Teaching And Learning English In East Asian Universities

The 25 chapters contained in this book were all written by scholars working in the field of applied linguistics and English language teaching in various East Asian contexts. East Asia is large and diverse in terms of socio-economic, linguistic, and ethnic parameters. Statistics alone cannot give a clear understanding of what goes on in rural and urban universities and what challenges English language teachers and learners face in those contexts. To understand this wide gamut of issues in English language teaching in East Asia is thus a very large undertaking. The book addresses some of these issues, arranging its 25 chapters into five sections: namely, Assessing Language Performance; Teaching English Writing; Learner Autonomy; Corpus and Discourse Research; and Learning English in East Asian Contexts. Many of the chapters in this volume concern familiar topics such as linking assessment to teaching, learning and curriculum; conducting assessment validation research; examining meta-cognitive strategies; investigating teaching and learning English for academic purposes; and profiling prevailing word lists for language learners. Other chapters are on novel or lesser known topics such as non-verbal delivery in speaking assessment; the use of visualization as a reading strategy; learner strategies in a Facebook corpus; effects of discourse signaling cues and rate of speech; and an ontogenetic analysis of college English textbooks. Collectively, these chapters showcase English language learning, teaching, and assessing in a range of contexts using a variety of methods and techniques to deal with issues relevant to East Asian teachers, learners and researchers.

This book uncovers the challenges posed by globalization to Asian jurisdictions in English language teaching and teacher education.

This book offers fresh, critical insights into Shakespeare in Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan. It recognises that Shakespeare in East Asian education is not confined to the classroom or lecture hall but occurs on diverse stages. It covers multiple aspects of education: policy, pedagogy, practice, and performance. Beyond researchers in these areas, this book is for those teaching and learning Shakespeare in the region, those teaching and learning English as an Additional Language anywhere in the world, and those making educational policies, resources, or theatre productions with young people in East Asia.

This book is an exploration of the desirability and feasibility of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in specific university settings in South East Asia. There is an increasing trend in many universities in Asia, as elsewhere in the world, to introduce ‘international’ academic programmes taught through the medium of English. Despite the rapidity of this development, there is a dearth of empirical research that investigates the opportunities and challenges across a range of specific contexts. This volume intends to occupy this research space, firstly by reviewing historical and contemporary trends and changes to EMI, and by eliciting the perceptions of a number of applied linguists in a range of Asian universities. These introductory chapters are followed by three case studies exploring the beliefs and practices of EMI lecturers in Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, and a survey of Malaysian students’ attitudes to key issues relating to medium of instruction. Based on these empirical studies, implications will be drawn with regard to policy, curricula, pedagogical practice, professional development and further research. This book will provide guidance for decision-makers and practitioners for the effective planning and implementation of EMI programmes where English is an additional language for lecturers and students.

Silence is a key pedagogical issue in language education. Seen by some as a space for thinking and reflection during the learning process, for others silence represents a threat, inhibiting target language interaction which is so vital during second language acquisition. This book eschews stereotypes and generalisations about why so many learners from East Asia seem either reluctant or unable to speak in English by providing a state-of-the art account of current research into the complex and ambiguous issue of silence in language education. The innovative research included in this volume focuses on silence both as a barrier to successful learning and as a resource that may in some cases facilitate language acquisition. The book offers a fresh perspective on ways to facilitate classroom interaction while also embracing silence and it touches on key pedagogical concepts such as teacher cognition, the role of task features, classroom interactional approaches, pedagogical intervention and socialisation, willingness to communicate, as well as psychological and sociocultural factors. Each of the book’s chapters include self-reflection and discussion tasks, as well as annotated bibliographies for further reading.

This book investigates the current EFL market in East Asia, focusing on K-12, university, and cram school English education in Japan, China, and Korea. It explores prevailing educational practices by both Asian learners and teachers of English, contrasting them with Western practices, and illuminating why Western pedagogical methods have often encountered tremendous resistance from teachers, administrators, parents, and students in the East Asian classroom context. After establishing this cultural contrast of pedagogical norms, the book presents a series of practical means for adapting Western teaching practices and philosophies to better suit the learning styles of East Asian students and the cultural context and practical realities of the East Asian classroom, offering both Western teachers working in East Asia and native East Asian teachers realistic plans for turning theory into successful practice. These plans are divided by subsections, focusing on the linguistic subskills being taught: listening/speaking, reading, and writing. Each section includes two contrasting lesson plans to demonstrate how the educational theories and practices promoted by the author can often be implemented by making relatively simple changes to existing practices that incorporate a fuller understanding of how to actively assist students in developing new learning styles and behaviors.

Against the backdrop of uncritical promotions of English-medium instruction (EMI) in higher education globally, this edited volume maps out the political, ideological, and policy-related issues of EMI programs in multilingual and multicultural universities in Asia. In this volume, EMI researchers and practitioners involved in different Asian countries and regions have collaboratively unpacked the critical dimensions of EMI programs in higher education, with a goal to provide must-needed resources for researchers, graduate students, higher education leaders, and policymakers. This volume is the first of its kind in that it provides an exclusive and critical tapestry of EMI at multilingual universities from all parts of Asia, including Central Asia (Kazakhstan), East Asia (Mainland China, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan), South Asia (Bangladesh and Nepal), Southeast Asia (Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam), and Western Asia (United Arab Emirates). The key takeaway for the reader is to not only understand the current phenomenon of EMI in Asian universities but to also learn the dark side of its policies, programs, and practices that have led to unequal teaching and learning spaces in diverse societies. This collection will be of interest to scholars and policymakers in English-medium instruction, English language teaching, TESOL, and applied linguistics.