This thesis aims to explore whether some Swedish teachers and students feel that they are helped by ICT tools in their classrooms or not. It is vital for this thesis to find out whether or not teachers experience that their students are positively stimulated by the use of ICT when learning English. Ascertaining whether teachers find that ICT tools make it easier for them to teach or not is also of particular interest. Students’ answers to questions regarding the perceived benefits of technology and what they think about their teachers’ technology usage are also important. In order to accomplish this aim, four teachers were interviewed about their opinions on this matter and one English class per teacher, totaling 70 students, answered questionnaires regarding their opinions on the matter. The results reveal that teachers believe that while ICT offers some great tools to create variation in the classroom and that it might increase student motivation, opinions on whether or not technology also helps students to produce better results differ. The students’ results on the other hand clearly show that most students believe that they learn better when using computers, they would like to use computers more during class, and they prefer to write using a computer rather than pen and paper. Overall, the students have a more positive attitude to ICT tools than the teachers.

This study explores teacher student and in-service teacher beliefs about using code-switching in the English language classroom. Language classrooms have long adopted amonolingual approach. However, nowadays many classrooms are multilingual and a shifttowards using multilingual strategies to accommodate multilingual pupils can be seen inboth research and steering documents. Plurilingualism is promoted by the EuropeanCouncil and the Swedish syllabus for English, and research shows that code-switchingcan be one method for pupils to draw from all their language skills. Although amonolingual approach is still considered ideal, in research about teacher and teacherstudent beliefs about code-switching most participants use code-switching. This papertherefore investigates teacher student and in-service teacher beliefs in order to explorehow teachers use code-switching. Using the qualitative method of semi-structuredinterviews and analysing our data with the help of a coding scheme, we found that thoughall participants agree that a monolingual standard is ideal, they believe that it is importantto acknowledge pupils’ multilingual backgrounds and that code-switching can be one wayof doing that while still facilitating learning. We also found that the participants’ use ofcode-switching depends on their pupils’ proficiency, that they mainly use code-switchingfor communicative purposes, and that the participants’ own lingual backgrounds affectedtheir beliefs about code-switching. The result of this paper shows that in-service teachersneed to reflect on how and why they use code-switching while teacher educationprogrammes need to acknowledge multilingual strategies and make students aware ofwhen such strategies are beneficial to learning, and when they are not.

This essay aims to examine the applicability and relevance of subjective reader response in relation to second language (L2) motivation within literature education in the classroom of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). With support from previous research within the field of reader response theory (RRT), this essay argues that a subjective reader response approach contributes to increasing students’ motivation in relation to literature education Thus, this essay answers the following questions: 1) Does subjective reader response contribute to creating motivation among students in EFL (literature) teaching, and if so, how can this theory be implemented? 2) Does subjective reader response support students’ construction of what Zoltán Dörnyei refers to as “Ideal L2 self”? 3) What are the main benefits of using a reader response approach? The results support the hypothesis that a subjective reader response approach contributes to increasing students’ motivation in relation to literature education. Additionally, the study shows that the self-explorative nature of subjective reader response enables students to construct their “Ideal L2 self”.

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Considering the vital role teachers play in language teaching, the frequency of, and motivation behind L1 usage in L2 teaching is a very interesting and current area of research. Despite this, there does not seem to be a lot of research done in this area in the context of the Swedish EFL classroom for young learners. The aim of the current study was therefore to contribute to this area of research first, by investigating teachers’ use of Swedish when talking during their English teaching and their rationale for using Swedish instead of English, and second, by determining if there is a difference in the teachers’ use of Swedish depending on the learning objective of the lesson. This was done by using a mixed-method approach, where four English teachers in Sweden, all teaching grades 4-6, were observed in two lessons each, followed by semi-structured interviews. The results showed that Instructions, Asking questions, Praise and Translation were the most used L1 functions, while Evaluation, Classroom equipment and Humor were not employed by any of the teachers. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the factors for L1 usage were the students’ age, support for the students’ understanding, efficiency and making the students feel comfortable in the learning environment, corresponding with previous research to a great extent. Additionally, it was also found that there was indeed a difference depending on the learning objective. Based on the findings in the study, it is suggested that teachers should be encouraged to assume a mindful approach to their L1 usage.

