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Descriptors:
Video Technology; Mentors; Reflective Teaching; Language Teachers; Teacher Education; Graduate Students; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Meetings; Research Methodology; Discourse Analysis

Abstract:
Despite the push for fostering reflective practices in teacher education in the last 20 years, true reflection remains rare (Farr, 2011). Based on a detailed analysis of four mentor-teacher meetings in a graduate TESOL program, I show how specific mentor practices generate teacher reflection without explicit solicitations. Findings of this study provide some much needed specifications of what transpires at the level of interaction in mentor-teacher meetings in the context of second language teacher education. By engaging video as opposed to audio data, the study also offers an important methodological extension to the existing work. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Familiarity; English (Second Language); Foreign Countries; College Faculty; Protocol Analysis; Semi Structured Interviews; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Editing; Language Teachers; Native Speakers; Scientific Research; Teacher Attitudes; Academic Discourse; Writing (Composition); Japanese; Cooperation; Medicine; English for Special Purposes; Apprenticeships; Vocabulary

Abstract:
Native-English-speaking English teachers at universities in EFL contexts are often asked to edit scientific manuscripts written by English as an additional language (EAL) colleagues. However, a lack of familiarity with scientific writing can make such editing tasks burdensome to English teachers. Using Lave and Wenger's (1991) notion of legitimate peripheral participation as an analytical lens, this study explored how English teachers who regularly edited healthcare-related texts learned the "craft" of scientific editing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four English-teaching editors employed at universities in Japan, with a focus on these editors' initial difficulties with editing and how editors overcame these difficulties. Two participants also completed think-aloud editing tasks, which were followed by stimulated recall interviews. Results indicate that four issues are of potential significance to these English teachers' learning of and attitudes towards the craft of scientific editing: 1) the various styles and terminology of medical academic writing; 2) authors' involvement in the editing process; 3) the ability to communicate with authors in Japanese; and 4) early apprenticeship or immersion experiences. We conclude that universities in EFL contexts should encourage greater collaboration, involving both education and research, between English teachers and scientific professionals. (Contains 2 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Productivity; Factor Analysis; Statistical Analysis; English (Second Language); Second Language Instruction; Structural Equation Models; Likert Scales; Work Attitudes; Language Teachers; Teacher Attitudes; Surveys; College Faculty; Foreign Countries; Models; Comparative Analysis; Research; Goodness of Fit; Measures (Individuals)

Abstract:
A 30-item survey was devised to determine Chinese TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) academics' potential for conducting research. A five-part Likert scale was used to gather data from 182 academics on four factors: (1) perceptions on teaching-research nexus, (2) personal perspectives for conducting research, (3) predispositions for conducting research and (4) workplace contexts for conducting research. Data were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for structural equation modelling using various fit indices. The independence model was rejected. Accordingly, the CFA model proposed that the four factors covaried and were associated with each indicated item. The hypothesized CFA model demonstrated an acceptable model fit. After statistical analysis, a revised CFA model presented more reliable fit measures, which required a reduction in survey item numbers. This instrument will require further testing but may be used to draw comparisons between past and present data and determine areas for enhancing research productivity. (Contains 3 tables and 2 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Teacher Effectiveness; Feedback (Response); Second Languages; Peer Evaluation; Language Teachers; Teacher Evaluation; Outcomes of Education; Instructional Improvement; Faculty Development; Secondary School Teachers; Sociocultural Patterns

Abstract:
Although there is no consensus on how to assess teacher quality, scholars do agree that the improvement of teaching is the most important step that we can take toward improving the quality of education of our students and the one that directly affects learning outcomes (Perlman & McCann, 1998). Teacher assessment has become a cornerstone issue insofar as teaching improvement is concerned; yet, there is no consensus as to what constitutes an effective assessment method (Brent & Felder, 1997; Wood & Harding, 2007). This problem particularly affects foreign language teachers. In this conceptual article, we explore and argue for a model that situates peer evaluation at the center of teacher assessment. Further, we argue that foreign language teacher assessment: 1) should include multiple types of assessments, ranging from administrative evaluations to peer observations and feedback; and 2) should primarily serve as a platform for improvement of the quality of teaching and for the teacher's growth and professional development. We conclude by identifying directions for future research examining the potential of this proposed model. (Contains 2 figures and 2 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
English (Second Language); Foreign Countries; Qualitative Research; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Language Teachers; Teaching Experience; Teacher Attitudes; Acculturation; Faculty Mobility; Cultural Differences; Family Environment; Global Approach; Foreign Nationals; Life Style

