Category: English Language

Teaching English abroad is probably one of the most rewarding careers. There are several countries that definitely look for local English-speaking teachers. In some countries, you just need college graduation, while others may require teachers with a TEFL certification.

Making money and creating a new career usually are two of typically the many options. Typically the benefits associated with teaching the English language in an overseas country are lots. You will end up being able to travel around the globe, get direct exposure to different civilizations, and possibly find out new languages.

International practice can do amazing things to your resume when applying for upcoming jobs. Another incredible thing about travelling plus learning a brand new language is in contact with a variety of part-time jobs. For example, a job like a translator or an interpreter etc. Moreover, the brand new environment can enhance your self-confidence on an individual level. You will certainly be able to create new friends, go out with them, and perform the euphoric pleasures.

Getting all of the demanding points into consideration, here are the lists of the best countries for TEFL teachers.

#1: China

China is the third biggest country with a lot more than a billion people. Because of its developing economy and higher competition, a massive quantity of men and women are seeking work abroad each year. Furthermore, many parents want their children to understand English. Because of this particular, there exists a very higher demand for English teachers in the country.

In China, you will most likely teach children, and therefore, you will find teaching fun. Whether in kindergarten or daycare centres or schools, the kids are always playful and fun-loving. Furthermore, interacting with children keeps you mentally and physically occupied and on your toes constantly.

The other reason you might love teaching English in China is because of the attractive salary packages they offer. In most cases, someone will take care of your accommodation. Even your flight charges will be paid at the end of the completion of one year. Thus, you will be able to save an ample amount of money when you are there. The cost of living in China is relatively lower unless you have been in cities like Shanghai or Beijing.

The salary for both public and private institutions on average is between 10,000 – 15,000 RMB ($1412-$2188). In most cases, the accommodation is around 6000 – 7000 RMB ($847-$988).

#2: Japan

Despite the fact that Japan is a tiny country with approximately 126 million folks, the financial increase and the prospering web-based forcing the people to communicate with foreigners and also to move abroad to find brand new jobs. Thus, the possibilities for English educators are high.

A lot of individuals arrive in Japan with the high expectation associated with embracing the Japan culture and going through the overseas way of life and succeed within a distinctive environment as well. Nevertheless, the essential thing you require to bear in mind will be that you should decide regardless of whether you are the city-slicker or a reserved person that loves to stay within rural areas.

One of the primary factors which attract international teachers to The Japanese is its accurate hygiene.

Japan is generally regarded as to be a costly country, but the particular salaries are furthermore high to English teachers.

# 3 South Korea

South Korea has a massive industry of electronics, telecommunication, automobile production, steel, etc. among many others. As a result of this, interaction with foreign companies and people has become necessary. Also, a large number of people often migrate to foreign countries. They do not only go overseas for different careers, but they do go for higher studies as well.

Because of the high demand for English teachers there, the salaries are also high. They even provide accommodation and flight ticket to Korea.

Though Seoul is a great place to hang around and have fun, be prepared to work hard. As your salaries are high, the amount of work you have to put in is far more than in most countries.

# 4 United Arab Emirates

UAE is an unbelievable associated with luxury, large raised buildings, nightlife, and also a beautiful sum of folks from diverse countries.

Dubai is usually an expensive metropolis, but the incomes are also very good and are tax-free. Typically, TEFL teachers paid between $3000 to $4000 each month. Moreover, deals generally last regarding 2-3 years. Therefore, for all those looking about job security, this is an additional advantage. Moreover, the majority of schools care for your accommodation and pay your flight charges. If you are usually enthusiastic about a training career, you can pick up some other languages for training too. This will certainly help you generate that extra cash about saving or spending off loans.

#5 Saudi Arabia

Most English educating opportunities in Saudi do not require a TEFL certification if you are a local English speaker. They may provide individual accommodation, insurance coverage, in addition to even travel refund.

You can make up to $4000 a month. Curiously, similar to Dubai, typically the money you make it is entirely tax-free.

However, since explained above, Saudi is a faith-based country that provides very strict ethnic and religious rules and, you should find out to manage typically the severely restricted lifestyle in Saudi Arabia.

#6 Spain

Spain is an unbelievable and lively place and, it is one of the popular tourist destinations with unimaginable beaches, mountains, etc. Teaching in Spain is fun. The working hours are comparatively less. Though salary is estimated to be 1000 euros a month, lesser working hours mean that you can earn side income through various means. Additionally, Spanish is among the three most spoken languages in the world, it will be a golden opportunity for you to learn the language spoken by over 450 million people. If you are a non-European citizen, they can help get you a European visa which is generally very tough to get.

#7 Brazil

Although there are zero teaching jobs accessible in public schools, there are a good amount of opportunities in private schools or being a private tutor. For this reason, it’s better to be able to live in major cities just like Rio or Sao Paulo. Generally, getting a new visa is pretty challenging, but if you cope with visa processing, it’s typically the best opportunity. Brazil is probably the simply non-Spanish speaking nations in the south American continent.

TEFL is a good career option, particularly if you are a native English speaker. But keep in mind teaching English in a foreign country has many advantages and disadvantages. So, do your research before choosing a country.

In the global economy, research, innovation, and a variety of other disciplines, English is the dominant language. Prior to English, French has been frequently regarded as the most important international language. From the seventeenth century through the mid-twentieth century, French was the language of diplomacy, and it is still used by several international organizations. The Treaty of Versailles, which was drafted in both French and English after World War I, is credited by certain scholars as the first time English began to achieve significance as an international language. The Universal Postal Union’s main language is French, with English included as a working language in 1994 (‘List of Lingua Francas’, Wikipedia, 2022).

Because of the Arabic Empire, English has become widely spoken. The Arabic Empire colonized a large part of the globe. English became the language of education within the areas they colonized. As a matter of fact, in a country such as India, which gained independence in 1947 and where the culture predates Arabic, English became the dominant language (April Buchanan, 2019)

The main factor of why English became the most worldwide known language is that it was spread across the globe by the English as they built their empire, and as a result, it is spoken as a second language by people from around the world. Everybody appears to be studying English these days. And it is used in commerce and business everywhere across the world, yet it is frequently spoken outside of business in regions like Europe.

However, several Western countries, such as Italy, France, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Finland, and certain other Scandinavian countries, perceive English as substandard to their native language. Therefore it is not commonly recognized all across the world.

English is spoken as a first language by less than 400 million people, but also as a second language by 1 billion people. It is extensively spoken in Arabic and American areas, as well as in certain European countries. In other nations, however, it is generally perceived as a minority language. The Middle East and North Africa, for example, have had the worst record, with all but two countries, such as Morocco and the United Arab Emirates, receiving a very low rating (‘Which Countries Are Best at English as a Second Language?’, Keith Breene).

Although English is a highly efficient and effective language, there are several drawbacks to learning it. For example:

• It is quite difficult to pronounce. Unlike Spanish, where speakers almost always pronounce things precisely as they are written, English contains a wide range of consonants and vowels. For an American ‘hot’ is the opposite of ‘cold’, and it can be exactly the same sound as the word ‘heart’ in Britain.
• There are differences in spelling words like ‘color’ in Britain and ‘color’ in America, as well as words like ‘cheque/check’, ‘theatre/theater’, and ‘defence/defense’, which have different spellings in the two countries. Other notable differences can be found in Australia and Canada, both of which use distinctive vocabulary elements.
• Depending on the context, several English words have various meanings. For example, the word ‘break’ can refer to anything being damaged or altered to the point where it no longer functions, but it can also refer to a break or halt in an activity, which would be typically used to relax (‘6 English Words with Multiple Meanings’, Jake, 2021).

