This volume in the Language Teacher Research Series (Thomas S.C. Farrell, series editor) shares the studies and reflections of teacher researchers working in Middle Eastern countries with students from a variety of cultural backgrounds. These teachers explore aspects of their own practice in university settings, secondary school classrooms, and professional language training institutes. Despite the varied settings, the authors all have a common desire to improve their practice by looking critically at their teaching approaches and their students attitudes toward learning. These studies unearth assumptions made in different teaching contexts, and shine a light on factors of perception and motivation. Each chapter examines a specific teaching and learning environment and analyzes avenues for improvement in that particular context. However, the overall goal of this volume and the series is to share teacher researchers findings so that colleagues can extract their own interpretations and plan action steps for improving student learning in other contexts throughout the Middle East and the world. --- Product Description.
This volume offers insights on English language education policies in Middle Eastern and North African countries, through state-of-the-art reports giving clear assessments of current policies and future trends, each expertly drafted by a specialist. Each chapter contains a general description of English education polices in the respective countries, and then expands on how the local English education policies play out in practice in the education system at all levels, in the curriculum, in teaching, and in teacher training. Essays cover issues such as the balance between English and the acquisition of the national language or the Arabic language, as well as political, cultural, economic and technical elements that strengthen or weaken the learning of English. This volume is essential reading for researchers, policy makers, and teacher trainers for its invaluable insights in the role of each of the stakeholders in the implementation of policies.
This edited collection examines a range of English Language Teaching (ELT) research in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). While the MENA context has witnessed considerable change in recent years, it has so far been under-represented in ELT research at both the regional and the international level. This book aims to fill that gap by surveying the current state of the field, examining in detail a range of issues and concepts, and suggesting future directions for further research. It will be of interest to ELT researchers and practitioners in general - not just those based in MENA contexts themselves.
This volume offers a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of applied research efforts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This region has not received due attention in the literature and this publication provides a much-needed contribution to the existing body of knowledge. The editor recruited a number of renowned scholars who either work in the MENA countries or have experience doing research in this region to contribute to this project. The selection of chapters ensured representation of applied linguistics efforts in North Africa, the Levant, and the Gulf. The book looks into language research within social and educational MENA contexts. The final part of the book provides a forward-looking perspective about applied linguistics research and practices in the Middle East and North Africa. The book is primarily written for those interested in applied linguistics, particularly researchers, graduate students, and language professionals in the MNEA region.
The current thrust in the field of education is to improve teachers’ understanding of how research on best practices can improve student learning. The field of world language education introduces a double, perhaps a triple, bind: teachers must be able to design and deliver instruction that aligns with national expectations for developing students’ language and intercultural abilities for success in the global workplace, yet in schools across America, all K-12 students do not have the opportunity to study languages, even though research supports their astonishing facility for acquisition. Schools and teachers without resources, including time to investigate and implement evidence-based best practices, are ultimately held accountable for student performance. If world language teachers are to advocate for languages, they must use their expertise and share evidence of their students’ progress. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) recently began development of a national research priorities agenda for grades preK-16. Action research, which is classroom-centered and inquiry-based, can contribute to our profession’s efforts, as it helps us to increase awareness of the critical need for language study in grades preK-16. World language teachers can become teacher-researchers in their own classrooms, gathering deeply meaningful insights into their students’ progress that they can share with others. Teacher-researchers investigate innovative approaches in response to their questions about teaching and learning, which are rooted in daily experience. They engage their students in fresh learning activities, and student feedback helps them to make better decisions about instructional and assessment strategies. Results can be shared with stakeholders, including parents, administrators, school board members, and guidance counselors, as evidence of what all kinds of students can do in languages. At a time in our history when we are striving to prepare teachers for 21st-century schools that prioritize global competence, Action Research in the World Language Classroom is a timely resource for the profession. It describes a natural, engaging, motivating way to contribute, particularly for preservice teachers who are shaping their views and understanding about world language instruction and the connections between research and best practices. The book includes four studies conducted by preservice teachers during their student teaching internships in North Carolina public schools. The editor hopes that their work and observations will inspire and assist world language educators at all stages of their careers.
