This study addresses issues of English as a foreign language (EFL) practice in the attainment-oriented context at the tertiary level. Referring to the widespread use of testing as an instrument for the enhancement of teaching quality, the study stresses the importance of teachers’ epistemological beliefs and other contextual factors to mediate teacher’s pedagogical decision-making. Four EFL teachers at Air Force colleges in Taiwan were selected to participate in the present research. The EFL teachers’ beliefs were collected by semi-structured interviews, and actual classroom practices were analyzed through a taxonomy of teachers’ questions, a taxonomy of teachers’ corrective feedback and Communicative Orientation Language Teaching (COLT) scheme analysis. The evidence of this case study generated four archetypal patterns of washback based on aligned or oppositional beliefs and its contexts. The study concludes that test designers’ expectations to use a test to innovate the curriculum do not always produce the desired results. Education reform that requires pedagogical changes of practitioners but fails to provide re-attribution training and sufficient resources to effect belief changes will likely yield resistance and pressure. Finally, implications of four archetypes of washback on the teaching of English are presented in order to sustain the successful testing, teaching, and learning.

Ce travail se veut une réflexion sur l’usage de la langue française à l’école à Djibouti. Devant la surpopulation des classes et la baisse généralisée du niveau en français des élèves en début du primaire, il a fallu revoir la situation didactique du français en république de Djibouti pour améliorer le rendement du système éducatif djiboutien. Pour améliorer la maîtrise de la langue française au sein de l’école et ainsi contribuer à la réussite scolaire, il est apparu nécessaire de prendre en compte les langues nationales djiboutiennes, de transmettre les enseignements de base (du moins dans les premières années) à travers elles mais aussi de les enseigner en même temps que le français. Ainsi, l’apprenant, par un travail de va et vient métalinguistique (inconscient puis conscient), pourra comparer les deux langues, opérer des transferts positifs et prendre conscience et éviter les interférences avec la langue source dans l’apprentissage du français. L’élève bilingue réussira, non seulement, mieux dans l’apprentissage des contenus scolaires mais développera aussi des stratégies d’apprentissages des langues. / This brainwork is a reflection about using french language in schools in Djibouti. Faced with overcrowded classrooms and the general decline in the level of french language in early elementary school, it was necessary to review the condition of french teaching in the republic of Djibouti to improve the performance of the educational system. To improve mastery of French language in school and to contribute to success, it should be necessary to take into the djiboutians nationals languages. Through these it is more efficient to transmit the basic elementary curriculum (at least for the early year) without neglecting French language instruction. Thus, the learner, by working back and forth meta-linguistically (unconsciously and consciously), can compare the two languages, make positive transfer by cross-linguistic influence and avoid interference with the source language in learning french. The bilingual students perform better in classroom content and also develop strategies for learning languages.

This diploma thesis is concerned with the level of knowledge and use of selected alternative teaching methods - Suggestopedia, Total Physical Response (TPR), Community Language Learning (CLL), The Silent Way and Act&Speak method among the teachers of foreign languages of adults in Prague. For better orientation, it can be divided into two parts - theoretical and practical. In the theoretical part, I focus on the situation of foreign language education and foreign language policy of the European Union and the Czech Republic. Also, I define what is meant by the concepts of didactics of foreign languages and methods of foreign language teaching so that I can describe the traditional foreign language teaching methods (direct methods, indirect methods and eclectic methods) and alternative methods in the other section. In the practical part, I approach with the assumption that the teachers of foreign languages of adults in Prague do not know and do not use the selected alternative methods. These and other hypotheses were verified by a quantitative survey (questionnaire) which also examined whether there is a correlation between the teacher's education, length of the teacher's lecturing practice, a place of carrying out teaching activities and knowledge and using these alternative methods. All were...