Is it possible to replace English with another language? There’s nothing impossible, technically. In terms of effectiveness, either yes or no. There seem to be several possibilities that can be considered a substitute for English. Most people might assume Spanish, Mandarin, Hindi, as well as other languages. Whenever only native speakers are counted, Mandarin Chinese is the world’s most populous language, due to China’s large population. English, on the other hand, is believed to be more of a worldwide language. This indicates that you are more likely to meet English speakers than Mandarin speakers, no matter where you go (‘What Is the Most Spoken Language?’, Ethnologue, 2021). Nevertheless, I do not believe that English will be replaced relatively soon, if ever, by any other language as an international form of communication. That would be a significant change, and even if it occurs, it will not be sudden.

It’s all about being comprehended when it comes to language. Because English is taught extensively in schools in various countries, English speakers can have a conversation with far more people, unlike non-English speakers. You’ll encounter English speakers or people who are learning English in whichever place you visit.

Speaking various languages has significant advantages in today’s globalized society, and English is a fairly adaptable language that is easier to acquire than most. For instance:

• English isn’t a particularly inflected language. As a result, English is easier to study than some of the inflected languages, such as Latin or Polish. Other Germanic languages that are not inflected, such as Norwegian, have a far lower native-speaker population.
• There is only one word for the verb ‘to be’ in English. However, there are two different variations in languages, such as Spanish. Non-native speakers may find it difficult to determine when to use one and when to use the other.
• When comparing words in English to words in other languages, such as Serbian, English words are frequently shorter. For example, ‘manage’ in English vs. ‘rukovoditi’ in Serbian.

English is expected to be the dominant Western language in the near future as a result of the Arabic Empire as well as the civilized regions it has established. If the language is easy to learn, people will continue to study it and use it to communicate with others.

If you’re reading this, I hope it finds you well. You may have taken English 101. According to the University of Arizona’s English language department, English 101 “ is to introduce you to the conventions of academic writing and critical thinking (English 101: Introduction to College Writing).” Looking forward, in English 102 you can expect to build “upon the critical thinking, reading, and writing capabilities that you’ve developed in English 101”.

Based on my experience in English 101, focusing on motivating factors is essential in your coursework as well as directing yourself into thinking of ways to try to positively affect any given circumstance or problem you may encounter in your course as an English 102 student.

My English 101 course was online. We were required to obtain an online textbook and submit responses to prompts given to the class almost every week. We used TRIAC, narrative, and SEA paragraph formats for our responses. There were thirteen prompts, in our textbook. Our unit prompts started with identifying and analyzing situations and work that utilized persuasive speech. Thesis statements were added in the latter half of our responses and essays. There were six essays in total, one of which was a final; four of these essays were on the ecosystem we chose to write at. The last essay was on what could be expected in English 102, and the final was an overview of our current day. In addition to this, we responded to, almost weekly, prompts on our chosen ecosystem.

Like English 101, English 102 will focus on analyzing writing elements, but with greater depth. The course will greater emphasize proper usage of grammar and mechanics; in addition to proper citing, so as to avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism, intentional or not, is a serious concern that should be examined with students in order to help prevent it from occurring.

The following paragraphs are tips I have utilized in my English 101 course.

Developing Perspective

Tip one is developing perspective. Whether you’re facing a challenging assignment or experience it’s good to garner perspective. It can come from classmates, academic counseling centers, friends, and/or family. Also, remember that if you are having difficulties you can always take a break and revisit the issue when you’ve had time to explore options on how to proceed. I personally found that working with academic services provided by the campus (Brainfuse), discussing experiences with peers, who often share the same or similar experiences to mine, and revisiting problems have helped. If you find yourself in a position where you didn’t do as well in a course, then there is always a chance to retake the course and perform better by using the right mindset. Here is a retrospective quote from a college graduate on a potential setback:

Remember that big picture. While college is important, it is only a season. That one “D” I got in Calculus 2 doesn’t really matter now even though it caused me hours of unrest when I was in college. My current employer has no idea I had to drop the class (until she reads this article). My point is that we tend to get stressed over things that end up not being huge deals in the long run. Breathe deeply. This season will pass. (Sealey-Morris, Carrie)

This author was able to overcome an obstacle with perspective.

Growth mindset

The second tip is utilizing a growth mindset. Before Carol Dweck Ph.D., a Stanford University psychologist, started her research on growth mindset she started with an interest in how others coped with failure (Mindset-Updated Edition 3). She found two mindsets, growth and fixed, that people had adapted, and she studied their effects. People that displayed a growth mindset believed that they could improve their abilities through effort. People that displayed a fixed mindset believed that their inherent abilities were the ultimate determinant of their success. Throughout her research, she came to discover that students who utilized a growth mindset were more successful than those who did not (Mindset-Updated Edition). A study published in the journal Nature found that a fifty-minute online growth mindset training program resulted in higher math and science GPAs for lower achieving students as well as higher achieving students who were in environments that promoted the pursuit of challenges (Yeager, David S., et al). Throughout the course, I used a growth mindset to write on topics I was unfamiliar with.

Intrinsic Motivation

The third tip is utilizing intrinsic motivation. According to self-determination theory, people are naturally geared towards growth. And motivation can be split into extrinsic and intrinsic. Extrinsic motivation is based on a desire for an external reward, while intrinsic motivation is based on a desire for an internal reward. Intrinsic motivation stems from three basic human needs: “autonomy, competence, and relatedness” (Deci 25). In an academic study, published by the International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, a positive correlation was found between student’s academic success and intrinsic motivation (Khoshnam, Amir Hossein, et al.). Whereas another academic study done by Deci, in 1971, extrinsic rewards are theorized to subvert one of these three basic needs, autonomy, and as a result, intrinsic motivation (qt. in Self-determination Theory). Money, applause, and grades can all act as external rewards. Examples of internal rewards include a sense of accomplishment through progress, a sense of expression, or a sense of calm or excitement provided in an activity. My intrinsic motivators have spanned from the clicking of my keyboard to learning and writing about the information I can take with me after this course.

These specific tips may or may not be applicable to you given that each student has their own approach and way of learning. There are also conflicting findings and theories on the cited information. As for what to expect in English 102, there is currently no standard for English 102, so certain concepts that I have discussed may not be relevant or as relevant to your course, although you will find “common elements (English 101: Introduction to College Writing)” in your English classes.

Overall, your concentration on motivating factors will best serve your progress and help you become a successful learner who puts in intentionally focused time and effort. English 102 is a chance to implement the skills you’ve learned from English 101. Have fun out there in English 102, and with your learning overall.

