Perspectives on Teaching Language and Content
Perspectives on Teaching Language and Content

Author: Stacey Katz Bourns

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2020-06-23

Total Pages: 317

ISBN-13: 0300223293

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An overview of current issues and developments in foreign language education, designed for instructors of language, literature, and culture at any stage of their careers A contemporary guide to language teaching, this book presents the latest developments and issues in the field of applied linguistics. Written by scholars with expertise in theoretical linguistics, literary and cultural studies, and education, the book encourages readers to examine their beliefs about language teaching and to compare these perspectives with the tenets of current research-supported frameworks and approaches. It also leads instructors to make vital connections between theory and practice while linking language and content pedagogy so that they may develop innovative lesson plans, classroom activities, and course materials that align with the specific contexts in which they teach. Serving as a textbook for teaching methods courses, as well as a reference for instructors with varying levels of experience and diverse specializations, the book is applicable to all levels of instruction and provides guidelines and models that prepare instructors to teach in a rapidly evolving field.

Interpreting Communicative Language Teaching
Interpreting Communicative Language Teaching

Author: Sandra J. Savignon

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2008-10-01

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 0300129076

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The emergence of English as a global language, along with technological innovations and the growing need for learner autonomy, is changing language teaching rapidly and profoundly. With these changes come new demands and challenges for teaching education programs. This authoritative collection of writings highlights some of the best work being done today in the United States and abroad to make communicative competence an attainable goal. The contributors examine what has come to be known as communicative language teaching, or CLT, from the perspectives of teachers and teacher educators. The book documents current reform initiatives in Japan, the United States, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and continental Europe to provide a global perspective on language teaching for communicative competence. Four major themes recur throughout the volume: the multifaceted nature of language teaching; the highly contextualized nature of CLT; the futility of defining a “native speaker” in the postcolonial, postmodern world; and the overwhelming influence of high-stakes tests on language teaching. The book is a useful and valuable tool for language teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers.

Task-Based Language Teaching from the Teachers' Perspective
Task-Based Language Teaching from the Teachers' Perspective

Author: Martin East

Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing

Published: 2012-01-11

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 9027281823

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Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is being encouraged as part of a major overhaul of the entire school languages curriculum in New Zealand. However, teachers often struggle with understanding what TBLT is, and how to make TBLT work in classrooms. Using the stories that emerged from a series of interviews with teachers (the curriculum implementers) and with advisors (the curriculum leaders), this book highlights the possibilities for TBLT innovation in schools. It also identifies the constraints, and proposes how these might be addressed. The result is a book that, whilst rooted in a particular local context, provides a valuable sourcebook of teacher stories that have relevance for a wide range of people working in a diverse range of contexts. This book will be of genuine interest to all those who wish to understand more about TBLT innovation, and the opportunities and challenges it brings.

New Perspectives on the Development of Communicative and Related Competence in Foreign Language Education
New Perspectives on the Development of Communicative and Related Competence in Foreign Language Education

Author: Izumi Walker

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2018-08-21

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13: 1501505033

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Nearly half a century has passed since Hymes proposed the concept of communicative competence to describe the knowledge and skills required for the appropriate use of language in a social context. During these decades, a number of scholars have applied and refined this concept. In language education, communicative competence has been identified as a major objective of learning. This book will inform readers about communicative competence as a highly complex construct encompassing an array of sub-competencies such as linguistic skills and proficiencies, knowledge of socio-cultural and socio-pragmatic codes, and the ability to engage in textual and conversational discourse. Findings from research in related disciplines have pointed to the significance of factors that can contribute to the attainment of communicative competence. Various teaching practices and relevant Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools will be also introduced and discussed to achieve communicative competence as a complex ability. It is a timely contribution to current research on key areas in the teaching, learning and acquisition of second/foreign languages.

East Asian Perspectives on Silence in English Language Education
East Asian Perspectives on Silence in English Language Education

Author: Jim King

Publisher: Multilingual Matters

Published: 2020-06-22

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 1788926781

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Silence is a key pedagogical issue in language education. Seen by some as a space for thinking and reflection during the learning process, for others silence represents a threat, inhibiting target language interaction which is so vital during second language acquisition. This book eschews stereotypes and generalisations about why so many learners from East Asia seem either reluctant or unable to speak in English by providing a state-of-the art account of current research into the complex and ambiguous issue of silence in language education. The innovative research included in this volume focuses on silence both as a barrier to successful learning and as a resource that may in some cases facilitate language acquisition. The book offers a fresh perspective on ways to facilitate classroom interaction while also embracing silence and it touches on key pedagogical concepts such as teacher cognition, the role of task features, classroom interactional approaches, pedagogical intervention and socialisation, willingness to communicate, as well as psychological and sociocultural factors. Each of the book’s chapters include self-reflection and discussion tasks, as well as annotated bibliographies for further reading.

Creativity in Language Teaching
Creativity in Language Teaching

Author: Rodney H. Jones

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2015-08-27

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 1317550463

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Current, comprehensive, and authoritative, this text gives language teachers and researchers, both a set of conceptual tools with which to think and talk about creativity in language teaching and a wealth of practical advice about principles and practices that can be applied to making their lessons more creative. Providing an overview of the nature of creativity and its role in second language education, it brings together twenty prominent language teachers and researchers with expertise in different aspects of creativity and teaching contexts to present a range of theories on both creative processes and how these processes lead to creative practices in language teaching. Unique in the field, the book takes a broader and more critical look at the notion of creativity in language learning, exploring its linguistic, cognitive, sociocultural and pedagogic dimensions. Structured in four sections— theoretical perspectives, creativity in the classroom, creativity in the curriculum, and creativity in teacher development—each chapter is supplemented by Questions for Discussion and Suggestions for Further Research. Its accessible style makes the book relevant as both a course text and a resource for practicing teachers.

New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms
New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms

Author: Eli Hinkel

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2001-07-01

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 113564408X

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New Perspectives on Grammar Teaching in Second Language Classrooms brings together various approaches to the contextualized teaching of grammar and communicative skills as integrated components of second language instruction. Its purpose is to show from both theoretical and practical perspectives that grammar teaching can be made productive and useful in ESL and EFL classrooms. In this text: *First-rate scholars approach the teaching of grammar from multiple complementary perspectives, providing an original, comprehensive treatment of the topic. *Discourse analysis and research data are used to address such pedagogical areas as grammatical and lexical development in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. *The communicative perspective on ESL and EFL instruction that is presented provides ways for learners to enhance their production skills, whereas the meaning-based grammar instruction can supplement and strengthen current methodology with a communicative focus. This volume is intended as a foundational text for second language grammar pedagogy courses at the advanced undergraduate and master's levels.