In this issue: Feature Articles CALL for Change – Dr Hind Alotaibi Improving Reading Comprehension Through Instructional Vocabulary Strategies – Fairlie Atkinson
Lesson Plan Emerging Technologies Reviews Networking SIG Group Reports Chapter Reports
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From the Co-Editors
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Message from the President
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Tribute to Lisa Barlow
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TESOL Arabia Conference Report
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Feature Articles CALL for Change
Dr Hind Alotaibi
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Improving Reading Comprehension Through Instructional Vocabulary Strategies
Fairlie Atkinson
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Jane Hoelker
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John Allan & Stephen Roney
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Colin Toms
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Neil McBeath
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Amanda LaTerra
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Ian Cull
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Chris Morrow
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Lesson Plan Story Telling Activities Scaffold Summary Writing
Emerging Technologies A Resource to Help TESOL Instructors Understand Web 2.0
Reviews Achieve IELTS 1 / Achieve IELTS 2 Contemporary Topics 2, 3rd ed. Oxford Bookworms Club Gold: Stories for Reading Circles Great British Writers / American Cities / Natural Environments Learning Teaching, 2nd ed. Calendar of Upcoming Events
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Networking 10th EgypTESOL Convention
Ahmed Saadawi
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Jennifer Yphantides
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Olena Aydarova & Peter B. Mclaren
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The TESOL 44th Annual International Convention CAM TESOL 2010
TESOL Arabia News TESOL Arabia News
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Special Interest Group Reports
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Chapter Reports
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Perspectives Contributor Guidelines
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This, our last issue of the 2009-2010 academic year, finds Perspectives growing both as an academic journal and a teacher’s resource. Our submissions have increased by almost threefold in the past academic year.
Co-Editors
We have two feature articles in this issue. Both address immediate practical and academic concerns of our readers in the region. The first, “CALL for Change,” by Dr Hind Alotaibi of King Saud University in Saudi Arabia, addresses students’ and teachers’ new roles in a technology-enhanced educational environment. The second, “Improving Reading Comprehension Through Instructional Vocabulary Strategies,” by Fairlee Atkinson of Zayed University’s Academic Bridge Program addresses the need to enhance the achievement of a threshold vocabulary level before incidental vocabulary acquisition via reading can occur, particularly amongst a non-reading culture.
Copy Editor
Melanie Gobert / Rebecca Woll Abu Dhabi Men’s College
William Kennedy ADNOC Technical Institute Abu Dhabi, UAE
Reviews Editor Cindy Gunn American University of Sharjah Sharjah, UAE
Jane Hoelker of the Qatar University Foundation Program provides us with our lesson idea “Storytelling Activities Scaffold Summary Writing,” which offers an innovative approach to teaching the difficult concepts of paraphrasing and summarizing using our students’ oral tradition, folklore, and group dynamics. In our Emerging Technology section, John Allan and Stephen Roney introduce us to a resource to help teacher’s understand Web 2.0, eslsocial.com, a tool that should become a staple for educators in the region.
Advisory Panel Christine Coombe Daniel Mangrum Fatma Alwan Janet Olearski Kourosh Lachini Lynne Ronesi Mashael Al-Hamly Muhammad Abdel Latif Nicolas Moore Paul James Dessoir Peter McLaren Richard Harrison Saleh S. Al-Busaidi Jane Hoelker Patrick Dougherty Neil McBeath Rachel Lange Abdelhamid Ahmed Dina El Dakhs Joanna Buckle Lamya Ramadan
Elsewhere, Dr Cindy Gunn, our Reviews Editor, has compiled a number of reviews for us to peruse before our next trip to the bookstore. In addition, we cover three international conferences in our networking section, and tell you about two spelling initiatives in the region as well as update you on the TACON Book Drive in our TESOL Arabia news section. Finally, we’d also like to take this opportunity to tell you about two Perspectives initiatives. Perspectives is now available in the searchable online database EBSCOHost if your institution carries a subscription through its library system. Next year, we hope to have established an online reviewing system to facilitate and expedite the reviewing turnaround time for future submissions. In the meantime, we encourage you to keep submitting, keep reviewing, and keep reading. For those of you going away or staying, have a great summer!
CREDITS Layout / Artwork Sudeep Kumar
Rebecca Woll
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Melanie Gobert
Printing
Co-Editors, Perspectives
International Printing Press Dubai, UAE
The co-editors would like to remind the readers that the views expressed in this periodical are those of the individual authors. These views are not necessarily shared by the other authors in this issue or by TESOL Arabia. Responsibility for the content and opinion of articles and advertisements rests with the authors. TESOL Arabia is a non-profit organisation based in the United Arab Emirates with membership from the Arabian Gulf and beyond. TESOL Arabia does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, gender, national origin, disability, religion, age, or native language. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.tesolarabia.org
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Message from the President
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Dear Colleagues, A new year with a new president always brings with it new ideas, visions and aspirations. My belief is that "if you build it, they will come." There is always the idea that TESOL Arabia needs to expand. This expansion is done on many tiers. Some of these include expanding the membership base, covering more areas and institutions, and going global. Since TESOL Arabia is a volunteer organization, we need to expand our volunteer base. Without the selfless help and support of our volunteers, we wouldn't be able to provide the professional development opportunities that we offer to our members. Without them, this organization would cease to exist. These volunteers form our base for chapter events, Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and conferences. As part of our efforts to diversify our activities at TESOL Arabia, we have a publication committee that oversees the publication of our books, Proceedings (under the leadership of Mashael Al Hamly), and our member benefit publication, TESOL Arabia's Perspectives (under the leadership of both Melanie Gobert and Rebecca Woll). This committee has been working very hard to transform the activities of TESOL Arabia into written words. These publications are important because they enable us to reach the many members who cannot be there in person to attend our meetings, workshops and presentations. The most important and highly attended professional development event that we have is TESOL Arabia’s annual international conference. Through the activities that occur during the conference, local, regional and international speakers and presenters share their expertise, knowledge and wisdom with the attendees. They motivate, inspire, energize and encourage people to be involved in the professional organization. Having said all of that, my hope is that we can work together to encourage members to recruit new members to be part of this ever growing organization. I am also hoping that we can draw on your experiences by asking you to volunteer in whatever capacity you can.You can volunteer for one, two or three hours at your local chapter or SIG events. I also hope that you can volunteer more at the executive level. At TESOL Arabia, there is always something for you to do. I also urge you to contribute to our publications.You can submit an article, share a lesson idea or review a book.You can also help by purchasing the books that are always on display during chapter and SIG activities. These book sales support, in turn, some of the activities that we provide our members. One of the other activities that started this year and culminated on April 24, 2010, is the Franklin Global Spellevent. This is a joint activity that was done in collaboration with Franklin Electronic Publishers, Global TESOL and TESOL Arabia. The two students who won the event will fly to New York, USA, with all expenses paid to compete with winners from different parts of the world. With your help and support, we ask that you get involved in creating a new culture of spelling and look for next year's Spellevent. I would like to remind you that TESOL Arabia's next annual conference will be held on March 10-12, 2011, with March 9 being the day for pre-conference events. The theme of the conference will be "Rethinking English Language Teaching: Attitudes, Approaches and Perspectives." In a final note, I would like to say thank you to all our volunteers and members for all their support and help in keeping the organization running and for keeping it as successful as it is. I personally would like to invite you to be active in the organization in whatever capacity you can. Your contributions, however big or small, are highly appreciated.
Sufian Abu-Rmaileh. PhD TESOL Arabia President
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Tribute to Lisa Barlow
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A Tribute to a Dear Friend and TESOL Arabia Past President Christine Coombe, Dubai Men’s College For me as an ELT professional, the last few years have been characterized by a number of writing projects and as such I have been fairly prolific. However, this piece, a tribute to my dearest friend and TESOL Arabia Past President, Dr Lisa Barlow, has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to write. From a personal perspective, knowing and working with Lisa has been a pleasure and has had an impact on my growth as an educator. The very first day I walked into the new offices in UGRU at the UAE University, Lisa took me under her wing, made me feel welcome and showed me the ropes—something she has done for countless people before and after me. Similarly, her quiet and often behind-the-scenes presence at TESOL Arabia events made literally thousands of teachers feel welcome. For me personally, to say that I would not be where I am today without her is an understatement. Lisa has been with me through the many successes I have experienced as an English language educator and has supported me even more through my failures. In fact, I would not be President-elect of TESOL if she had not encouraged me to run a second time. Earlier this year, Lisa was nominated and received the highly-coveted TESOL Arabia Professional Service Award. This award is intended for an ELT professional who has made a significant impact on the organization and on professional development in the region. In my view, no one has been more deserving of this award than Dr Lisa Barlow who has demonstrated long-term commitment to the organization of TESOL Arabia, including the Executive Council, SIGs, Chapters and the Annual Conferences. Lisa faithfully served TESOL Arabia since 1997 in a variety of roles, including and most notably, President. She also served the organization as Executive Treasurer, Member-at-Large, Vice President and Past President. Her vast contributions also extend to the annual conferences. She was a frequent presenter at all of our conferences and served as Proposals Chair for many years. Her contributions also extend to the Special Interest Groups, where she served on the TAE SIG Committee for a number of years. Despite a very full teaching schedule, Lisa always managed to share her expertise at a number of SIG and Chapter events throughout the year. Most recently, Lisa was a co-grantee on a US State Department Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) grant which allocated monies for the Teacher Leadership Academy in May 2009 and 2010 and the Leadership in ELT online course. I am both proud and sad to write this tribute to honor Dr Lisa Barlow’s commitment to her students, the TESOL Arabia organization and to the profession. For me, the loss of her wise advice, sharp wit and smiling face is a profound one as it is for many of her colleagues and friends. The way she handled the devastating news of her illness and the last few months of her life, even managing to finish her doctoral dissertation, was for me truly inspirational. I can only hope that when my time comes Lisa will be waiting for me at the pearly gates ready once again to welcome me, make me feel at home and show me the ropes a second time. Rest in Peace, Dear Lisa. You will be missed.
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16th Annual TESOL Arabia Conference and International Exhibition Report Mashael Al-Hamly & Josephine Kennedy, Conference Co-Chairs, TACON 2010 The TESOL Arabia Conference (TACON) was held on the weekend of March 11-13, 2010, at Zayed University, Dubai. The theme for this year’s conference was “Transformations in TESOL.” A total of 1650 participants attended the conference. The conference was opened by his Excellency Mr. Humaid Al-Qitani, Minister of Education. His Excellency delivered the keynote speech in which he emphasized the spirit of volunteerism, and commended TESOL Arabia’s contribution to the development of education in the region. The conference was held at Zayed University and Conference Centre, located in Academic City.
professional development courses both before and during the conference. The two pre-conference courses were “Approaches to Teacher Research in Language Classrooms: Getting Started,” presented by plenary speakers David Nunan and Kathleen M. Bailey and “From Motivation Theory to Motivated Practice,” presented by plenary speaker Peter MacIntyre and featured speaker Flávia Vieira. The certificate courses included “From Classroom to Boardroom: Developing Teacher Education & Management Skills” and “From Playroom to Classroom: Teaching Young Learners.” These courses were scheduled both during and outside the normal conference day. Once again, these courses filled up quickly, and received positive reviews from attendees. A new feature of the 2010 conference was the introduction of an online virtual initiative. Chaired by Ismail Fayed, this web-based platform offered more channels of interaction amongst conference delegates and organizers. Shortly before and during the conference, conference delegates were able to share their own profiles, and take part in the TACON 2010 blogs and discussion forums. In addition, a video archive of some key presentations was created and is now available. Please visit TACON Online at http://www.taconference.org/a/ to register for free.
Christine Coombe accepting the Professional Service Award for recipient, Lisa Barlow.
TACON offered a total of 6 plenary sessions, 11 Featured sessions and 5 Dubai Discussions/Debates.A total of 14 computer workshops were offered as well as 194 concurrent sessions. Our Plenary Speakers included David Nunan, Jeremy Harmer, Joseph Lo Bianco, Kathleen Bailey, Peter MacIntyre and Susan Barduhn. The Featured Speakers included Andrew Wright, Flávia Vieira, Gavin Dudeney, Hugh Dellar, Jeanne McCarten, Michael McCarthy and Radmila Popovic. This year’s plenary, featured and invited speaker addresses were highly attended and evaluated by the conference participants.
Jo Kennedy presenting John Langgille with the Professional Service Award.
TESOL Arabia delegates were once again offered the opportunity to participate in a selection of specialized
For all book lovers and material writers, as well as those looking for the latest teaching aids or edition of
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workshops. The new Innovative Material Showcase, coupled with the Exhibition, provided delegates with great networking and learning opportunities. The 2010 Conference continued to offer a comprehensive Job Fair, which brought together job seekers and the major recruiting organizations in the region. Looking for qualified candidates to fill a variety of posts, including some positions that are filled onsite, the TESOL Arabia Job Fair continues to retain its position as the premier employment opportunity for both recruiters and job seekers in the teaching profession. Jo Kennedy being awarded for her service to TESOL Arabia by Past President, Les Kirkham.
TESOL Arabia’s conference would not be possible without the time, energy and dedication of the conference organizing committee and conference volunteers. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the more than 50 volunteers who worked so hard to make the 16th Annual TESOL Arabia Conference such a great success. We look forward to seeing all of you at the 2011 Conference, being held at the JW Marriott in Dubai from March 10-12, 2011.
their preferred texts, the TESOL Arabia Exhibition once again hosted the major education publishers and distributors in addition to many tertiary institutions. As well as the Exhibition, TACON hosted 12 Innovative Material Showcase sessions. This part of the conference gave publishers, distributors, and educational establishments a chance to showcase their latest products in interactive presentations and
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Dr Hind Alotaibi King Saud University College of Languages & Translation Saudi Arabia
CALL for Change Introduction The impact of using technology to promote EFL literacy skills has been investigated by many researchers (e.g. Chappelle, 1996; Davis & LymanHager, 1997). These studies support the idea that CALL improves students’ reading comprehension, increases their reading fluency, and enhances motivation. In addition, in most if not all CALL studies, factors are often examined in isolation from each other or the system in which they interact with each other. According to Michaels (1990, p.17), “the computer is simultaneously influencing and influenced by the social setting. It should not be considered the most important factor in this intervention; it is only a small component within a larger picture.” This idea is also echoed in some recent views in the computer-based instruction field. Zhao and Frank (2003, p. 6) argue that: ...in order to appreciate computer uses in schools, we can no longer continue the tradition of studying discrete factors in isolation. Instead we need to become “ecologists” and provide an organic, dynamic, and complex response to this organic, dynamic, and complex phenomenon. Many CALL researchers (Chapelle, 2003; Egbert, 2005; Kern, 2006;Warschauer, 2005; Zhao & Frank, 2003) argue that it is essential to explore various aspects and dimensions of this phenomenon, namely learners, teachers, content, and technology, and try to understand how these dimensions interact within particular social and cultural contexts. According to Kern (2006, p. 201), CALL research should broaden the theoretical and methodological perspectives it draws on, taking into account literacy studies, discourse analysis, socio-cultural theory, sociolinguistics, and anthropology. He suggests that research should become less quantitative and more qualitative (p. 202). In other words, the question “Do computers improve learning?” needs to be reconsidered, and researchers should try to explore the
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various ways in which teaching and learning technology is being used and in what contexts.
Previous Studies In CALL research, many studies focused on students’ attitudes and beliefs (e.g. Lee, 2000; Stepp-Greany, 2006). Most of the studies investigating students’ attitudes towards CALL show that although the use of CALL may not necessarily improve the acquisition of L2, learners seem to appreciate the use of computers in L2 learning (Lim & Shen, 2006; Schcolnik et al., 1996). Teachers’ perspectives on the use of technology in classrooms have also been widely investigated by many researchers (Atkins & Vasu, 2000; Brantmeier, 2003; Egbert et al., 2002; Kessler, 2007; Lee, 2000; Yunus, 2007). Most of these studies reported that teachers’ rejection of technology can be attributed to a lack of necessary training (Egbert et al., 2002). Many studies reported that teachers’ attitudes towards using technology will likely affect learners’ behaviour, attitudes and, as a result, performance (Debski & Gruba, 1999; Johnson & Brine, 2000; Kern, 1995; Lam & Lawrence 2002; Nunan, 1989; Stepp-Greany, 2002; Sullivan & Pratt, 1996; Zhong & Shen, 2002). Another major issue that has been noted by many researchers is the change in teacher and student roles when using technology (Burnett, 1998; Civello, 1999; Carballo-Calero, 2001; Hegngi, 1998; Lam & Lawrence, 2002; Lawrence, 2000; Neumeier, 2005). Wright (1987, p. 5) highlights three main aspects of roles: (a) the work done and job-related activities, (b) the relationships and communications one has with others, and (c) beliefs and attitudes. Roles tend to be interconnected. That is to say, we cannot talk about the role of the teacher without exploring the role of the learner and vice versa (Finkel & Monk, 1983; Lam & Lawrence, 2002;Wright, 1987). Dynamics is another major feature; it indicates that roles constantly change depending on how other roles define themselves (Lam & Lawrence, 2002).
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Many researchers view the roles of teachers and students in most classrooms in terms of the Atlas Complex (Finkel & Monk, 1983; Lam & Lawrence, 2002; Lee & Van Patten, 1995): Just as Atlas supported the heavens on his shoulders, the teacher assumes full responsibility for everything that goes on in the classroom. Teachers are considered all-powerful and allknowing, deciding what and how the students will learn. (Lam & Lawrence, 2002, p. 296) Lam and Lawrence (2002) believe that these roles are not necessarily discrete; they overlap and occur simultaneously. For instance, while teachers are giving lessons, they attempt to assist learning, and at the same time they are passing on their knowledge. Teacher-centered approaches have dominated L2 classrooms for a long time. However, L2 instruction is moving in new directions of communicative and more student-centered language learning environments (Richards, 2006). Many researchers (Collins, 1991; Lam & Lawrence, 2002; Nellen, 1999; Peterson, 1997; Salaberry, 1996; Warschauer et al., 1996) argue that educational technology has enhanced the chances of creating a more studentcentered environment. That is, learners are allowed to work at their own pace according to their own interests, allowing them to control their process of learning. Technology-enhanced classrooms are becoming more communicative and studentcentered, with the teacher being less of a manager and more of an assistant, offering individual support and feedback when needed (Adair-Hauck et al., 2000; Best, 1997). In their study, Lam and Lawrence (2002, p. 313) suggest that computers have “the ability to reform educational environments, increase self-reflection among parties and offer students a more constructivist, collaborative and meaningful learning environment in which to learn a second language.” Many researchers point out the fact that technology has minimised some teachers’ managerial responsibilities and also their personal sense of expertise as direct providers of knowledge.