O presente estudo segue um viés interpretativista de natureza qualitativa e objetiva desenvolver uma reflexão filosófica e, portanto, não dogmática, de algumas questões importantes que envolvem conceitos-base na formação e evolução da grande subárea Ensino- Aprendizagem de LE/L2 na LA, tais como: abordagem, movimento, paradigma e comunidade científica. O trabalho busca como fundamentação teórica, primordialmente, o conjunto da obra de Thomas Kuhn apoiada, também, na visão de Masterman (1979). Para a evolução da reflexão, a investigação recebe um auxílio valioso da segunda filosofia de Wittgenstein, no que se refere à noção de jogos de linguagem, e da visão de Lakatos sobre a formação de programas de pesquisa científica. O tema central da pesquisa gira em torno da percepção de uma tensão instaurada na área pela apropriação, pelos especialistas, da noção de sinônimo entre os termos abordagem comunicativa (AC), ensino comunicativo de língua (ECL) e movimento comunicativo (MC), associados, muitas vezes, à concepção de paradigma. A noção de que AC, ECL e MC são sinônimos entre si, acaba atribuindo à AC uma posição de destaque na hierarquia com outras abordagens (como, por exemplo, as abordagens instrumental (AI) e comunicacional (ACC)). Atualmente na área, o uso dos termos dimensão, variante ou versão da AC aparecem na literatura para classificar as outras abordagens, minimizando o que classificamos de tensão. O que se propõe é o reconhecimento da AI e da ACC como abordagens independentes (ou paradigmas como exemplos compartilhados/metaparadigma de sentido mais restrito) e em coexistência com a AC, todas inseridas no MC. Para tanto, o termo movimento é definido para a área como paradigma como a constelação dos compromissos de grupo/sociológico (de sentido mais global). O termo abordagem mantém o conceito clássico em Anthony (1963/1965), mas o reposicionamos hierarquicamente abaixo do termo movimento. Os resultados mostram que a competência comunicativa, que historicamente inspira o surgimento dos termos AC, ECL e MC, é base de fundamentação apenas da AC e mote da comunidade científica ECL. O alicerce do MC (comunidade científica de sentido mais global; o conjunto) é a visão de linguagem como ato social que é compartilhada por todas as comunidades (de sentido mais restrito; os subconjuntos) que o compõe: ECL, ensino comunicacional de língua (ECCL) e ensino instrumental de língua (IEL). A competência linguística e a competência pragmática são as bases que fundamentam: 1) a ACC e a AI; 2) as reflexões a priori sobre a aquisição de LE/L2 das comunidades, ECCL e EIL, que, respectivamente, elaboraram as abordagens mencionadas. A proposta da tese de um re-mapeamento na área de ensino de línguas é, também, o início de um debate (filosófico e não dogmático) e um convite à reflexão para os membros que compõem a comunidade (de sentido mais global) do MC. A finalidade maior dos resultados desse debate é revertê-los para a formação de novos especialistas e de professores pré- e em serviço de línguas estrangeiras. / The aim of the thesis is to develop a philosophical reflection, and therefore not dogmatic, of some important questions which involve basic concepts in the background and improvement of Foreign and Second Language (F/SL) Teaching and Learning, such as: approach, movement, paradigm and the scientific community. This qualitative and interpretative research attempts to use the collection of work by Thomas Kuhn, also supported by Masterman´s point of view (1979), as a guideline of a theoretical basis. For this reflection to take place, the investigation was helped by the second philosophy of Wittgenstein, in which the notion of language games are referred to, as well as the vision of Lakatos concerning the development of scientific research programmes. The central theme of research is concerned with the perception of a tension felt in the area by appropriacy, by specialists, of the notion of synonym among the terms: the Communicative Approach (CA), Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and the Communicative Movement (CM), often associated to the concept of paradigm. The notion that CA, CLT and CM are synonyms among themselves ends up attributing to the CA a strong position in the hierarchy with other approaches, such as English/Language for Specific Purpose (ESP/LSP Approach) and the Communicational Approach (CCA). Currently in the area, the use of the terms dimension, variant or ´weak´/´strong´ interpretation of the CA appears in the literature to classify the other approaches, minimizing what we classify as a tension. What is proposed here is the recognition of ESP/LSP and CCA as independent approaches (or paradigms in a restricted sense) and the co-existence with CA, all inserted into the CM (which is at the top of the hierarchy). To achieve this, the term movement is defined in the area in terms of paradigm (in a global sense). The term approach maintains the classic concept in Anthony (1963/1965), but we reposition it hierarchically under the term movement as a paradigm in a restricted sense. The results show that communicative competence, which historically inspired the appearance of the terms CA, CLT and CM is, in fact, the fundamental basis of CA only, and the motto of CLT. The basis of the CM (as a paradigm and a scientific community, both in a global sense) is the vision of language as a social act which is shared by all communities (in a restricted sense) which form it: CLT, Communicational Language Teaching (CCLT) and ESP/LSP. Linguistic and pragmatic competences are the fundamental basis of: 1) CCA and ESP/LSP approach; 2) reflections (a priori) of the communities of CCLT and ESP/LSP about F/SL acquisition, which respectively developed the mentioned approaches. The proposal of remapping the area of LT is also the beginning of a philosophical debate and an invitation to members of the MC community (in a global sense) to reflect on the issues brought about by this thesis. From this work, we expect to redirect its outcomes so as to instruct new specialists and teachers in pre- and in-service training of foreign languages.

