TESOL

Product Approach and Process Approach and Their Significance to Teaching Writing in TESOL and How They are Utilized in ELT Classes (Published)

The main aim of this article is to focus on the two different kinds of writing approaches in ELT classes and exhibit the differences between the two approaches. The article embarks on identifying both approaches, the product approach and the process approach. The author explains when they became popular besides which approach is currently more fashionable. Besides the author explains what a typical product/process approach writing lesson looks like. It shows a clear diagram of how a process writing isconducted in class with eight different stages. It also explains the four stages of the product approach.  This Article also elaborates on how these two approaches are used in class and what each of these approaches focuses on while working on them. The two methods are different than each other the author shows the pros and cons of both approaches and how they are effective in classrooms. In addition, this article shows how other teachers adapted the approaches to fit their teaching conditions. The article later mentions several cognitives and what real writers do, how the real writers compose in real situations and it also shows at what stage of the writing process can teachers help writers. The article also clearly states the aims of both approaches and provides examples of how each approach is used. The author suggests harnessing the needed approach depending on the student’s level in class.

Keywords: ELT classes, Process Approach, TESOL, product approach, writing process approach

The Inclusion of Culture in Tesol Lessons: Three Case Studies On Teacher Cognitions And Context (Published)

This study explores the use of culture in TESOL lessons by investigating the cognitions of three teachers working in very different contexts: the United States, Central/Eastern Europe, and Saudi Arabia. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, the practices of the participants were examined to better understand the types of lessons in which they choose to include topics related to their own or their students’ cultures, their motivations for doing so, and any contextual factors which may influence their decisions. The results indicate that the teachers regularly include cultural topics in a variety of lesson types, but most often in speaking or reading activities. The participants are largely motivated to include such topics in order to engage their students, yet context can prove a limiting factor. Implications extend to teachers and teacher trainers, particularly in light of the teachers’ approaches to the intersection of cultures in their classrooms as a means to develop students’ language skills and their abilities to interact with the diverse population of English speakers.

Keywords: Context, Culture, Interculturality, TESOL, teacher cognition

The Inclusion of Culture in Tesol Lessons: Three Case Studies On Teacher Cognitions And Context (Published)

This study explores the use of culture in TESOL lessons by investigating the cognitions of three teachers working in very different contexts: the United States, Central/Eastern Europe, and Saudi Arabia. Through a series of semi-structured interviews, the practices of the participants were examined to better understand the types of lessons in which they choose to include topics related to their own or their students’ cultures, their motivations for doing so, and any contextual factors which may influence their decisions. The results indicate that the teachers regularly include cultural topics in a variety of lesson types, but most often in speaking or reading activities. The participants are largely motivated to include such topics in order to engage their students, yet context can prove a limiting factor. Implications extend to teachers and teacher trainers, particularly in light of the teachers’ approaches to the intersection of cultures in their classrooms as a means to develop students’ language skills and their abilities to interact with the diverse population of English speakers.

Keywords: Context, Culture, Interculturality, TESOL, teacher cognition

The Contribution Made By Qualitative Research to Tesol (Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages) (Published)

Students and researchers of different disciplines — such as sociology, psychology, health care, nursing, education, arts and humanities, and so on — employ qualitative methods for their research project. In education, TESOL researchers increasingly use qualitative research enquiry. This study aimed to appraise the contributions of qualitative research to TESOL. In order to achieve this aim, the study demonstrated a critical understanding of theoretical debates in qualitative research. Then, two articles related to English language teaching to speakers of other languages were chosen with a view to arguing that qualitative research paradigm contributes to TESOL more than any other research paradigms. The key findings were characteristics of qualitative research: description-understanding-interpretation, dynamic, no single way of doing something- multiple realities, inductive thinking, holistic, in-depth study, words-themes-writing, and non-linear; existence of nexus between interpretivism and qualitative research; and positive impacts of qualitative research on TESOL.

Keywords: Contribution, Interpretivism, Meaning, Perspective, Qualitative research, TESOL

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

In Quest of an Ideal Elt Qualification (Review Completed - Accepted)

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