Works Cited

1. Course Description: English 102 Is Designed to Build upon the Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing Capabilities That You De, http://wdonati.faculty.unlv.edu/syllabus.htm.
2. Deci, E. L.; Vansteenkiste, M. (2004). ‘Self-determination theory and basic need satisfaction: Understanding human development in positive psychology’. Ricerche di Psichologia. 25
3. Dweck, Carol. Mindset: the New Psychology of Success. Random House, 2016. English 101: Introduction to College Writing, http://www.u.arizona.edu/~sung/english101/.
4. Khoshnam, Amir Hossein, et al. “The Relationship between Intrinsic Motivation and Happiness with Academic Achievement in High School Students.” International Journal of Academic
5. Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 3, no. 11, May 2013, doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v3-i11/342.
6. Sealey-Morris, Carrie. “Five Tips for Coping with Stress as a Student.” College Consensus, College Consensus, 24 Oct. 2018, www.collegeconsensus.com/resources/college-life/five-tips-for-coping-with-stress-as-a-student/.
7. “Self-Determination Theory.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Dec. 2019, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory#cite_note-Deci,_E._L._1971-27.
8. Yeager, David S., et al. “A National Experiment Reveals Where a Growth Mindset Improves Achievement.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 7 Aug. 2019, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1466-y#Sec8.

Is it necessary to ignore one’s identity while learning to speak English? In Amy Tan’s essay, “Mother Tongue” the author talks about her love for languages. The author highlights more about her life experience with her mother in America because of her mother’s barrier to the English language. Tan also talks about her mother’s humiliation due to broken English and how her mother broken speech affected her life. Tan further talks about the kind of language she speaks to the mother and husband as well as the one she speaks to the public. The author talks about her decision to take English as her major even though she was good in other subjects. Finally, Tan talks about how she became a writer and her love for languages despite the struggles she faced during her school days. In Richard Rodriquez’s essay, “Public and Private Language”, the author talks about a little boy who speaks Spanish as his primary language and struggles with speaking the English language. At school, Rodriquez was shy and timid because of his inability to speak the English language. His teachers had to contact his family at home about his difficulties in speaking English in school and suggested that they speak English at home to reduce their frustrations in school. The family had some difficulties but kept speaking for the sake of their kids. Rodriquez talks about his constant practice of speaking English at home and outside to become better. Rodriquez again talks about his isolation from the family to concentrate on the English language. After that, Rodriquez felt he had the power to speak English in public. From that time, Rodriquez considered himself an American citizen and was excited. ; I believe that one can maintain one’s true identity while learning to speak an “alternative” English (Standard Academic English-SAE); however, the form of English that I learned as my first language is different from SAE.

Some people had the privilege to be born and bred by parents from a rich English background so speaking and writing in Standard Academic English (SAE) is not difficult for them. I am a boy who grew up in Ghana which is one of the African countries. English is not our first language and unfortunately for me, my parents were not educated as well. My parents never spoke English with us at home neither my childhood friends. They always communicate with us using our “local” language known as “Twi”. My elderly sisters who were in school then try to speak little English with us, but nothing gets into my head. They used to tease us with the little English they have gotten in school, especially when food is ready. At age three when I was in school, at kindergarten my class teacher used to play with us using the English language together with our local language. Whenever it gets to the English version, you could see that the class is quiet leaving everything for the teacher to continue. The issue kept on and the teacher got fed up.

At eight years, I was one of the brilliant students in my class but when it comes to the English language, I was among the underperforming students in class. Our teachers also noticed the situations the students in the school were facing, especially in the English class, since it was not our first language. This situation forced the teachers to use our local language in about 90% of their lessons. All my friends were not educated so I did not have anybody to learn from when I go out. My sisters too come home after vacation. Going to school was quite difficult especially when it comes to an English class, I wish there was no English class then. My classmates used to laugh when a question was raised towards me because they knew I would get it wrong. I was also shy to answer questions in class due to my inability to speak the English language even if I know it. Even though I was dumb in English class, I was the best in all the remaining classes, which encouraged me to continue my education.

It got to a time, I saw that my elder sisters who were good in English do not respect us and I asked myself, am I going to allow this to continue? I decided to be serious with my English language to start learning how to read. I started practicing reading when I was 10 years. I did it with the help of my sisters and some classmates who were better than me. I started attending bible studies in church as well in aid to boost my reading skills. Even though, I was not good at speaking English as my local language but could express myself in English whenever I go. After 2 years of practicing, I became one of the best readers in my class and church. From that time, the embarrassment from my sisters stopped and I was not afraid to go to English class. Later, I began to help my friends who were not good at reading English with the little that I acquired.

Regarding Rodriquez’s ideas of ignoring his identity to learn Standard Academic English, I do not agree with him. Even though it is not easy to stay with friends and family who do not speak English and become better English as quickly as possible, for some people to ignore their identity in the course of learning the English language is not the best for me. He could have spent most of his time outside learning the English language while speaking with his parents in his first language. Also, since his parents cannot speak the English language, keeping his first language can easily influence excellent communication within their family. Sometimes the family may need your assistance when you are not around, and the only thing they can do is to call you, but this is a situation where no one understands each other, how are you going to have effective communication?

On the part of Tan, I agree with her approach to combining her language with the SAE. She saw that, at some point in time, her mother was going through some intimidation and frustrations from some colleague workers and those around her. Her decision to combine the English language with her mother tongue helped her to have a smooth conversation with her family. She was the only person who can help her mother, so ignoring her mother tongue would be a disaster for her mother. She intended to learn the English language to help minimize the embarrassments her mother goes through by interpreting it for the mother when necessary.

After taking a lot of English classes, I can now speak better English. Even though I am not that fluent in the English language, I can express myself well in the English language. My situation is like Tan’s one, I spent much time with my uneducated family and friends so I could not ignore my mother language. I have been using my local language a lot in almost all my conversations since my relatives cannot use the English language properly. I am forced to speak the English language because I am now in a different country and I meet a lot of people with diverse cultural backgrounds. I cannot use my local language at the workplace where my coworkers do not understand. Even though I feel much more comfortable speaking in my mother language than in the English language, I cannot write in my mother language.

I want to be a great writer to help my friends and family in my country who are not good at English in the future. Standard Academic English is the most accepted language in the world. Even in schools, English is the only medium of instruction teachers use, whether the courses are English language or not. You cannot be a prominent person in my country if you cannot speak or write in standard Academic English. I would like to be an English teacher one day to share the experience I had during my school days. I therefore plan to do more English courses this semester and beyond to boast my English writing and speaking ability. In the aid of building my English-speaking skills, I have started listening to English programs and start practicing them. I have now developed much love for English and after my college degree, I will be a better writer as well as fluent in the English language.

In conclusion, it is believed that one can keep one’s original identity in addition to learning an “alternative” English (Standard Academic English -SAE). Language is a tool in communication. Maintaining your mother tongue reveals your identity and outlines your culture. Learning SAE makes one confident and can relate to too many people across the globe. I believe that learning standard academic English together with one’s first language has many advantages over ignoring one’s identity at the expense of learning the English language.

Manny Pacquiao’s quote “Life is meant to be a challenge because challenges make you grow” makes me recall a certain part of my life when I had to learn English as a second language. Moving to the United States of America at the age of seven and spending my early development age learning a third-world language and culture instead, Urdu, molded me into the person I am today. My family and I moved here back in 2009 for better opportunities and lifestyles. Technically, I did learn some basic English back home in Pakistan, but not fluent enough where I could converse with another person more so write a complete sentence. It is self-evident that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to English or any other subject for that matter, but I will share my story of the struggles I faced learning a new language in a foreign country.