O presente estudo segue um viés interpretativista de natureza qualitativa e objetiva desenvolver uma reflexão filosófica e, portanto, não dogmática, de algumas questões importantes que envolvem conceitos-base na formação e evolução da grande subárea Ensino- Aprendizagem de LE/L2 na LA, tais como: abordagem, movimento, paradigma e comunidade científica. O trabalho busca como fundamentação teórica, primordialmente, o conjunto da obra de Thomas Kuhn apoiada, também, na visão de Masterman (1979). Para a evolução da reflexão, a investigação recebe um auxílio valioso da segunda filosofia de Wittgenstein, no que se refere à noção de jogos de linguagem, e da visão de Lakatos sobre a formação de programas de pesquisa científica. O tema central da pesquisa gira em torno da percepção de uma tensão instaurada na área pela apropriação, pelos especialistas, da noção de sinônimo entre os termos abordagem comunicativa (AC), ensino comunicativo de língua (ECL) e movimento comunicativo (MC), associados, muitas vezes, à concepção de paradigma. A noção de que AC, ECL e MC são sinônimos entre si, acaba atribuindo à AC uma posição de destaque na hierarquia com outras abordagens (como, por exemplo, as abordagens instrumental (AI) e comunicacional (ACC)). Atualmente na área, o uso dos termos dimensão, variante ou versão da AC aparecem na literatura para classificar as outras abordagens, minimizando o que classificamos de tensão. O que se propõe é o reconhecimento da AI e da ACC como abordagens independentes (ou paradigmas como exemplos compartilhados/metaparadigma de sentido mais restrito) e em coexistência com a AC, todas inseridas no MC. Para tanto, o termo movimento é definido para a área como paradigma como a constelação dos compromissos de grupo/sociológico (de sentido mais global). O termo abordagem mantém o conceito clássico em Anthony (1963/1965), mas o reposicionamos hierarquicamente abaixo do termo movimento. Os resultados mostram que a competência comunicativa, que historicamente inspira o surgimento dos termos AC, ECL e MC, é base de fundamentação apenas da AC e mote da comunidade científica ECL. O alicerce do MC (comunidade científica de sentido mais global; o conjunto) é a visão de linguagem como ato social que é compartilhada por todas as comunidades (de sentido mais restrito; os subconjuntos) que o compõe: ECL, ensino comunicacional de língua (ECCL) e ensino instrumental de língua (IEL). A competência linguística e a competência pragmática são as bases que fundamentam: 1) a ACC e a AI; 2) as reflexões a priori sobre a aquisição de LE/L2 das comunidades, ECCL e EIL, que, respectivamente, elaboraram as abordagens mencionadas. A proposta da tese de um re-mapeamento na área de ensino de línguas é, também, o início de um debate (filosófico e não dogmático) e um convite à reflexão para os membros que compõem a comunidade (de sentido mais global) do MC. A finalidade maior dos resultados desse debate é revertê-los para a formação de novos especialistas e de professores pré- e em serviço de línguas estrangeiras. / The aim of the thesis is to develop a philosophical reflection, and therefore not dogmatic, of some important questions which involve basic concepts in the background and improvement of Foreign and Second Language (F/SL) Teaching and Learning, such as: approach, movement, paradigm and the scientific community. This qualitative and interpretative research attempts to use the collection of work by Thomas Kuhn, also supported by Masterman´s point of view (1979), as a guideline of a theoretical basis. For this reflection to take place, the investigation was helped by the second philosophy of Wittgenstein, in which the notion of language games are referred to, as well as the vision of Lakatos concerning the development of scientific research programmes. The central theme of research is concerned with the perception of a tension felt in the area by appropriacy, by specialists, of the notion of synonym among the terms: the Communicative Approach (CA), Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and the Communicative Movement (CM), often associated to the concept of paradigm. The notion that CA, CLT and CM are synonyms among themselves ends up attributing to the CA a strong position in the hierarchy with other approaches, such as English/Language for Specific Purpose (ESP/LSP Approach) and the Communicational Approach (CCA). Currently in the area, the use of the terms dimension, variant or ´weak´/´strong´ interpretation of the CA appears in the literature to classify the other approaches, minimizing what we classify as a tension. What