This thesis reports on a mixed methods experimental research study carried out at a university in Japan. The study investigated the effectiveness of two types of guided planning treatment towards specific language forms. Specifically, English relative clause types OS and OPREP as well as 3rd person singular and plural. Two groups of Japanese second year intermediate level learners performed a series of oral narrative tasks that increased in complexity over a three week period. Both groups were placed under different planning conditions. One condition involved ‘guided planning’ which consisted of continuous guidance towards English relative clauses and 3rd person singular and plural. The other condition ‘guided and unguided planning’ consisted of initial guidance towards the target forms and then the learners received unguided planning during the rest of the task sequence. During the treatment, both groups were interviewed about their planning strategies. It was hypothesized that the guided planning group would produce greater developmental gains in accuracy compared to the guided and unguided planning group. Learners’ L2 speech was measured in terms of fluency, accuracy and complexity. The results showed that the guided planning group produced significantly greater gains in fluency and accuracy compared to the guided and unguided planning group. In addition, both groups focused on form during the task sequencing treatment. No previous studies have appeared to investigate the effects of guided and unguided planning with tasks that are sequenced over time. As a result, the findings of this study appear unique in reporting the benefits that guided planning and task complexity produces on L2 oral development in terms of fluency, accuracy and complexity.

In the context of rapidly expanding English-medium higher education in the UAE (United Arab Emirates), this thesis investigates how a group of native speaker English language teaching professionals perceive the social aspects of the environment in which they are working and the extent to which these perceptions affect the conceptualisation of their professional identities. Specifically, it focuses on how a complex interplay of cultural, economic, religious and political ideologies may impact upon the working lives of the respondents. This research was carried out at eleven higher educational institutes in the UAE and data was gathered through interviews with English language teachers, teacher trainers and managers. The study’s findings reveal a complex, diverse and often conflicting picture of the way the respondents perceive the context in which they are working and a wide variety of attitudes regarding the ideological issues identified as impacting upon ELT in the region. However, emerging from the data was a dominant discourse of fear related to issues of power, religion, gender and money, maintained by uncertainty regarding the extent to which a censorial approach to teaching was required. The perceived precariousness of the respondents’ employment was also identified as the source of practises which raise ethical questions about the construction of professionalism in a context dominated by a discourse of fear and, in turn, implications for both practitioners and institutions. Overall, this study reveals that in a context where ‘Gulf Arab/Muslim’ students interact with ‘Western native-speaker’ teachers, the preconceptions that often adhere to such labels in their respective societies may bear little resemblance to the attitudes, actions and beliefs of the individuals concerned. This raises implications both for the training of English teachers in the importance of contextual considerations and for the construction of the native speaker teacher in the literature.

While most of the teachers of English around the world are non-native speakers, numerous cases of discrimination against non-native English speaking teachers (NNESTs) have been reported in the literature (Braine, 1999). The present study examines the perceptions of students, native English speaking teachers (NESTs), and non-native English speaking teachers towards NESTs and NNESTs in three Intensive English Programs (IEPs) from three universities in the Bekaa governorate of Lebanon. The study examines the similarities and differences between the perceptions of teachers and students and those of NESTs and NNESTs towards the definition of the labels NEST and NNEST, learning with NESTs and NNESTs, strengths and weaknesses of each of the two groups, and classroom behavior and responsibility. Finally, the study examines students’ and teachers’ perceptions regarding NESTs’ and NNESTs’ personal interactions with their students. The study administered Likert-scale questionnaires and semi-structured interviews for teachers and students. The findings revealed that for both groups, teachers are considered native if they grew up in a native speaking country and if they carry any of the accents of the countries of the “middle” (Kachru, 1982).The findings also showed that NESTs are better teachers of oral skills, such as pronunciation, listening, and speaking whereas NNESTs are perceived as better teachers of grammar and culture, more capable of predicting students’ difficulties, and more empathetic to the needs of students. Both groups also agreed that NESTs vary their use of materials more than NNESTs do and that NNESTs communicate better with students because they share their culture and first language and because they are more empathetic with them.

