Current Issues in Second/Foreign Language Teaching and Teacher Development: Research and Practice represents a collection of selected papers from the 17th World Congress of the International Association of Applied Linguistics (AILA), which was held in August 2014 in Brisbane, Australia. The volume comprises 18 chapters presenting current research projects and discussing issues related to second language acquisition, teaching and teacher education in a variety of contexts from around the world. This collection of research papers will be of use to both new and seasoned researchers in the field of applied linguistics. Teacher educators, language teachers and language policy makers will find this volume equally useful as the papers address current issues in language education.
Applied Linguistics is a field of academic enquiry that deals with the theoretical and empirical investigation of real issues which focus on language. These issues include aspects of linguistics, first or second language acquisition, literacy, language disorders, foreign language learning and teaching, bilingual education, linguistic discrimination, and language policy, among others. New approaches, new theoretical concepts and new methods are a prerequisite for dealing with particular educational issues, and, as such, this book focuses on the challenges and opportunities that emerge from this. It brings together selected presentations given at the LIF2014 conference, which took place in Antalya, Turkey. The main focus of this event was to reflect the internationality of the English language by drawing academicians, researchers, teachers and educational authorities from all over the world and providing them with the opportunity to exchange an interdisciplinary dialogue on the theoretical as well as purely practical implications of Applied Linguistics and ELT.
Issues in Second Language Teaching is a text-book written in order to help trainee teachers and more experienced teachers reflect on certain topics related to second language learning and language teaching. It provides readers with a better understanding of the interface between second language learning theory and research, and language teaching practices. The main objective of the textbook is to develop and enhance readers' theoretical and practical understanding of how teachers should approach the way they teach languages in the classroom. Readers will be asked to reflect on the implications of second language learning research and theory on language teaching by providing an analysis of how the principles derived from research can be applied in the language classroom when it comes to issues such as teaching grammar, correct errors, provide 'good' input, develop output activities or encourage interaction between learners. The textbook does not support a particular methodology for language teaching but focuses on specific themes in relation to language teaching. Reviews: It is a very nice contribution to the field because of its theoretical/conceptual and innovative presentation of the topics. A valuable resource for researchers, graduate students and anyone interested in language teaching and language acquisition with a particular reference to input and processing. Pedro Guijarro-Fuentes, Associate Professor in Spanish, University of Plymouth
No wonder, there are so many books in the market and free downloads on the websites on English Second Language Teaching (ESLT)! Yet, I felt like writing this book. Why? Because I myself had my primary and secondary education in regional medium- State Govt. run schools, obviously, with English as Second Language, hence personally experiencing English language learning difficulties. As fate would have it, after being a mother and homemaker for a lengthy period, got selected in A.P. Residential schools to teach English for middle and high schoolchildren. Then started my travail and quest…why in government schools pupils feel English a big hurdle…a hard nut to crack in exams? Apart from that, my lacunae i.e., inadequate skills in ELT, led to pursue several courses in EFLU, Hyderabad, including M.Phil. in English, while in service. The result of my quest, practice in teaching and enquiry led to writing this book. A comprehensive one…a linguistic compendium for English teachers…an all-encompassing English paradigm for the general public. All in all, a schoolteacher’s voice.
With English becoming the world's foremost lingua franca, the pressure to improve English language education (ELE) has been steadily increasing. Consequently, the nature of ELE has changed drastically in the last decade. This has not only brought about a number of changes in the way English is taught and learnt, but it has also led to various innovative practices around the world. As a result, this edited book aims to shed light on the new theoretical and methodological developments in the field of ELE as well as the major issues and difficulties faced by practitioners in different parts of the globe. One very important variable that the book takes into account is the role that English already plays in a particular society since this may affect the views that teachers and students hold of the language. This in turn can significantly influence the way English is taught and learnt in given political, economic and socio-cultural settings. The purpose of this book is therefore to provide a comprehensive overview of the pedagogical methods, policies and problems that underlie English language education in ten different regions across the world, including: the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Japan, China and Hong Kong. In doing so, the different chapters in the book emphasize the importance of responding to linguistic and other forms of diversity in order to develop English language education in a globalized world. This book will be useful for teachers and students of English language, for English language curriculum and materials developers, and for those involved in educational policy-making and language acquisition research. Written by experts in the field, the range of content covered in the book's chapters will also help policy-makers, researchers and practitioners develop effective English language education practices and policies, and propose solutions to emerging issues in English language teaching and learning in different environments around the world. The newly-developed arguments and concerns pertaining to English language education will serve as future reference for professionals interested in this area of expertise.
This book offers a holistic practitioner and research-based perspective on English Language Teaching and teacher education in difficult circumstances. In addition to extending the current conceptualization of ‘difficult circumstances’ in ELT to include the broader policy issues that may affect ELT in low-to-mid income countries, the book focuses on the challenges faced by practitioners and learners in contexts of confinement, conflict and special education. The chapters in this collection examine the challenges and problems that emerge from the complex current ELT environment, and present examples of contextualized inquiry-based strategies and interventions to address these challenges. Underlining the need to extend the boundaries of the discipline of ELT to include teaching-learning in less privileged contexts, this wide-ranging volume will appeal to students, scholars and practitioners of English Language Teaching.
"It's been six months, and I STILL can't get my English language learners to participate in class!" "How can I help my newcomers feel more comfortable around other students?" "Am I doing enough to help my English language learners succeed?" Have you had these thoughts? Take heart, you are not alone. As schools and districts swell with growing numbers of English language learners, and as administrators and teachers wrestle with federal guidelines for educating these students, many educators are faced with these same challenges and much more. To meet these challenges, it is imperative for educators to learn about and use the theories and teaching strategies that will help English language learners succeed in the classroom. In Getting Started with English Language Learners: How Educators Can Meet the Challenge, Judie Haynes provides a practical resource to help educators who are new to the field of English as a Second Language understand the needs of English language learners. From learning how students acquire a second language to differentiating instruction to exploring practical strategies for teaching newcomers, this book will help educators learn how to create effective learning environments for English language learners. Real-life scenarios from actual classrooms are presented throughout the book. The book also includes a brief overview of different types of ESL programs used in the United States and a helpful glossary of common ESL terminology. New teachers, veteran educators working with English language learners for the first time, and administrators can all use this book to increase their knowledge, improve their practice, and, most importantly, effectively educate and inspire English language learners.
This edited collection brings together papers by eminent scholars who attempt to demonstrate how challenges can most successfully be ameliorated with an eye to enhancing the effectiveness of the processes of language teaching and learning. In Part One, emphasis is placed on challenges that second language education has to face, both those more general, dealing with language policy issues, and those more specific, concerned with instructional options in the language classroom. Part Two focuses on challenges involved in researching the processes of teaching and learning in the second and foreign languages classroom, both with respect to research methodology and efforts to tap some variables impinging upon the effects of instruction. Finally, Part Three is devoted to challenges involved in second and foreign language teacher education, the quality of which to a large extent determines the outcomes of second language education in any educational context.