Globalisation and technological advancements actualize the necessity for comprehensive English language proficiency. This highlights the importance of an effective English as a foreign language (EFL) education in order to meet this demand. Despite the broad scope of research in multimodal methods as an aid in a reading comprehension context, there is a significant gap, which is particularly evident in addressing students in grades four to six and especially from a Scandinavian perspective. This study employed a quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of integrating dual multimodal methods (visual aid + text) on the acquisition of receptive vocabulary and reading comprehension proficiency of EFL students in Swedish compulsory school year six. The study also aimed to explore which proficiency levels among students benefit from the incorporation of visual aids. Forty-eight participants from two urban schools in Stockholm, Sweden, were divided into an intervention group (visuals + text) and a control group (text) before subsequently undergoing a pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest focused on receptive vocabulary acquisition. A reading comprehension assignment was carried out with the aim of evaluating participants' reading comprehension proficiency. The treatment was completed by the control and intervention group with the difference being that the latter received the assignment with visual aids. The results illustrate that the use of multimodal methods improved participants' reading comprehension proficiency and short-term vocabulary recall. However, in the long term, reliance on visual aids led to a decline in scores, while traditional text-based instruction showed further improvement. The results suggest that less proficient learners were aided to a greater extent by visual aids than highly proficient learners. These results shed light on the benefits and limitations of multimodal methods, emphasising the need for further research to assess their long-term effects and to further decide who they may aid or harm.