A key feature of ‘TESOL Quarterly’, a leading journal in the world of TESOL/applied linguistics, is its ‘Forum’ section which invites ‘responses and rebuttals’ from readers to any of its articles. These ‘responses or rebuttals’ form the focus of this research. In the interchanges between readers reacting to earlier research articles in TESOL Quarterly and authors responding to the said reaction I – examine the texts for evidence of genre-driven structure, whether shared between both ‘reaction’ and ‘response’ sections, or peculiar to each section, and attempt to determine the precise nature of the intended communicative purpose in particular and the implications for academic debate in general. The intended contribution of this thesis is to provide an analysis of how authors of research articles and their critics pursue their efforts beyond the research article which precipitated these exchanges in order to be recognized by their discourse community as, in the terminology of Swales (1981:51), ‘Primary Knowers’. Awareness of any principled generic process identified in this thesis may be of significance to practitioners in the applied linguistics community in their quest to establish academic reputation and in their pursuit of professional development. These findings may also be of use in triggering productive community discussion as a result of the questions they raise concerning the present nature of academic debate. Looking beyond the construction and status of the texts themselves, I inquire into the kind of ideational and social organization such exchanges keep in place and examine an alternative view of interaction. This study breaks new ground in two major ways. To the best of my knowledge, it is the first exploration of a bipartite, intertextual structure laying claim to genre status. Secondly, in its recourse to the comments of the writers’ themselves rather than relying exclusively on the evidence of their texts, as is the case with most studies of genre, this thesis offers an expanded opportunity to discuss perhaps the most interesting aspects of genre analysis – the light it throws on social ends and the role of genre in determining the nature of current academic debate as it here emerges.

Variationist research in the Labovian paradigm has traditionally looked at the structured heterogeneity found in first language (L1) speech. More recently this quantitative methodology has been applied to speakers acquiring a second language (L2), usually in immigrant settings. This research has shown that alongside well documented L2 acquisition processes, sociolinguistic patterns are also found, just as in native speech. This dissertation examines the speech of native speakers of Spanish acquiring English in Chile, extending traditional quantitative methodology to L2 contexts, specifically to English as a foreign language (EFL) situations. I examine the variation of four phonetic variables: voiceless alveolar fricative (ʃ), voiceless alveolar affricate (ʧ), and postvocalic (r), which range from stigmatised to prestigious in both Spanish and English; and voiced dental fricative (ð), which has been extensively documented in English, mainly constrained by linguistic factors. Through the analysis of the speech of eighteen university students, I seek to test, firstly, whether the patterns of variation characteristic of Chilean Spanish are transferred to English and secondly, whether the variation exhibited by native speakers of English is replicated in EFL contexts. The results suggest that: (1) the expected transfer of patterns from Chilean Spanish to English does not occur for the variables (ʃ) and (ʧ), and (2) the patterns found in non- native speech in EFL contexts replicates the patterns found in native speakers of English for the variables voiced dental fricative (ð) and postvocalic (r). Amongst the social factors considered, the effect of social class is shown to contribute to the variation of postvocalic (r) and (ʃ), as years of instruction in English did to the variation of (ʃ); in relation to the contribution of internal factors, it is found that phonetic environment and position have an effect on the varying use of (ʃ) and (ð). As predicted for (ð), the effect of purely linguistic factors is confirmed. Thus this study demonstrates that the notion of structured heterogeneity can be extended to contexts of EFL, especially in relation to the effect of internal constraints.