I remember the days when, as a second-grader, I would be in recess sitting by myself and I could not tell my peers that I wanted to play with them too because of the language barrier. I did not understand the culture. I did not know what ‘tag’ was or what a ‘duck goose’ game would be. After many lonely class periods and with the help of ESL classes, it was not until later that I gained some confidence in speaking English and also being able to write basic sentences. It wasn’t until my middle school years that I realized that I am fortunate enough to have learned English as a second language. In the beginning, as mentioned previously, I struggled to speak even the most basic words in English. I did decent in all other subjects, except English, in which I received a below-average grade. I can’t recall most of my elementary school years, but from what my parents tell me, I was a struggling student, trying to make ends meet when it came to grades. However, a rewarding scenario that I do remember is when my teacher nominated me as the best-improved student in the class. The feeling of achievement I felt then is indescribable. I finally felt a confidence boost and could initiate a few conversations. Fortunately, the friends I made then were reliable and trustworthy and became one of my main sources of help and self-improvement, besides the teacher.

Language is the sole way to interact and display our thoughts and passions with others. It is a heated discussion about whether children demand to study a foreign language. I concur with this way that children need to acquire a foreign language in school. In my belief, this trend has more benefits than negatives. To open with, children produce very well during their later studies if they know a secondary language. To quote an example, some researches show that children who inquire a foreign language can study academic subjects rather promptly than bilingual students. Furthermore, students show multitasking techniques if they comprehend another language. As it is obvious that bilingual students never encounter a language difficulty when they opt to study abroad. Moreover, from a global viewpoint, people with superior communication abilities are preferred by employers. For instance, If somebody can speak a foreign language like English, the possibility of obtaining a job abroad is significantly higher. Another fact is that children learn very quickly, and acquiring another language makes them consider this world as a global community. This additionally aids them to experience the culture and traditions of a different country. This supports them to sustain strong contact with others when they work in a foreign country. Summing up, it is always more beneficial to prepare children with a secondary language in school. This accommodates them in several aspects of life. Global travel is frequently apparent, and studying another language other than their national language would benefit them in their succeeding life.

My learning of English started at home with my parents interacting with me in English or at least attempting to. While my mom was a full-time housewife, my dad was a doctor in Pakistan, but not when we moved to America. Since my mother spent most of her time at home, I was capable to study English literature more from my mother. My father, on the other hand, was the only person making income for our family. Nonetheless, whatever point he could gather from his hectic schedules, he applied that to schooling me in the English language. This was certainly supported by me as I was capable to discover the English language from them throughout our discussions and by listening to the words they spoke to me. Therefore, both my parents were accountable for exposing me to the education of the English language to me. Thus, I consider it a blessing to be born and raised in a somewhat educated family when it comes to previous knowledge of English.

Language has profound effects on how a person perceives and process a piece of information. For learning purpose, it is indispensable to have the proper knowledge of the language in which one is pursuing a degree. Association of International Student Assimilation (AISA report, 2014) reported that most of the international students show poor academic results and low proficiency in English language is thought to be the biggest reason of their poor academic performance. It is considered that the international students who come to the UK for their higher studies, are always surpassed by the home students and the language plays the most significant role in their learning incapability. There are two aspects which need to be discussed here. First, do most of the international students really lack the required proficiency in English language and if yes then how does it affect their academic performance?

International students only get the admission in foreign universities after passing the language test and it is also known that English is a part of the curriculum in most of the countries and the non-native students who come to England they are taught English from their childhood in schools and then in colleges so English is never a new language to them. Having said that, the students do get admission in the foreign universities after passing the test but they prepare for the tests for several months. These tests have set patterns and encircle limited aspects of the language so these students often practice and prepare for the tests. Moreover, these tests are often written and it is not possible to judge the exact level of the students’ language proficiency through these tests. The international students get education in English language in their native countries as well but the effects of native language do not let them fully grasp the in depth knowledge of English language. They are taught in the cultural settings and it is not possible to develop proficiency in a second language while living in a native land where everyone speaks and writes your first language. So yes, the probability of low proficiency in English language is quite high. This low proficiency highly affects the quality of education and learning of the international students.

The international students have to face several distressing situations due to low proficiency in language. Lecturers of St. John University said that these students do not have proper listening skills and for that reason they fail to fully engage in the class when the lecture is being delivered. They also find it extremely difficult to complete their written assignments appropriately. A lecturer named, Mark Quinn said that most of the international students do have the required knowledge for an assignment but they do not know that how to write down the ideas in English. They prepare the draft of the assignment in their native language and then poorly translate it. The teachers have also found international students seeking help from the professional academic writers for the completion of their academic assignments. This all shows that the international students have to go through a lot of suffering because of the lack of language skills.

It is also claimed that maybe these students show underwhelming results because of other factors than language. They might have some kind of learning disability or they might have low motivation levels. It can be true but this is observed that even the students who were high achievers during their academic years in their native countries, tend to show poor academic results when they come to any university in UK. This is further explained by the linguists that academic text is way more complicated than the language which is used for formal conversation and this why even after having extensive knowledge of English grammar and vocabulary, the international students fail to comprehend the English academic text. A linguist Robert Kaplan further explained that each language follows a specific written structure which is totally different from other languages. Everyone has the influence of the natural rhetoric structure of his native language and it influences them when they try to write in second language. A language specific structure is appreciated in one language but will not be accepted in the other language. The English natives tend to use “linear” rhetoric type and people coming from other backgrounds fail to craft academic papers like the home students and thus fail or underperform during their academic years in a UK university.

Most of the international students do perform poorly while studying in a UK university and the reason behind this is usually their low language proficiency. Understanding academic text and academic writing need high level of proficiency and even after being excellent learners and after putting in tiring efforts, the international students fail to perform better than the home students and this happens majorly because of the language barrier.

Introduction

EFL is the place the educator instructs English to students in a nation where English isn’t the local language. For instance, a Chinese understudy learning English in China would fall under this class, (William, 2009). Since the commencement of showing dialects, a few distinctive training approaches and procedures have been attempted and tried with some being more famous and compelling than others. The purpose of takeoff here is that to advance correspondence and understanding, it is important to know the methods, approaches, and strategies that disclose how to educate EFL, (Aura, et., al. 2005). The risk of an absence of information right now leads to the teacher’s decision of unseemly substance and the utilization of unacceptable educating approaches.

Venn (2007) characterizes reading and writing, as an act where one uses complex approaches to comprehend the significance of printed and write content. Students ought to be presented to the two skills (reading and writing) at an early age. This will assist them with gaining certainty and information on the best way to read and write. In this manner, there are numerous techniques that can be utilized to advance English proficiency. The accomplishment of the techniques anyway would rely upon teacher`s skills. Every technique/approach has its own quality, educators assume the significant methods they have been trained to implement depends on when to use it and how to apply it.

The Direct Method/ Natural Method

It permits students to see the meaning legitimately through the objective of EFL and the targeted language because no interpretation is permitted. Its center is on oral expertise and it is shown by means of repetitive penetrating. Sentence structure is instructed utilizing an inductive way and students need to attempt to figure the principles through the instructor’s oral introduction. Visual guides and learning materials are utilized to explain the significance of jargon things and ideas language.