The tenth volume in the TIRF-Routledge series, this book features research on the teaching and learning of English in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With chapters written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees and internationally known scholars, the volume addresses contemporary challenges and considerations to teaching English in the MENA context. With empirical research covering a wide range of under-studied contexts, this book provides important insights and future directions to improve research and instruction. Offering up-to-date research at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, this volume is an essential resource for language education programs and pre-service teachers. Chapter 7 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license.
This book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of research methods in second-language teaching and learning, from experts in the field. The Cambridge Guide to Research in Language Teaching and Learning covers 36 core areas of second-language research, organised into four main sections: Primary Considerations; Getting Ready; Doing the Research; Research Contexts. Presenting in-depth but easy to understand theoretical overviews, along with practical advice, the volume is aimed at 'students of research', including pre-service and in-service language teachers who are interested in research methods, as well as those studying research methods in Bachelor, MA, or PhD graduate programs around the world.
This volume extends the Task-Based Language Teaching: Issues, Research and Practice books series by deliberately exploring the potential of task-based language teaching (TBLT) in a range of EFL contexts. It is specifically devoted to providing empirical accounts about how TBLT practice is being developed and researched in diverse educational contexts, particularly where English is not the dominant language. By including contributions from settings as varied as Japan, China, Korea, Venezuela, Turkey, Spain, and France, this collection of 13 studies provides strong indications that the research and implementation of TBLT in EFL settings is both on the rise and interestingly diverse, not least because it must respond to the distinct contexts, constraints, and possibilities of foreign language learning. The book will be of interest to SLA researchers and students in applied linguistics and TESOL. It will also be of value to course designers and language teachers who come from a broad range of formal and informal educational settings encompassing a wide range of ages and types of language learners.
This landmark volume provides a broad-based, comprehensive, state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge and research into second language teaching and learning. All authors are leading authorities in their areas of expertise. The chapters, all completely new for Volume 2, are organized in eight thematic sections: Social Contexts in Research on Second Language Teaching and Learning Second Language Research Methods Second Language Research and Applied Linguistics Research in Second Language Processes and Development Methods and Instruction in Second Language Teaching Second Language Assessment Ideology, Identity, Culture, and Critical Pedagogy in Second Language Teaching and Learning Language Planning and Policy. Changes in Volume 2: captures new and ongoing developments, research, and trends in the field surveys prominent areas of research that were not covered in Volume 1 includes new authors from Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America to broaden the Handbook’s international scope. Volume 2 is an essential resource for researchers, faculty, teachers, and students in MA-TESL and applied linguistics programs, as well as curriculum and material developers.
“Critical pedagogy is not a set of ideas, but a way of ‘doing’ learning and teaching” (Canagarajah, 2005). This definition puts CP squarely in the classroom and leads us to view how teachers interact with students and how students treat one another, while negotiating institutional and societal expectations. The chapters in the book use a variety of methods to address questions of power within educational institutions, from classrooms to the ministries of education. All the contributors are, or have been, teachers in the Middle East, from Egypt to Iran. Their nationalities range from Egyptian, to American, Canadian, British, Tunisian and Iranian. Ten of the contributors are women. All have conducted research and/or invited participation from among students and fellow teachers to explore issues of Critical Pedagogy from various perspectives. The question of physical space relates to power but is also related to linguistic space; student choice is not only related to linguistic space but also to motivation and thus empowerment. Changing teachers’ beliefs leads to empowerment for teachers, but also empowerment for students. Educational policy that recognizes social and personal identity reflects back to personal motivation. These studies meet and mesh, complement and sometimes take different viewpoints. However, all the studies embrace the concept that we must respect and nurture the human in our students, that we as teachers are the front line as enablers of our students’ empowerment. If we do not provide the space, and honor their dignity, our students cannot claim and embrace their power. Canagarajah, S. (2005). Critical Pedagogy in L2 Learning and Teaching. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning (pp. 931-949). Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