is proposed here is the recognition of ESP/LSP and CCA as independent approaches (or paradigms in a restricted sense) and the co-existence with CA, all inserted into the CM (which is at the top of the hierarchy). To achieve this, the term movement is defined in the area in terms of paradigm (in a global sense). The term approach maintains the classic concept in Anthony (1963/1965), but we reposition it hierarchically under the term movement as a paradigm in a restricted sense. The results show that communicative competence, which historically inspired the appearance of the terms CA, CLT and CM is, in fact, the fundamental basis of CA only, and the motto of CLT. The basis of the CM (as a paradigm and a scientific community, both in a global sense) is the vision of language as a social act which is shared by all communities (in a restricted sense) which form it: CLT, Communicational Language Teaching (CCLT) and ESP/LSP. Linguistic and pragmatic competences are the fundamental basis of: 1) CCA and ESP/LSP approach; 2) reflections (a priori) of the communities of CCLT and ESP/LSP about F/SL acquisition, which respectively developed the mentioned approaches. The proposal of remapping the area of LT is also the beginning of a philosophical debate and an invitation to members of the MC community (in a global sense) to reflect on the issues brought about by this thesis. From this work, we expect to redirect its outcomes so as to instruct new specialists and teachers in pre- and in-service training of foreign languages.

The aim of this study is to investigate English teachers’ communication when teaching English in grade three in Swedish schools. The investigation seeks to find out what language is, and why it is, dominant and how the proportions in the teachers’ uses of English and Swedish in time are distributed. The study also describes what attitudes teachers have to the English language and if, if so how, two categories of strategies, namely body language and code switching are used. The study was performed in two steps with different methods for collection of qualitative empirical data. The collection of the empirical data was carried out in structured observations and in structured interviews with four English teachers of whom two work in so called free and independent schools and two work in public schools. To obtain a complete picture of teachers’ English teaching the observations were conducted first to be followed by an additional interview. The results show that two of four English teachers dominantly speak English. The teachers’ motives for using English as educational language are that students need to hear the second language early to learn it. The teachers also report that code switching between Swedish and English and teaching in pupils’ levels help pupils to understand are motives for using Swedish as educational language. Several English teachers find it difficult to teach in the target language and they are therefore feeling an uncertainty in teaching English. Body language is more widely used by English teachers teaching in their second language. The English teacher, who speaks more English when teaching, use body language most frequently and teachers who have Swedish as the dominant language of instruction use code switching more often. Teachers' reasoning about the use of body language and code switching are for some knowingly and some unknowingly and is used by all respondents to illustrate and clarify. The teachers believe that there are both pros and cons of using code switching. Results also show that teachers who have worked the shortest time as an English teacher and work at free schools use English in English teaching to a greater extent than teachers who have taught English some time and work at public schools. / Syftet med forskningsstudien är att undersöka engelsklärares kommunikation vid engelskundervisning i årskurs tre i Mellansverige och att svara på frågorna vilket undervisningsspråk som är dominerande, varför det språket är dominerande, hur fördelningen mellan engelska och svenska ser ut samt hur användningen av språken ser ut i tid. Studien avser också att svara på vad lärare har för attityder till det engelska språket samt om, och i så fall hur, strategierna kroppsspråk och kodväxling används. Studien utfördes i två steg med olika metoder för insamling av kvalitativ empiri. Insamlingen av empiri utfördes genom strukturerade observationer av, samt halvstrukturerade respondentintervjuer med, fyra engelsklärare varav två arbetar vid friskolor och två är kommunalt anställda. För att få en helhetsbild