The Power Of Context In Language Teaching And Learning

THE POWER OF CONTEXT IN LANGUAGE TEACHING AND LEARNING provides a highly accessible, in-depth study of the relationship between discourse and the context of language teaching and learning. A tribute to Marianne Celce-Murcia's groundbreaking and distinguished work, this text contains a strong combination of theory and practice that will benefit any language teacher or student.

This volume is a collection of 13 chapters, each devoted to a particular issue that is crucial to our understanding of the way learners acquire, learn, and use an L2 sound system. In addition, it spans both theory and application in L2 phonology. The book is divided into three parts, with each section unified by broad thematic content: Part I, “Theoretical Issues and Frameworks in L2 Phonology,” lays the groundwork for examining L2 phonological acquisition. Part II, “Second Language Speech Perception and Production,” examines these two aspects of L2 speech in more detail. Finally, Part III, “Technology, Training, and Curriculum,” bridges the gap between theory and practice. Each chapter examines theoretical frameworks, major research findings (both classic and recent), methodological issues and choices for conducting research in a particular area of L2 phonology, and major implications of the research findings for more general models of language acquisition and/or pedagogy.

The Routledge Handbook of English Language Teaching is the definitive reference volume for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students of Applied Linguistics, ELT/TESOL, and Language Teacher Education, and for ELT professionals engaged in in-service teacher development and/or undertaking academic study. Progressing from ‘broader’ contextual issues to a ‘narrower’ focus on classrooms and classroom discourse, the volume’s inter-related themes focus on: ELT in the world: contexts and goals planning and organising ELT: curriculum, resources and settings methods and methodology: perspectives and practices second language learning and learners teaching language: knowledge, skills and pedagogy understanding the language classroom. The Handbook’s 39 chapters are written by leading figures in ELT from around the world. Mindful of the diverse pedagogical, institutional and social contexts for ELT, they convincingly present the key issues, areas of debate and dispute, and likely future developments in ELT from an applied linguistics perspective. Throughout the volume, readers are encouraged to develop their own thinking and practice in contextually appropriate ways, assisted by discussion questions and suggestions for further reading that accompany every chapter. Advisory board: Guy Cook, Diane Larsen-Freeman, Amy Tsui, and Steve Walsh

This volume offers comprehensive 'state-of-the-art' overviews of educational policies concerning the teaching of English in a large number of Asian countries. Each contribution is written by a leading expert and gives a clear assessment of current policies and future trends. Starting with a description of the English education policies in the respective countries, the contributors then delve into the 'nuts and bolts' of the English education policies and how they play out in practice in the education system, in schools, in the curriculum, and in teaching. Topics covered include the balance between the acquisition of English and the national language, political, cultural, economic and technical factors that strengthen or weaken the learning of English.

This book examines the pronunciation goals of teachers, course leaders, and learners on a ten-week UK pre-sessional access course, particularly with regard to suprasegmental instruction and target of instruction on how these goals are reflected in pronunciation assessment, and how teacher goals are informed by their attitudes and beliefs. A mixed methods approach, including direct observation and semi-structured interviews, is employed to address the area of enquiry. Results show a lack of clarity of course goals. Although there is a firm emphasis on suprasegmental instruction, in semi-structured interviews, teachers report a lack of clear course goals and guidance. Assessment and practice do not always adhere to a goal of intelligibility, and support for teachers, in terms of the materials and how they might be exploited seems limited. The book concludes with tentative recommendations on how suprasegmental instruction might be facilitated on EAP and other courses

"A reflective teacher as a growth-minded person seeks opportunities to continue professional development. Reflection not only ignites a teacher's desire for improvement, but also inspires continuous learning. Through accurate grasp of self-assessment, confidence, self-appraisal, a reflective practitioner can plant the seeds of effective teaching. This book aims to guide EFL teachers to teach language reflectively and effectively. It includes two parts, the first focuses on the SLA theories and their impact on language teaching and the second centers on the reflective and effective teaching of language components and skills. The editors hope this book could contribute to those who wish to become effective teachers since this results in nurturing learners' cravings to learn in a safe and supportive environment"--

Practical resources designed to help language educators apply the latest research and most effective pedagogical methods to classroom pronunciation instruction In Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching, a team of distinguished researchers and educators delivers an incisive and practical approach to evidence-based pronunciation instruction in second language classrooms. Developed for language teachers who want to incorporate and implement the most effective pedagogical methods in their language instruction, this edited volume offers 15 essays that connect the latest research with practical applications in the classroom. In addition to exploring recent but less well-known methods—like High Variability Phonetic Training, discourse-based teaching, communicative classrooms, and technology-based methods—these chapters are unified in bringing theory to bear on practical questions faced by language teachers. The chapters follow a standard format, moving from critical research issues to pedagogical implications, and practical resources to equip language teachers, scholars, administrators, and teachers-in-training with the tools they require to develop their students’ pronunciation abilities. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to using empirical evidence to guide pronunciation instruction in second language students Comprehensive explorations of the integration of pronunciation instruction into second language education Practical discussions of perception training in pronunciation instruction and the importance of L2 segmental and suprasegmental contrasts in pronunciation learning In-depth examinations of classroom research for pronunciation and the use of technology to explore L2 pronunciation Perfect for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students studying TESOL, applied linguistics, and second language acquisition, Second Language Pronunciation: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Teaching will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers, scholars, and teachers of language and education.

This volume is the first book-length attempt to bring together the fields of task-based language teaching (TBLT) and second language pragmatics by exploring how the teaching and assessment of pragmatics can be integrated into TBLT. The TBLT-pragmatics connection is illustrated in a variety of constructs (e.g., speech acts, honorifics, genres, interactional features), methods (e.g., quantitative, quasi-experimental, conversation analysis), and topics (e.g., instructed SLA, heritage language learning, technology-enhanced teaching, assessment, and discursive pragmatics). Chapters in this volume collectively demonstrate how the two fields can together advance the current practice of teaching language for socially-situated, real-world communicative needs.