This ethnographic study investigates identity and participation in a workplace English language training classroom in Thailand. As a practitioner’s enquiry, the research methods of participation observation, interviews and questionnaires were employed in exploring a 40-hour training classroom which acts as a workplace community of practice for both the teacher and the student participants. Through the lens of communities of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991), the research shows the significance, despite common assumptions of shared interests and choice to participate in communities of practice, of gatekeeping and legitimacy defined by the Human Resources department. As a formal corporate training classroom with an outside language instructor, there is evidence of multiple identities and forms of participation. The identities of expert newcomers, semi-expert newcomers as well as non-expert old-timers pose questions about forms of participation, especially legitimate peripheral participation and full participation, in the communities of practice model. Reversal of identities in the classroom between teacher and students emphasise pedagogical roles in the community. Identities are negotiated and constructed amongst the interrelationships of legitimacy, power relations, and social structures of the community of practice. Within the different layers of social practice (classroom, organisation and Thai cultural and social norms), legitimation conflicts arise. English language proficiency, and skills and knowledge regarding the organisation and engineering, coupled with the role of ‘seniority’ in peer relationships expressed in the pseudo-sibling relationship in Thai culture, are common causes of tension. Individual participants must exercise their agency to negotiate their identities and power among these conflicts and tensions. Using both verbal and non-verbal language, language-related identities contribute to identity negotiation and construction. ‘Joker’ and ‘silent member’ identities suggest the use of humour and silence as a discursive practice. Code-switching from English to Thai enables language to be used as a shared repertoire in the community. Specific use of pronouns in Thai represents the identities of classroom participants. The research shows that language use and culture should be central to the analysis of identity and participation in communities of practice. The thesis concludes by discussing implications for researchers on communities of practice, and practitioners in English language corporate training and English for Specific Purposes.

This study investigates the beliefs and practices of writing tutors regarding written corrective feedback (WCF) in a Saudi Arabian university. The central focus of this work is threefold: (a) the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding the provision of WCF on students’ L2 writing, (b) the factors that prevent teachers from enacting their beliefs into practices, and (c) the relationship between students’ preferences and teachers’ practices regarding WCF. Ten writing tutors and their thirty students at the English language and Literature department at the University of Dammam participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were utilized to understand teachers’ beliefs and students’ preferences. In order to understand teachers’ actual WCF practices, teachers were observed while teaching writing over almost a full semester. The think-aloud protocols of teachers while providing feedback on their students’ writing were examined and teachers’ feedback on student writing was analysed. Finally, stimulated-recall interviews were conducted to understand the factors that influence teachers’ WCF practices. The study showed both congruence and tensions between teachers’ beliefs and practices. Teachers’ beliefs were greatly congruent with their practices regarding the amount and focus of WCF. Conversely, teachers’ beliefs were incongruent concerning the explicitness of WCF, the use of positive feedback, and the source of WCF. Several contextual factors related to the university overall context (e.g. time allocated to cover the syllabus), teachers (e.g. teaching experience), and students (e.g. proficiency levels) were found to affect teachers’ practices. As for the relationship between students’ preferences and teachers’ practices, complete congruence was found in terms of teachers being the key providers of feedback. Conversely, students’ preferences were incongruent with teachers’ practices regarding the explicitness of WCF, the focus of WCF, and the provision of positive feedback. Finally, although students valued teachers’ WCF and placed a great importance to it, they faced difficulties understanding some of their teachers’ comments. This study concludes by providing some implications which could serve more than one purpose by creating knowledge which will be useful for researchers in the field of language teacher cognition and WCF.

This study investigates the teaching and learning of listening in a Thai university fundamental English course. The investigation considers how listening is taught both in the classroom and in the Self-access Learning Centre (SALC). It takes into account what happens in the classroom and the SALC. It also examines the attitudes towards the teaching and learning of listening of the teachers, students, board of directors and textbook writers. The study was conducted at the Language Institute, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. It was carried out through a qualitative analysis of data obtained from: (1) semi-structured interviews with the different parties; (2) semi-structured observations of five classes; (3) informal SALC observation forms completed by the students using the centre; (4) self-access learning reports/portfolios completed by students from the five classes observed; and (5) two documents about the course: the Language Institute Booklet and the course outline. The main findings are as follows. First, the lesson format used by the teachers is similar to the lesson format used in the early days of the 1950s in that the focus was on the pre-listening stage. Second, three aspects regarding the textbook listening activities were evaluated by the different parties: (1) the (in)appropriate level of difficulty; (2) the lack of authentic materials; and (3) the disappointment with word recognition listening exercises. Third, the majority of students were against listening assessment as they believed that they lack the ability to do the test. On the other hand, one of the directors and four teachers were clearly in favour of assessment. Fourth, the SALC was seen as a very low priority as it was found that some informants never or only rarely visit the centre. Fifth, none of the 170 students, including the interviewees, chose to practise their listening skills using the commercial listening materials provided in SALC 4. The study ends with the insights and recommendations for second language listening pedagogy.

