Traditional mnemonic methods of teaching vocabulary in the Second Language (L2) classroom are not providing the students with sufficient vocabulary knowledge to facilitate effective communication, i.e. students do not use the words they have learnt for communication as textbook presentation and drill do not ensure student use of these same structures in the student’s own spontaneous expression (Savignon, 2000). The strategies to facilitate meaning-vocabulary1 learning as part of a wider outcome to teaching elements of functional communication in a multilingual society is not clearly defined in the Revised National Curriculum Statement (DoE, 2003). This research report set in a constructivist framework, will attempt to raise awareness in language teachers of a need to recognize the importance to facilitate meaning-vocabulary in L2 in OBE and collaborative learning. The aim of this research was therefore to find an effective strategy to facilitate collaborative L2 meaning-vocabulary learning to develop functional communication. The research question in this study was: * How can facilitators more effectively guide collaborative meaning-vocabulary learning to improve functional communication? Secondary questions to this study were: * Why do L2 facilitators not spend enough time on collaborative meaning-vocabulary learning? * What is the role of the facilitator in L2 collaborative meaning-vocabulary learning through communicative teaching strategies? * How should meaning-vocabulary be taught to ensure students acquire the ability to use the L2 critically and creatively in functional communicative situations outside the classroom? I have set my methodology in a qualitative paradigm, used an action research design, made use of interviews and interpreted the interviews to clarify the research topic by means of a ‘thick description’ (Henning, et al. 2004:142). The data used in this research were not only gathered from describing and analyzing the practices of the classroom community, but it also originated in real life classroom situations and both of these are characteristics of action research (Burns, 2000). I have used different data collection methods to ensure the validity of the findings and the recommendations. The methodology used to gather the data guided me to explore qualitative content analysis, grounded theory analysis and to a lesser extent discourse analysis. I have used these three methods to condense the data to find some meaning in the form to enable me to construct a theory around facilitating meaning-vocabulary learning, i.e. construct my own interpretive text. Qualitative content analysis was the basis for grounded theory analysis, while the discourse was dissected to find alternative proof for the findings. Some of the findings included guidelines which a teacher should keep in mind when facilitating meaning-vocabulary learning: 1. Know your students. 2. Keep meaning-vocabulary learning enjoyable – use different strategies when possible, but let them ‘construct’ their own knowledge. The students must ‘do’ something when they are learning meaning-vocabulary. 3. Encourage the students to use the words during functional communication exercises and essay writing. 4. Encourage the students to engage in their L2 inside and outside the classroom as often as possible, e.g. listen to radio, watch television, engage in conversation with friends or family in the L2. 5. Focus on meaning-vocabulary in communicative language. 6. Engage in conversation with your students as often as possible, not only about a theme or topic but also about their experiences and feelings in your classroom. 7. Use pictures to explain word meanings. Let them create their own images where possible. 8. Use the new meaning-vocabulary during discussions. / Mr. W.A. Janse van Rensburg

M.Ed. (Teaching Language) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

In the current globalizing society, teachers are provided opportunities to move across their national borders to seek learning, professional development, and working opportunities. Technology-related professional development is particularly valued for teachers' sojourn to the technology intensive cultures. This qualitative cross-case study explored the K-12 Chinese language teachers' changes of teachers' application and perspective toward educational technology in cross-cultural teaching context through the lens of transformative learning theory. The qualitative data is collected from the interviews with 20 teacher participants in the four stages of cross-cultural sojourning: pre-departure, currently sojourning, post-sojourn, and immigrated. A qualitative cross-case analysis is conducted to compare the characteristics of teachers in different cases, and developed the complete process of the cross-cultural technology adoption and perspective. Factors contributed to the changes are also identified. Five issues related to the process are discussed. Implications and future directions were also included.

Previous research indicates that former schooling is an important factor to shape teachers' beliefs about teaching; teachers change the way they teach when their beliefs about foreign language teaching change. However, little research has discovered direct evidence concerning the processes that effect change in teacher beliefs. This study investigated the relationship between teachers' pedagogical paradigms and practices in Chinese language classrooms. Specifically, a qualitative analysis of educated teachers born in China examined how early pedagogical frames were formed, and then transformed in the context of American classrooms. Results of this study indicate that early schooling, language learning, and initial teaching experiences have a powerful effect on Chinese teachers' epistemological beliefs and pedagogical practices. Indeed, embedded and unexamined beliefs can inhibit effective teaching of Chinese language and lead to traditional behaviorist-centered learning approaches. However, these data indicate that critical reflection on preconceptions, beliefs, values, principles, and practices can become a precursor for constructivist and transformational Chinese language teaching and learning. The Lin Transformational Teaching and Professional Development Model demonstrates how traditional Chinese language approaches can be transformed into more effective epistemological and pedagogical strategies through assessment and reframing, consideration of cultural contexts, incorporation of diversity, and inclusion of continual professional reflection. Implications of the Lin Model to increase teacher competence and learner proficiency are recommended in four areas (individual professional development, collaborative professional development, teacher training programs, and students of Chinese) and are applicable to three different types of departments: foreign languages and literatures, applied linguistics, and education.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間・環境学) / 甲第23986号 / 人博第1038号 / 新制||人||244(附属図書館) / 2022||人博||1038(吉田南総合図書館) / 京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科共生人間学専攻 / (主査)教授 西山 教行, 教授 柳瀬 陽介, 教授 倉石 一郎, 教授 ダニエル ムーア / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human and Environmental Studies / Kyoto University / DFAM