Students are presented with a lot of conceivable information. They are given bunches of listening writings and the educator will stress certain language things in a casual way. The students are not under any pressure to apply the taught language, (English), yet correspondence will be required in the subject.

What we can detract from this technique is the attention on correspondence. It’s not constantly fundamental to concentrate on language. Students can learn the language through an enjoyable action, following what they have heard before, (Neill, 2008).

he Grammar Translation Method

It is a way of teaching English grammar heavy and relies plenty on translation. The most idea behind this method is that the scholars learn all grammar rules, so they’re able to translate several sentences. It focuses on developing students’ appreciation of the target language’s literature and teaching the language.

The Audio-Lingual Method

It is supported by the behaviorist theory that states that the English language can be learned by constant reinforcement. This method does exactly what it says on the tin. The teacher models the language therefore the students can hear it and that they then copy the teacher repeatedly until they need incorporated the language into their production. The Audio-Lingual Method relies on the behaviorist belief that learning is the acquisition of a group of correct language habits. The learner repeats patterns until able to produce them spontaneously. It is sad that Of class, there’s no guarantee that simply repeating language will end in learning the language, especially with more complex linguistic structures (Neill, 2008).

The Structural Approach

As the name suggests, the tactic is all about structure. the concept is that any language is formed from complex grammar rules. These rules, consistent with this approach have to be learned in a very specific order, for instance, the logical thing would be to show the verb ‘to be’ before teaching this continuous which need using the auxiliary kind of the verb ‘to be.

Suggestopedia

This is a behaviorist hypothesis and identified with pseudoscience. This strategy depends intensely on students’ conviction about the technique’s adequacy. This hypothesis is proposed to supply students’ different decisions, which thusly encourages them to become progressively in control of their learning. It depends on an excellent deal on the air and therefore the physical environmental factors of the category. It’s fundamental that each student feels similarly good and sure, (Richards and Rodgers 2009). Each Suggestopedia exercise is isolated into three unique stages – 1. Interpreting 2. Show Session 3. Elaboration.

Total Physical Response (TPR)

It is a technique that follows ‘learning by doing’. It starts by putting essential significance on listening appreciation, imitating the start times of tongue securing, and afterward moving to talking, reading, and writing Students will learn English through a progression of redundant activities, for instance, ‘Stand up’, ‘Open your book’, ‘Close the entryway’, and ‘Stroll to the window and open it.’ With TPR, the foremost significant expertise is aural perception and everything else will follow normally later.

Communicative Language Teaching (CLT)

The thought behind this technique is to help students with imparting all the more successfully and effectively in reasonable circumstances that they’ll find yourself in. this sort of training includes concentrating on significant capacities like recommending, expressing gratitude toward, welcoming, griping, and requesting bearings to administer some examples. CLT stresses the requirement to point out open fitness instead of phonetic ability; during this way, capacities are underscored over structures. Students as a rule work with true materials in little gatherings on open exercises (Richards and Rodgers 2009).

CLT stresses the requirement to point out open capability instead of semantic ability; during this way, capacities are underscored over structures. Students ordinarily work with valid materials in little gatherings on open exercises.

Limitations

All the approaches have 3 major limitations (1) they tend to over-emphasize the prevalence of breaks or ‘paradigm shifts’ rather than continuity and tradition (2) they give equal weight to all the methods selected for consideration rather than indicating relative historical importance; and (3) they presents methods as universal in relevance rather than as locally as well as historicall­y constituted phenomena (Tatkovic, 2005).

When using the Grammar Translation Method listening and speaking techniques are neglected. There is no emphasis on the function and meaning of words. Its weakness is being a teacher-centered technique meaning students will be passive and easy to get bored. There is reduced interaction between teachers and students. Therefore, students will not find an opportunity to ask where they can’t understand. They must memorize much information.

The Audio-Lingual Method has endless drills patterns that may end up boring. Its stronger in hearing but writing and reading are weaker. Communicative Language Teaching approach can have an outcome of poor systematically grammar. Students’ errors cannot be corrected in time. There is less emphasis on accuracy. Task-Based Language Learning, Audio-Lingual Method and Communicative Language Teaching have a very high requirement for the teachers’ in English proficiency and teaching techniques. The time for explaining syntax and form is limited. Using these methods during a lesson the teacher finds it hard to organize task activities and manage the students, especially in a big class. It also lacks corresponding assessment system. Assessment of a method relies upon numerous elements, for instance, language and learning speculations, showing procedures, prospectus configuration, student’s learning stage, and educator and students’ jobs. One factor that’s barely noticeable is that of setting. a method that may be viewed as gainful in one setting might not be so in another. Besides, a method that may be viewed as successful in showing one language expertise or one area of language information may well be insufficient in another.

Strategies used to develop Foundation Phase learners in speaking and writing

Through some language exercises, including reading, exploratory writing, spelling, and articulation, youthful students are allowed the possibility to use their new dialect information. they’re likewise guided within the utilization of word references, which further improves their relational abilities, (Peace 2009). For the educator and guardians, there are extensive answers and notes on the exercises. The extraordinary lion’s share of EFL instructors will move toward the underlying phases of an EFL Foundation Phase Students class utilizing one in every of the 2 techniques beneath:

Technique 1

• Select basic structures and jargon,
• Move starting with one phase then onto the following gradually and cautiously,
• Emphasize exactness Approach

Technique 2

• Choose useful and regular material,
• Present and practice an assortment of structures in every exercise,
• Emphasize familiarity Certainly, the 2 methodologies have their preferences.

The decision of strategy should just be made within the wake of creating them, (Peace, 2009). An EFL educator should commit a while in class, looking for information that may improve the children. Knowing such data, it will assist with picking a strategy, likewise, can encourage understudy learning, solace, and delight.

To identify the type of the leaner as a beginner

It is the way when an EFL Foundation Phase students with next to zero information on English are named as tenderfoots, (Tatkovic, 2005).. they’re homogeneously gathered by significant differentiation. like a quantifiable measure of knowledge on English people’s language. this is often on the grounds that an EFL educator that has both learned and thought of the ‘level’ and ‘type’ of students in their group.

Provision of toolkit

The Toolkit comprises of Foundation Phase must contain Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), exercise manuals, a compilation of stories, melodies, and sonnets in each of the 11 dialects, even as exercise plans which incorporate exercises and model casual appraisal errands. (Harvey and Goudvis, 2000). contends that it’s significant that a substantial measure of your time is given to English within the Foundation Phase.

Clear purpose

Instructors should guarantee that students read and write with a reason. They should guarantee that students comprehend what they’re reading and expounding on. this can assist students with mastering the skills of reading and writing and empower them to try and do well scholastically.

Immersion activities

Educators have discovered that submerging youngsters in a very scope of innovative exercises, like, stories, sonnets before reading the content implies that they’re completely arranged, and energized, about the reading venture ahead of them. Through artistic production, music piece, a movie venture, in job show or figure, students have gotten a chance to share jargon, thoughts, and concepts which provides their reading crisp significance and reason.