Three central topics that have been at the heart of research into second language (L2) acquisition over the past 30 years are the extent to which properties of a speaker’s first language (L1) transfer into their L2 mental grammars, the extent to which L2 learners’ mental grammars are constrained by an innate language faculty (Universal Grammar (UG)), and the nature of the development of grammatical knowledge. Much of the evidence bearing on these topics has come from the investigation of the acquisition of syntactic properties. There have been comparatively fewer studies of these topics in other domains of the grammar. This thesis investigates the role of L1 transfer and UG in the acquisition of two pre-syntactic properties in English by L1 speakers of Libyan Arabic: noun compounding (a lexical operation) and argument structure realization (a property at the semantics-syntax interface). The participants were selected at different stages of learning English in the classroom to provide a measure of possible development. Using elicited production and a grammaticality judgement task, results suggest some possible evidence of L1 influence on plural marking in noun compounds and knowledge of the morphological marking of constructions realizing argument structure. But in the latter case L1 influence appears to lead to a general problem with the realization of intransitive verbs, rather than direct transfer of L1 properties into the L2. There is also some evidence of the influence of UG on the representation of unaccusative versus unergative verbs, but no evidence of UG influence in other areas investigated (constraints on number marking in noun compounds and on the the linking of thematic arguments to syntactic positions). Little development was observed across the two groups investigated. Broadly, the results are consistent with iii an L1 transfer/access to UG view of the L2 acquisition of pre-syntactic properties, without providing strong support for this position.

Research on second language learners’ beliefs, motivation, and strategies has been growing in recent decades. However, few studies have been undertaken on Chinese tertiary learners of English for academic purposes (EAP) within a broader English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The current call for a socio-cultural theory in second language acquisition (SLA) has also highlighted the necessity of a socio-cultural approach to research on learners’ beliefs, motivation, and strategies. This study thus aims to fill these gaps by following a socio-cultural approach to examining changes in beliefs, motivation, and strategies of a cohort of Chinese tertiary EAP learners in Mainland China. The study is longitudinal and situated in a Sino-foreign university where English is used as the Medium of Instruction (EMI). Data of the study were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews at two stages. The design of the questionnaires and interviews was informed by current discussion on learners’ beliefs, motivation, and strategies in the literature of second language teaching and research. At the first stage, the questionnaire was administered to 1026 students upon their arrival at the EMI University and 16 students were selected for semi-structured interviews. At the second stage, after having studied EAP for one academic year at the EMI University, the questionnaire was distributed again to the same cohort of the students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the same group of participants in order to identify potential changes in their beliefs, motivation, and strategies and to obtain an in-depth understanding of the nature of changes. The questionnaire surveys identified significant changes in the participants’ beliefs, motivation, and strategies after they had studied EAP for an academic year at the EMI University. The participants showed stronger beliefs about the difficulty and nature of language learning and autonomous language learning, a significant increase in motivation, and a higher level of use of learning strategies. Changes in the three learner variables were also found in the interviews. These changes indicate possible influence of learning context upon learners’ beliefs, motivation, and strategies. The analysis of the in-depth interviews further revealed that these changes were attributable to the mediation of various socio-cultural factors in the EMI setting, including the learning environment at the EMI University, studying content subjects in English, learning tasks, extracurricular activities, formative assessments, and other important factors such as teachers and peers. The interviews also illustrated that the dynamic changes in the participants’ beliefs, motivation, and strategies might be accounted for by the participants’ internalisation of the mediation of the socio-cultural factors through exercising their agency. Based on the findings, this research argues that the development of language learners’ beliefs, motivation, and strategies is the result of the interplay between agency and context. The present study deepens our understanding of the nature of learner development in that it contributes to the socio-cultural exploration of contextual influence on second language learning in SLA research. The study also has pedagogical significance for its practical recommendations for English language teaching in EMI settings in Mainland China and other similar EFL contexts.