<p>Ciljevi nastave engleskog kao stranog jezika u Japanu prolaze kroz velike promene dolaskom globalizacije i informacionih tehnologija, a jedna takva promena jeste uvođenje engleskog jezika na osnovno&scaron;kolskom nivou. Engleski kao strani jezik postaje obavezan u japanskom obrazovnom sistemu. Prema japanskoj obrazovnoj politici učenici počinju da uče engleski jezik u 5. razredu. U Srbiji situacija je drugačija u tom smislu da je engleski jezik obavezan predmet od 1. razreda osnovne &scaron;kole.<br />U ovoj doktorskoj disertaciji poku&scaron;aćemo da saznamo koje su to metode i tehnike u upotrebi u nastavi engleskog jezika u osnovnim &scaron;kolama u Japanu, kao i u Srbiji. Isto tako, poku&scaron;ačemo da utvrdimo njihovu adekvatnost u smislu postizanja zadatih ciljeva, a samim tim i zaključaka u vezi sa ispunjeno&scaron;ću ciljeva nastave stranih jezika &ndash; plana i programa propisanih od strane Ministrastva prosvete u obe države.<br />Cilj ovog istraživanja jeste definisanje aktivnosti koje se koriste na časovima, interakcije između učenika i nastavnika, upotreba maternjeg jezika na času, kao i komunikacije na osnovu savremenih metodolo&scaron;kih težnji u nastavi engleskog jezika Na osnovu teorijsko-metodolo&scaron;kog okvira, ova studija ima za poku&scaron;aj da defini&scaron;e i uporedi način na koji nastavnici uvode aktivnosti na časovima engleskog, a koje se u smislu komunikacije odnose na osnovno&scaron;kolske politike u Japanu i Srbiji. Relevantno istraživanju, kori&scaron;ćen je metod triangulacije, te su podaci sakupljani putem opservacije časova, intevjua i ankete za nastavnike u elektronskom obliku. Takođe, izvr&scaron;ena je i komparativna analiza udžbenika odobrenih od strane oba ministarstva, a koji su u upotrebi u obe države.</p><p>Opservacije časova engleskog jezika u osnovnim &scaron;kolama u Japanu, kao i anonimno anketiranje nastavnika i intervjui pokazali su kod učenika motivaciju za učenje na visokom nivou, ali metode i aktivnosti kori&scaron;ćene na časovima zajedno sa visokim procentom upotrebe maternjeg jezika (japanskog) dovode do nedostatka komunikacije na času, a samim tim i nedostatka prave komunikacije na engleskom jeziku. Istim istraživanjem u Srbiji do&scaron;lo se do zaključka da je motivacija učenika za učenje engleskog jezika na visokom nivou, kao i da nastavnici teže &scaron;to manjoj upotrebi maternjeg jezika na času, osim kada je to zaista neophodno, kao &scaron;to su obrade gramatičkih jedinica i njihova obja&scaron;njenja, te da se u &scaron;kolama u Srbiji na časovima engleskog jezika teži animaciji učenika, podizanjem motivacije na najvi&scaron;i nivo.<br />Na osnovu dobijenih podataka izneti su zaključci i sugestije kako bi se pomoglo nastavnicima engleskog jezika, kao i implikacije za dalja istraživanja.</p> / <p>The goals of EFL teaching in Japan have<br />recently undergone drastic change, with<br />globalization and information technology&rsquo;s<br />arrival, one such change being the introduction<br />of English at the elementary-school level.<br />English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan is<br />becoming a mandatory subject in compulsory<br />educational system. According to Japanese<br />educational policy, students are required to start<br />learning the English language in the fifth grade.<br />In Serbia, the situation is different, meaning that<br />EFL has been introduced as a mandatory subject<br />from the first grade of elementary school.<br />In this doctoral thesis we are primarily<br />interested in discovering the methods and<br />techniques used in English language teaching in<br />elementary schools in Japan, as well as in<br />Serbia, and their adequacy in terms of achieving<br />the aims, and therefore fulfillment of the<br />curricula and syllabi regulated by Ministries of<br />education in both countries.<br />The aim of this study is to define the<br />activities used in the classes, interaction<br />between students and teachers, the use of the<br />mother tongue in class, as well as<br />communication on the basis of contemporary<br />methodological aspirations in EFL Teaching.<br />Based on the theoretical-methodological<br />framework, this study attempts to define and<br />compare the ways teachers introduce classroom<br />activities in English that are communicative in<br />their given policy contexts in elementary<br />schools in Japan and Serbia. Using a qualitative<br />descriptive &ndash; triangulation method, relevant to<br />this study, data were gathered by classroom observations, interviews and also a survey for</p><p>teachers in electronic form were conducted. In<br />addition, comparative analysis of textbooks<br />approved by the Ministries and in use in both<br />countries, was conducted.<br />Observations of English lessons in<br />primary schools in Japan, as well as an<br />anonymous survey of EFL teachers revealed the<br />students&rsquo; motivation to learn English is at high<br />level, but the methods and activities used in<br />classes with a high percentage of use of the<br />mother tongue (Japanese) lead to the lack of real<br />English communication in the classroom. Other<br />findings in Serbia revealed the students&rsquo; high<br />motivation for learning English and teachers<br />tending to reduce the use of the mother tongue<br />in class, except when necessary, for presenting<br />and explaining grammar, thereof, English<br />classes in Serbian schools tend to animate<br />students, raising their motivation to the highest<br />level.<br />According to the data obtained,<br />conclusions and suggestions were made in order<br />to help EFL teachers, and recommendations for<br />future research and practice in both countries<br />were also given.</p>