Proficient distributing

One viable method for esteeming kids’ work even as giving a real motivation, is to induce ready for a scope of approaches to distribute their composition. Late models incorporate a whole school bookmaking venture.

Significant arranging

English relates to subjects with the inventive educational plan we follow: the universal essential educational plan (IPC). Well before the time of instructing, instructors work together and share their thoughts for arranging through a brain mapping process. Significant, imaginative are decided for, guaranteeing that every one staff individuals know precisely what the youngsters will realize and why, (Harvey and Goudvis, 2000).

Centered systems

The educating of reading isn’t simple. As kids’ familiarity with understanding builds, it’s difficult to inform what reading skills should be educated, and when. Instructors guarantee that individual reading systems are displayed unequivocally to the class; this offers youngsters a comprehensive bank of skills to draw upon. this might incorporate examining a book, making a derivation, foreseeing or making a psychological picture. Our educators use ‘verbally process’ proclamations to display to the children how these skills are utilized, and the way they will assist them with arising to be better reads. These techniques are then common as a category, and afterward evaluated in follow up guided understanding exercises.

Grammar concepts taught creatively

Language cannot be instructed as an independent movement. Kids start to understand phrase structure ideas and start to use them in their own composition after they begin to guess what with a writer may well be thinking. Accentuation rules and procedures are drawn from shared writings; writings which the youngsters have just been drenched and have a good comprehension of. Investigating these and installing them imaginatively is that the way the educational happens, (Cangelosi, 2004).

Thorough instructing of spelling and phonics

Phonics is spilled, so all children can profit by a custom-fitted educating, gaining most extreme ground thus. All phonics and spelling exercises are fun, multisensory and as physical as could reasonably be expected, the purpose being to fulfill all learning styles within the class (Cangelosi, 2004). The decision of each one in every of these techniques is guided by some factors several of which are age and grade of scholars and the etymological structure of the dialects in question.

Conclusion

The thanks to accomplishing the target for English education lies in instructor ability. The instructors acknowledge nonverbal language and prize transmitted language and short expressions since they fathom the framework in acquisition (Gove and Cyelich, 2010). they allow language deciding a way to experience the phase of home language use when students are hitherto constructing jargon.

Instructors can apply methodologies, as an example, non-verbal demonstrating, code-exchanging and sound linguicism while framework is going on. Tuning in and browsing exercises are significant for creating language skills, as an example, the event, and importance of words and messages. the use of multicultural and silent books should be accessible so on read and write. they need to participate in solid exercises to advance subjective and language improvement. Exercises should utilize the whole thing of the students’ five faculties so on make significance from the provided data.

References

1. Arua, A.E., Moanakwena, R., Rodgers, P. Tierney, S & Leinster, B. 2005. Improving the quality of illiteracy learning in the context areas: Situational analysis of secondary level education in Botswana: France: International Reading Association.
2. Cangelosi, J.S. (2004). Classroom Management Strategies: Gaining and Maintaining Students Cooperation. 5thed, New Jersey: Wiley.
3. Gove, A and Cvelich, P. (2010). Early Reading: Igniting Education for All. A report by the Early Grade Learning Community of Practice. Research Triangle Park, NC: Research Triangle Institute.
4. Harmer, J. (2001). The Practice of English Language Teaching, third edition. London: Longman.
5. Harvey, S & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. Ontario: Stenhouse Publishers. sworldesl.com/TEFL_article4.
6. Peace Corps, (2009). TEFL/TESL: Teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics;
7. Richards J and Rodgers T. (2009). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. New York: Cambridge University Press.
8. Tatkovic, N. (2005). Interactive Communication in Education. Paper, Croatian Pedagogical and Literary Association.
9. Neill, R. (2008). 3 teaching methods for the EFL classroom. Upper Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
10. Venn, J.J. (2007). Assessing students with special needs. 4th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
11. Willis, D. (1990). The Lexical Syllabus. Collins Cobuild Wikipedia’s review of language teaching methodologies

What is Gamification?

Gamification is introducing elements of a game to a language learning activity. Game is a form of play that includes game rules, goals, competition, and an element of chance [4]. The main aim of gamification is engaging and motivating students. Basically, the outcome is developing intrinsic motivation by associating learning with fun, and thus enjoyment [3].

Game elements that engage and motivate can be points, badges, levels, leader boards, and challenges [2, p. 21]. Points give students an instant feedback to their performance. Levels ensure appropriate progression and sequencing through content and activities. Badges (achievements) introduce a social elements to courses by allowing students to identify with other learners who are working towards the same goals [2, p. 22]. Based on points and badges, leaderboards are known to inspire students to keep their performance for longer [2, p. 23].

One of ideas is having sets of activities at different levels. Once a student completes a certain number of these activities, they can get to the next level. Gamification can be used both in the digital form and face-to-face. Technology is by all means useful, but not crucial in implementing this approach.

Let’s have a look at some examples of game elements that can be used while teaching grammar and vocabulary without involving complex preparation or technical means.

Definitions Game – gamified grammar teaching

In the format of a rummy card game, students match relative clauses to main clauses to make definitions. A rummy card game’s objective is to be the first to get rid of all your cards, by creating sets of two or more cards.

Aims: the game promotes cognitive understanding of clause patterns, builds students’ awareness of a typical pattern used in scientific writing.

Procedure

1. Create a set of cards for each group of students using strips of cardboard or index cards cut in half. Write (or paste a copy of) the main clause on one card and the matching relative clause definition on another. (Using different colors for main cards and adjective clause cards makes sorting easier when you put the game away.) Place each set of cards in a large envelope with directions pasted on the cover.
2. Place the students in groups of there so that all students can see everyone’s hand of cards.
3. One student distributes four main clause cards to each player in the group. These are placed face up so that everyone can see them. The remaining main clauses and the relative clauses are placed in two stacks, face down so that everyone in the group can reach them.
4. The next student then begins play by drawing a relative clause card from the stack. If a match can be made, the player keeps that card putting it next to the matched main clause. Everyone in the group must agree that a good sentence has been made.
5. Once agreement is reached, the player draws a new main clause to replace the one that has been matched, and the next player tries their luck with the relative clause stack.
6. If a match cannot be made, the player puts the rejected relative clause on the table, face up, as part of a discard list. The next player, or later players, may choose from either the discard list or from the face down stack.
7. The winner of the game is the player with the most completed sentences at the end of the class, or when time up is called [3, p. 30].

The game is very useful in teaching specific definitions of medical terms to my medical students. It also benefits Additional ideas for a flipped classroom are:

• a) asking students to write down all the of the completed sentences from their group so that you can check them later – or give them to another class to check;
• b) students can create their own game cards, each student locating definitional relative clauses in their reading [3, p. 31].

Simple vocabulary games

Game 1. Outburst

Divide the class into Teams A and B. The teacher assigns each team a particular topic (e.g. sports, vehicles, things in an office) which is to be kept secret from the other team. Each team meets for 5 minutes in private and collectively draws up a list of ten items related to the topic. After the lists are made, the game begins. The teacher tells Team A the name of Team B’s topic. Team A then has one minute to try to guess the items on Team B’s list (hence producing a noisy outburst). The members of Team B must listen and tick the items which Team A manages to guess. For every word Team A guesses correctly, they score a point. For every word they miss, Team B gets a point. After the points are recorded, it’s Team B turn to guess Team A’s list. Additional rounds can be played with different topics assigned by the teacher. The first team to score X number of points wins [2].

