Using the student’s mother tongue in the ESL classes has been felt to be very productive as it is found to develop language accuracy and fluency. The objective of this paper is to discuss how mother tongue can be effectively used in teaching certain linguistic areas in order to motivate students and promote their language proficiency faster. Translation in ESL classes which enables the process of comparing student’s first language with the second language would undoubtedly enable students to attain the ability of using the language in real life situations for communicative purposes.
Category: ELT Articles and Research Papers
Vol. 4 Issue 30 – Article: ‘How can creative writing develop language skills?’ by Tarala Joshi
Many English teachers from my region would agree that English as a second language is mostly only a writing affair. Our students read and write English; rather they reproduce in their writing what they have read. How would they express their ‘own’ ideas and thoughts in English?
Vol. 4 Issue 29 – Research Paper: ‘Influence of Culture in ESL Learning in Jaffna, Sri Lanka’ by Vairamuthu Suntharesan
Since English has been branded as an international language, teaching for linguistic competence can not be isolated from teaching for intercultural competence. Yet intercultural communication has not been paid due attention to in ESL teaching in Sri Lanka. It prompts us to realize the fact that Sri Lankan students of English may master English in terms of its grammar and linguistic aspects but encounter several problems in intercultural communication. This article aims to pay more attention to intercultural communication in English language teaching to develop students’ intercultural communicative competence. Further, the article emphasizes increasingly important role of intercultural communication in English language teaching and the necessity to develop students’ intercultural communicative competence. Sample learning and teaching activities are presented to be integrated in ESL teaching and learning. As per data elicited by the author, an enlightenment of the cultural norms and values of native speakers of English to students of English as a Second language would cushion against the ‘culture shock’ learners may experience during the learning process. Further, the comparison learners’ own culture with the foreign culture in the classroom would facilitate learning.
Vol. 4 Issue 29 – Research Paper: ‘Innovative Techniques of Research Methods in Teaching English’ by Mrs. Raji Dhinakar
In this paper various techniques for organizing and managing the class are explored. These techniques aim to help the teachers to become more professional and efficient in their approach so that the students have confidence in the teachers competence. In particular we consider the balance between having a friendly relaxed relationship with the class and maintenance of discipline.
Vol. 4 Issue 29 – Research Paper: ‘The Confusing Role of Teacher in the Era of Technology and the Use of ICT in Education’ by Dr. Chetan Trivedi
“We shape our tools,” McLuhan said, “and then our tools shape us.” The quote raises the question: Do we create our own destinies or become subordinate and play into the hands of forces beyond us? Technology, according to McLuhan, is an extension of our own natural faculties. Every technology is, likewise, an extension of our own natural powers, born out of some natural need or the other. “This is to say that technology can be understood in terms of final cause, or purpose, and that purpose is a purpose of the living human being.” Technology, therefore, has a relation to the need and purpose and cannot be otherwise. As such, technology has an important role in linking people at the grass-roots level to the outside world. There are many examples in rural areas of how technology is helping people to take informed decisions. Technology will continue to play a decisive role in ushering change in the rural areas.
Vol. 4 Issue 28 – Research Paper: ‘How to Cope With Speaking Anxiety in EFL Classrooms’ by Ali KARAKAŞ
Many English language teachers are familiar with the above statement voiced by a majority of their students in speaking classes. This is, as well, a common complaint levelled by EFL teachers about their silent students. This is because teaching spoken language is deemed as a rather demanding task for teachers to achieve as compared to the other aspects of language teaching (Brown & Yule, 1999) and for learners, speaking is a highly anxiety-provoking situation (Horwitz, Horwitz & Cope, 1986). The above comment from a student essentially points to the psychological construct termed as “anxiety”, which has been in the limelight of language research since 1980s (e.g. Horwitz et. al., 1986; Young, 1991) and has been found to excessively influence students’ oral skill (Fang-peng & Dong, 2010). Despite its significant impact on language learning, EFL teachers have failed to identify students suffering from anxiety in speaking classes, even worse, instead of taking steps, teachers misconceived their students’ anxiety as low ability, reluctance to engage in speaking activities or low motivation (Tsiplakides & Keramida, 2009) and have rarely taken measures to handle this serious issue (Riasiti, 2011). It is for these reasons that this paper aims to shed light on the sources of speaking anxiety by providing suggestions to diminish its adverse effects on learners’ performance in speaking classes.
Vol. 4 Issue 28 – Research Paper: ‘Communicative English Language Teaching: It’s Concurrent Relevance – An overview’ by Jinendra Jain
English Language Teaching resides in among many methods and approaches. The span is spread from Grammar Translation method to the recent method Communicative Language Teaching method, participatory approaches and multiple intelligence. The different techniques of ELT have seen several changes, upheavals and transitions. The trend of Language teaching and learning started from writing on dry leaves, then with chalk and duster with black board and then with most modern technological tools like computer, mobiles and satellite and with internet. But, in spite of all this, the ability of ‘Communication’ of the people (learners) has not been that improved which was much expected the way technology developed. The present article focusses chiefly as to how the learners can develop their communicative ability.
ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue 27
ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue#27 | July 2, 2012 | ISSN 0975-3036 Looking for a job? Apply at CHARUSAT, Changa, Gujarat – India . Video: English Pronunciation – 4 Common Mistakes . Cambridge ELT Interview with Robert O’Dowd . eBook of the week: ‘CLIL’ by Do Coyle, Philip Hood and David Marsh . FYI – E-Teacher Scholarship… Continue reading ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue 27
ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue 26
ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue#26 | June 25, 2012 | ISSN 0975-3036 Video: Seven Ways of Looking at Grammar . Book of the week: The Heinemann ELT Wordbuilder . Video: Empowering the Language Learner , Research Paper: ‘When to Start Second Language Teaching or Learning in an EFL Context?’ by Saeid Najafi Sarem & Hadi Hamidi .… Continue reading ELTWeekly Vol. 4 Issue 26
Vol. 4 Issue 26 – Research Paper: ‘When to Start Second Language Teaching or Learning in an EFL Context?’ by Saeid Najafi Sarem & Hadi Hamidi
Among the many factors that affect second language learning and teaching practices, age has been always considered an important factor. The beginning age for learning a foreign language is a controversial issue concerning which various ideas have been proposed by different scholars. Some researchers refer to the concept of critical period hypothesis for L1 acquisition and claim that before puberty is the best time to start teaching a second language. On the other hand, some other researchers reject the application of this hypothesis in second language learning relying on the evidence that adult learners can acquire a second language more easily at least in some aspects of language. In their claims, these researchers refer to the concepts like multiple critical period and the presence of motivation based on which any person can begin learning a second language at any age. The findings of the current paper are of important implications for the field of foreign/second language teaching.