Dr. Hind Alotaibi is a staff member at the College of Languages & Translation at King Saud University in Riyadh. She has a PhD in Education from the University of Manchester. Her research interests involve courseware design, ICT in education, using computers in language learning & testing, teacher’s development and research methodologies. Email: hialotaibi@ksu.edu.sa
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That is because students usually know more about the technology than their teacher. Nellen (1999, p. 21) interestingly noted that “students do more helping of teachers than the other way around.” In that sense, the student becomes the expert and the teacher becomes the learner. Another reason for this change comes from the fact that the teacher’s knowledge might be threatened, since technology gives learners the opportunity to access a huge amount of information over which the teacher has no control. As explained by Collins (1991, p. 31), “teachers will lose authority because computers contain more information than they can possibly master.” In one of several studies highlighting the shifts in teacher-student roles, Lam (2000) found that the frustration some L2 teachers feel when they have to give up their role as experts hinders their willingness to use technology. These are among many factors that influence teachers’ willingness to integrate technology into their practice. Other barriers have also been studied (Becker, 1999; Ertmer, 1999; Tomei, 2002, 2003; Windschitl & Sahl, 2002;Yuen & Ma, 2008; Zhao et al., 2002). Such barriers include insufficient time, lack of technical support, resources, and training, limited administration support, difficulties in assessing students, and classroom management problems.
The Study Forty-eight first-year female students at the College of Languages & Translation in Riyadh were asked to enroll in a 12-week semester-long course of computer-based (CB) reading classes consisting of three sessions per week at the computer lab and one session in their regular classroom. For 12 weeks, students attended the computer lab for three sessions a week, where they worked on CB reading lessons. They worked in pairs while their teacher directed the session using a multimedia projector to demonstrate and explain on one computer to the entire class. The teacher monitored and assisted students while they were working on the computerised reading tasks. The fourth reading session took place once a week in the traditional classroom. The researcher attended, observed, and audio-recorded each session. At the end of each week the teacher and some students were interviewed to discuss various aspects of the project.
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A number of data collection methods were incorporated to enhance the reliability and validity of the study and to ensure the richness and depth of the data. Table 1 illustrates the data collection methods in relation to the study’s research questions.
Table 1 Data collection methods in relation to the research questions. Research Question
Data Collection Methods
To what extent does the use of CB reading lessons contribute to the development of reading skills and strategies in the EFL reading classroom?
- Students’ scores. - Classroom observation. - Semi-structured interviews. - Teacher’s logs.
What is the impact of using CB reading lessons in EFL classrooms on learners’ behaviour, attitudes and motivation?
- Background questionnaire. - Classroom observation. - Semi-structured interviews. - Teacher’s & researcher’s diaries.
What is the impact of using CB reading lessons on the teacher’s role and what is her understanding of and attitude toward that role?
- Classroom observation. - Semi-structured interviews. - Teacher’s & researcher’s diaries.
The qualitative analysis involved transcribing the data, identifying features of the data that seemed to be interesting, and creating a set of initial codes. Coding at the first stages was data-driven, that is, there was no attempt to fit the data into a preexisting coding frame, or any analytic preconceptions (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Coding was carried out systematically through the entire data set, with an attempt to give full attention to all data elements, especially the elements that might form the basis of recurring patterns. The codes were sorted in order to search for potential themes. This also involved collecting all the related data extracts within the identified themes. Tables helped with sorting codes into themes and with understanding the relationships between the codes, the themes, and how these themes related at various levels. These sets of themes and sub-themes were then revised and refined, taking into account internal homogeneity
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and external heterogeneity (Braun & Clarke, 2006). That is to say, there should be coherence in data within these themes, and themes should be clearly identified and distinguished (Patton, 1990). At the final stage of data analysis, a clear description of each individual theme was conducted, taking into account the “story” that each theme told and how it fit into the broader overall story in relation to the research questions (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Discussion of the results is presented next.
Results and Discussion
Data Analysis
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Improvement in students’ examination scores was confirmed in participants’ interviews. Students reflected on their reading process, describing some of their common reading problems such as slow reading, poor comprehension, limited vocabulary, poor pronunciation, and difficulty in identifying the text’s main idea. Students reported that these difficulties decreased later on. They related their improvement to some aspects of the CB reading lessons. They pointed out the novelty and variety of tasks and the availability of learning resources such as an e-dictionary, encyclopaedia, and links to extra reading material. They described how such aspects helped improve their reading speed, enhanced their vocabulary and pronunciation, and promoted their use of reading strategies such as skimming for the main idea, using their background knowledge, and scanning for details.
Learners’ Behaviour, Attitudes and Motivation Data analysis revealed some changes in students’ attitudes, behaviour, and motivation. Despite their enthusiasm and excitement about the new experience, students showed some negative attitudes of discomfort, worries, and anxiety. Sample quotes from the interviews are shown below.
Mona: It was distracting! I couldn’t hear what the teacher was saying because of the noise! The girls didn’t know where to sit and what to do and the lab was crowded. It feels more comfortable in class where we have our textbooks and know our seats.
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Observations revealed students’ tendency to act passively and to avoid interaction either with their teachers or with their peers. Further analysis showed that students’ negative reactions seemed to be linked to several factors: their unfamiliarity with the new environment, their lack of confidence, their prior experience in L2 learning, and how they perceived the teacher’s role. The reasons also included a lack of clear rules and instructions, a lack of group development, and the influence of their teacher. After several sessions, the teacher and her students started to adjust. Analysis showed a positive transformation in students’ attitudes, behaviour, and levels of motivation. A notable change occurred in the atmosphere of the class. With the support of their teacher, students started to feel familiar with the environment, adapting quickly to the new teaching approach and to the new classroom rules. Participants were gradually developing as a group, which allowed them to feel more relaxed and confident. This created an enjoyable and motivating atmosphere. Sample quotes from the interviews are shown below.
Eman: It’s really different from the first sessions. Now we know what to do and where to sit. We come to the lab early, upload the lesson and start working. This really saves time.
Classroom interaction also changed positively. Students showed an increase in their interaction with each other during the later sessions. After introducing a variety of tasks and with teacher support, students were observed working collaboratively, planning, asking each other for help, negotiating, and making decisions while working on a particular task. Many students expressed a positive attitude towards pair work, appreciating that the class allowed them to talk to other students about
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Raneem: The other day I was sitting next to one of the girls...A...Noha, I think, yes, and I noticed that she wasn’t trying. So I said, “Why don’t you try it? Go ahead, it’s very nice! Look, let us read this, look at that” and so on (laughs). I tried to encourage her. But I think she was nervous because she was not good with computers. I mean she’s not confident enough. She was afraid of messing things up! Now she’s like “Raneem, let’s write this, let’s do that.” She’s more confident now.
Nouf: Yesterday was fun. I helped the others to open the restaurant menu link. It was easy; all they had to do was to open it from the start menu first.
Student-teacher interaction was evidently improving. The later sessions showed an increase in students’ participation and involvement. Using elements of the CB lessons such as the real-life reading materials, multimedia, and the variety of game-like tasks seemed to enhance classroom interaction. L1 dominated students’ early interaction. However, the quantity and quality of their L2 use increased over time with their increased confidence and their teacher’s constant encouragement.
Sara: We were nervous at the beginning but now we’re ok. Even Miss Nadia seemed...nervous at the beginning... especially when we have a computer problem. Now we all know what to do.
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the tasks and ask other students for their advice and/or opinions.
Despite their initial anxiety, observations showed students’ increased interest in the CB lessons. They explored and used the different resources available, such as the e-dictionary, encyclopaedia, feedback, and the video links. In their interviews they acknowledged the novelty and variety of these aspects in the CB lessons, pointing out the ways in which they increased their motivation, engagement, and reading ability. Deemah: I wish there were more video activities. I think they are good for practising listening. I mean compared to the old unclear tapes we hear in the listening lab.
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However, her worries and anxiety decreased over time and after the class started to adjust to the new environment and develop as a group.
Reem: Maha and I were like: come on...she was trying to drag the word ‘bavraga’...err ‘bav’... Maha: ‘Beverages’ (Maha correcting her). Reem: Yes ‘beverages’ and I said, “What does ‘beverages’ mean?” I thought she knew! And she said: “I don’t know!” (laughter) and I said, “Where are you going to drag it then?!” (laughter) “Check the dictionary, hurray!” It was crazy! (laughter). Reem: Yes, it’s like we were playing a game!
As for student autonomy, after several sessions students started to exhibit some willingness to work independently. Despite their perceptions of the role of their teacher as the expert, some students reported a desire and readiness to perform some tasks on their own, taking advantage of the peer review and immediate feedback available. Students’ autonomous behaviour appeared to be enhanced by allowing them the time to adjust to the new learning setting. A sense of belonging and attachment between members of the group began to develop, promoting different levels of interaction, and providing mutual support and harmony within the group. That helped students to progress from interdependence to independence.
Teacher’s Role During the study, the use of the computer in this classroom seems to have had some impact on her role. Change was a major theme that emerged while examining the teacher’s attitudes and behaviour during the study. The teacher reported some difficulties in adjusting to the new environment at first. She attributed her anxiety and discomfort to the new responsibilities and the lack of familiarity with the technology. Finishing on time, managing the class, and handling technical problems were some of her reported worries. Teacher: When we started we were struggling...I
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The teacher felt a need for change, which led to a clear transformation in her attitudes and behaviour during lab sessions. Although she retained her traditional role as the leader: giving the lecture, providing the information, initiating and directing the discussions, keeping records, and evaluating students, some of her responsibilities as leader were minimised, allowing new roles to develop. She seemed to be moving towards a more construction-centered approach, acting less as the leader and information provider and more as a facilitator. Her facilitative role involved creating a friendly learning environment and encouraging her students to participate in pair work and classroom tasks. She aimed to promote a social climate by reducing the feelings of anxiety and allowing the students to develop as a group. She continued to play that role throughout the lab sessions, promoting a learning environment of respect and trust, always praising students, and never addressing them negatively. She reduced social distance through sharing personal opinions and experiences with her students and interjecting moments of humour. The teacher’s role as facilitator gradually developed as lab sessions continued. The role of the teacher lecturing and directing was decreasing, allowing more time for open discussions and tasks. The teacher was trying to be less dominant in classroom discussion, providing students with more opportunities to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. She had total control of the initiation and the direction of the discussions. However, the students were given opportunities to freely express their beliefs, ideas, and opinions, which led to the development of their communication skills. They were also allowed to work independently while the teacher walked around providing assistance when needed. Mona: I used to know the answer but hesitate to raise my hand. Now, when I see everyone is participating, that encourages me. Like today when we were asked to complete the task. It was exciting! Everyone in class...we all wanted to participate.
admit for three or four sessions we were struggling...the girls and I. I wasn’t comfortable in the lab...the layout was different...it was hard to manage the class...noise...you remember how it was at the beginning. The girls didn’t know what to do...I had to stop several times to solve a technical problem or to help a struggling student. It was chaotic, frustrating to be honest. I remember the first two weeks I wanted to call things off!
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Nouf: We don’t feel shy to participate. In fact everyone is talking even more than Miss Nadia (laughing).
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Conclusions The study results have clear pedagogical implications. They show how the learning process is affected by the educational approach, not only the delivery. In other words, although CALL has the potential for improving students’ learning, CALL alone is not the solution. Adapting a teaching approach that combines discussion, collaboration, and motivating tasks which promote interaction, higher level thinking, and autonomy is highly recommended. In addition, when designing CALL material, emphasis should be given not only to the technology used for delivery, but more importantly to the educational approach and context. The qualitative analysis of the data reveals that integrating computer-based lessons into this particular reading class gradually developed positive attitudinal and behavioural changes toward the course and increased motivation. It also led to a desire for an increase in autonomous, interactive behaviour not only in the reading class but in other classes as well. CALL, and different learning resources, can be integrated into reading classrooms, since they offer great opportunities to enhance the teaching/learning environment. However, we need to understand that CALL is only a tool for instruction and not an end goal in itself. It is as described by Tomei (2008, p. 16) as a “significant catalyst for change,” and positive change is what we should aspire to. Despite their reasonable computer literacy, participants in this study had spent most of their school lives in traditional classrooms. CALL was a significant change for most of them. They felt a need for a transitional period to familiarise themselves with this new teaching approach. Thus, when teachers consider introducing new teaching techniques, they should not expect too much too soon. The students should be given enough time and support to adjust to the new learning environment in order to achieve the required positive impact. Orientation sessions should be organised to familiarise the students with the new techniques and help them adjust quickly. Results of the study also showed how integrating computers into this particular classroom led to a positive change in the teacher’s behaviour and attitude. There was a gradual shift in her role and how she understood that role. These findings suggest that teachers might consider integrating Volume 17
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different teaching tools into their teaching practice. They can be trained to integrate CALL into their classrooms to complement the textbook. However, as with any other teaching tool, teachers need to have clear, well-focused teaching objectives and goals for each classroom task. The findings of this study also revealed the deep influence of the teacher’s attitude and behaviour in this particular context. This implies that teacher training should be the first step when considering any educational reform. Teachers should be challenged and confronted to reconstruct their beliefs and perceptions about teaching and learning in order to achieve positive results. Teacher training should encourage teachers to identify students’ needs, interests, and learning styles and strategies. Teachers might be introduced to various techniques that give some control to the student, such as group work or project-based learning. Teachers need to be trained to play a variety of new roles beyond that of information provider; they should become motivators, facilitators, and supporters. Another important implication of this study involves the interesting link between dependence and interdependence. Ryan (1991, p. 227) introduces the term “autonomous interdependence” to draw attention to the individual and the social dimensions of a learner’s autonomy. Little (1996) argues that the development of autonomy implies collaboration and interdependence, rather than learners working in isolation. The findings of this study showed that in order to foster our learners’ autonomy, teachers need to encourage students to be interdependent and to work collaboratively. They need to enhance the classroom’s social climate and promote opportunities for the students to develop as a group.
References Adair-Hauck, B., Willingham-McLain, L. & Youngs, B. E. (2000). Evaluating the integration of technology and second language learning. CALICO Journal, 17, 269–306. Atkins, N., Vasu, E. (2000). Measuring knowledge of technology usage and stages of concern about computing: A study of middle school teachers. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 8(4), 279–302. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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Becker, H. J. (1999). Internet use by teachers: Conditions of professional use and teacher-directed student use. Teaching, learning and computing: 1998 National Survey of Schools and Teachers (Report No. 1). Retrieved from http://www.crito.uci.edu/TLC/FINDINGS/int ernet-use/ Best, L. (1997, April). The nature of teaching and learning in the multimedia laboratory classroom: Process, activity, problem-solving, engagement. In Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference Proceedings, Murfreesboro, TN. Bowman, A. (1996). EFL students’ learning style preferences in a multimedia language laboratory. University of Hawaii. Working Papers in English as a Foreign Language, 15(1), 1–32. Brantmeier, C. (2003). Technology and second language reading at the university level: Informed instructors’ perceptions. The Reading Matrix, 3(3), 50–74. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. Carballo-Calero, M.V.F. (2001). The EFL teacher and the introduction of multimedia in the classroom. CALL, 14(1), 3–14. Chapelle, C. (1996). CALL – English as a second language. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 16, 139–157. Chapelle, C. (2003). English language learning and technology: Lectures on applied linguistics in the age of information and communication technology. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Civello, C. (1999). “Move over, please:” The decentralization of the teacher in the computer based classroom. English Journal, 88(4), 89–94. Collins, A. (1991). The role of computer technology in restructuring schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 73(1), 28–36. Davis, J., & Lyman-Hager, M. A. (1997). Computers and L2 reading: Student performance, student attitudes. Foreign Language Annals, 30(1), 58–72. Debski, R., & Gruba, P. (1999). A qualitative survey of tertiary instructor attitude towards projectbased CALL. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 12(3), 219–239. Egbert, J. (2005). CALL essentials: Principles and practice in CALL classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other
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Languages, Inc. Egbert, J., Paulus, M., & Nakamichi, Y. (2002). The impact of CALL instruction on classroom computer use: A foundation for rethinking technology in teacher education. Language Learning & Technology, 6(3), 108–126. Ertmer, P. A. (1999). Addressing first- and secondorder barriers to change: Strategies for technology integration. Educational Technology Research and Development, 47(4), 47–61. Finkel, D., & Monk, G. S. (1983). Teachers and learning groups: Dissolution of the Atlas Complex. In A. Goodsell, M. Maher & V. Tinto (Eds.), Collaborative learning: A sourcebook for higher education. University Park, PA: National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning and Assessment. Hegngi, Y. (1998). Changing roles, changing technologies: The design, development, implementation and evaluation of a media, technology and diversity on-line course. Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED419517) Johnson, E. M., & Brine, J. W. (2000). Design and development of CALL courses in Japan. CALICO Journal, 17(2), 251–268. Kern, R. D. (1995). Restructuring classroom interaction with networked computers: Effects on quantity and characteristics of language production. The Modern Language Journal, 79(4), 457–476. Kern, R. (2006). Perspectives on technology in learning and teaching languages. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 183–210. Kessler, G. (2007). Formal and informal CALL preparation and teacher attitude toward technology. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(2), 173–188. Lam, Y. (2000). Technophilia v. technophobia: A preliminary look at why second language teachers do or do not use technology in their classrooms. Canadian Modern Language Review, 56, 389–420. Lam, Y., & Lawrence, G. (2002). Teacher-student role redefinition during a computer-based second language project: Are computers catalysts for empowering change? Computer Assisted Language Learning, 15(3), 295–315. Lee, J., & Van Patten, B. (1995). Making communicative language teaching happen. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Lee, K. (2000). English teachers’ barriers to the use of computer-assisted language learning. The Internet TESOL Journal, 6(12), 1–7. Lim, K., & Shen, H. (2006). Integration of computers into an EFL reading classroom. ReCALL, 18, 212–229. Little, D. (1996). Learner autonomy and learner counselling. In D. Little & H. Brammerts (Eds.), A guide to language learning in tandem via the Internet (pp. 22–34). Dublin: Trinity College, Centre for Language and Communication Studies. Michaels, S. (1990). The computer as a dependent variable. Theory into Practice, 29(4), 246–255. Nellen, T. (1999). Morphing from teacher to cybrarian. Multimedia Schools, 6(1), 20–25. Neumeier, B. (2005). A closer look at blended learning – parameters for designing a blended learning environment for language teaching and learning. ReCALL, 17, 163–178. Nunan, D. (1989). Research methods in language learning. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Patton, M.Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd ed). Newbury Park, CA: Sage. Peterson, M. (1997). Language teaching and networking. System, 25(1), 29–37. Richards, J. (2006). Communicative language teaching today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Ryan, R. M. (1991). The nature of the self in autonomy and relatedness. In J. Straussand & G. R. Goethals (Eds.), The Self: Interdisciplinary Approaches. NY: Springer-Verlag. Salaberry, R. (1996). A theoretical foundation for the development of pedagogical tasks in computer mediated communication. CALICO Journal, 14(1), 5–34. Schcolnik, M., Kol, S., Abarbanel, J., Friedler, J., Heymans, Y., & Tsafrir, Y. (1996). Multimedia reference materials in advanced EFL courses: A project report. CÆLL Journal, 6(4), 34–38. Stepp-Greany, J. (2002). Student perceptions on language learning in a technological environment: Implications for the new millennium. Language Learning and Technology, 6(1), 165–180. Sullivan, N., & Pratt, E. (1996). A comparative study
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of two ESL writing environments: A computerassisted classroom and a traditional oral classroom. System, 29(4), 491–501. Tomei, L. A. (2002). The technology facade: Overcoming barriers to effective instructional technology. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Tomei, L. A. (2003). Challenges of teaching with technology across the curriculum: Issues and solutions. Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing. Tomei, L. A. (2008). Encyclopedia of information technology curriculum integration. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Warschauer, M., Turbee, L., & Roberts, B. (1996). Computer learning networks and student empowerment. System, 24(1), 1–14. Warschauer, M. (2005). Sociocultural perspectives on CALL. In J. L. Egbert & G. M. Petrie (Eds.), CALL research perspectives (pp. 41–51). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Windschitl, M., & Sahl, K. (2002). Tracing teachers’ use of technology in a laptop computer school: The interplay of teacher beliefs, social dynamics, and institutional culture. American Education Research Journal, 39(1), 165–206. Wright, T. (1987). Roles of teachers and learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Yuen, A.H.K., & Ma, W.W.K. (2008). Exploring teacher acceptance of e-learning technology. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 36(3), 229–243. Yunus, M. (2007). Malaysian ESL teachers’ use of ICT in their classroom: Expectations and realities. ReCALL, 19(1), 79–95. Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., Sheldon, S., & Byers, J. L. (2002). Conditions for classroom technology innovations. Teachers College Record, 104(3), 482–515. Zhao, Y., & Frank, K. A. (2003). Factors affecting technology users in schools: An ecological perspective. American Educational Research Journal, 40, 807–840. Zhong, Y. X., & Shen, H. Z. (2002). Where is the technology-induced pedagogy? Snapshots from two multimedia EFL classrooms. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(1), 39–52.