av lärares engelskundervisning genomfördes observationerna först för att sedan efterföljas av en kompletterande intervju. Resultatet visar att endast två av fyra engelsklärare använder engelska som dominerande undervisningsspråk vid engelskundervisning. Flera respondenters motiv till att använda engelska som undervisningsspråk var att elever behöver höra språket från tidig ålder. Flera respondenters motiv till att använda svenska som undervisningsspråk var att översätta för att eleverna ska förstå samt för att hålla undervisningen på elevernas nivå. Många engelsklärare tycker det är svårt att undervisa på målspråket och känner därför en osäkerhet i att undervisa i engelskämnet. Kroppsspråket används i större utsträckning av engelsklärare som undervisar på andraspråket. Den engelsklärare som talar mest engelska använder kroppsspråket flitigast och de lärare som har svenska som dominerande undervisningsspråk kodväxlar mer. Lärarnas resonemang om användandet av kroppsspråk skiljer sig åt då det för vissa används medvetet och för vissa omedvetet. Kroppsspråket används av alla respondenter för att illustrera och tydliggöra någonting för eleverna. Lärarna anser att det finns både för och nackdelar med att använda kodväxling. Resultaten visar också att lärare som arbetat kortast tid som engelsklärare och arbetar på friskolor använder engelska vid engelskundervisning i högre grad än lärare som undervisat i engelska längre tid och arbetar vid kommunala skolor.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2006. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-125). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Born into a visual culture, today’s generation of learners generally prefer a visually-rich multimodal learning environment. Tapping into the potential of visuals in language pedagogy, this study was aimed at discovering the impact of a visual presentation of grammatical concepts related to sentence structure on student writing. The study used a mixed methods design to analyse the impact of the visual approach first by statistically measuring sentence variety and syntactic complexity of student pre and post intervention texts and then using interviews to explain the nature of the impact of visuals on student conceptual understanding and its effect on their writing development. Statistical findings reveal that the experimental groups of Chinese students who were taught grammatical concepts in the context of writing instruction using a visual approach outperformed the students in the control groups who were given similar lessons in the context of writing instruction but using traditional printed hand-outs. Qualitative findings suggest that the visuals seems to have increased these students’ conceptual understanding of grammatical items that were taught, and this resulted in more sophisticated and syntactically complex texts after the intervention. The study supports the theory of contextualized teaching of grammar and proposes the use of external visuals that lead to internal visualization based on the cognitive theory of multimodal learning. In so doing, it extends the use of visual learning to grammar pedagogy. However, the findings also suggest that the visual approach would not work effectively in cultures that promote rote learning and decontextualized exercises in grammar with the sole aim of passing the exams. A shift in attitude towards grammar pedagogy in China is deemed necessary.

在台灣，由於中學英語課程的設計大都是考試導向，教學過程中幾乎完全著重於語言形式的教導，而忽略語言使用功能的重要性，所以台灣的英語學習者在中學階段很少有機會接受語言功能教學。本研究主要是要調查間接性以及禮貌性這兩個語用功能對於邀請句式選擇的適當性是否有所影響，進而調查語言功能教學對於本國的中學生學習英語的可行性與成效性。 本研究先分析了20位美國人在間接性與禮貌性的考量之下，對邀請句式的選擇為何，以便建立美國文化在這方面的規範。然後，再以此規範，設計一套四個單元的語言功能教學課程。有135位來自台灣北部兩所高中的高一學生接受了這項課程。這兩所學校的基測成績高低不同；每間學校各有兩班學生分別接受以功能為主的教學和以結構為主的教學。 前測及後測的結果顯示語言功能教學有效地改善了台灣學生的語言功能表現。再者，語言形式選擇的適當性的確受制於間接性及禮貌性的宰制。此外，情態策略也被驗証比直接策略及暗示策略要來得困難及複雜許多。又，基測成績較高的學校的學生比基測成績較低的學校的學生在學習語言功能的過程中表現較好。整體而言，實驗結果顯示，對於以英語為外國語的學生而言，語言功能教學是有效的、可行的，也是必須的。 另外，雖然台灣學生較偏好結構為主的教學法，但是本研究發現功能為主的教學法比結構為主的教學法成效較佳。最後，從學生對於本課程的評量得知，雖然學生們覺得語言功能學習法不是很有趣，但是他們大多認為這樣的教學方法對學習英語是有幫助的，而且是重要的。 / EFL learners in Taiwan are hardly taught language functions in high schools since most of the English courses are designed in accordance with the examination-oriented goal, which is far more focused on teaching language form than on teaching language use. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether indirectness and politeness would influence appropriate linguistic choice for invitation, and to investigate the effectiveness of teaching language functions to high school students in EFL classrooms. In this study, 20 American subjects’ ratings of eight linguistic forms for invitation by indirectness and politeness were analyzed to obtain the American norm, based on which a four-unit program of teaching language functions was designed. 