Abstract:
This paper is about a qualitative research concerning a group of expatriates' (TEFL/TESOL English language teachers) experiences in Hong Kong. Data related to their life, attitudes and cultural dispositions are discussed under four different states, namely, Adaptation, Drifting in Global Comfort, Drifting in Global Discomfort and Bitter/Sweet Home. Together, these contribute to their mobility pattern--the Global Drift. The study discusses their global experiences and situations relating to the interplay of personal choice on the one hand and changing global and local processes and conditions on the other. It is argued that this is a self-perpetuating group sustained and reproduced by a Global Quality including distinct cultural dispositions, concepts of home and the reproduction of third-culture-kids, who are tailor-made for twenty-first-century mobile work. Finally, the research is situated in the study of cosmopolitanism, particularly in the identification of cosmopolitans and their dispositions. Alternative ways of theorising home (as interactive continuums) and issues related to mobility and dispositions will be discussed briefly. (Contains 2 figures, 2 tables and 17 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Native Speakers; English (Second Language); Criticism; Feedback (Response); Control Groups; Pragmatics; Second Language Learning; Form Classes (Languages); Difficulty Level; Second Language Instruction; Teaching Methods; Vietnamese People; Journal Writing; Instructional Effectiveness; Language Teachers; Teacher Education; Pretests Posttests; Metalinguistics; Intercultural Communication

Abstract:
Previous research has shown that learners of English might experience considerable difficulty when giving constructive criticism to peers in instructional settings. Unlike native speakers, they tend to soften their criticism far less frequently while aggravating it far more often, and thus require pedagogical help in this area. The present study examines whether meta-pragmatic instruction facilitates the learning of linguistic resources for softening constructive criticism in an instructed language-learning context. Fifty Vietnamese high-intermediate-level students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) were recruited for the control and treatment conditions. Over a period of 10 weeks, the treatment group received explicit instruction in eight types of criticism modifiers while the control group did not receive any equivalent instruction. For data collection, the two groups participated in discourse completion tasks, role plays, and oral peer feedback tasks before and after the treatment. The treatment group was also engaged in writing reflective journals, which were later collected and analysed for instances of input noticing. A delayed posttest was conducted for the treatment group five weeks after the experiment in order to investigate whether instructional effects (if any) lasted beyond immediate post-experimental observations. Findings show positive instructional effects on learners' pragmatic performance and are discussed with implications for future research. (Contains 15 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Indigenous Populations; Dialects; Foreign Countries; Ownership; English; Standard Spoken Usage; Global Approach; Group Membership; Second Language Instruction; English (Second Language); Language Teachers; Self Concept; Language Attitudes

Abstract:
A widely-observed postcolonial phenomenon is the indigenization of English by communities into which it was formerly involuntarily introduced. When this takes place, the community which has appropriated English to serve its own purposes regards the language as their own. The question of the ownership of English has been extensively discussed by applied linguists against the background of globalization and the need for TESOL teachers to agree on what they can legitimately claim to teach. Aboriginal English is non-standard and has a long history in Australia of marginalization. This paper argues, on the basis of Australian and international evidence, that claims of ownership of a dialect of English entail questions of identity, authenticity, group membership and language rights. In particular, it investigates the bidialectal tension affecting Aboriginal Australians, involving ambivalence to Standard English, potential misinterpretation of the unqualified term "English" and the cross-cultural use of schemas in interpreting speakers of the other dialect. The paper concludes by addressing the question of under what conditions, in view of the assertion of ownership of English by Aboriginal English speakers, education may successfully equip them to operate in a world which requires Standard English. (Contains 3 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Language Teachers; Electronic Learning; Educational Technology; Networks; Information Technology

Abstract:
In this series, we explore current technology-related themes and topics. The series aims to discuss and demystify what may be new areas for some readers and to consider their relevance to English language teachers. In future articles, we will be covering topics such as learning technologies in low-resource environments, personal learning networks, and e-learning.

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Descriptors:
Observation; Feedback (Response); Discussion (Teaching Technique); English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Teacher Education; Language Teachers; Scaffolding (Teaching Technique); Knowledge Base for Teaching; Teaching Methods; Guidelines; Teacher Student Relationship; Intervention

Abstract:
This article aims to present examples of trainer talk that scaffold trainee teachers' understanding of teaching in a post-observation feedback session. Previous research into scaffolding in a teacher training context describes scaffolding at a technique or strategy level, without describing how, in linguistic terms, the trainer can support and guide the construction of teaching knowledge. Data from this research into talk with trainees in post-observation feedback sessions suggest that there are various levels of trainer scaffolding which may vary from moment to moment in the interaction between trainer and trainee. The article concludes that it is necessary to be aware of specific talk which can scaffold at these levels, and the author offers a possible framework for scaffolding talk. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Writing (Composition); English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Teacher Education; Language Teachers; Case Studies; Doctoral Dissertations; Content Analysis; Personal Narratives; Writing Instruction; College Faculty

Abstract:
This article questions how narrative writing is assessed, seeking to understand what we test, what we value, and why. It uses a single anomalous case that arose in the course of my recent PhD thesis to highlight the issues, asking if sufficient attention is being given to the value of emotional content in a piece of writing in comparison to its technical merit. In doing so, the nature and purpose of teaching narrative writing as a subject in EFL is questioned. Given the diversity of English-speaking cultures, has too little attention been given to the importance of narrative writing as a key subject area? Is there unrealized potential for integrating narrative writing into language acquisition? A new dialogue between academics and practitioners is called for to develop new approaches in understanding and enhancing our concepts of "narrative writing". Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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