Challenges

EFL Teachers’ Challenges on the Usage of Online Assessment Methods (Published)

The aim of this study is to investigate the challenges that EFL teachers face while assessing their students online and to find out some solutions EFL teachers can adopt to overcome the challenges of online assessments. The study has followed the descriptive approach by investigating some previous studies that shed the light on the online assessment that done by EFL teachers. According to most of previous studies, the results of this study show that most of EFL teachers face challenges when using online assessment methods. the severity of   these challenges is the iinternet cost and connection all the studies which were investigated by the researchers have these findings. Then, comes lack of digital literacy, less motivated and discouraged students and academic dishonesty respectively. The study recommends that EFL teachers should improve their computer literacy to be able to manage computers well or to operate a basic online platform. In addition, teachers should adopt effective and interesting teaching materials and techniques to increase students’ motivation and enthusiasm for learning.

Keywords: Assessment, Challenges, EFL Teachers, Methods, online

Thesis Writing Challenges Facing Palestinian EFL Master’s Students: A Qualitative Case Study (Published)

This study probed challenges of writing thesis among Palestinian English as a foreign language (EFL) master’s students (MA). A qualitative case study was employed, and the data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The participants were eighteen MA students and ten supervisors from the department of English at the Islamic University of Gaza. The main findings identified in the study included, among others, selecting an appropriate research topic, limited research and methodology training, linguistic and academic writing inadequacies, insufficient feedback from supervisors and course instructors, and limited resources and online digital materials. To minimize these challenges and empower MA students, the study offered some recommendations and suggestions for further future studies.

Keywords: Challenges, EFL, MA students, Qualitative research, Thesis writing, supervisors

Challenges in Using Spoken English by Grade Six Learners at a School in Onankali Circuit in Namibia (Published)

Research investigating the challenges in teaching and learning using spoken English in schools has shown that many challenges do exist in using spoken English around the world. Although learners are being taught all the English skills usage, it still seems to be a big problem mastering the skill of speaking in schools, specifically the grade six learners at the case school. In the context of Namibia, English is used as a medium of instruction in schools only from grade 4. The major research questions raised in this article were as follows: What are the challenges that learners encounter in using spoken English in the selected school? What measures should be put in place to solve the above challenges? Qualitative research method was used in this study. Data was collected through interviews of four teachers and 12 learners. Teachers and learners gave different perceptions about the usage of spoken English and its challenges. These challenges included shyness, poor vocabulary that causes poor expression ability, the learning environment and lack of confidence. Suggested interventions included parental involvement, the introduction of spelling bee program at the school, more support should be given to teachers as well as strengthening the policy of speaking English all the times at the school.

Keywords: Challenges, Onankali Circuit, Spelling Bee Program, Suggested Interventions

The Challenges Facing the Students of the Higher Basic Stage in Jordanian Public Schools in Writing English (Published)

The study aims to identify the challenges facing the tenth grade students in Jordanian public schools in writing the English language. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher followed the analytical descriptive approach in terms of applying the study tool and data collection and analysis, While the sample of the study consisted of (50) teachers of English language. The study found that there are a number of challenges facing students in writing the English language was the most prominent Letters followed by a vowel, the researcher recommended The need for many of the studies on different regions of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to find out the real reasons for poor students in learning English writing.

Keywords: Challenges, English Language, writing

Effective Teaching of the English Language in Multicultural L2 Classrooms: The Nigerian Perspective (Published)

Effective teaching demands that we use all the facts available to us to impact knowledge. In Nigeria where the English Language is essentially a second language, effective teaching seeks to incorporate all tools and practices that assist the English Language learner in an L2 multicultural classroom. Effective teaching in an L2 setting seeks to promote learning skills that will be of benefit to learners from diverse cultural backgrounds. The paper identifies a number of issues related to effective teaching in multicultural L2 classrooms. It addresses barriers to effective learning in an L2 classroom, the potential challenges to teaching and provides diverse strategies that may improve teaching and learning in this context. In the end, the paper outlines the processes for improving the effectiveness and quality of teaching and learning the English Language. The argument is that multiculturalism improves teaching, teaching skills and learning abilities. Therefore, the paper highlights core considerations for analyzing the challenges faced by teachers and learners, and finally, recommends some directions to embrace the challenges.

Keywords: Challenges, L2 Classrooms, Multiculturalism, Second Language, Teaching Skills, effective teaching., improved Teaching

IN QUEST OF AN IDEAL ELT QUALIFICATION (Published)

Viewing the growing demands of ELT practitioners for high-level English language teaching (HELT) and low-level English language teaching (LELT) in native as well as non-native countries, the number of ELT courses is outnumbering day by day. Unlike yesteryears, we are privileged today with a number of ELT courses such as TESOL, ESOL, TESL, TEFL, TEAL, DELTA, CELTA, and many others at certificate, diploma, master, and PhD level. But these outnumbering courses (with somewhat varied curricula) have flummoxed both ELT employers and employees so much that a lack of unanimity has surfaced in terms of recognizing an ideal ELT qualification vis-à-vis an ELT course. Not only the current ELT practitioners are apprehensive viewing the gap between their own qualifications and the desirable qualifications set by the recruiters nowadays; but also aspiring ELT practitioners are confused in choosing an ideal ELT course which could meet the ongoing eligibility criteria for ELT. Hence, the paper limited its scope by setting three objectives: (i) exploring ideal qualifications for ELT practitioners (ii) exploring the availability of internationally recognized ELT courses in recognized universities, and (iii) exploring the challenges associated with ideal ELT qualifications. Document analysis was used as the sole data gathering instrument by eliciting required data from online and offline archival artifacts (documents). The data were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings of the study revealed ‘MA/PhD in Applied Linguistics in conjunction with TESOL’ as the most demanding qualification for HELT and ‘Trinity Dip-TESOL or DELTA/CELTA’ for LELT. Finally, the paper recommends apposite measures to counteract the challenges associated with ideal ELT qualifications.

 

 

Keywords: Challenges, ELT practitioner, HELT, Ideal qualification, LELT, TESOL