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Improving Reading Comprehension Through Instructional Vocabulary Strategies The intention of this article is to illustrate the lack of research into low level English as a Second Language (ESL) Gulf Arab students, specifically students who are GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council; Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the Sultanate of Oman) nationals who were educated in the government system in their country and who are in Academic Bridge Programs across the GCC. This article will also look at the impact of using multiple instructional methods, to teach the first 3000 words from the British National Corpus (BNC). This is with the objective of enhancing their reading comprehension skills in an Academic Bridge Program setting. Gulf Arab students come from a strong oral-based culture. Leisure reading is not something that they do in their own language, and when they come to the English-medium tertiary stage of their education, they struggle with poor reading skills. This impacts on all aspects of their academic performance. Students often employ a number of strategies to compensate for gaps in their knowledge (Scarcella & Oxford, 1992), but in lower level language classrooms their knowledge of basic general vocabulary is lacking, and this limits their strategic competence. It has been found that there is a strong link between reading comprehension and knowledge of general vocabulary words and thus reading performance in general (Anderson & Freebody, 1981; Thorndike, 1974). Interactive instructional methods as well as multiple exposures to general vocabulary words are two strategies that can enhance vocabulary acquisition and improve reading comprehension (Stahl & Volume 17
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Fairlie Atkinson Zayed University Academic Bridge Program UAE
Fairbanks, 1986). Research has been conducted into how many word families a second language learner needs to know in order to have a working reading lexicon (Jenkins, Stein and Wysocki, 1984; Nagy, Herman and Anderson, 1985; Rott, 1999; Saragi, Nation and Meister, 1978). As with native speakers, multiple instructional methods have been suggested in relation to building this lexicon, but as yet the question of whether it can be built through reading alone is yet unanswered (Nagy, 1997).
Vocabulary Acquisition and Reading Comprehension in Native Speakers To understand the link between vocabulary knowledge and acquisition and reading comprehension, a brief survey of the foundational research pertaining to native speakers is necessary. Researchers into second language learners have used the ideas and findings from this foundational research and adapted them due to the lack of applicability or contextual and cultural issues in relation to L2 students. The three main models existing in the literature concerning the link between large vocabularies and good reading comprehension are the instrumentalist model, aptitude model, and knowledge model (Anderson & Freebody, 1985; Mezynski, 1983). Paul (1996) states that the instrumentalist model has shown that direct exposure to as many words as possible produces good readers, but the reason for the acquisition of this word knowledge has not been adequately explained. The aptitude model propounds that the mental agility of the learner is naturally better than that of those with lesser reading
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skills, and that vocabulary knowledge is not directly related to the understanding of the text, but rather to the verbal ability of the subject (Anderson & Freebody, 1985). This model is hard to apply to Gulf students in an Academic Bridge Program setting, as they routinely score a lot higher on their speaking assessments than any other kind but remain poor readers. The knowledge model attempts to show that word knowledge is interrelated with concepts and associations (Anderson & Freebody, 1985; Paul & O'Rourke, 1988). The issue with this last model is again the very basic level of vocabulary that students enter the tertiary system with, and their profound lack of world knowledge. Word and concept association is difficult for students to apply due to their limited vocabularies and general knowledge. In light of the fact that this research was applicable in an only partial sense to ESL students, a new body of related literature has sprung up in the last 15 years.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Reading Comprehension in ESL Students Until recently there were only a few significant studies in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research in the area of reading comprehension and vocabulary. Just as with native speakers, research into SLA has shown an undeniable link between vocabulary size and reading comprehension (Alderson, 2000; Laufer, 1997; Nation, 1990, 2001; Nation & Coady, 1988; Tozcu & Coady, 2004). The main areas of research to come out of this have been building a functional L2 reading lexicon from texts, the number of word families required for the aforementioned lexicon, and methods for L2 vocabulary acquisition. Saragi, Nation and Meister (1978), Jenkins, Stein and Wysocki (1984), Nagy, Herman and Anderson (1985), and Rott (1999) have all completed studies on the number of times a word must be encountered in a reading before it is learned. The Fairlie Atkinson worked in Seoul, numbers have ranged South Korea for 4 years before coming to the UAE. She is an over two decades from 6 instructor at Zayed University in to 20, but Rott’s 1999 the Academic Bridge Program. Currently she is a member of the study showed the same Professional Development number of encounters Committee and is also working on (six) as Saragi, Nation reading and vocabulary and IT projects related to the program. and Meister’s original 1978 study. In relation to Volume 17
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this Milton and Meara (1995), Sutarsyah, Nation and Kennedy (1994), and Laufer (1988) have completed studies on how many word families are needed for a reliable L2 reading lexicon. Sutarsyah, Nation and Kennedy (1994) suggest 3000 word families. However, it is still debatable as to the best way of helping students acquire them. Krashen (1989) claims that pleasure reading is the best way to expose students to new vocabulary, and to acquire a working L2 reading lexicon in the quickest way. Coady and Huckin (1997) pose the very realistic question as to whether this is even a viable suggestion for low-level or very high-level ESL students. Certainly, Gulf Arab students rarely display interest in pleasure reading because it is not done in their L1. Added to this is the very real lack in this region of low-level reading materials that are culturally relevant and sensitive. Coady and Huckin (1997, p. 231) point out, “Also, many graded readers are poorly written, stilted in style, and actually dull to read.” Krashen’s research has been undeniably influenced by the era of communicative instruction that swept SLA research in the 1980s and 1990s. However, in recent studies, it seems that instructional strategies and focus on form are returning to favor (Nation, 2005).
Strategies for Improving Vocabulary Acquisition There is a great deal more research on L2 vocabulary acquisition than there is on L2 reading comprehension. Nagy (1988) finds fault with using some vocabulary instructional methods to the exclusion of others. Instructors will often pre-teach vocabulary words with the intention that students will know the words when the reading is introduced (Paul, 1996). Pre-taught vocabulary methods often consist of lists of words that students must use a dictionary to define. There are two issues with using this methodology in isolation. The first is that students learn the word in relation to the context of the reading, and not multiple meanings or even the first definition of the word. The second is that students may not remember the word without repeated exposure. Teaching students text-specific vocabulary, instead of strategies to deal with difficult or uncommon words, would seem to be less beneficial to students who have little experience of reading in their L1 and therefore fewer strategies to cope with reading TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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difficulties. However, due to their low levels of vocabulary knowledge, a partial definitional approach is necessary until they have a reading lexicon that they can build on, and the freedom of mental agility to employ inference strategies. Teaching meaning via inference alone also limits the depth of word knowledge (Nagy, 1988). Instructors who advocate teaching vocabulary from context must accept that often the immediate context of the word will not often help with the definition of the word. Beck, McKeown and McCaslin (1983) state that this also will only lead to partial word knowledge, and therefore limit students using knowledge association schema to define an unknown word. They have also shown that using natural texts is often no help to students, as the context is often confusing for word acquisition. Schouten-van Parreren (1989) recommends that teachers design their own texts for the purpose of vocabulary acquisition, as they provide more support for the process. Mondria and Wit-deBoer (1991) and Parry (1991) have conducted studies that show that structured texts help with reading, but not necessarily vocabulary acquisition. Thus, there is a fine line between a supported context reading that aids vocabulary acquisition and one that aids reading skills. It has been found that many adult learners of English, in spite of having studied the language for several years, have vocabularies of 5000-word families or less. Research by Liu Na and Nation (1985) has shown that 95% of a text needs to be understood by the reader for contextual acquisition of unknown vocabulary to be possible. Gulf Arab students are faced with the issue of having studied English for years at government high schools, yet entering Foundation or Bridge programs with vocabularies significantly smaller than 5000-word families. They then struggle to acquire vocabulary contextually from their textbooks. Stahl and Fairbanks (1986) recommend the use of multiple strategies such as definitional and contextual approaches for vocabulary instruction. Zimmerman and Bandura (1994), Nation (1990) and Cohen (1990) also advocate direct instructional methods and recommend multiple strategies. However, for low-level ESL students, an extra step
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must precede definitional and contextual approaches. In order to increase vocabulary word knowledge for these types of students, it is necessary to teach general vocabulary lists alongside increased exposure to reading texts of all genres. When students are involved in learning these vocabulary lists they benefit from first translating them into their L1, looking up their definitions and multiple meanings, being exposed to them in texts, and then recycling them in the classroom in their reading, writing and speaking activities. In this way, as Nagy (1988) advocates, instructors can increase depth of word knowledge as well as expose students to as much new vocabulary as possible. It also incorporates repeated exposure to vocabulary, which Stahl (1986) believes is necessary for reinforcement.
Gulf Arab Students Much of the current literature mentioned above deals with vocabulary acquisition and its relationship to reading comprehension in native speakers, or intermediate to high-level ESL students. There is a dearth of literature or significant studies dealing with Gulf Arab tertiary students in Foundation or Bridge programs, and their poor reading and vocabulary skills. These Foundation or Bridge programs exist in the majority of the Gulf States’ public and private universities. Additionally, the majority of these tertiary institutions use English as the medium of instruction, and struggle to deliver courses on a par with Western or European universities due to the language difficulties encountered by their students. They persist, however, in their medium of delivery, and pressure is often exerted on Foundation and Bridge programs to deliver students who are able to read academic texts in English, and understand and critique them. Most programs focus on grammar acquisition to the detriment of vocabulary, because as Sinclair and Renouf (1988) point out, it is extremely difficult to teach both at the same time. Bridge and Foundation programs are extremely costly to these universities, and at the three biggest public tertiary institutions in the UAE they are the biggest departments with the biggest overheads. This is not a unique situation to the Gulf, however, as Morris and Cobb (2004) point out in their study of TESL students.
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Time is very limited in the Foundation and Bridge programs, so in order to increase student vocabulary to the point where they spend more time on contextual strategies to learn new vocabulary, rather than coping with their inadequate knowledge of basic vocabulary, it is necessary to actively teach the first 3000 words of the BNC. This roughly correlates with the 3000-word families that Nation (1990) advocates students need for a functional L2 reading lexicon. Rote memorization of lists is of no use in this context as words are soon forgotten, but multiple exposures to words and interactive strategies are the most successful. Instructionally enhanced readings (Hulstijn, Hollander & Greidanus, 1996), whereby students are pre-taught vocabulary and recycled vocabulary is emphasized, are effective in exposing students to as much basic vocabulary as is possible in the shortest amount of time. Gulf Arab students have very small starting vocabularies at the lower levels of Foundation and Bridge programs, and therefore need as much exposure to and recycling of basic vocabulary in texts as possible in order to learn it.
Conclusion Due to the undeniable link between vocabulary and reading comprehension, it is necessary to take an instructional approach to help Gulf students acquire vocabularies that will allow them to develop inference strategies when reading. The BNC provides a list of the most common words and their frequencies of occurrence in literature. The Foundation and Bridge programs in the Gulf are essentially preparing students to be able to read and write academic English. Utilizing the BNC to provide a solid lexical foundation for students to build on is not only necessary, but beneficial to their long-term L2 development. While teaching word families is strongly advocated by Laufer and Nation (1995), the BNC is an adequate guide for building a basic vocabulary curriculum to meet Gulf students’ needs. Mixed instructional methods advocated by Stahl and Fairbanks (1986), Zimmerman and Bandura (1994), Nation (1990) and Cohen (1990) are necessary to build a working lexicon as quickly as possible. Definitional strategies mixed with inference from constructed texts can ensure that students have the maximum exposure to new vocabulary. In addition, incorporating L1 into the classroom to aid translation and meaning can hasten acquisition and help build association schema (Laufer & Hader, 1997). Volume 17
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References Alderson, J. C. (2000). Assessing reading. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Anderson, R. C., & Freebody, P. (1981). Vocabulary knowledge. In J. Guthrie (Ed.), Comprehension and teaching: Research reviews (pp. 77-117). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Anderson, R., & Freebody, P. (1985). Vocabulary knowledge. In H. Singer & R. Ruddell (Eds.), Theoretical models and processes of reading (3rd ed., pp. 343-371). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & McCaslin, E. S. (1983). Vocabulary development: All contexts are not created equal. Elementary School Journal, 83, 177-181. Coady, J., & Huckin, T. (1997). Second language vocabulary acquisition: A rationale for pedagogy. New York: Cambridge University Press. Cohen, A. D. (1990). Language learning: Insights for learners, instructors, and researchers. NY: Newbury House/HarperCollins. Hulstijn, J. H., Hollander, M., & Greidanus, T. (1996.), Incidental vocabulary learning by advanced foreign language students: The influence of marginal glosses, dictionary use, and reoccurrence of unknown words. Modern Language Journal, 80, 327-339. Jenkins, J.R., Stein, M.L., & Wysocki, K. (1984). Learning vocabulary through reading. American Educational Research Journal, 21 (4), 767-787. Krashen, S. (1989). We acquire vocabulary and spelling by reading: Additional evidence for the input hypothesis. The Modern Language Journal, 73 (4), 439-464. Laufer, B. (1997). What’s in a word that makes it hard or easy? Intralexical factors affecting the difficulty of vocabulary acquisition. In N. Schmitt & M. McCarthy (Eds.) Vocabulary: Description acquisition, and pedagogy (pp. 140-55). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Laufer, B. & Hadar, L. (1997). Assessing the effectiveness of monolingual, bilingual, and "bilingualized" dictionaries in the comprehension and production of new words. The Modern Language Journal, 81, 189-196. Laufer, B., & Nation, P. (1995). Vocabulary size and use: Lexical richness in L2 written production, Applied Linguistics, 16, 307-22.
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Laufer, B. (1988). What percentage of text-lexis is essential for comprehension? In C. Lauren and M. Nordman (Eds.) Special language: From humans thinking to thinking machines (pp. 316-23). Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters. Liu, Na & Nation, P. (1985). Factors affecting guessing vocabulary in context. RELC Journal, 16, 33 - 42. Mezynski, K. (1983). Issues concerning the acquisition of knowledge: Effects of vocabulary training on reading comprehension. Review of Educational Research, 53, 253-279. Milton, J., & Meara, P. (1995). How periods abroad affect vocabulary growth in a foreign language. ITL Review of Applied Linguistics, 107/108, 17-34. Mondria, J.A., & Wit-De Boer, M. (1991). Guessability and the retention of words in a foreign language. Applied Linguistics, 12(3), 249-263. Morris, L. & Cobb, T. (2004). Vocabulary profiles as predictors of the academic performance of TESL trainees. System, 3(1), 75-87. Nagy, W. E. Herman, P. A. & Anderson, R. C. (1985). Learning words from context. Reading Research Quarterly, 20(2), 233-253. Nagy, W. (1988). Teaching vocabulary to improve reading comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Nagy, W.E. (1997.) On the role of context in firstand second-language vocabulary learning. In N. Schmitt & M. McCarthy (Eds.), Vocabulary: Description, acquisition, and pedagogy (pp. 64-83). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nation, I. S. P., & Coady, J. (1988). Vocabulary and reading. In R. Carter & M. McCarthy (Eds.), Vocabulary and language teaching (pp. 97–110). London: Longman. Nation, P. (1990). Teaching and learning vocabulary. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. Nation, P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Nation, I. S. P. (2005). Teaching and learning vocabulary. In E. Hinkel (Ed.), Handbook of research on second language teaching and learning (pp. 581-596). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Parry, K. (1991). Building a vocabulary through academic reading. TESOL Quarterly, 25 (4), 629 653.
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Paul, P., & O'Rourke, J. (1988). Multimeaning words and reading comprehension: Implications for special education students. Remedial and Special Education (RASE), 9 (3), 42-52. Paul, P. (1996). Reading vocabulary knowledge and deafness. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 1, 3-15. Rott, S. (1999). The effect of exposure frequency on intermediate language learners' incidental vocabulary acquisition and retention through reading. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 21, 589-619. Saragi, T., Nation, P., & Meister, G. (1978). Vocabulary learning and reading. System, 6, 72-80. Scarcella, R., & Oxford, R. L. (1992). The tapestry of language learning: The individual in the communicative classroom. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle. Schouten-van Parreren, C. (1989). Vocabulary learning through reading: Which conditions should be met when presenting words in texts? In P. Nation & R. Carter (Eds.), Vocabulary acquisition. Amsterdam: Free University Press. Sinclair, J. M., & Renouf, A. (1988). A lexical syllabus for language learning. In R. Carter & M. McCarthy (Eds.), Vocabulary and language teaching (pp. 140-158). London: Longman. Stahl, S. (1986). Three principles of effective vocabulary instruction. Journal of Reading, 29, 662-668. Stahl, S., & Fairbanks, M. (1986). The effects of vocabulary instruction: A model-based metaanalysis. Review of Educational Research, 56, 72110. Sutarsyah, C., Nation, P. & Kennedy, G. (1994). How useful is EAP vocabulary for ESP? A corpus based study. RELC Journal, 25(2), 34-50. Thorndike, R. L. (1974). Reading as reasoning. Reading Research Quarterly, 9(2), 135-147. Tozcu, A., & Coady, J. (2004) Successful learning of frequent vocabulary through CALL also benefits reading comprehension and speed. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 17(5), 473 – 495. Zimmerman, B.J., & Bandura, A. (1994). Impact of self-regulatory influences on writing course attainment. American Educational Research Journal, 31, 845-862.