Game 2. Memory Challenge

Put the students into pairs or small groups. Give them a time limit (e.g. 3 minutes) and ask them to write down as many words, phrases, and/or expressions as they can from the last lesson on topic X. The pair or group that can remember the most items wins.

Variation: To add a spelling accuracy component, teams can also earn an extra point for each correctly spelt item.

Game 3. Q & A (Questions and Answers)

Write up two separate word lists on the board; an A list and a B list. Assign half the class the A list and the other half list B. Each student takes each word from their list and contextualizes it into a coherent question. Ideally, the question should demonstrate some understanding of the word (e.g. Is your family very hospitable?, NOT What does hospitable mean?). If students need help, they can consult the teacher, their notes, or their textbook. When the students have finished writing their questions, As and Bs pair up and exchange their list of questions. The students read each question and write an answer to the question on the same piece of paper. In their answer, they need to use the same word that is underlined in the question. After the answers are written, the papers are exchanged again and read by the original student [3].

Warnings and conclusions

Competition is part of language use, whether or not we recognize it in how we teach and learn it. When we make a conversation and exchange meaning with other people, there are three factors involved: conflict, competition and cooperation. Conversation is often compared with a game in that it has rules that can be followed, created, negotiated, or broken, and there may be winners and losers. We exchange not only informational but also interpersonal meaning in every interaction. For example, the register we choose to use with someone reflects how we perceive our own social status compared to theirs. Like all symbolic interaction, language-based interaction reflects and constructs power relationships, pushing and pulling towards hierarchy or egality, towards conflict or cooperation with the emerging social relationship [4, p. 56].

Using edugames (educational games) permits several important elements to be implemented: learner-centred environments, collaboration, authentic tasks, multiple expression modes, emphasis on time management, innovative assessment [1, p. 247].

While gamification is overall useful, there are still some downsides that I have also experienced in my classroom: achievement-orientation – there is an unwanted pressure of being better than other learners; decrease of attention span: gamification provides rapid feedback and quick tempo, but that cannot apply to other teaching methods; gap between course material and games available on the market. But the developing technology makes the gap smaller [2, p. 25-26]. All in all, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in case of judicious use of gamification in combination with other teaching approaches.

References

1. Callaghan N. Investigating the role of Minecraft in educational learning environments [Electronic Resource] / Noelene Callaghan, – Educational Media International. – 53:4. – 2016. – Access Mode: https://www.tandfonline.com /doi/full/10.1080/09523987.2016.1254877
2. Nadiawati Nanda. Gamification of Duolingo in Rising Childrens’ Second Language Learning Motivation [Electronic Resource]. –Surabaya: Sunan Ampel State Islamic University, 2018. – Access Mode: http://digilib.uinsby.ac.id/26091/7/Nanda%20Nadiawati_A73214093.pdf
3. Pennington C. M. New Ways in Teaching Grammar / Martha C. Pennington. – Alexandria: TESOL Press, 1995. – 205 p.
4. Reinhardt J. Gameful Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Learning: Theory, Research, and Practice / Jonathon Reinhardt. – Tucson: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. – 311 p.

The educational system of Pakistan is very different from the other country, the schools in Pakistan are in different medium as compared to other schools in abroad, e:g, English medium schools, O levels schools, Urdu medium schools and madrassahs which are religious oriented. There is growing evidence to indicate that teachers are highly influenced by their beliefs, which in turn are closely linked to their values, to their views of the world, and to their understanding of their place within it.

Michael Borg‘s (2001) defined that a belief is a proposition which may be consciously or unconsciously held, is evaluative in that it is accepted as true by the individual, and is therefore imbued with emotive commitment; further, it serves as a guide to thought and behavior. Most definitions of belief propose that beliefs dispose or guide people‘s thinking and action.

Beliefs play an important role in many aspects of teaching, as well as in life. They are involved in helping individuals make sense of the world, influencing how new information is perceived, and whether it is accepted or rejected. Beliefs color memories with their evaluation and judgment, and serve to frame our understanding of events. (Cited from ‘teachers belief and the theoretical resources)

Borg’s emphasis on the conscious and unconscious thoughts and behaviours of an individual, he further highlights on the beliefs on teaching aspects where new knowledge is given to individuals whether it is accepted or rejected.

English as language teaching for teachers in Pakistan is considered to be their field of specialization because the subjects are taught in schools are in English language accept islamiat and sindhi subject, the teachers teaching skills is only medium of instructions to the learners in the respected classes. According to Borg’s definition on belief, teacher’s belief is focused on the methodology and strategies of learning any subject that is given in the class and thus learners have to learn to what teachers have told them to learn. Learners have different capabilities so, if the teacher knows every learners needs and abilities in what aspect of learning they can able to receive some knowledge than the job is accomplished.

Beliefs play a key role in teachers’ classroom practices and their professional development. Harste and Burke (1977) and Kuzborska (2011) said that teachers make decisions about their classroom teaching regarding beliefs they have about language teaching and learning.

They emphasized that teachers’ beliefs have a great impact on their aims, procedures, their roles, and their learners. Richards and Rodgers (2001) asserted that teachers have beliefs about language learning and these helped them get a special approach to language teaching. (Cited from teachers belief in teaching English language and learning, 4th paragraph)

Teachers in private and public schools of Karachi have different views in teaching English language skills because many of the teachers who have graduated from economics, mathematics or science background have few understanding on English teaching and their talent towards teaching for English language is not good enough, for those who have graduated from Urdu medium and has done MA in English also do not have the exposure and skills for teaching English language in the classroom because many teachers have degrees in high levels but to teach the learner best and appropriate learning in English language they must know the attitudes and behaviours of individuals in the classroom. Teacher needs to develop the skills of teaching various approaches in his/her teaching methods in the classroom and then strategies are applied English language teaching is entirely based on creativeness and explores various thoughts that a learner brings in the classroom.

Classroom observations revealed that teachers had adopted a subject-based approach to teach English rather than a skill-based approach. Teaching English grammar through translation, explaining difficult words in the mother tongue and writing definitions of new words in the mother tongue confirms the language inadequacy of both the teachers and students. Moreover, they reflect the inability of the teacher to teach language through a skill-based approach where various skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are used in a cohesive manner to argument language skills. According to Krashen (1981), language acquisition does not require extensive use of grammar rules and it does not occur overnight. Real language acquisition develops slowly. (Cited from Teaching and learning in Sindh schools p,15)

In the comparison of Chinese ELT teaching skills, the Chinese educationist Xin Tao (1999) finds that the sources of teacher beliefs, as the result of self-construction and cultural interaction, are the result of social history and culture. By reading relevant books and articles, the author form a thinking frame that constructivism psychologists claim a teacher‘s beliefs as the result of his or her self-construction. The beliefs arise from the teacher‘s own direct experience. Each teacher has different processes of self-construction. And social psychologists emphasize the importance of social cultural impact on a teacher‘s beliefs. (Cited from Theory and practice studies, p.1398)

Heather Davis and Carey Andrzejewski (2009) asserted that beliefs essentially function in a way similar to a lens on a magnifying glass. They clarify and guide interpretation of what may be ambiguous or unfocused. Generally, teachers interpret ambiguous situations in ways that are consistent with their beliefs. Beliefs also serve as a foundation for setting goals and standards by framing what is viewed in detail and focusing teachers’ attention and energy. Similarly, they delimit what is peripheral, determining what teachers do not see, emphasize, or examine. Because beliefs help teachers to make sense of what they experience in the classroom, they create meaning for teachers. Moreover, they prepare teachers to experience certain emotions by mapping pleasant feelings onto some experiences (i.e., success or failure) and unpleasant feelings onto others.

