UGRU P. O. Box 17172 Al Ain, UAE 03 706 4562 (res) 050 713 1803 (mobile) sabu-rmaileh@uaeu.ac.ae
Executive Secretary/Webmaster
Executive Treasurer/President Elect
Konrad A Cedro Dubai Men's College Dubai, UAE 050 144 7680 (mobile) konard.cedro@hct.ac.ae
James McDonald Academic Bridge Program Zayed University Dubai, UAE 04 402 1371 (office) james.mcdonald@zu.ac.ae
Conference Co-Chair
Conference Treasurer/Conference Co-Chair
Dr Christine Coombe Dubai Men's College Dubai, UAE 050 619 4796 (mobile) christine.coombe@hct.ac.ae
Beth Wiens Zayed University P. O. Box 19282, Dubai, UAE 04 402 1350 (office) 04 402 1003 (fax) 050 4620566 (mobile) beth.wiens@zu.ac.ae
Member-at-Large
SIG Coordinator
Sandra Oddy Al Ain Women's College Higher Colleges of Technology P. O. Box 17258 Al Ain, UAE 03 709 5319 (office) Sandra.Oddy@hct.ac.ae
Heather Maria Baba Abu Dhabi Men's College Higher Colleges of Technology P. O. Box 25035 Abu Dhabi, UAE tasigscoord@yahoo.co.uk
Perspectives Editors Melanie Gobert Abu Dhabi Men's College Higher Colleges of Technology P. O. Box 25035 Abu Dhabi, UAE mgobert@hct.ac.ae
Tandy Bailey Abu Dhabi Women's College Higher Colleges of Technology P.O. Box 41012 Abu Dhabi, UAE tbailey-seffar@hct.ac.ae
Conference Proceedings Editor / Publications Coordinator Peter Davidson Zayed University Dubai, UAE 050 843 8782 (mobile) peter.davidson@zu.ac.ae
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