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Story Telling Activities Scaffold Summary Writing Introduction One day as my student writers wrestled with a typical academic writing assignment— a summary, I realized that I was asking them to do two things at once: to process academic language with its dense syntax and vocabulary and to distill a text in technical language into the main idea and important supporting details. I decided to exploit the story telling tradition of my Gulf students to meet the demands of the curriculum by using traditional folk tales to teach summary writing.The language of fables is concrete with uncomplicated syntax and frees the student to concentrate on developing one skill, summarizing. In addition, the content of fables is often repeated across many cultures so it is often familiar to the learners.
The Three Steps For this lesson, I used the collection of 11 fables in the Pleasure Reading Chapter in Basic Reading Power 1.The three fables selected for this lesson were: “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” “Put the Bell on the Cat,” and “The Bear and the Two Friends.” First, the class forms small groups of three or four students. Each small group receives a copy of a different story.They read the fable and take notes by completing a chart requesting the following information: who, what, when, where, why, and how. They do not write sentences. A chart completed by one small group is found below. Name of the story
Put a Bell on the Cat
Who What When Where Why How
Cat, mice, storekeeper and mouse president Meeting in store Once Store Put bell on cat Cat eats them
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Next, the small groups each report their story to the large class group.They use their notes to orally summarize their story.They no longer have the copy of the story.The class takes notes to fill in the chart until the notes for all the fables are completed. A chart with notes about all the fables completed by a student follows. Name of the story Who What When Where Why How
The Boy Who Cried Wolf Second story listened to Kamal, his father, sheep, wolf people Kamal lied One day Village Boy cried & shouted Because boy is bored
Two Friends and a Bear Third story listened to Bear, Stephan, Alik Ran, Stefan fell on ground, saw bear In the morning Around mountain Alik ran to tree, climbed tree Saw bear, was scared
In step three, the students return to their original small groups and select the group favorite out of the fables to which they listened and write a two-to three-sentence summary. I remind them that a summary is 25-30% of the word total of the original story or article.Three examples of a summary completed by three groups follow.
Put a Bell on the Cat Once there was a large family of mice that lived in a store.They were happy, but the storekeeper was not happy.The mice ate the food in the store. So he got a large cat to kill the mice.Then, they had a meeting with the mouse president. The mouse president decided someone should put a bell on the cat. But the mice were afraid of the cat. No one wanted to put a bell on the cat and they ran out. The group wrote a summary of 83 words for a story of 339 words in length or 25% of the original fable, thus following the guidelines for summary length.
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Student Response
The Boy Who Cried Wolf The boy lied two times because he was bored and lonely. He said, “Help, the Wolf, the Wolf!” The people came and were angry. And the people didn’t believe him the last time. In the end the wolf ate all the sheep. The boy ran. This summary is 45 words long for a fable that is 266 words in length or 17% of the original tale. This group realized that they needed to include all the relevant information such as the boy’s name, Kamal, and the fact that Kamal had to leave the village each day and remain alone on the mountain with only the sheep for company until nightfall when he could return to the village. Because they are working with concrete language of a story, they arrived at this realization more easily than if they had been working with a technical text.
Two Friends and a Bear There were two friends, Alik and Stephan, walking around the mountain. Then they saw a bear. Alik ran to climb a tree, but Stephan stayed on the ground because he didn’t know about the bear. After that, the bear didn’t hunt Stephan. He just made a sound in his ear and then went away. Finally, Alik asked Stephan, “What did the bear tell you?” Stephan answered that friends don’t run away.They help each other.
Of the 15 students who participated in this lesson on summarizing, all 15 stated in the written feedback that they liked the lesson very much. They said that they liked reading the fables because they are funny. The activities helped them figure out the main idea and they really know the entire story. They liked the note taking practice and they felt that explaining the fable from their notes helped prepare them for the IELTS oral examination. One student wrote: I liked the activity . . . because there are many skills . . . that we got . . . . we learned how to read and summarize the stories and we learned how to listen carefully and write good notes. Encouraged by the positive student response, I researched a more extensive source of fables online and found an excellent website, called Aesop’s Fables Online Collection and claiming to be online for 13 years, at http://www.AesopFables.com. In addition to Aesop’s Fables, the collection of more than 655 tales includes those of Ambrose Bierce and Jean de la Fontaine among others.
Transitioning to Summary Writing of Technical Articles
For a story 179 words long, this group wrote a 75word summary or 42% of the fable. This group understood that they had to be more concise. They also had not understood and, therefore, could not explain an important detail that Alik did not tell Stephan that there was a bear until after he was safely in the tree. They were using general language when they stated that Stephan stayed on the ground because he didn’t know about the bear. Again, because they were summarizing a tale they realized their mistake more easily than if they were working with academic language.
After completing this activity with folktales two or three times, the class transitioned easily to applying the techniques to writing a summary of a reading text of a more academic nature or written in technical language which range in length from 212 to 640 words. Their experience in using the chart had developed their skills and self-confidence. They readily completed the notes for the six points as shown in step one above. They then summarized the article from their notes in their own words without looking at the original article and within the 2530% length requirement. Before using these techniques, the instructor observed the students anxiously referring to the reading text and copying long phrases of four to five words. In addition, many students produced wordy
Jane Hoelker is on the Board of Directors of TESOL, Inc. and is a Past President of TESOL Arabia. She has published in international educational journals and magazines and has presented at numerous conferences. She has worked in Rwanda, Mali, Japan, Korea, the UAE and Qatar.
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texts and had trouble keeping within the limit of 25-30%. When questioned, they said that they were afraid that they had not captured the key concepts and were including many ideas for fear of not including the essential ideas. An example of a student summary of a technical article (Mikulecky & Jeffries, 2004) follows. The word count of the article is 344 words and this summary totals 86 words which is within the guidelines. A suggestion might be to collect the articles from the students after they have made their notes and before they begin to write. A few weaker students tended to refer to the article instead of their notes when writing the summary. I did observe that most of the students were more confident, became absorbed in the task and completed the summary without even thinking of returning to the article.
New Planet May Support Life Astronomer Geoffrey W. Marcy astonished his friends yesterday with the first discovery of a planet outside the solar system.This discovery brings people to a new epoch. Robert Brown says that the finding of this planet took centuries of thought and many years of doing the study. This new planet is more than six times the size of Jupiter and may have water. The discovery was of one or two or three planets. This research finds that the globe is not the middle of the universe.
Conclusion To sum up, stories in the academic writing classroom provide scaffolding for the writers and result in successful student productions. The use of the fables supports the student writers as they process and manipulate the concrete language and enables them to concentrate on developing the skill of summarizing which they successfully transfer to working with more academic texts.
Apply now for a TESOL Arabia PD Course, Travel or Research Grant!
References Aesop’s Fables Online Collection. Retrieved from http://www.AesopFables.com Mikulecky, B.S. & Jeffries, L. (2004). Basic Reading Power 1 (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.
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Emerging Technologies
A Resource to Help TESOL Instructors Understand Web 2.0 Web 2.0 Frenzy Look in any public space today and you will see many people focused on mobile devices whether they are laptops or handheld appliances. If you had the chance to look more closely at any of these machines, you would see that Web 2.0 applications are powering this frenzy. Web 2.0 applications such as Facebook, Twitter, MapQuest and any of the hundreds of thousands of iPhone applications are both captivating and distracting the masses. Web 2.0 cannot be ignored. The services and functions that these Web 2.0 applications offer simulate just about any digital task one can imagine. The wonder of it all is that they are generally free and available on the Internet. We believe that some of these applications can be very useful for teachers and students in the learning process. Therefore, we have constructed an original web space for TESOL professionals, called Socialesl.com. This free resource has been put together in order to help teachers understand and become aware of the vast array of Web 2.0 resources available. It is also our broader aim to help teachers become more fluent in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and to supply English students with a supplementary means of learning the language.
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John Allan Niagara College Canada
Current offerings in the Class Preparation section of Socialesl.com are shown in the following table.
Portals, Directories and Compilations:
Media Conversion:
Exercise Generators:
Media Sources:
Media Manipulation:
Socialesl.com has several practical areas of interest for TESOL professionals. They are described below.
Class Preparation
The Class Preparation section (Prep Links) provides teachers with web resources for generating activities for the classroom. There are over 30 tested and useful links here. To be included, links must be helpful for teachers in preparing or delivering a lesson, they must be free, they must be hosted online without any downloads or installation involved, and they must not generate spam. Volume 17
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AllMyFaves Education Tools for Educators Go2Web2.0 Edtags.org Teachers' Net Internet TESL Journal Media Convert Zamzar Vector Magic SpellingCity Study Stack Cloze Test Generator Teacher Tube Picasa Wikiquote Project Gutenberg BBC Learning English ESLVideo ESLPod (cast) Scribd Springer Exemplar Antconc ClipNabber SafeShare TV Picnik Smush.it Wordle Animoto GoMockingBird Aviary CoolText Creaza
In-Class Tools The In-Class Tools section features tools that can be used with and by students. Each entry has a description/evaluation and a hypertext link to the resource. Students will require some familiarization, but the activities are enjoyable and engaging. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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Broadly, Web 2.0 tools are especially valuable in allowing students to collaborate on a common digital document or text that can be shared within the school or published to the world. The resources in this section have all been recommended and deemed useful by ESL professionals who participated in a TESOL Electronic Village Online course, "Digital Materials Preparation and Techniques." Over a six-week period many of these links were tested and then recommended by the more than 100 course participants. Current offerings in the In-Class Tools section of Socialesl.com are shown in the following table:
Portals, Directories and Compilations:
Writing:
Vocabulary:
Listening:
Pronunciation:
Speaking:
Presentations:
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WikiHow How Stuff Works Spreeder
Art:
Sketchfu Glogster
Interactive Exercises:
Purpose Games
Articles The Articles section is an archive of current and older articles written about CALL concepts and applications. Recent articles focus especially on applying Web 2.0 in TESOL situations, and on the Open Source movement.
TESOL 2.0 Go2Web2.0 Answers.com Twitter4teachers
The TESOL 2.0 section provides teachers with a “print and assist� collection of CALL lab activities. Within the TESOL 2.0 section there are three subsections, which offer different perspectives of Web 2.0: as a student, as a teacher preparing for class, and as a teacher manipulating technology. Each individual item links to an explanation page, which in turn has links to a PDF lesson. These lesson documents each have a page that is addressed to the instructor for his or her contemplation before attempting an activity with students. We recommend that these student lessons be delivered in a hybrid or blended mode. That is, the students and the teacher are in the same physical room while the on-line activity is attempted and completed.
Writeboard Devolver Bitstrips Etherpad Compendium Blogger WordPress FlickrPoet Type Racer Bubbl.us Graphic Organizers Dictionary.com Merriam-Webster's Visual Dictionary SpellingCity VocabGrabber FunnelBrain Quizlet Wordnik Lexipedia Answers.com Google Translate JustTheWord
Commonalities Web 2.0 offerings have common traits: association, community, interaction, contribution, tagging, fuzzy logic, multi-site distribution, marketing, rich medium of focus, and personalization. The TESOL 2.0 Commonalities sub-section explains each of these in simple language for teachers. It also provides step-by-step, practical activities that help reinforce these concepts for both teachers and students.
ESL Listening Lab LibriVox Forvo Answers.com
Activities
Voxopop TokBox
This is the central focus of the website. Here teachers and students use Web 2.0 resources creatively, but with training wheels attached, to achieve language-learning goals. The pedagogical goal is to educate teachers on the merits of Web 2.0 while they gain confidence in their CALL
SlideShare Slide AutoMotivator Poll Everywhere
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Emerging Technologies
facilitation abilities. For students, this sub-section endeavors to allow them to use social networking tools to learn in an entertaining, cooperative and yet structured manner. Each activity poses an extended challenge that may lead to all sorts of unanticipated positive outcomes.
Teacher Tips The Teacher Tips sub-section provides TESOL professionals with some technical short cuts and advice on the “how to’s” of employing free Internet resources. These tips should help teachers to become more self-sufficient. In consequence, teachers may require fewer trips to their local information technology support team. Resources used here include Media-Convert, Picnik and Delicious. These products provide, respectively, media conversion of any sort, image optimization, and digital organization of Internet resources for a class.
Slideshows The Socialesl site includes links to over 30 original educational technology slideshows, with plans to augment these through the cooperation of the community, just as the Web 2.0 and TESOL web links will grow. The site is intended to be an evolving resource for both teachers and language learners.
Comics A practical set of TESOL-related comic strips are freely provided in this section. So far our selection is limited, but once community members view and take the short tutorial on creating comics using the Web 2.0 tool, “Bitstrips,” more varied comics will hopefully appear through the magic of Web 2.0. Bitstrips lets teachers create custom comics for lessons, or guide students through the creation process. It is both motivational and fun.
John Allan has been involved in the TESOL profession for more than 20 years as a teacher, writer, presenter, trainer and materials developer. He currently works for Niagara College, in Canada, specializing in the use of educational technology. Stephen Roney has been involved in TESOL for sixteen years. Before that, he was a software designer, professional writer and editor. He is a former president of the Editors’ Association of Canada and currently teaches, and handles CALL, for the College of the North Atlantic in Qatar.
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Edtech Blogs Blogs about TESOL are too abundant to usefully list in total on a single site. Many of these blogs, after all, atrophy. Well-intended educators start a blog either to experiment with the new technology or to deliver expertise to the world, but the time and energy required in maintaining a specialized blog wears down many a dedicated writer. The Socialesl Edtech Blog section links only to bloggers who have stood the test of time—at least in the timetelescoped Web world—who are focused on the use of new technologies as TESOL professionals, and who have shown high standards over time.
Materials Production Course Offered in the winter of 2010 through TESOL International’s Electronic Village Online, this course guided over 200 participants on exploiting Web 2.0 to prepare TESOL materials. The complete course has been revised in an independent learning format for TESOL instructors who are interested in updating their skills or simply looking for ways to make their lessons more engaging and current. The course has six focal points. These are image editing, audio recording, file conversion, text manipulation, screen capturing and harnessing web-based resources such as Classtools. The course is in Moodle format and is free to anyone interested in learning digital skills for the purposes of improving their lesson delivery.
The Small Print For the benefit of those interested in such matters, the following three sections outline some of the key technical features of the Socialesl.com site.
Licensing This site is licensed under the Creative Commons arrangement. The site’s official license is the Creative Commons Attribution-NoncommercialShare Alike 3.0 United States License. Educators are free to print, copy, distribute and transmit the contents of this site. They can also re-mix the contents of the site to tailor the activities to the requirements of their students. The conditions include attribution, noncommercial use and “share alike.” The original or altered activities must attribute the work to the original author or licensor of the resource. Changed works must be
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attributed but not endorsed by the original author. Altered versions can be distributed under the same license for the benefit of the TESOL community. Others cannot use the site’s activities or lessons for commercial purposes.
Development Platform The site is hosted on the Internet using a program called Joomla. It is an open source CMS or course management system. All details can be located at www.joomla.org. It has been chosen because of its indexing and expansion possibilities. Unlike normal websites, it has a range of tools that allow for full community participation, file indexing, search functions, templates, scalability, web page authoring with a WYSIWYG interface. Simply, you get a lot of functionality, which can be used without a degree in Computer Science—all for free.
Future Development Expansion of this site depends on the multiple factors involved in creating an open community and the identification of a specific target audience. Open communities of benevolent contributors such as in most Web 2.0 ventures can add life and direction to projects. An invitation for community registration for teachers and students is open, and information can be found at the site itself: www.socialesl.com.
Have you been to a professional development event or conference lately that you think TESOL Arabia members might benefit from? Consider writing a review of the event. Contact the editors for more information. Volume 17
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Achieve IELTS 1 / Achieve IELTS 2 Louis Harrison, Caroline Cushen, and Susan Hutchison ISBN-10: 0-462-00747-2 (Achieve IELTS 1) ISBN-10: 0-462-00751-0 (Achieve IELTS 2) Marshall Cavendish, 2005/2006 164/176 pp
Familiarity may breed contempt but it is also the sine qua non of the reviewer’s art. After all, how can one reasonably pretend to fair and objective criticism if one has no idea what one is talking about? It is with some embarrassment, then, that I must confess to knowing next to nothing about IELTS. Other Cambridge exams I could handle with a modicum of confidence, ditto TOEFL, which latterly I have come to know and less than like. But IELTS? Well, I am aware that it has an academic and a general training version, but that is about it. Now that I have made that little confession, let me put it to you that this is, in fact, no bad thing. For my ignorance permits me to adopt a learner’s eye view. Specifically, were I obliged to take IELTS, I would be asking questions such as: What does this exam comprise? What skills will I need to succeed in it? What level can I expect to achieve? So I open up my review copy of Achieve IELTS (Intermediate – Upper Intermediate) in the hope of finding the answers I seek. The first thing I encounter is a color-coded contents page, providing an overview of the units within, as well as an idea of how each one correlates to an IELTS skill (delineated in a matching book map on the following page). Next, I come across the Introduction which, unusually, offers me something more than a series of platitudes from the author. Here lies this book’s first major strength. For the Introduction is, in fact, a mini teaching unit, dedicated to familiarising the neophyte with the scope and nature of the IELTS exam. Volume 17
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After starting with a self-assessment quiz, “How much do you know about IELTS?”, the Introduction then moves smoothly into a listening which delivers the answers, a discussion, a matching exercise and a table completion. Activities, in other words, which exemplify IELTS task types while simultaneously raising awareness about them. The listening exercise foregrounds the academic version of IELTS, as in the main, do the book’s 12 units. That much said, there is sufficient coverage of broader, contemporary issues (i.e. the environment, energy use, health, travel, money, etc.) to ensure suitability for a general training audience. A quick skim through the units reveals something quite out of the ordinary, however. They are of manifestly differing lengths. Some total ten pages, some considerably more. The unit “Crime,” in Achieve IELTS 2 is a marathon 14 pages from start to finish. While those pages may be copiously illustrated and inviting to the eye, they are also quite densely packed. The impression, then, is of books that mean business, of materials on a mission, and that mission is stated on the back cover: “Achieve IELTS aims to take learners from IELTS band 4.5, ‘Modest User’, to band 6, or ‘Competent User.’” Achieve IELTS 2 assumes users already to be competent and looks to take them to band 7, or ‘Good User.’ This asymmetrical arrangement is replicated at an intra-unit level. While any given unit will focus on the four skills plus grammar, their relative order and prevalence varies. This is not intended as a criticism. Overall, coverage is nothing if not comprehensive. It
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is merely that ELT publishers generally tend to eschew such logistical irregularity.
In closing, I should point out that, throughout this review, I have based the bulk of my observations on Achieve IELTS. This should not be construed as an omission as Achieve IELTS 2 replicates its predecessor in all but level. Taken in sum, then, and allowing for the aforementioned cultural proviso, Achieve IELTS and Achieve IELTS 2 are a significant addition to the IELTS training canon, and one which has taught an ignorant reviewer a thing or two along the way.
To reiterate, then, these two books are wellpresented, well-researched and should do just what they say on the jacket, but to what extent do they cater for a Middle Eastern audience? All too predictably perhaps, it is here that Achieve IELTS fails to achieve. The overall bias is distinctly Western and/or East Asian. Scant reference is made to this corner of the world, save for a nod in the direction of Istanbul and the obligatory photo of skyscrapers in Dubai. There are no profiles of Arab people, places or institutions, Middle Eastern statespersons, historical figures, sports stars or heroes. The rainbow republic of ELT this may be, but we live in a post 911 reality, all the same.
Reviewed by: Colin Toms Petroleum Institute UAE
Contemporary Topics 2, 3rd ed. Ellen Kisslinger Pearson Longman, 2009 ISBN: 978-0-13-234524-8 134 pp Teacher’s Pack ISBN: 978-0-13-600515-5 73 pp
I wish I understood the thought processes of the publishing profession. Some companies make minor changes to textbooks and then launch a publicity campaign trumpeting that their slightly modified text is NEW, or in line with the Common European Framework! And then there are books like this one: Contemporary Topics 2,Third Edition, introduced to the market as if it were a quiet follow-on from the Second Edition, when it is, in fact, almost completely re-written. Volume 17
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So what is new? The “feel” of the book is new, to start with. The Second Edition had a rather strident red and yellow cover, and was printed in monochrome on cheap paper that felt as if it were both poor quality and recycled. It tore easily, as well. The Third Edition has a more restful green cover, and task changes in the text are signaled with icons on a pale green background. Extension activities are also printed on a pale green background, and the paper is of better quality. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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The Third Edition comes with a DVD, and a set of three audio CDs. The DVD is entirely new, but was not included for review. The audio CDs, however, are also new. For the Third Edition, the audio material has been revised, updated, expanded and rerecorded.
Other bonuses are the new Build Your Vocabulary sections which appear in every unit. These are far more demanding than the former Vocabulary Previews. Again, every unit now has a Try It Out section which gives extra focus on note-taking skills, and there are also Talk about the Topic sections where students hear two pairs of male/female speakers discussing the lecture, and then have to decide who says what. The Teacher’s Pack, moreover, offers a ten item multiple choice test, in line with the demands of the TOEFL exam, for each unit.
The result of this is that the Third Edition now works far better than the Second Edition. The book was always billed as a course in academic listening and note-taking skills, but its effectiveness as a listening/EAP text is now considerably enhanced. In the Second Edition, the units on Media Studies, History and Business were all firmly rooted in American culture and experience—reference was made to American TV shows, to immigration to the USA, and to American business practices.
As a foundation level course, therefore, Contemporary Topics, Third Edition, is excellent. At approximately 7 minutes long, the recorded passages are long enough to hold students’ attention yet short enough to ensure focus. This is not a book to use with students who are working in specialist areas of EAP, but rather a text that gives students the skills they will require when they begin to study those specialist areas. It serves as a bridge between the rather unfocused, general listening that they may have done at school, and the data-packed discourse that they will encounter at university.
These topics have gone. Media Studies now offers a lecture on the ethics of journalism. History is concerned with the Silk Route, although far too much emphasis is placed on Rome as a destination for goods from the east. Business now concentrates on the concept of team-building. The Second Edition’s sections on Computer Ethics and Environmental Science have been dropped completely, and have been replaced with the Culinary Arts and Architecture. This might, at first sight, appear to be an odd choice of topic areas, but for students from the Arab Gulf it makes a good deal of sense. Culinary Arts is actually concerned with the business of running a successful restaurant, thereby linking management skills and the service industries. Architecture focuses on the work of Frank Gehry, but every country in the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council now has its own iconic buildings, and these could be used to engage student interest.
This is a book that I cannot recommend highly enough.
Reviewed by: Neil McBeath Sultan Qaboos University Sultanate of Oman
Is there a new book or a piece of software you really enjoy using with students or one that has helped you in your teaching? Consider writing a review for Perspectives. Contact our Reviews Editor, Cindy Gunn, for more information. cgunn@aus.edu
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Oxford Bookworms Club Gold: Stories for Reading Circles Mark Furr, Ed. Oxford University Press, 2007 ISBN: 978-0194720021 120 pp
Do you want to have a wonderfully successful student-centered reading course? Fruitful studentled discussions are easily accessible with the Oxford Bookworms Club: Stories for Reading Circles.
Approach Reading Circles are small student groups, which discuss a story. Each student completes a specific reading role in order to share information with peers. These roles include: Discussion Leader - whose job it is to ask general questions about the story Summarizer - who retells the story in his/her own words Connector - who attempts to find questions/relationships between the world of the story and of the student Word Master - who looks for and defines words/phrases that are repeated, new, unusual, etc. Passage Person - who identifies passages which could be important, well written, funny, etc. Culture Connector - who looks for similarities and differences between the students’ culture and the culture in the story
Content Bookworms Club Gold supports Oxford’s Stage 3 (1000 headwords) and 4 (1400 headwords). The text
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includes seven readings from classic writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Saki, and Thomas Hardy. Each story has an introduction, author information, and activities such as vocabulary and story focus. Additionally, the back of the book includes the Reading Circle Roles for student reference. Teachers can become a member of the free online Teachers Club where the teaching resource provides an Introduction to Reading Circles, photocopiable Role Sheets with examples, a Reading Schedule Chart, Role Badges, as well as Expansion Activities and answers to Story Focus activities.
Appropriateness Bookworms Club Gold is appropriate for Intermediate (TOEFL 470-530) students. There are also other books in the range which vary in level and content.
Adaptability The Reading Circle Roles can be used for both short and long texts. It is also possible to assign different stories to different groups of students and have them present their stories. In order to facilitate these presentations, there are two activities suggested at the back of the book. These activities include the Plot Pyramid Activity which asks the student to diagram the story, and the Poster Activity which directs the students to present the story through poster. Both of these activities could be completed by an individual or a group, in class or out of class.
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The role of Culture Collector successfully facilitated discussion on different elements of culture and created a comfortable environment in which to discuss values and behaviors outside of the students’ context.
Use and Relevance to Students in the Gulf Because I wanted to ensure total student participation in the Reading Circles, rather than having the students read and prepare at home, I asked them to read, prepare their Role Sheets and discuss in class only (two fifty-minute classes). This worked very well. Although the text has a variety of themes, my first-year-university students enjoyed the ghost stories the most. Additionally, students remarked that they appreciated having the Role Sheets because they helped with focus. As a result of the Role Sheets, the Reading Circles ran smoothly because everyone had come to the Reading Circle with questions and a goal. The Role Sheets are also useful as they highlight different reading strategies such as asking questions, vocabulary focus, etc., which are applicable to academic reading as well.
Note: the stories in Bookworms Club Gold already appear in existing Bookworms Library titles. http://www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/isbn/5840?cc=global
Reviewed by Amanda LaTerra American University of Sharjah UAE
International House Dubai The region’s leading Teacher Training Centre offering professional development opportunities for aspiring and experienced language teachers including
• CELTA • DELTA • YL Extension • TKT • Continuing Professional Development programmes • Customised programmes • Consultancy services • IHWO online and face-to-face development courses
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Great British American Writers Cities
Natural Environments
Derek Sellen Black Cat Publishing, 2009 ISBN: 978-88-530-0952-4 95 pp
Gina D.B. Clemen Black Cat Publishing, 2009 ISBN: 978-88-530-0996-8 111 pp
Gina D.B. Clemen Black Cat Publishing, 2009 ISBN: 978-88-530-0996-8 111 pp
Black Cat Publishing launched these three titles in 2009 as part of their “Reading & Training Discovery” series aimed at “teenagers, young adults and adults.” Employing the “expansive reading approach,” the texts are designed to develop language skills within clearly delineated historical and cultural contexts. All three titles are attractively illustrated, contain a wide variety of well laid out reading comprehension activities at either KET or PET level and have links to online projects. Unlike the other two books in the series, American Cities is written in American English and all three are accompanied by audio CDs with virtually complete recordings of the text. Black Cat deserves praise for the range of this series, which attempts to connect the reader’s world with the printed word in three very different books.
with understandably broad strokes, the 17th and 18th centuries, the Romantics, 19th century women novelists, Dickens, Hardy and Irish writers before culminating in the 20th century represented by Orwell and Greene. Derek Sellen has made a brave attempt to place his subjects in historical and cultural context but one wonders whether the stated aims of the book could not have been achieved without placing such great demands on the readers. Inevitably, in any survey of a nation’s literary evolution, certain omissions will be made and generalizations will occur, but in trying to retain the textual density one would normally associate with a much more ambitious study, this book will probably appeal only to readers nurtured in or familiar with the historical and cultural traditions of Western Europe.
Great British Writers launches the reader into a survey of three outstanding Renaissance dramatists and in the following ninety pages and eight chapters, covers
Moreover, I am unconvinced that bald statements like “After the Age of Reason writers…..became interested in the imagination” (p.23) or “Fascism
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became important in Germany and Italy and Stalinism in Russia” (p.87) actually succeed in explaining the complex intellectual and political ideas that influenced the lives and work of the writers included in this book. When one considers that almost no writer’s work is either assessed or even quoted, it is clear that the book has few if any literary-critical aspirations. For students whose experience lies outside the mainstream western traditions, these reading materials are too heavily loaded in both cultural and historical terms. This book could be incorporated more profitably into an EFL Cultural Studies course although the vocabulary is often far too advanced for most exam level KET classes. American Cities is, by virtue of its subject matter, more likely to connect with the general received knowledge of a larger number of learners than Great British Writers. A wide range of skills-based activities, such as pre-reading tasks, multiple choice, true/false, gap-filling and sentence transformation exercises are included in addition to online extension activities and prompts for class discussion. The specific PET/TRINITY style exercises are clearly signposted and the book is generally successful in its description of the vast, eclectic experience that is modern America. However, as with Great British Writers, the book’s majestic narrative sweep through a whole era of profound cultural change and development reveals one inherent weakness of the “broad stroke” approach in what is basically an EFL graded reader. This book is certainly rich in information and it opens up many avenues to the inquisitive learner who is keen to explore some of the byways of urban America. However, the line separating extensive input from information overload can be a perilously thin one. It could be argued that American Cities crosses that line on more than one occasion, especially in chapter 1, which tries to compress “The Century of Urbanization” into seven pages and also Chapter 3, “New York City Today,” which is so packed with factual information that the reading seems to drag for want of any one thing to maintain the reader’s attention. One of the book’s strengths, on the other hand, lies in what it indirectly encourages teachers and students to do. The “dossiers” may be of limited interest to students under thirty but subjects as diverse as history, film, jazz, pop and rock music as Volume 17
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well as geography and architecture can be explored either individually or collectively in conjunction with the texts contained in the book. For PET level candidates, they might require rather too much effort on the reader’s part. On balance, American Cities will most likely prove to be popular with teachers of general English, whose students have either visited or are planning to study in the US. Natural Environments, the final book under review, is pitched at Exam Preparation PET level students. It begins with a general introduction to eco-systems and in subsequent chapters covers forests, oceans, the polar regions and deserts. The final chapter entitled “Looking Ahead” is a highly topical assessment of the challenges facing all of us as environmental issues become increasingly politicized in the global arena. Unlike the other two books, which are more culturally specific in terms of theme and content, this book should have a much broader appeal. The pre-reading activities include crosswords that introduce most of the headwords found in the readings. As these words are often technically complex (“nutrients,” “organism” and “latitude” are all featured in Chapter 1), it will undoubtedly help both teachers and students to have these words explained at the outset. Other introductory activities, such as vocabulary and listening exercises, are effective ways of introducing new language as painlessly as possible. The post-reading practice activities comprise reading comprehension questions, words matched with their definitions and sentence transformation exercises. The dossiers which deal with “The Environment in Films” and “The Environment in Popular Culture” are sensible inclusions in that they highlight the impact the environment has had on not only the way we live, but on the way we perceive the world we inhabit. They might also appeal to those learners who are stimulated more by the consequences than the actual technical processes of environmental change.
Reviewed by Ian Cull Abu Dhabi Men’s College UAE
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Learning Teaching, 2nd ed. Jim Scrivener Macmillan, 2005 ISBN: 978-1-4050-1399-4 431 pp
I know from experience that beginning teachers find it difficult to translate ideas from second language research and historical teaching methods into useful techniques. With that in mind, I went searching for an accessible text that would prepare my undergraduate students to begin their practice teaching assignments after studying linguistic and pedagogical theories. I chose the second edition of Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener, a book that is packed with the wisdom of someone who has been training and observing teachers for decades in many contexts. Unlike many books on this subject, Scrivener writes like a real practitioner who understands the classroom contexts that most of us work in. Although his methods are not based on a comprehensive theory (except possibly his notion of “reflective practice”) his ideas for developing fluency are creative, compelling, and extremely practical. Scrivener’s overarching philosophy clearly puts meaningful, communicative use of English at the center of the classroom, and he is very adept at pointing out small ways that teachers can miss opportunities for students to develop their language skills because of their concern for accuracy, efficiency, and control. Learning Teaching ambitiously attempts to be an allin-one primer for the young teacher. It covers an impressive array of topics, from classroom management and simple linguistics to conversational games and Cuisenaire rods. The strongest part of the
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book, in my opinion, is Scrivener’s discussion of how authentic practice and controlled practice can be combined in different ways in a lesson plan. He effectively challenges the tired, old formula of Present-Practice-Produce and helps readers go beyond a simplistic, incremental view of language learning. Although he does not fully explore the role of implicit knowledge in language learning, his description of the stages that learners go through as they move from input to output is very plausible. I appreciated his flexible, task-oriented approach to listening and reading activities; he emphasizes a gradual progression from easy tasks (e.g., reading for gist) to harder ones. Managing this progression is especially vital in our reading lessons since there is often a danger of them turning into discussion activities in which weak students participate by listening closely to the teacher and their classmates rather than by reading. The book seems to mainly be intended for new and preservice teachers of English working among adolescents and young adults. It is quite readable for those with little familiarity with issues in second language pedagogy, but some awareness of the tenets of communicative language teaching would certainly help. Scholarly references have been intentionally omitted, and the bibliography is quite sparse, so readers will have trouble using this text as an introduction to other recent methods. Nevertheless, the embedded tasks and resources in the appendix
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are very user-friendly, and the author frequently illustrates points by using real materials and situations. Teachers of primary students may be put off by the more advanced types of communicative activities and vocabulary that he refers to. Similarly, the demands of test-preparation courses focusing on English for academic purposes are not fully considered in his approach.
TESOL is still too young for a comprehensive textbook that covers all aspects of teaching, but this volume clearly succeeds as a handbook for teachers who need a variety of practical ideas for developing classroom interaction and authentic skill practice.
Learning Teaching is an excellent book for anyone who is getting started as a teacher or who wants to become more competent in making students' use of the target language a key feature of their classroom. My favorite sections are his lists of tips and ideas, especially the one entitled, “How to prevent learning – some popular techniques” (p. 104). The field of
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Reviewed by Chris Morrow American University of Sharjah UAE
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Calendar of Upcoming Events July 7-10, 2010
Australian Council of TESOL Associations (ACTA), "Redefining 'TESOL' for the 21st Century Language Learning and Teaching for the Future," Holiday Inn Surfers Paradise QLD, Australia. E-mail: sarah.hoekwater@optusnet.com.au or goldla@optusnet.com.au Website: http://www.astmanagement.com.au/acta10/
July 9-11, 2010
NATECLA National Conference, “Language, Migration and Identity,” University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. E-mail: co-ordinator@natecla.fsnet.co.uk Website: http://www.natecla.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=468&ArticleID=40
July 25-27, 2010
16th Annual Conference of the International Association for World Englishes, "World Englishes Today: A Critical Reevaluation of Theory, Methodology, and Pedagogy in Global Context," Simon Fraser University, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Vancouver, Canada. E-mail: iawe2010@sfu.ca Website: http://www.worldenglishesvancouver2010.com/index.html
August 5-7, 2010
Fifth International and 41st Annual ELTAI Conference, "Learning to Learn: Way to Language Mastery," Chennai, India. E-mail: eltai_india@yahoo.co.in Website: www.eltai.org
September 9-11, 2010
43rd Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics, "Applied Linguistics: Global and Local," University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland. E-mail: r.millar@abdn.ac.uk Website: http://www.baal.org.uk/confs.htm
September 25-26, 2010
Center for English Teaching Excellence (CETE), "Intercultural Competence Development at EFL/ESL Lessons," Relevant Conference Equipments, Tbilisi, Georgia. E-mail: cete08@gmail.com Website: http://www.cetenews.info
October 16-17, 2010
Korea TESOL, "Advancing ELT in the Global Context," Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea. E-mail: proven.method@gmail.com Website: http://www.kotesol.org/?q=PAC2010
October 22-23, 2010
14th International INGED ELT Conference, "Piecing it Together," Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey. E-mail: 010ingedconference@gmail.com Website: http://www.inged.org.tr/
December 1-3, 2010
GLoCALL 2010, "Globalization and Localization in Computer-Assisted Language Learning," Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. E-mail: programs@glocall.org Website: http://glocall.org/
December 3-4, 2010
The 11th Annual EgypTESOL Conference, “Best Practice in TEFL,” Cairo, Egypt. E-mail: mariamghazala@mac.com Website: http://www.egyptesol.org/
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10th EgypTESOL Convention Cairo, Egypt
Ahmed Saadawi Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research, Abu Dhabi
The 10th Convention of EgypTESOL was held in Cairo on November 20 and 21, 2009. Abu Dhabi Chapter Representative of TESOL Arabia, Dr Ahmed Saadawi, led a workshop on how to manage test anxiety for the members of EgypTESOL and the participants in their 2009 conference. The presenter and the attendees reached a consensus that a moderate level of test anxiety can motivate students to prepare effectively for their tests and perform well, and discussed how negative too much anxiety can be when it interferes with studying or affects exam performance. Ahmed started his show with illustrations of how students feel and act when they suffer from test anxiety, using a PowerPoint presentation with funny pictures of student cases to raise awareness of the symptoms and nature of test anxiety.Then, he involved his attendees in short group discussions and hands-on activities to develop workable tips for students to reduce their anxiety before, during and after tests.The presenter also discussed and offered correlated tips for teachers to realize how they can help students reduce test anxiety to the optimal level and score what they are worth. The Test Preparation Tips developed and/or discussed in the workshop include the following: Don’t overestimate the test, but put it in a realistic perspective. Review your personal situation and organize material to study and learn. (checklist) Plan ahead allowing sufficient time to study and revise & schedule your study sessions. Study lessons, do assignments and revise materials on a regular basis. Study during times of high energy (if you
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are a morning person, study early), then reward yourself with a treat (e.g. going out, phoning a friend or watching TV). Don’t cram for an exam. Study a reasonable amount and concentrate on integrating details into main ideas rather than the quantity of the information revised. Be optimistic and positive about the test. Remind yourself of similar tests you took before. Visualize success and use logical affirmations (positive self-messages), such as “I’ve done this before and I can do it again,” “I am relaxed,” “I am ready for this exam,” “I am capable of doing my best, and this is what is important,” “I will succeed,” “This exam may seem difficult now, but I will be ready when I take it,” “I deserve to do the very best I can,” and “I have all the knowledge I need to pass this test.” Understand the information necessary for you to study and revise (the instructor’s hints, specified areas to study, answers to questions about confusing items). Take some practice tests and review your performance to improve & learn from experience. Get enough sleep and don’t stay up late studying the night before the test. Avoid nervous classmates who generate stress for you before the test. Drink some fresh water and go to the bathroom before taking the test. Have a suitable (Quality & Quantity) breakfast for enough energy on the test day (fresh fruit, vegetables, caffeine, no junk/stressful food/drink such as foods containing preservatives/heavy spices & carbonated soft drinks). Try to relax and take a breath the last hour before taking the test. Dr. Ahmed Saadawi is a recipient of a TESOL Arabia Travel Grant (out) for 2009-2010.
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The TESOL 44th Annual International Convention Boston, USA
Jennifer Yphantides Kanda University of International Studies Chiba, Japan
Many of my colleagues have made the annual pilgrimage to the United States for the TESOL International Conference and returned home with rave reviews. This year, I wanted to see what all the hype was about and, risking a jet-lagged start to the new semester, I travelled to Boston at the end of March. It is true that TESOL has an enormous amount on offer but despite the plethora of scheduled events, my overall impression of the conference was that it was still rather context-specific and the camaraderie I usually experience at other conferences was somewhat marred by an atmosphere of commercialism and the sheer number of people on site. However, the first-rate line up of plenary addresses more than compensated for any minor disappointments. The conference began with a talk by Howard Gardner on the five types of minds we must try to cultivate in the 21st century. These include the disciplined mind, the synthesizing mind, the creative mind, the respectful mind, and the ethical mind. Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) has made a significant contribution to helping educators re-conceptualize how we view intelligence and, as a result, we often employ different classroom activities rooted in MI which cater for various learning styles. I believe we will soon hear the reverberations of Gardner’s new work in our practice because his theory focuses on developing ways of thinking which are important to the market place of the 21st century. The first three “minds” reflect the cognitive skills in demand on the job market while the final two address the affective skills necessary to succeed.
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Following Gardner, another thought-provoking address was delivered by Andy Curtis, Kathleen Bailey and David Nunan. The trio guided listeners through the history of the TESOL organization using eye-catching photographs, dramatic sound effects, and a good deal of humor. In the conclusion of what they describe as their post-modern, Socratic-style talk, the speakers connected their address to Gardner’s “ethical mind.” Although her comment may have been partly tongue in cheek, Bailey winked at her audience and announced, “Yes, TESOL does want to achieve world peace.” Next, Maryanne Wolfe spoke on the importance of literacy and I personally found her comments helpful as they caused me to rethink my own goals as a reading teacher. Although she is a Harvardtrained specialist in neuroscience and most of her work focuses on helping those who suffer from dyslexia, she had no trouble addressing a large crowd of TESOL attendees and making her work relevant to us. Her main point was that building literacy should be the mainstay of education and she stressed that critical reading is the cornerstone of any healthy community. She commented that modern lifestyles have turned us into “surfers of information” and that we need to return to a deeper kind of reading that is “steeped in knowledge.” In good humor, she challenged Gardner for putting the “ethical mind” last on his list and said that one of the goals of reading should be ethical development. The last speech was the presidential plenary, delivered by the out-going leader, Mark Algren. The main focus of his address was to encourage listeners to work towards the goal of improving professionalism in our field. He asked each listener to think of one way to promote their own professional development this year. I decided to keep a teaching journal, something I have always intended to do. If you have any ideas of what you want to do to pursue professional ends, he said he would like to hear from you! TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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CAM TESOL 2010 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
AhmedAydarova Olena Saadawi Khalifa EmiratesUniversity College for of Science, Advanced Technology Education& Research, Abu Dhabi, Abu UAE Dhabi
Ahmed Peter B.Saadawi Mclaren Al Khalifa Ain Women’s University College of Al Science, Ain, UAE Technology & Research, Abu Dhabi
The 6th CAMTESOL Conference, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, at the end of February 2010 was the largest in terms of presentations, workshops, and participants since this important regional and international conference was inaugurated in 2004. Entitled “One World: World Englishes,” and jointly sponsored by the Cambodian Ministry of Education and the International Development Programme (IDP), an Australian NGO working to further education in Cambodia, the conference attracted a wide audience from both around the region and further afield. This year over 1000 attendees, the majority being Cambodian teachers, represented 28 different countries, with Japan having the highest profile of the Far-Eastern nations. The Arabian Gulf had several representatives from four different institutions. The Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi, UAE, had five presenters. Melanie van den Hoven and Scott Parkman presented “Designing Survey Research on Student Perceptions of English,” while Susan Toth shared her experiences of teacher training in Cambodian orphanages. Olena Aydarova and Bevin Roue discussed their research project entitled “Possible Selves in Practicum Experiences,” Marina Dodigovic from the Qatar Foundation spoke about “Speech Recognition Technology in Language Testing,” and Reima Al-Jarf from King Saud University presented a poster session on “Autonomous Learning for Saudi Students Studying Abroad.” Peter McLaren from Al Ain Women’s
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College, a TESOL Arabia Travel Grant recipient, gave a paper based on previous research in Saudi Arabia concerning the use of English as a medium of instruction and the ongoing Native EnglishSpeaking Teacher (NEST) versus the Non-Native English Speaking Teacher (NNEST) debate. Overall, it was a multi-faceted conference with presentations from 13 different categories which ranged from reading to the globalization of TEFL. Like any quality conference, CAMTESOL had a balance of presentations and workshops of immediately utilitarian nature (e.g. sessions on reading and writing skills, lesson planning, etc.) and more theoretical papers. Despite the multi-faceted nature of the conference, delegates found it quite easy to navigate their way around the schedule. Presentations in various strands of the conference, such as Teaching Young Learners, Professional Development, Reading, Writing, and Quality Assurance, were clearly identified in the schedule and took place at different times in the same rooms. The conference opening was attended by the Cambodian Minister of Education and the Australian Ambassador to Cambodia. These preliminaries were then followed by an opening plenary where Professor Andy Kirkpatrick of the Hong Kong Institute of Education gave a provoking talk expressing his reservations on the whys, hows, and wherefores of adopting English Medium Instruction (EMI) across the region. Professor Kirkpatrick alluded to research
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seeking to re-examine EMI practices in many Asian countries and suggested that children be educated in their mother tongue first. According to this plenary, children must be competent in their L1 before attempting to master an L2 or subject content via that L2, in this case English. The well-attended concurrent sessions were of varying quality and interest level, but there were plenty of learning opportunities for all concerned. For example, Kathryn Oghigian and Kiyomi Chujo from Waseda University, Japan, gave a session on using corpus for teaching grammar. The presenters shared the results of a longitudinal study that evaluated the effectiveness of corpus-assisted instruction and gave practical classroom suggestions for using a corpus to overcome the challenges commonly faced by students with limited English proficiency. Dr Joan Kang Shin from the University of Maryland conducted a workshop on teaching young learners during which she combined theory-informed approaches with practical activities energized by audience participation. It is not often that one gets to see a room of 50 mostly Asian teachers, over half of them men, singing “Five Little Fishes” complete with gestures and movements.
could be adapted for different contexts. The closing plenary was given by Dr Joan Kang Shin, who shared with the audience the need to train students in intercultural competence and communication. She included practical suggestions for classroom activities aimed at helping students progress through different levels of intercultural competence.
The Royal Palace, around the corner from the CAMTESOL conference.
The conference organisers offered opportunities for attendees to take part in panel discussions and to make educational site visits to local schools in and around the capital city. These visits gave visiting teachers a chance to see the good work undertaken by teachers of English and other subjects in a country that until recently had an education system that was barely functional. The conference, the various activities, the fascinating city of Phnom Penh and the seemingly always smiling Cambodian people made this a memorable experience.
The conference was held at the University of Cambodia.
Dr Jodi Crandall delivered a session on “The Role of Standards in Professional Development” in which she discussed the future direction of the professionalization of TESOL. She discussed the standards that the TESOL Standards Committee had developed for teachers of English and how these
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Have you attended an interesting conference lately? Submit a review!
Contact perspectives@tesolarabia.org TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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A Database for Spelling Programs Ozge Yilmaz and Mick Randall The British University in Dubai
With the aid of an Emirates Foundation grant, TESOL Arabia members Ozge Yilmaz and Dr Mick Randall at the British University in Dubai have an ongoing research project investigating the type of graphics in computer-based spelling programs which will appeal to learners in the region. According to their research, there are many websites and software programs online for spelling, both free and by payment. However, the majority of the spelling websites and programs are usually for L1, not EFL. In addition, they are more suitable for young children. The websites designed for children include interactive and interesting games to practice spelling. They all use stimulating graphics and audio clips. They also offer brief information about the spelling rules. Most of these websites and programs are created for specific age levels. The age level is considered when determining the level of difficulty (i.e. they are created according to developmental rather than spelling complexity criteria). Thus, they cater for normal spelling development of L1 English users, not second language learners, where age does not necessarily correlate with language/spelling competence. On the other hand, the programs for tertiary and higher education are not very interesting and fun like those designed for the children. The exercise types are more or less the same in each program. The main activities are fill in missing letters, word gap filling and listen-and-spell. Many of them do not use any graphics, only tables and charts. Some programs have choices for difficulty levels, however, they are very limited. Almost all programs have simple audio clips. They allow the user to hear the words many times. In most of the websites the words are not grouped according to the orthographic rules. They only present spelling lists. Nevertheless, websites and programs generally include most of the orthographic rules in the exercises. Some sites allow
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the user to make changes in the word lists, but they are limited. Correction is almost always done by a check button. In some websites the learner is given feedback though scores. Most of the programs just need an internet connection and Flash to start. If any other program needs to be downloaded to start the spelling program, it usually takes a short timenot a difficult process. It is evident that there are plenty of software programs and websites that allow students to both practice and enjoy spelling. Yet, those resources are more suitable for L1 students. ESL teachers should choose the appropriate program for their students in order to improve their spelling skills. Here are some websites and software programs to practice spelling: N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/spellits/ www.spellzone.com www.primaryresources.co.uk/ www.spellingcity.com http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/ spelling/waystolearn/lookcover/game.shtml www.spellingtime.com www.wizardspell.com www.spellzone.com www.nicoland.co.uk http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ ks2bitesize/english/spelling_grammar/ www.yourchildlearns.com/lettersounds.htm www.phonicstutor.com www.foniks.org www.fun4thebrain.com/English/magice.html www.spellquizzer.com www.ispellwell.com www.spellinglab.com
To see the resource and more information about the spelling programs, please visit: http://www.buid.ac.ae/buid/apadmin/img/upload/spelli ng_programmes_12_8_2009_revised.xls.
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Franklin Global SpellEvent Josephine Kennedy, Past President/SpellEvent Chair
The top two finishers of the UAE event are invited to the international competition to be held in August 2010, in New York City, NY, in the United States. Each winner and his or her parent or guardian will receive an all expenses paid trip to compete in this international competition. Participating countries are the UAE, Argentina, Chile, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, South Korea and Turkey. The champion of the international event will win $10,000 to use toward his or her education.
TESOL Arabia held the UAE’s first ever Franklin Global SpellEvent, on Saturday, April 24, 2010, at Dubai Men’s College. The event, which was sponsored by Franklin, Global TESOL and Dubai Men’s College, attracted 31 competitors from six different schools across the country. During the event, students competed to spell English words correctly. Participating schools and teachers were Al Ain’s Al Murijieb Secondary School, led by Mariam Al Kaabi; Sharjah’s Al Talaa School, led by Hala El Miniawi; Fujirah’s Saif Al Dawla School, led by Abdelbasset Jeddi; the Western Region’s Amra Bent Abdul Rahman School, led by Sameera Mohammad Khalil; Khorffakhan’s Al Qudwa School, led by Mehaseb Ali Said Saleh; and Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahda National School for Boys, led by Marion Oliver. In Round 14 of the contest, Ahmed Muadh Faizan, a student at Al Nahda National School for Boys, gave the correct spelling of the precious stone onyx to become the UAE champion. He will be joined by second-place finisher Souhaib Malick, his classmate at Al Nahda National School for Boys, at the world championship in New York City this August. The third-place finisher was Al Anood Mohamed Al Kamial, from Al Talaa School, and Yasmin Said Najeeb Al Mazem of Al Murijeb School placed fourth.
Congratulations to 2nd place finisher, Souhaib Malick and in 1st place, Ahmed Muadh Faizan!
The Franklin Global SpellEvent is part of TESOL Arabia’s efforts to reach out to school teachers and learners, and to provide educational institutions with opportunities to promote English language learning among UAE’s student population. The event provided learners with a chance to take part in a national competition that promotes fun, collaboration and excellence in English language learning. To be eligible, students have to be younger than 15 years of age, be enrolled in a school that uses an Arabic (or strongly mixed Arabic and English) curriculum, and come from a family where English is not the language of communication in the home.
31 competitors from around the UAE prepare to show off their spelling skills.
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TESOL Arabia is looking to build on the success of this year’s event and is hoping to see more students from public schools take part next year. To learn more about the Franklin Global SpellEvent, email Josephine Kennedy at jkennedy@hct.ac.ae
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TESOL Arabia Book Drive: An Update Ruth Glasgow
Book donations added up to a grand total of 48 boxes from the TESOL Arabia Conference in March! In addition to a lot of individual donations, significant amounts were given by the Petroleum Institute, thanks to Phil Cozens, Cambridge Publishers, as well as Zayed University, the ESP unit of UAE University, and others. These most recent donations have been added to the donations received during the past year. After a quiet few years of collecting books, the book drive is now getting back into action with a new coordinator, Ruth Glasgow, who teaches at Zayed University in Dubai. She plans to organize a committee to better organize the Book Drive. The Book Drive had big plans for May – preparing and sending out a large amount of university level books to Somaliland, a safe region north of Somalia, where some universities and youth training programs need resources. Other universities that have shown interest are in Iraq and Sudan. Another goal of the Book Drive for this year is to make contact with poorly-resourced schools in the UAE, and to try to meet some of their needs for K12 ELT materials, library books as well as teachers resources for subjects such as maths, literature, and science. Any advice or contacts with such schools would be welcome. Ideally, we donate the books to school principals who oversee the distribution. During the conference, several boxes of resources were donated to a needy secondary school in Fujairah. Zayed University has kindly donated a dedicated book store and space to sort out, categorize and store the large amount of books that are collected by the Book Drive. To do these tasks, we have been ably assisted by two students from Dubai English Speaking College who have volunteered a few hours of their time every Saturday for the past few months. These students, Amado Chalhoub and Jack Ginn, are working to complete their Bronze Duke
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of Edinburgh Award which requires pupils to take part in volunteer work and community service. Amado and Jack have impressed us with their hard work and good spirits. We are hoping to work with Dubai English Speaking College in the future to offer students who are doing the Duke of Edinburgh Awards regular volunteer work with the Book Drive. Students from the same school also helped us to man the Book Drive stall at the TESOL Arabia conference. Amado and Robbie Chalhoub and Calum Smith worked very well receiving and organizing book donations, and taking down the contact details of anyone who was interested in donating or receiving books. On that topic, we are looking to update our Book Drive contacts list which is now out of date, as many of our previous contacts have left the UAE. So, if you are working in an educational institute in the UAE and would like to become a Book Drive contact, donate some books, or help us on the Book Drive Committee in some way, please contact us at the email below. We would love to hear from you. Ruth Glasgow – ruth.Glasgow@zu.ac.ae Paul de Jong – paul.dejong@zu.ac.ae tesolbookdrive@yahoo.com
Jack Ginn and Amado Chalhoub stacking books.
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TESOL Arabia Course Development Grant Report Grant Recipient: David Litz, UAE University, Al Ain
I am presently enrolled in the University of Calgary’s Doctor of Education program and I would like to thank TESOL Arabia for awarding me a professional development grant to assist with the costs of a course, entitled “Adult Education and Global Issues.� Globalization has transformed the world and it is becoming increasingly important for ELT practitioners throughout the world to develop an understanding of this complex phenomenon in relation to its impact on educational systems. As such, this course was particularly fascinating as one of its key components was an exploration of the role of adult education in responding to the challenges of globalization. More specifically, the course examined some of the theoretical waves in which the concept of globalization has been recently applied to educational contexts. A great deal of emphasis was placed on analyzing two of the latest stages that have developed, which are referred to as the institutional and deconstructivist interpretations. Essentially, the institutional interpretation explores the impact of globalization as a dialectical process of convergence and divergence in political structures and cultural traditions. In the sharing of ideas and practices through increased global interactions, countries have the potential to become more homogenized in their policies and cultural habits on the one hand, while reactions to dominant cultures produce a heterogenization and strengthening of local or regional cultures on the other. Advocates of this approach generally concede that we are experiencing unprecedented levels of global interconnectedness, so globalization should be viewed as a historically contingent process that is replete with contradictions. Thus, although globalization facilitates integration in some areas of the economy, politics, culture, and society, it also results in greater fragmentation and stratification Volume 17
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whereby some states, societies, regions, communities, and ethnic groups are becoming entwined in the global order, while others are becoming marginalized. With respect to education, globalization is seen by the institutional interpretation as something that is continuously modifying the politics of the nation-state as well as its regions, domestic populations, and nationallydefined political, social, and economic interest groups. What distinguishes this view is the idea that educational policy is not only affected by globalization, but that it is becoming one of the principle mechanisms by which global forces affect the daily lives of national populations. Alternatively, deconstructivist perspectives on globalization and education have arisen from calls for the enhanced cross-pollination of ideas on the evolving topic of globalization. Advocates of this approach recognize that there are competing and often contradictory interpretations of the processes of globalization which are intrinsic to the formulation of a broad understanding of the meaning of this phenomenon. They typically call for an increased role of revisionist perspectives. These deconstructivists also take into consideration that globalization may be more of a consequence of social change rather than a cause of it, and they tend to agree that the level of recent global interconnectedness is greater now than at any time in history, but it is not necessarily a new process. In addition, they recognize the imbalances in the effects of globalization around the world and put a greater emphasis on refuting hegemony and colonialism as well. I found this course to be truly eye-opening and relevant and I hope that educational practitioners continue to strive towards the formation of innovative and transformative teaching and learning programs that address and resolve many of the world's problems.
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Learner Independence SIG Report Phil Cozens The LI SIG, along with the Fujairah Chapter, held an extremely interesting event towards the end of February at Fujairah Women’s College. Along with the more conventional presentations, we were introduced to a project in the college’s green house by Joseph Viker. He explained that the project was being carried out by foundation level students who were also charting several important variables for their statistics classes. Most important was the fact that the students were taking full responsibility for ensuring that the plants survived. Joseph told us that, while the previous intake had stated that the project was a good idea, they were a little jealous that students in the current intake were able to actually do it. While some of us were wandering around in the gardens, others were listening to Patricia Valiant and Barry McDonald. Patricia’s session focused on ways to encourage students to read longer texts, while Barry demonstrated some feedback techniques in order to help students notice and correct errors in their writing.The second set of sessions featured Pamela Asquith and SIG co-chairs Jeff Knowling and Phil Cozens. Pamela pointed out the importance of information literacy and gave some useful hints on how we should approach the teaching of this skill. Jeff, however, talked about the need for teachers to step aside and let their students lead. Showing trust in your students both motivates and encourages them, and often leads to more successful outcomes in the classroom. Phil encouraged the teachers in his group to complete some simple tasks and explained how he has used such tasks to provide realistic input for writing tasks.This has led to students feeling greater confidence in their own abilities to produce coherent text.Tom Le Seelleur then covered the walls with posters and discussed his Reading Champions project. All in all, the morning was a success and the LI SIG was grateful to Fujairah representative Yuri Vedrashko and SIG co-chair Virginia Robson for their assistance in organizing the event. At the conference, we were lucky enough to have Flavia Vieira from the University of Minho in Portugal as our guest speaker. Her two sessions were Volume 17
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both well received and the workshop on Saturday raised some interesting questions on the meaning of autonomy. SIG co-chairs Jeff Knowling, Amr El Zarka and Phil Cozens gave an overview of the SIG’s role and Amr gave some useful input on how the SIG could help school teachers, as well as an overview of the MAG Schools and their approach to learner independence. April 10 saw Jeff and Phil travelling down to Ras Al Khaimah, where Anna Bailey and the RAK Chapter had arranged the Men’s College as the venue for our joint event.We had a very varied event, with presenters from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Fujairah, as well as Ras Al Khaimah. SIG co-chair Virginia Robson explained how Reader Response Journals could help students become better critical readers. Jeff handed out CDs after his talk on the usefulness of Audacity, an audio application, and the many uses to which he has put the application. Ali Al Maskari, Head of Academic Studies at the ADNOC Technical Institute, discussed methods which focus on improving learners’ outcomes and how to achieve this. A project entitled “African Proverbs” which encourages students to explore cultures and value other countries was discussed by Azzeddine Bencherab. At the same time, former SIG Coordinator Darcy asked the questions, “What is autonomous learning?” and “Can it be taught?” She followed up these questions with several practical
Patricia Valiant discusses reading.
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ideas. Phil repeated his “Does It Talk?” session, aimed at offering ways that teachers could use technology with younger learners. The final set of sessions was a very different mix, with Maryam Abdullah highlighting some key elements necessary in designing student-centered projects. She also displayed some of her students’ work. Jonathan Hadley, who is currently with the School Improvement Programme in Al Ain, provided a workshop with examples of learner-centered activities for improving speaking and reading skills, as well as vocabulary acquisition. We also had a linkup with Vance Stevens and Jim Buckingham, who
were presenting for the Abu Dhabi Chapter at Zayed University on “Thinking SMALL: The Use of Social Media for Promoting Personal Learning Networks Throughout the Region and Beyond.” They were joined by SIG Coordinator Heather Baba, from her home in Abu Dhabi, TESOL Arabia Webmaster Ismail Fayed in Al Ain, and Buthaina, a webhead from Kuwait. The session, which was recorded, showed that it is possible for a single presentation to be shared by several different groups. The final session for this year was another Research Morning held on May 8 in Abu Dhabi.
TESOL Arabia’s Leadership and Management SIG: A Great Inaugural Year! Christine Coombe TESOL Arabia’s Leadership and Management SIG ended its inaugural year on a very high note with the 2nd Annual Teacher Leadership Academy (TLA), which took place at Dubai Men’s College on May 20. Prior to the TLA, the LM SIG offered two days of focused professional development on teacher effectiveness for 100 area teachers on May 18 and 19. Plenary speakers for the TLA included Neil Anderson, Nancy Hubley, Christine Sabieh and Christina Gitsaki. A number of locally based experts also presented sessions on aspects related to leadership and management issues.
In addition to professional development sessions, we have expanded the scope of our activities to include an online course in "Leadership in English Language Teaching and Learning." At present, 60 teachers are taking the third module in the five-module course. Once our pilot group graduates, we hope to open this course up to our membership at large.
In addition to the TLA, we also conducted smaller leadership events in collaboration with the RAK and Abu Dhabi chapters of TESOL Arabia. Another very popular event, held on November 20, was a half-day workshop on public speaking offered by Mark Hunter, the 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking. The LM SIG was well represented at the annual TESOL Arabia Conference in March. Many thanks to Christine Coombe and Phil Quirke for delivering the LM SIG featured session on developing professional development portfolios.
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Mark Hunter checks out the DMC auditorium before his half-day workshop.
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The LM SIG has also launched a call for papers for a new TESOL Arabia publication tentatively titled Leadership and Management in ELT. This volume will be edited by Christine Coombe, Lauren Stephenson and Sufian Abu Rmaileh. If you are interested in submitting an article, please contact one of the editors.
to do an event in Dhaka, Bangladesh, sometime during the fall of 2010. If you have an idea for a session or are interested in being a part of this volunteer initiative, please contact Christine Coombe at christine.coombe@hct.ac.ae or Phil Quirke at phil.quirke@hct.ac.ae.
Finally, the LM SIG is keen to engage in more voluntary efforts worldwide. To this end, we are putting together a series of workshops that can be conducted in half-, one- or two-day formats similar to the TAE SIG’s Fundamentals of Language Assessment conferences. We have received a request
LM SIG Committee:
Christine Coombe & Phil Quirke, Co-chairs Craig Ivory, Events Steve Allison, Treasurer Hilal Onat, Secretary
Read SIG Report Tom Le Seeleur Following the success of the article “The Need to Read,” which was published in the Gulf News Friday Magazine in January, the Read SIG organization has grown from strength to strength. We now have a new member of the team, Fairlie Atkinson, who will be our webmaster, and we are working on opening our new wiki website which will provide members the opportunity to share our successes, initiatives, projects and ideas. It will become the definitive site for the UAE. We already boast the best proofreader in the Middle East, namely Nick Moore, who hails from Khalifa University of Science and Technology (KUSTAR), Sharjah, and our treasurer Gill Knight keeps us in “cheque”! Read SIG was able to go to Dubai, Fujairah and Abu Dhabi in February to promote its good name in chapter meetings. We are attempting to get to as many emirates as possible and we aim to visit every one by the end of the year. Our first magazine, called READ, was published just in time for the TESOL Arabia Conference. We were so lucky to get so many talented writers to contribute to the magazine, and I apologize to those of you who sent in articles that did not make it to the final issue. I would like to thank in particular Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Isobel Abduloul, Clair Hattle, Peter Viney, Natalie Le Seelleur, Jo Kennedy,
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The inaugural issue of READ magazine.
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Peter Waters, Magda Khalifa, Nick Bullard, Jessica March, Lina Hejjawi, Fairlie Atkinson, Margaret Smallpeice, Alicia Salaz, Sarah Peoples Perry, James Schofield, Sadia Khan and Caroline Brandt for their articles. I will try to make sure that we publish you all in our next issue in October.
campaign. Please contact Tom Le Seelleur at readingchampions@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to join our team. We need to establish Reading Leaders in all the emirates, in every city and at both male and female schools to ensure that this campaign is truly national. We need people in all schools, publishers, colleges, universities, libraries, community centres, businesses and nurseries.
Read SIG was able to make two presentations at the conference and they were well attended. We also introduced our guest speaker, Peter Viney. On March 17, Read SIG supported a workshop hosted by KUSTAR, Sharjah and sponsored by the British Council, Black Cat publishers and Al Mutanaabi Bookshop. Rob Hill gave a heart-warming presentation with prizes galore which was attended by 85 keen educators. Read SIG was next at the Higher Colleges of Technology’s It’s All in The Words Conference at the Centre of Excellence on April 6. We were in Madinet Zayed on May 1 for the Western Region Mini-Conference.
The new Read SIG Wikiread website with ideas, events, advice and resources, as well as Read magazine will be used to highlight achievements, share successes and demonstrate the variety and depth of reading projects, schemes, initiatives and activities happening throughout the UAE. The pooling of ideas and resources, and the ability to publicize and advertise our triumphs is essential. Everyone needs to know that the UAE is reading. The Power of One be with you.
We must not forget to mention our members. We have a growing number of Reading Leaders in cities and schools, but we need more. Once we have our wiki site operational, we will be able to keep in contact and really start our Power of One
Read SIG Team:
Tom Le Seelleur: Chair Nick Moore: Co-Editor Gillian Knight: Treasurer Fairlie Atkinson: Webmaster
Western Region Mini-Conference Report Mohamed Azaza The 4th Annual TESOL Arabia Western Region Mini-Conference, the largest professional development program in the Western Region, was held on May 1, 2010, at Al Emirat School for Basic Education in Madinat Zayed. The Mini-Conference was a joint event organized by TESOL Arabia Western Region Chapter and the Read SIG. The Mini-Conference was well-attended as 110 teachers and students came from all over the Western Region including Madinat Zayed, Al Mirfaa, Liwa, Silaa, Delma, and Ghayathi, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and even Sharjah. Apart from the six workshops, student corners were also organized during the MiniConference by Higher Colleges of Technology
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(HCT) Madinat Zayed College and five local schools, Amrah Bint Abderahman Secondary School, Qatr Alnada Secondary School, Al Emarat School for Basic Education, Oqbah Ibn Nafeh Primary School and Al Areej Nursery School. The student corners added spice to the conference and gave students the opportunity to display their creative work and projects. On arrival, TESOL Arabia members were warmly welcomed by the school principal and the English staff. Mohamed Azaza, the Western Region Representative, started by welcoming the attendees and thanking Al Emarat School for hosting the event and for being so hospitable. Then, Dr Sufian Abu
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Rmeilah, TESOL Arabia President, gave a short address, in which he thanked Khalfan Al Mansuri, the Director of the Western Education Zone, for supporting and sponsoring TESOL Arabia events in the Western Region. Dr Sufian also urged teachers to join TESOL Arabia, and talked about the various professional development activities and benefits such as the chapter and SIG events, TESOL Arabia International Conference, Perspectives, the Travel Grant and the Study Grant, which are accessible to all TESOL Arabia members. As the day progressed, tea and coffee were served and teachers had the opportunity to have a look at the student corners and the publishers’ displays from Pearson Education and Oxford University Press. Moreover, during the Mini-Conference, the Read SIG’s Chair Tom Le Seelleur distributed the Read SIG magazine, bags, leaflets and posters provided by the British Council to the attendees. We had six well-attended workshops. Unfortunately, Hayet Amdouni was not able to present but Tom Le Seelleur volunteered to replace her and gave a session on creating a reading culture in the UAE through the Read SIG. Le Seelleur’s second workshop, “Getting K-12 to Read Independently,” generated initiatives and practical teaching ideas on engaging students to read.
Dr Sufian Abu Rmeilah, TESOL Arabia President, was among the presenters.
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interesting. Lively discussion then ensued as to problems participants were currently facing regarding the application of Western models of TESOL Education in the Arab World. Dr Phil Quirke, Director of the HCT Madinat Zayed College, presented on “Building a Professional Portfolio for Teachers.” He discussed the intrinsic benefits of developing a teaching portfolio, suggested possible content to include and provided tips for building and organizing the portfolio. Lesley Davies and Ruqaia Mohammed’s presentation entitled “Stepping Off the Ledge: Our Experience as a Part of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Project Over Three Years” followed the evolution of the teachers of Al Emarat Girls’ School for Basic Education through three years with the Abu Dhabi Educational Council (ADEC) PPP project. The presenters shared their initial reactions and concerns, as well as special projects and new ideas that grew out of their involvement with the PPP project. Finally, Azaza’s presentation explored the use of multisensory approaches in teaching reading. This included the use of reading techniques such as visualization, which the presenter had used in his reading classes to help struggling learners become more competent readers.
Students’ projects were on display.
Dr Sufian’s debate “Do Western Models of TESOL Education Have a Place in the Gulf,” which attracted an audience of 50 teachers, was very
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Finally, we would like to thank Al Emirat School, the Western Education Zone, and the Read SIG for making this event so successful. Thanks are also due to the presenters and to the participating schools for their distinguished contributions. TESOL Arabia Perspectives
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TAE SIG Update Christine Coombe and Peter Davidson, Co-chairs
Looking back on the TAE SIG’s activities for the 2009-10 academic year, it has been a very productive year. We began the year by publishing the 2nd edition of the Fundamentals of Language Assessment: A Practical Guide for Teachers. Edited by Christine Coombe, Peter Davidson and Dwight Lloyd, this volume features articles by a mix of international experts (Hossein Farhady, JD Brown, Steve Stoynoff, John Read) and locally-based assessment specialists (Christine Coombe, Peter Davidson, Lisa Barlow, Mashael Al Hamly, Wayne Jones, and Atta Gebril). This 270- page volume is divided into 5 parts (key principles in language testing, assessing the four skills, assessing language, additional assessments, and appendices which include an annotated bibliography and a glossary of testing terms) and includes 22 chapters. The volume is selling very well so get your copy before it sells out.
theme of CTELT 13 was “Teacher Development in Language Assessment.” Plenary speakers included Christa Hansen from Georgetown University, Ahmad Al-Issa from the American University of Sharjah, and Ramin Akbari from Tarbiat Modares University in Iran. CTELT 13 drew approximately 400 teachers and testers from around the region.
HE Shaikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan arrives to open CTELT 13.
Christine Coombe, Beth Wiens and DMC Student Organizers at CTELT 2009.
Our first major event of the year was the 13th Annual Current Trends in English Language Testing Conference (CTELT), which took place at Dubai Men’s College on November 18-20, 2009. The
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Our Fundamentals of Language Assessment Conferences continue to be a very successful TAE SIG initiative. Two FLAs were held in the Fall 2009 semester (Dhaka, Bangladesh and Kiev, Ukraine) and one took place during the Spring 2010 semester (Guatemala City, Guatemala). We already have several invitations for the next academic year from Georgia and Peru. Our next FLA events are scheduled to take place during the summer holidays in Ukraine, Nicaragua and El Salvador. We are able to organize these FLAs with the help of a TOEFL Board Grant from Educational Testing Services. For a schedule of TAE SIG events and FLA conferences to be held in the UAE, consult the TESOL Arabia website http://tesolarabia.org.
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TESOL Arabia Special Interest Groups ESP SIG Chair
ESP SIG Co-Chairs Saad Rabia General Manager SPT (Saad for Professional Training) 02 644 0339 (office) esptesolarabia@gmail.com
Fathi Bin Mohamed ADNOC Technical Institute 02 602 2832 (office) fmohamed3@adnoc.ae
Naamat Saadi Hezber ILC (Independent Learning Center) Director of ILC 04 289 4150 (office) naamat99@hotmail.com
Leadership and Management SIG Co-Chairs Christine Coombe Dubai Men’s College Higher Colleges of Technology PO Box 15825, Dubai, UAE 050 619 4796 (mobile) christine.coombe@hct.ac.ae christinecoombe@hotmail.com
Dr. Phil Quirke Madinat Zayed & Ruwais Colleges Higher Colleges of Technology 050 813 3148 (mobile) pquirke@hct.ac.ae
Learner Independence SIG Team c/o Virginia Robson Fujairah Women’s College PO Box 1626, Fujairah, UAE E-mail: tailearn@yahoo.com Website: http://ilearn.20m.com Independent Learning Forum: http://groups.google.com/group/ilearn2
Virginia Robson
Distance Learning Support: http://groups.google.com/group/distancelearningissues Distance Learning Wiki: http://tailearn.pbworks.com/ Study Skills Wiki: http://ilearnstudyskills.pbworks.com/ E-newsletter: http://ilearn.20m.com/newsletter/index.htm Moodle: http://learnerindependence.info Facebook Group: Learner Autonomy and iLearn
Amr El Zarka
Sandra Zaher
Testing, Assessment, & Evaluation SIG Co-Chairs Christine Coombe Dubai Men’s College Higher Colleges of Technology PO Box 15825, Dubai, UAE 050 619 4796 (mobile) christine.coombe@hct.ac.ae christinecoombe@hotmail.com
Young Learners SIG Team
Peter Davidson Zayed University PO Box 19282 Dubai, UAE 04 402 1387 (off) 050 843 8782 (mobile) peter.davidson@zu.ac.ae
Read SIG Chair Tom Le Seelleur KUSTAR P.O. Box 573 Sharjah, UAE 050 681 9936 (mobile) readingchampionsuae@ yahoo.co.uk
Dr Fiodhna Gardiner-Hyland: Chair Susan Herfort: Treasurer/Networking Sayed Ahmed:Events Organizer tarabiayl@gmail.com
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Literature SIG Team Wessam Fathi: Treasurer Negmeldin Alsheikh: Administrator Hala El Miniawi: Events Organizer tarabialit@gmail.com
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Abu Dhabi Chapter Report Ahmed Saadawi
Variety & Joint Events On October 31, Abu Dhabi Chapter organized its first event this year, which for the first time was hosted by Zayed University Women’s Campus. Many thanks to Denise Boyd for all her help and efforts to make the hosting and organization of this event a remarkable success. Presenters at the event were Mouna Abu Assali, Hassan Mustafa, Hassan Belhiah, Josephine O’Brien, Barbara Braun and Hassan Hawash On November 14, the LI-SIG and AD Chapter coorganized the first student-centered morning of workshops in Abu Dhabi. It was held at Fatima College of Health Sciences.The title of the event was “Voices From the Other Side of the Desk” and the presentations were of interest to AD members of TESOL Arabia because all presenters were students coming from different streams of the educational scene in Abu Dhabi. Sandra Oddy and Les Kirkham were there to take new memberships and renew expired ones.
variety of PD events to meet members’ needs and fields of interests. Accordingly, the third event, coorganized with the ESP-SIG, was hosted by Emirates College for Advanced Education (ECAE) on December 12. In the second semester, we organized two events: at Abu Dhabi Women’s College on February 13 and Zayed University Men’s Campus on April 10.The former was the first event in Abu Dhabi with the newly established Leadership and Management SIG. In total, these five events offered 24 workshops and presentations for our members.
Thank You, Phil The last event, another Independent Learning Research Morning, was co-organized with Phil Cozens and the wonderful LI-SIG team on May 8. The presenters gave eight presentations for participants interested in independent learning.We would like to take this opportunity to thank Phil Cozens, who is leaving the UAE this summer, for his sincere efforts to serve Abu Dhabi membership through effective co-organization of local events with the Abu Dhabi Chapter.
We Need You
Fatima College of Health Sciences teachers, workers and administrative staff helped us to their best. Much appreciated!
Abu Dhabi Chapter is keen on exploring new means to reach new members and on offering a
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As usual, we would like to invite both members and first-timers to come along to chapter events. Events generally offer a choice of six presentations, and run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Prior to events, we will e-mail presentation descriptions, so if you are not on our mailing list and would like to be added, please contact us at a_saadawi@yahoo.com. All Abu Dhabi Chapter events are free for members, and non-members need to pay only 40 dhs.We need YOU to help us provide professional development for your fellow-teachers as well! If you would like to present an idea, lead a workshop, or facilitate a discussion at one of our events, please contact Dr Ahmed Saadawi.
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Eastern Region Chapter Report Yurii Vedrashko
The Eastern Region Chapter hosted PD sessions organized by the Learner Independence SIG at Fujairah Women’s College on February 20. Virginia Robson of LI SIG secured the presenters and scheduled the presentations. Jeff Knowling and Phil Cozens of LI SIG from Abu Dhabi presented their ideas for creating a more learner-centered environment. Jeff shared his experience of stepping aside and letting his students lead the learning process. Phil emphasized the value of simple experiments as the gateway to scientific report writing for low-ability students and offered his insights into task-driven learning. Tom Le Seelleur from Sharjah focused on creating conditions for changing English learners’ attitudes to pleasure reading.
Barry McDonald’s session was on effective feedback.
teaching practice. The nature and purposes of information literacy were discussed by Pamella Asquith, a librarian from Fujairah Men’s College. The organizing team of the TESOL Arabia Eastern Region Chapter appreciates all the efforts that LI SIG and all individual presenters put in to make this event interesting. We would also like to thank all English teachers who participated in this PD event for their interest. Many thanks to the supervisors from the Ministry of Education, Mohammad Samarah from Khor Fakkan and Mohammad Talat Albalkhi from Fujairah, who helped organize this event.
Joseph Viker showed participants his Garden Project.
In addition to the presentations from the LI SIG, Higher Colleges of Technology Fujairah Women’s College faculty gave presentations. Joseph Viker presented his Garden Project and the pedagogical rationale behind it. Barry McDonald shared his practices of getting students to notice their personal errors in writing and oral assignments, along with formats for giving students feedback. Patricia Valiant focused on reciprocal reading skills in her
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Phil Cozen presented on the value of experimentation in scientific report writing.
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Sharjah Chapter Report Mona El Samaty
We had our third joint event with the Leadership and Management SIG on February 20. It was entitled “Paving the Way for the Future of EFL.” Although we were not expecting many attendees to be interested in leadership, a field the importance of which is still unfortunately undervalued by many educators, we gladly received more than 30 participants at five presentations. In the first session, SIG Co-chair Christine Coombe, from Dubai Men’s College, gave a wellreceived presentation on “Recharging Your Professional Battery,” in which she discussed the challenges one faces in life. She showed participants how to create a professional climate whereby one is capable of giving his or her best while also getting the most out of life. She showed attendees how to create a work-life balance and how to write SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely) goals. In the next-door lab, Scott Rousseu from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) presented on “Time Management Skills for Busy Educators,” a pressing issue nowadays. He showed attendees simple time management strategies that would enable participants to take back control of their time and increase their productivity. In the second session, Hanaa Al Sadi and Samah Elshal from Madares Al Ghad (MAG) schools talked about “Positive Behavior Management Policy.” These policies enable teachers and administrators to handle disruptive behavior and minimize effects on students. They also showed forms and charts for documenting and tracking student behavior that could be helpful in parent-teacher conferences. In the third session, Hala El Miniawi from Al Talaa School enquired whether “To Lead or to Be Led, That’s the Question.” She postulated that words can change attitudes, which in turn can change the world. In her presentation, she described the type of leader we need today and discussed good
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performance management. Finally, in her presentation entitled “Leadership in Islam and Education Management,” Samah Elshal probed into the sources and principles of Islamic leadership, and showed the differences between transactional and transformational leadership. She also enumerated the characteristics pertaining to a leader in Islam. Our fourth event entitled, “Theory and Practice in EFL,” held on March 20, was also successful. We had five presenters and approximately 30 attendees. First, Suhair Al Alami from Al Ghurair University talked about “Literature in EFL Contexts: Proposed Suggestions for Teaching.” She explained how utilizing literary texts can promote students’ communicative competence and enhance their critical thinking skills. Concurrently, Mary Anne John from AUS presented on “How to Teach Summaries.” She showed how she teaches features of summaries to students, and how ideas can be linked to make summaries compact. In the following session, Hala El Miniawi’s presentation, “Pros and Cons of Group Work Activity” dealt with issues of grouping students, teamwork, roles played within the group, and work activities. Concurrently, Mohammed Amir Samimi’s presentation, “Bilingualism or Semi-lingualism? EFL or ELF? Students’ Attitudes on Language Learning,” revealed the dilemma in the UAE of having English as the de facto lingua franca and Arabic as the country’s official language. Samimi, from the University of Sharjah (UoS), enquired about the status of Arabic, and whether it has become endangered, and also whether our students are really bilingual. Finally, in the last session, Mohammed Sami Shublaq talked about “The Use of L1 in the Classroom.” He explained the advantages and disadvantages of the use of L1 in the classroom, using premises from two scholars: Atkinson, who is in favor of using L1, and Harbord, who seeks alternative techniques using the target language.
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Their continuous presence and participation in our Chapter events make them very successful. We would also like to thank Christine Coombe, the Leadership and Management SIG co-chair, and a great presenter, for our joint event with the SIG. Thanks also go to Halina Campa, the Chapter secretary, for her tireless hard work, artistic creativity and brilliant ideas. Thanks are extended to Ed Carlstedt, our treasurer, for providing snacks, and also to Norbert and Iqbal who have helped us by setting up the tables, having snacks ready during breaks, and carrying TESOL Arabia books for display. We would also like to thank all the volunteers who help us out throughout the day. Hala El Miniawi’s presentation, “Pros and Cons of Group Work Activity” in March.
Our fifth event for the year was only two weeks after the fourth one. It was entitled “Celebrating Variety in the EFL Profession” and was held on April 3, 2010. We had three presenters and 25 attendees. Halina Campa, our Sharjah Chapter secretary from AUS, first showed how to prompt students to write “Response Journals Through Music.” She used music as a prompt in three different ways to help students discover their power as writers. Next, Amal Thabit from UoS gave a presentation on “L1 Interference and How It Affects Second Language Learning.” She presented samples of student writing highlighting frequent errors, and provided a thorough analysis of the sources of these errors. Finally, David Jeffrey from AUS gave a very interesting presentation with the captivating title, “A Teacher Diary Study to Apply Ancient Art of War Strategies to Professional Development.” He believes that the “battleground” for educators is one where the best skills are negotiation, conflict resolution and problem solving, but not confrontation. Since a core principle of the Art of War is candid selfknowledge, undertaking a teacher’s diary based on the Art of War is very helpful. Our sixth and last event for this academic year was on May 8, where we had six presenters. With the end of our events for this year, we would like to express our gratitude to all those who made them possible. First, we would like to thank our presenters for their tremendous efforts, and their willingness to share their educational experiences and new ideas.
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David Jeffrey at his Teacher Diary presentation in April.
We would like to express our gratitude to the publishers, Macmillan, McGraw Hill, Cambridge University Press, and Gulf Education, who ceaselessly attend our events and display their latest editions of teaching materials such as dictionaries. They also generously give us books for our end-of-event raffles. We appreciate their attendance and support. Last but not least, we are indebted to our great participants, without whom our events would not exist. They not only bring interesting discussions to the presentations, but also try out tips in their classes and share the outcomes with everyone, and engage in fruitful networking. Finally, we wish you all a great summer vacation. We are all looking forward to meeting with you again next year.
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Chapter Reports
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RAK Chapter Report Anna Bailey
Ras Al Khaimah was once again flooded with the winds of revitalization as the RAK Chapter hosted a joint event with the Learner Independence SIG, “Learning for Learning: A Morning of Workshops” on April 10. Participants were pleased to see many of their favorite presenters, as well as a few fresh faces at presentations throughout the morning. The event opened with registration, refreshments and networking. The TESOL Publications booth did some brisk business prior to the concurrent events and it was very pleasing to see participants sharing a word with presenters prior to the workshops. The event began with three very different workshops. Virginia Robson introduced her Reader Response Journals and described several different approaches that work at every level. She demonstrated her successful use of these tools and discussed with participants the different methods she has used. Concurrently, Ali Al Maskari gave a very popular presentation entitled “Learning Culture That Embraces Students’ Learning Outcomes.” This well-attended presentation covered many aspects of cultural and pedagogical change in order to improve students’ learning outcomes. Finally, Jeff Knowling introduced “Audacity Software Use by Teachers and Students.” Participants walked away with a better understanding of how they could use the software in their classes. The second round of workshops also spanned a vast body of information. Phil Cozens introduced several easy-to-create online activities that teachers were really excited about in his workshop “Does It Talk.” Azzeddine Bencherab described how a project entitled African Proverbs was initiated and implemented in his Department of English to promote a collection of African proverbs in his workshop “Promoting Learner Autonomy Through Project Work.” Several participants were heard discussing this presentation long after they left.
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Finally, Darcy Harris gave a very interactive workshop entitled “Whose Responsibility Is Learning?” Darcy demonstrated how teachers can inspire, or perhaps re-inspire, students to selfmotivate. The foundation for her approach was an idiom she used during her workshop: “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” Every participant in this valuable presentation left with a feeling of revitalization and a desire to return to the classroom to use her suggestions.
Ali Al Maskari !!!
The final round of workshops began with Maryam Abdullah’s “Fostering Independent Learning Through Projects and Activities.” Her learning projects, which included several different approaches such as poster projects, were fantastic. She focused on the key elements necessary in designing studentcentered projects and activities that promote learner independence. Jonathan Hadley’s workshop “It’s All About You: Activities That Put the Learner First” provided some examples of activities for improving speaking and reading skills as well as vocabulary acquisition, in which the learner takes charge of the learning situation. Participants walked away well stocked with activities, ideas and discussing what
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Chapter Reports
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revolutionary workshop “Thinking SMALL: Realizing Ongoing Professional Development Through Grassroots Social Networking in the UAE.� This presentation was simulcast in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah with participants from local schools mingling via the internet with participants from Abu Dhabi schools. This webcast and streamed presentation allowed for multiple discussions that moved from the realm of ongoing professional development into social networking within course settings. Thanks to all of the participants; it was a fantastic event and a successful demonstration of the principals of Learner Independence. We look forward to future events.
Jeff Knowling !!!!
they had learned. Finally Phil Cozens, Jim Buckingham, and Vance Stevens held the
Chapter Represenatives
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TESOL Arabia Chapter Representatives Abu Dhabi Representative Ahmed Saadawi IAT PreCORE Program Khalifa University of Science, Technology & Research (KUSTAR) PO Box 127733, Abu Dhabi, UAE 02 444 3763 (office), 02 444 5143 (fax) 050 771-7255 (mobile) a_saadawi@yahoo.com
Al Ain Representative Mouhamad Mouhanna 055 959-2547 (mobile) mmouhanna@gmail.com
Sharjah Representative Mona El Samaty University of Sharjah College of Arts English Department P. O. Box 27272, Sharjah, UAE 06 505 3349 (office) monaelsamaty@gmail.com
Dubai Representative Rehab Rejab Institute of Applied Technology PO Box 124354 Dubai, United Arab Emirates 050 637 5957 (mobile) rehabrajab@yahoo.com
RAK Representative Anna Bailey Ras Al Khaimah Women’s College Higher Colleges of Technology PO Box 4792, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE 07 202 5230 (office) anna.bailey@hct.ac.ae, rakrep@yahoo.co.uk
Eastern Region Representative Yurii Vedrashko Fujairah Women's College Higher Colleges of Technology PO Box 1626, Fujairah,UAE 050 193 9805 (mobile) yvedrashko@hct.ac.ae
Western Region Representative Mohammad Azaza Zayed Al-Khair Model School PO Box 57657, Zayed Town, UAE 02 884 4453 (office), 02 884 4478 (fax ), 050 780 3988 (mobile) amelki22@yahoo.com
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Guidelines for Contributors
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Guidelines for Contributors Perspectives. Please contact Dr Cindy Gunn, the Reviews Editor, at cgunn@aus.edu.
General Editorial Policies TESOL Arabia Perspectives is the official publication of TESOL Arabia, designed to meet the organization’s professional objectives by publishing articles that discuss the teaching and learning of English as an additional language at all levels and with a particular focus on the region (the Gulf, Middle East, North Africa and South Asia). TESOL Arabia Perspectives invites previously unpublished manuscripts that address the diverse topics that make up our profession, including, but not limited to, methodology, pedagogy, curriculum and materials development, assessment, classroom inquiry and research, teacher education and language and culture.
Emerging Technologies This section will document short articles of about 5001000 words that provide overviews of educational technologies, their utilities and incorporation into practice. This could include software, hardware, and web-based resources.
Networking
Submission Categories & Guidelines Feature Articles Features should generally be between 2000-3000 words in length, and address educational issues (theory leading to practice) relevant to the membership. The articles can document a critical survey of a particular aspect of the field, detail and analyze pedagogical issues, describe and discuss research findings, or highlight contextual factors and their implications for educational practice. All submissions should be thought through, organized, and clearly written. APA style format will be strictly adhered to regarding referencing. Submissions must be in Times New Roman, font size 12, double spaced. Submissions not meeting APA standards will not be reviewed. Every feature article will go through a review process where the reviewers consider how well it:
discusses issues that seek to inform practice; contributes to the knowledge base for teaching and teacher education in general, and in the region in particular; addresses educational issues and needs of ELT in the region; identifies an educational research agenda.
This section will feature conference and country reports. Reports will range between 250-1000 words. Conference reports should provide the readers with a good overview of the conference in question as well as some personal insights of how it impacted the author. Country reports can provide a glimpse of professional activities, concerns and projects in the Photos with captions must accompany the submission.
Reader’s Response Reader’s Response gives the readers a forum to respond to articles published in previous issues. Responses should focus on the content of an article and provide reasoned feedback. Responses should be between 500 – 1000 words.
Lesson Ideas Do you have a great lesson idea or an activity that others should know about? Lesson Ideas offers teachers the opportunity to share their activities in context. Submissions should be between 500-1000 words and detail the activity as well as provide a context for usage.
Photographs and other images In order to avoid poor quality images, please submit the largest size and best resolution images you have. This should be at least 300 dpi and saved as a tiff, eps, or jpeg (in order of preference). Headshots and brief bios including the author's current professional affiliation must accompany all submissions.
Reviews
Send your submissions to:
Reviews should evaluate any recent textbook, resource book, CD/DVD and audio or video title. Reviews should be 500–1000 words in length and evaluate materials for their approach, content, appropriateness, adaptability, and relevancy. A list of materials received for review will be made available periodically in
Melanie Gobert & Rebecca Woll TESOL Arabia Perspectives Co-editors Melanie.gobert@hct.ac.ae Rebecca.woll@hct.ac.ae
TESOL Arabia Perspectives is published three times a year: November, January and June
Deadline for next issue: September 30, 2010 Volume 17
No. 2
June 2010
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Executive Council
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TESOL Arabia Executive Council President
Past President
Sufian Abu Rmaileh UAE University - UGRU PO Box 17172 Al Ain, UAE 03 706 4562 (res) 050 713 1803 (mobile) sabu-rmaileh@uaeu.ac.ae
Josephine “Jo” Kennedy Abu Dhabi Men's College (HCT) PO Box 25035 Abu Dhabi, UAE 02 404 8312 (office), 02 681 0026 (res) 050 317 7062 (mobile) josephine.kennedy@hct.ac.ae
Executive Secretary
Executive Treasurer
James McDonald Academic Bridge Program Zayed University Dubai, UAE 04 402 1371 (office) james.mcdonald@zu.ac.ae
Deborah Wilson American University of Sharjah PO Box 26666 Sharjah, UAE 06 515 2644 (office) deborahewilson@gmail.com
Membership Secretary / Vice President
Conference Treasurer
Les Kirkham c/o Al Ain Women’s College Higher College of Technology PO Box 17258, Al Ain, UAE leskirkham@gmail.com
Beth Wiens Zayed University PO Box 19282, Dubai, UAE 04 402 1350 (office) 04 402 1003 (fax) 050 4620566 (mobile) beth.wiens@zu.ac.ae
Conference Co-Chair
Member at Large
Sufian Abu Rmaileh UAE University - UGRU PO Box 17172 Al Ain, UAE 03 706 4562 (res) 050 713 1803 (mobile) sabu-rmaileh@uaeu.ac.ae
Sandra Oddy Al Ain Women's College Higher Colleges of Technology P.O. Box 17258 Al Ain, UAE 03 709 5319 (office) Sandra.Oddy@hct.ac.ae
Co-Editors - Perspectives Rebecca Woll Abu Dhabi Men's College Higher Colleges of Technology P.O. Box 25035 Abu Dhabi, UAE rwoll@hct.ac.ae
Melanie Gobert Abu Dhabi Men's College-CERT Higher Colleges of Technology P.O. Box 25035 Abu Dhabi, UAE mgobert@hct.ac.ae
SIG Coordinator
Conference Proceedings Editor / Conference Co-Chair
Heather Maria Baba Abu Dhabi Men's College Higher Colleges of Technology P.O. Box 25035 Abu Dhabi, UAE tasigscoord@yahoo.co.uk
Mashael Al-Hamly Dept. of English Language and Literature Faculty of Arts Kuwait University Kuwait mashael2@hotmail.com
Publications Coordinator
Web Master
Mashael Al-Hamly Dept. of English Language and Literature Faculty of Arts Kuwait University Kuwait mashael2@hotmail.com
Ismail Fayed Institute of Applied Technology P.O. Box 66866 Al Ain admin@tesolarabia.org
Volume 17
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