138 senior high school students from two senior high schools in northern Taiwan took a pre-test before receiving the instruction and a post-test afterwards. Two classes from each school received function-based teaching method and structure-based teaching method respectively. The results of the pre-test and the post-test, in comparison with the American norm, indicate that teaching language functions is effective in improving Chinese students’ competence of the functional aspect of English. Next, the test results verify that the appropriate choice of linguistic forms is indeed influenced by politeness and indirectness, although these two functional factors are not in a systematic relationship. Moreover, Modality strategy is found to be more difficult and more complex than Direct strategy and Hinting strategy. In addition, although the students from the school of high BCT scores tend to perform better than those from the school of low BCT scores, students of both schools made significant improvement in learning the concepts of indirectness and politeness. The findings given above imply that teaching language functions to high school students in EFL classrooms is feasible, necessary, and effective. In addition, according to the results of the general evaluations to this teaching program offered by the students and the English teachers involved, although the Taiwanese students showed preference to structure-based method, function-based method is verified to be more effective. In conclusion, the students’ and the teachers’ evaluations of this program indicate that learning language functions may not be interesting, but it is helpful and important to the students.

La tesi di ricerca traccia un quadro dell’insegnamento dell’italiano agli studenti undergraduate statunitensi. Attraverso l’analisi della tradizione di studio e insegnamento delle lingue straniere negli Stati Uniti, si conosce il retroterra formativo di provenienza di questi studenti e, mediante la riflessione sui contenuti dei documenti ufficiali della didattica delle lingue, si individuano gli obiettivi della glottodidattica statunitense per l’educazione linguistica e culturale dei propri cittadini. Si affronta poi il tema dello study abroad mediante l’analisi di: dati sulle scelte degli studenti, programmi universitari statunitensi presenti in Italia, studi americani circa l’importanza delle percezioni degli studenti durante il processo di apprendimento. L’indagine condotta presso le classi di un Istituto americano di Milano, permette di delineare un profilo dello studente statunitense e di capire le sue aspettative sul corso e sul docente di lingua. Alla luce di tutte le osservazioni precedenti, si procede con la discussione della natura del sillabo in ambito statunitense e italiano, e si conclude con la progettazione di un sillabo adatto alle esigenze degli studenti statunitensi: la scelta di un sillabo interculturale rappresenta l’incontro delle tradizioni glottodidattiche, statunitense ed europea, e permette allo studente di sviluppare quelle competenze richieste dal mondo globalizzato del ventunesimo secolo. / The research explores didactic aspects of teaching the Italian language to American undergraduate students. In considering the tradition of foreign language education and the contents of the official existing frameworks for the teaching of languages in the United States, the research underlines the diverse educational backgrounds of American foreign language students who come to Italy in a study abroad program. The study abroad experience is discussed through data on students’ motivation to choose a study abroad program, and students’ perceptions about their language learning process while they’re in a foreign context. The survey conducted among Italian language students of an American Institute in Milan demonstrates the different academic and linguistic reality students encounter when they come to study in Italy, and their expectations on the course and on the teacher. The dissertation moves on the analysis of the format of the foreign language syllabus and discuss the differences between the American syllabus and the Italian syllabi: designing a culture-based syllabus is the key to improve students’ intercultural competence, in line with the purposes of the United States and European foreign language education program.