Bakgrund: I dagens undervisning använder språkläraren digitala verktyg för att stödja elevernas lärande och motivera dem. Enligt de svenska styrdokumenten ska skolans mål vara att ansvara för att varje elev ska kunna använda de digitala verktygen, och lärare ska utveckla sina digitala kompetenser för att kunna använda dem på ett genomtänkt sätt. Tidigare forskning har visat att användningen av digitala verktyg måste stödjas av en pedagogisk idé för att leda till önskade resultat, och att användningen av digitala verktyg slumpmässigt eller oorganiserat leder till negativa resultat. Syftet: var att bygga kunskap om språklärares användning av digitala verktyg för att stödja elevers lärande och motivera dem utifrån deras olika behov. Metod: Erfarenheterna från 49 språklärare belystes genom att genomföra ett digitalt enkätformulär. Jag valde att ställa slutna och öppna frågor vilket ger tillgång till kvalitativa och kvantitativa data. Resultat: Tematisk innehållsanalys visar att språklärare är medvetna om hur man använder digitala verktyg för att stödja elevernas lärande och sätt att motivera dem, men ibland möter de vissa utmaningar i att använda dem, som elevernas bristande kompetens, eller att använda digitala verktyg för andra icke-pedagogiska ändamål. Slutsats: De digitala verktygen är användbara för lärande, och utgår från varje elevs individuella behov på ett organiserat sätt. Lärare behöver identifiera de utmaningar som kan uppstå till följd av att använda digitala verktyg i språkundervisningen. / Background: In today's teaching, the language teacher uses digital tools to support the students' learning and motivate them. According to the Swedish governing documents, the school's goal is to ensure that every student can use the digital tools, and teachers must develop their digital skills to be able to use them in a well-thought-out way. Previous research has shown that the use of digital tools must be supported by a pedagogical idea to lead to desired outcomes of use, and that the use of digital tools in a haphazard or disorganized manner leads to negative outcomes. Purpose: It was to build knowledge about language teachers' use of digital tools to support students' learning and motivate them despite their different needs. Method: The experiences of 49 language teachers were highlighted by completing a digital questionnaire. I chose to ask closed and open questions, which gives access to qualitative and quantitative data. Results: Thematic content analysis shows that language teachers are aware of how to use digital tools to support students' learning and ways to motivate them, but sometimes they face some challenges in using them, such as students' lack of competence, or using digital tools for others not - educational purposes. Conclusion: The digital tools are useful for learning, and they should be used in the classroom based on the individual needs of each student in an organized way. Teachers need to identify the challenges that may arise because of using digital tools in language teaching.

No description available.

黃显涵. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 304-340) / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in Chinese and English. / Huang Xianhan.

Second language (L2) teacher cognition has in recent years attracted the attention of an increasing number of researchers. While much L2 teacher cognition research focuses on the teaching of grammar (e.g. Phipps & Borg, 2009), L2 writing teacher cognition has received considerably less attention. It has, however, been suggested that L2 writing teachers’ perceptions of themselves as writers (Casanave, 2004) and as language learners may play a crucial role in their decision making as teachers of L2 writing. In an attempt to address this gap in the L2 teacher cognition literature, this study investigates English as a second language (ESL) writing teachers' beliefs about themselves as language learners and as writers in their first and/or second language(s). The purpose is to discover how ESL writing teachers’ beliefs about and practice of teaching L2 writing are influenced by their experiences in writing in their first and/ or second languages. Three native (NES) and two non-native English-speaking (NNES) teachers teaching L2 writing took part in the study. During a 15-week semester, their ESL writing classes were periodically observed and audio-recorded. Additionally, each teacher was interviewed two times using stimulated recall regarding both their classroom instructional practices and instruction provided in the margins of student papers. Findings revealed that, language learning in general was an important contributor to both NNES and NES teachers’ cognitions. Even NES teachers who were not advanced in their respective second and/or additional languages still referred to their language learning experiences. The NNES teacher participants also commented that they sometimes had to step out of their own language experience in order to better help their students. Results also indicated that L2 writing teachers without advanced L2 literacy skills were influenced primarily by their L1 writing experiences. L2 writing teachers with advanced L2 literacy skills, however, were greatly influenced by their L2 writing experience. In all of the cases, being an advanced writer, whether in their L1 or L2s, was an important contributor to L2 writing teachers’ cognitions.

published_or_final_version / Applied English Studies / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics