English as an International Language: a Video Lecture by Prof.Farzad Sharifian

Teaching English in the changing world is getting more challenging since what we were taught yesterday may be no longer applicable in today's situation. Teacher education needs to focus on the role of English in a particular context. To prepare student teachers for their career, this lecture gives an insight into the role of English as an International Language.

http://youtu.be/VZ9bYHzM8NE

Read More

http://www.multilingual-education.com/content/3/1/7

Blended Language Learning: A Solution to Problems in ELL in the Thai Tertiary Context by Dr. Thitirat Suwannasom and Nancy Guigue Catane.
Information communication technology (ICT) is been using in classroom and seems to make classroom teaching and learning fun and relaxing. The use of ICT in English language teaching (ELT) can be in the form of websites, YouTube, social networking—Facebook (FB), Bebo, MySpace, Blogs, Twitter, Email, chat, etc. One of the obvious examples is Facebook, which provides classroom integration and communication, sharing learning resources for English language learning (ELL), practicing the target language, access to teachers’ and peers’ support anytime, etc. Positive feedbacks from students are found. For example, when they forget the lessons, they can check the FB wall and learn about the lessons. They read their classmates’ comments and think about their own comments on the wall. In addition, they have a chance to improve grammatical skills and have more self confidence to use English with foreigners. YouTube is another tool to provide a public-access online video-sharing site. It is content-based learning, and regarded as an authentic resource. Students can practice their listening comprehension. Teachers can have students to do some activities and then upload them on YouTube link. For example, students prepare food and describe how to do it step-by-step. After they upload the VDO clips, other students can make comments or give feedback on them. In short, blended language learning through ICT is very convenient, promotes independent learning styles, and paves the way for having positive attitudes in language learning.

การนำ Information communication technology (ICT) มาใช้ในการเรียนการสอนช่วยให้การเรียนการสอนสนุกสนานและผ่อนคลาย โดยอาศัยเครื่องมือจากเว็บไซต์ต่าง ๆ YouTube หรือ social networking ได้แก่ Facebook Bebo, MySpace, Blogs, Twitter, Email, chat ฯลฯ ตัวอย่างที่เห็นได้อย่างชัดเจน ได้แก่ การใช้ เฟสบุ๊ค (Facebook) เป็นช่องทางในการติดต่อสื่อสาร แลกเปลี่ยนเรียนรู้ของสมาชิกในชั้นเรียน ทาให้ผู้เรียนสามารถฝึกภาษาเป้าหมาย เช่น การเรียนภาษาอังกฤษ (ELL) ได้เป็นอย่างดี เพราะนักเรียนสามารถทบทวน ตรวจสอบ เนื้อหาของบทเรียนที่ได้เรียนไปแล้วในชั้นเรียนจากกระดานเฟสบุ๊ค ทั้งยังสามารถอ่านความคิดเห็นของเพื่อนร่วมชั้นและของตัวเองบนกระดาน ทาให้นักเรียนมีโอกาสพัฒนาทักษะการใช้ภาษาอังกฤษ นอกจากเฟสบุ๊คแล้ว เราสามารถใช้วิดีโอออนไลน์ในยูทูบ (YouTube) ช่วยฝึกทักษะการฟังภาษาอังกฤษให้แก่นักเรียนได้ ทั้งยังสามารถอัพโหลดกิจกรรมที่ให้นักเรียนทาขึ้น YouTube ด้วย ทาให้นักเรียนคนอื่นๆ สามารถแสดงความคิดเห็น วิพากษ์วิจารณ์ผ่านช่องทางยูทูบนี้ได้ จากตัวอย่างที่กล่าวมาข้างต้น จะเห็นว่า การเรียนภาษาแบบผสมโดยใช้ ICT นอกจากจะทาให้ผู้สอนมีความสะดวกสบายมากขึ้นแล้ว ยังทำให้ผู้เรียนรู้สึกอิสระในการเรียนรู้ซึ่งนาไปสู่การมีเจตคติที่ดีต่อการเรียนภาษา

Selected articles for the study of Thai EFL instruction

These articles and research papers from Thai EFL contexts are worth reading. They provide a comprehensive background of English education in Thailand. This collection may focus on tertiary level and technology-mediated instruction because of the relevance to my research interests.


1. Rajabhat and traditional universities: institutional differences in Thai students’ perceptions of English
http://www.springerlink.com/content/h7177rg52v6740x3/fulltext.html

2. Internet Based Learning with ESL
http://www.earthportals.com/Portal_Messenger/thaitesol.html

3. Should culture be an overt component of EFL instruction outside of English speaking countries? The Thai context
http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/dec_03_sub.wb.php

4. The effectiveness of web-based instruction: A case study of web-based instruction for a foundation English course at one Rajabhat Institute in Thailand.
http://faculty.ksu.edu.sa/aljarf/Documents/ClaSic%20Conference%202004/ anchalee.pdf

5. The use of the Internet for ELT in Thai public universities.
http://www.sc.mahidol.ac.th/sclg/sllt/internet_use.pdf

6. Becoming a teacher of English in Thailand
http://ltr.sagepub.com/content/12/4/471.refs

7. Teachers' beliefs concerning large-class English teaching at the university level.
Jimakon, P., & Singhasiri, W. (2006). Teachers' beliefs concerning large-class English
teaching at the university level. rEFLections, 9(10), 13-23.

8. Issues and trends in language testing and assessment in Thailand.
Prapphal, K. (2008). Issues and trends in language testing and assessment in Thailand. Language Testing, 25, 127-143.

9. International program for teacher education: An approach to tackling problems of English education in Thailand.
http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/apeid/ Conference/11thConferen/papers/3C3_Pattanida_Punthumasen.pdf

10. Thai university EFL learners’ oral responses to various spoken question types.
Sukanake, R., Heaton, S., Chantrupanth, D., & Rorex, P. (2003). Thai university EFL learners’ oral responses to various spoken question types. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 12, 19-32.

11. Tepsuriwong, S., & Srisunakrua, T.(2009). Degrees of Learner-centredness in Thai Tertiary English Courses. Proceedings of the 13th English in South-East Asia Conference: English and Literatures-in-English in a Globalised World. National Institute of Education, Singapore 2008. pp. 363 – 377.
http://www.ell.nie.edu.sg/esea2008/proceedings/29.Tepsuriwong%20and%20Srisunakrua_Degrees%20of%20Learner-centredness%20in%20Thai%20Tertiary%20English%20Courses.pdf

I will keep updating the list if i come across something interesting.

Actually there're many more out there but these are some papers that I found useful to my research. You may want to keep your own list.
Enjoy...

Language Teaching Online Thesis

Many people asked me where to find models of PhD thesis. Here I come across this webpage: http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/thesis.php
They are all well-written and address current issues in ELT.

Enjoy!

Challenges of technology mediated EFL teaching in blended environments

Challenges in technology mediated EFL teaching in blended classrooms.
This is a new topic that I am interested to explore more in the area of teaching EFL with ICT.
First of all I start asking myself these guiding questions:

1. What are the charactersitics of a blended language classroom? or what is it like to use ICT in language classrooms?
A review of Blended Learning by P. Sharma and B. Barrett: http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/62/4/422
Teaching languages through technology. By Gillespie
http://thejournal.com/articles/2001/04/01/teaching-college-courses-online-vs-facetoface.aspx

2. What are the differences between a pure virtual language course and a lecture classroom?
Links:
http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=%2FREC%2FREC20_02%2FS0958344008000128a.pdf&code=e2a3f64f542749475d1724b76fbc7feb


3. What are new roles and skills of online language teachers? What need to be added into existing F2F practices?
Developing the skills and techniques for online language teaching: a focus on the process
Authors: Mike Levy;Yuping Wang;Nian-Shing Chen
Link:
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a908812144

4. What could be the challenges when incorporating ICT in traditional EFL classrooms?
Links
http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/overview/strengthAndWeak.asp
http://www.learnerstogether.net/PDF/Blended-Language-Learning.pdf

P.Sharma's article: Controversies in using technology in language teaching
Why learners drop out of a blended-learning environment:
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1230792


I'm searching for answers from these previous studies and hopefully can develop a detailed outline for another piece of writing which will address issues in technology infused langauge teaching in Thai tertiary EFL contexts.

Online language teachers' maxims

Please read these articles if you are interested in investigating teachers' personal principles and practices in using technology in online language teaching:
Towards an Understanding of Attirbutes and Expertise in Distance Language Teaching
By White, Murphy, Shelly, and Baumann. 2005

Beyond Training:perspectives on teacher education
by Richards, J.C. 1998

Research on teachers' maxims
By Huang

Teacher Role in Distance language learning

These are articles I recommend for reading about teacher role in online language environment.


New Skills for New Classrooms: Training Tutors to Teach Languages Online
by Hampel and Stickler 2005

Teaching languages online: Deconstructing the myths
by Felix 2003

What Does It Take to Teach Online?
by HAUCK and STICKLER

Recently, Compton (2009) has provided a review about roles of teachers in online language teaching with as well as a proposed framework to prepare language teachers for online language teaching.
Check it out here:
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/routledg/call/2009/00000022/00000001/art00005

Training EFL teachers to respond to writing

1. Preparing teachers to respond to student writing

Dana Ferris


Abstract
Responding to student writing is one of the most challenging aspects of the writing instructor's job, and it is certainly the most time-consuming. Preparing future teachers to respond to L2 writing thus becomes an important aspect of any pre-service training course. In this paper, the author describes her own approach to training writing instructors in an MA TESOL seminar, using the “approach/response/follow-up” outline found in Ferris and Hedgock [Ferris, D. R., & Hedgcock, J. S. (2005). Teaching ESL composition: Purpose, process and practice (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates]. Additional sections describe special considerations for language-based feedback and ideas for working with in-service writing instructors.


2. Preparing writing teachers to teach the vocabulary and grammar of academic prose

Averil Coxhead, a, and Pat Byrda




These are good articles for teacher educators and EFL teachers. Helping teachers use an appropriate way to respond to students' writing is critical especially at tertiary level. Secondary teachers can adapt some of the ideas and approaches in this article in their classroom contexts. Good for a writing work shop...

Teachers say: Don't push me to use computers.

After I read this article, I came up with the above title. I suggest this to language teachers who are interested in using technology classroom.

Teacher Adoption of Technology: A Perceptual Control Theory PerspectiveJournal article by Yong Zhao, Gary A. Cziko;
Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, Vol. 9, 2001

I found it very close to what i'm trying to find out about what teachers think when they use technology. This article helps you understand yourself and your colleagues better.

There is a part in the summary and implication that is very useful for technology integration training for teachers. One recommendation is - Don't just give teachers flashy gadgets or training or impose them to any software without assessing their needs.

Enjoy!

Teaching Writing with Technology: What to consider?

THis article is very good for teachers who want to use multimedia technology in writing instruction.

Beliefs about Technology and the Preparation of English Teachers: Beginning the Conversation.
by Swenson, J., Rozema, R., Young, C. A., McGrail, E., & Whitin, P. (2005). Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education [Online serial], 5(3/4). Available: http://www.citejournal.org/vol5/iss3/languagearts/article1.cfm

I like these statements:
"Technology should not replace the writing teacher; however, teachers will need to embrace new and emerging technologies with respect t oteaching composition and coaching students' development of effective writing process and products."

As I have been realizing about the importance of using technology in writing instruction, I always look for ideas how to adopt technology in writing classroom. Reading this article comfirmed my beliefs that teachers need to change the way we teaching writing to students. Students need skills to compose in multimodal environment. Sooner or later, writing with pen and paper will become obsolete. Students really don't need to practice only five paragraph essays. They will need to practice how to embed multimedia in their composition which would definitely - make more sense in the digital world.

LOL