[pt] A presente pesquisa se debruça sobre a produção escrita de aprendizes de inglês como língua estrangeira no Brasil. Analisam-se redações produzidas por alunos de nível intermediário e avançado, com foco em construções cuja inadequação pode ser especificamente associada o emprego do vocabulário. O objetivo geral da pesquisa é investigar a interferência do português no aprendizado do inglês como LE, com foco no emprego lexical, em modalidade escrita. Seu objetivo mais específico é testar a hipótese de que o caráter não isomórfico das relações de sentido entre línguas diferentes, no caso deste estudo, o português e o inglês, tem relação com a incidência de problemas de emprego lexical encontrados em redações de aprendizes de inglês como LE. Os resultados da análise, empreendida sobretudo com base nas proposições de Cruse (1986), Lyons (1990) e Saeed (2003), contribuem para confirmar a hipótese testada, demonstrando que os problemas lexicais em exame podem ser associados à interferência da língua materna e, mais especificamente, a discrepâncias nas relações de sentido entre o português e o inglês. / [en] This study aims at the written production of students of English as a foreign language in Brazil. Compositions of intermediate and advanced students are analyzed with a special focus on constructions whose inadequacies may be specifically associated to vocabulary usage. The general goal of the research is to investigate the interference of Portuguese in the acquisition of English as a foreign language, with a special emphasis on lexical usage in the written modality. Its specific objective is to test the hypothesis that the non isomorphic character of sense relations between different languages &#8722; in the case of this study, Portuguese and English &#8722; is related to the incidence of lexical problems encountered in compositions of students of English as a foreign language. The results of the analysis, which was mainly grounded on the propositions of Cruse (1986), Lyons (1990) and Saeed (2003), contribute to confirm this hypothesis, demonstrating that the lexical problems being scrutinized can be associated with mother tongue interference, and, more specifically, with the discrepancies in the sense relations between Portuguese and English.

[pt] Essa pesquisa consiste na investigação dos aspectos de um livro didático de inglês que os alunos apreciam e acham motivadores. O livro- texto selecionado é uma série didática de inglês desenvolvida especialmente para (pré)adolecentes brasileiros de um curso livre de língua inglesa. Através de pesquisas com os alunos usuários da série selecionada, descobriram-se as três principais características que eles aprovam nesse material: os textos trabalhados, o seu layout e a sua abordagem gramatical. Posteriormente, esses aspectos do livro didático-alvo foram analisados cuidadosamente sob a ótica de teorias relacionadas a eles: a teoria de gêneros discursivos, a teoria de multimodalidade e teorias sobre o processo ensino/aprendizagem de gramática da língua estrangeira. A análise do material ajudou-nos a compreender a razão pela qual os alunos aprovam esses aspectos e corroborou com a sua escolha. / [en] This study consists of an investigation of the aspects of an English textbook which the students like and consider motivating. The course book chosen is an English series especially developed for Brazilian tweens and teenagers who study at a private English institute. The students using the material were heard and they pointed out three aspects which they considered positive and approved of: the texts the material makes use of, its layout and its approach to the teaching of grammar. Resorting to relevant theories, i.e., the genre theory, the multimodality theory and theories related to the teaching of a foreign language, the material was thoroughly analysed. The insights brought about by this analysis helped us understand the reasons why the students approved of these aspects and corroborate their choice.

With the internationalization of English there is a growing demand for high quality English language education around the globe, particularly in non-English speaking countries. Consequently, there is an increasing demand worldwide for competent English teachers and more effective approaches to teaching and teacher professional development. In Egypt, in a context of educational reform where communicative language teaching approaches have been adopted as a way to improve teaching, this study explores how teachers perceive and respond to this call for change in instructional practices. It examines the professional development experiences of a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) and English-medium subject (EMS) teachers working in the private and public basic educational sectors in Cairo, Egypt. The research questions focus on teachers’ perceptions of change and improvement occurring in their teaching practices, their beliefs on the sources of change available to them, and the perspectives of school principals and professional development providers on teachers’ change prospects. In this study, a multi-method approach was applied, with a teacher survey administered to 174 teachers; in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 36 teachers, 15 principals, and 8 professional development (PD) providers; field observation; and examination of relevant documents and artifacts. The analysis of data is informed by sociocultural theory perspectives (Vygotsky, 1978). The findings indicate that (1) teachers perceive great change in their practices, though their conceptions and implementation of communicative approaches are context-bound, (2) teaching is influenced by various professional learning opportunities, and (3) change or lack thereof results from teachers’ adaptability to their local contextual demands through a process of resistance, resilience, or maintaining the status quo. The findings highlight the centrality of teachers in change processes.They suggest that change results from a process of interaction between teachers and other individuals within their community, and that the nature of change as experienced by the participants is shaped by a multitude of contextual factors. The implications of the study include the need to replace the technical conception of professional development with a more ecological orientation, to establish professional learning communities among teachers and within schools, and to establish a coherent framework for change initiatives.