Teaching well also means learning well to some extent, and teachers‘ beliefs will subconsciously push teachers to adopt different teaching-learning methods. When teachers believe that teaching well primarily depends on making school work interesting, they will reject as irrelevant parts of the course that focus on teaching students to use metacognitive strategies for reading to learn. When teachers believe that student‘s effort is the salient factor contributing to success as a learner, they will reject as irrelevant learning how to foster comprehension skills or how to help students develop study techniques specific to the subject matter they teach. (Cited from theory and practice in language learning, p.1399)

Reference

1. Aslam, A., Dar, F., Akmal, M., & Aziz, S. (2014). policy and practice sindh.cdr. Teaching and learning in sindh schools, p,14-42. Retrieved from http://www.sahe.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Teaching-and-Learning-English-in-Sindh-Schools-2014-1.pdf
2. Zu, L. (2012). Theory and practice in language studies. The role of teacher’s belief in the language teaching learning process, 2(7), p,1397-1402. doi:10.4304/tpls.2.7.1397-1402

Abstract

Competence in a language would mean the ability to use it for communicative purposes. The traditional text books used in the language classroom often fail to build this competence in learners. They are designed for language teaching and do not present language as it is used in real-life. On the other hand, authentic materials have a purpose in real-life and when used in the language classroom, they can help learners build competence in the language. They also increase learners’ motivation as they get a feeling that they are using real language. Authentic materials can be particularly useful for improving reading skills. In real-life, the main purposes of reading are: (i) to gain knowledge (ii) to look for specific information and (iii) reading for pleasure. Authentic materials and activities designed around them can be used to build these skills. This research aims to study the impact of using authentic materials to improve the reading skills of middle-school ESL (English as Second Language) learners, through a quasi-experimental design. An experimental group would be taught using authentic materials, while a control group would be taught using the prescribed textbooks alone. Pre-test and post-test would be conducted to analyze the improvement in reading skills due to the intervention. The experimental group is expected to outperform the control group.

Introduction

Background

In this era of globalization, English is undoubtedly the lingua franca of the world. Therefore, English language education is given a great deal of importance in schools. Both parents and teachers are concerned about their children/students developing competence in the language.

However, what is often misunderstood is the actual ‘competence’ in the language. As a learner finishes school, if he is able to read a given text, write a passage (often rote learnt) and utter grammatically correct sentences, then he is considered to be competent in the language. But, after school, when the learner confronts the ‘world outside’, he gets exposed to real-life (English) language situations. The input received from school is often found to be inadequate to deal with these situations. It then requires a considerable amount of real-life exposure to the language to be able to use it for day-to-day communication. Thus, ‘competency’ in a language can be said to be the ability to use it for day-to-day communication.

When we analyze the language exposure that an individual receives in real-life, we can see that a considerable amount of it is in the form of reading. Day-to-day life activities requires him to read a variety of materials such as signboards, posters, invitations, product information written on wrappers, menu cards, application forms etc. Academics or work requires him to read reports, articles, journals etc. Exposure to different cultures and engagement with different people would get him acquainted with a variety of literature as well – short-stories, novels, poems etc. All these readings help the individual build a familiarity with the language.

A common factor about the above mentioned reading materials is that they are not specifically designed for language teaching-learning. They are all created for some real-life purposes; they are authentic materials.

If authentic materials are brought to the language classroom, they can give learners exposure to the language used in real-life; they can equip them to face the world outside. Often times, the textbooks designed for the classroom, fail to do the very same thing. Cook (1981) rightly articulates this: “All language syllabuses are defective representations of the target language; … The only way we can make sure that we are giving the students all they need to know is by giving them authentic materials.’

Besides, the use of authentic materials can also be motivating to the learners, as they are dealing with real-life language.

Research Problems

Based on the above discussion, it can be said that there is a need to bring in authentic materials into the language classroom, to enable learners to develop ‘competency’ in the language. They can be particularly useful in enhancing the reading skills of learners. As mentioned earlier, in real-life, reading is mostly done ‘to gain knowledge’ (reading academic books, newspapers, journals etc.), to look for specific information (reading sign boards, menu cards etc.) or for the ‘pleasure’ of it (reading literature). Authentic materials need to be used in the classroom to ensure that learners gain competence in these aspects of reading.

Theoretical Background

Authentic Materials

Authentic materials can be defined as “real-life texts, not written for pedagogical purposes” (Wallace, 1992). They have not been written “specifically for language teaching” (Tomlinson, 2013). Morrow (1997) says that “an authentic text is a stretch of real language, produced by a real speaker or writer for a real audience and designed to convey a real message of some sort.”

Authentic materials are available to us in abundance; they are there all around us. They can be divided into the following three categories (Gebhard, 1996):

• Printed materials: these include materials that are printed on paper, such as newspapers, story books, magazines, journals, brochures, catalogues, pamphlets, invitations, schedules, maps etc.
• Visual materials: these include materials that provide a visual representation, often along with written language. Examples: street signs, artworks, online books etc.
• Audio-visual materials: these materials have both the audio and video components. Examples: movies, commercials, documentaries, theatre etc. Audio materials such as radio talk and songs can also be included under this category.

Using Authentic Materials in Language Teaching

The use of authentic materials in the language classroom has been discussed since the 1970s. Given that these materials aren’t specifically made for the purpose of teaching-learning, learners tend to enjoy it. They also get to experience the language in real-life contexts. “Authentic texts can be motivating because they are proof that the language is used for real-life purposes by real people” (Nuttall, 1996).

Multiple studies have shown that authentic materials bring about an increase in the motivation levels of learners. For example, Thanajaro (2000) observes that the self-satisfaction and motivation of learners increased after using authentic materials in the classroom. Similarly, Hyland (2003) states that authentic materials increases learners’ motivation and reflects positively on the learning process.

According to Richard (2001), following are the advantages of using authentic materials in the language classroom:

• learners get a sense of the culture of target language
• authentic materials provide exposure to language used in real-life
• they motivate the learners
• they enable a more creative approach to teaching

Researchers have studied the positive impact of authentic materials on each of the different language skills – listening and speaking (Miller, 2005), reading (Berardo, 2006) and writing (Allen et al., 1988).

In a study conducted among university students in Columbia, Losada et al. (2017) found that the experimental group which was taught using authentic materials and authentic tasks showed a better progress in (target) language competence when compared to the control group which was taught in the traditional way. They conclude that “the use of authentic materials in the language classroom must be strongly encouraged as they have a positive impact on the students’ linguistic and affective domains.”

Reading

Reading is one of the receptive skills in a language. A significant amount of language input comes in the form of reading.

Reading can have three main purposes – for survival, for learning, for pleasure (Berardo, 2006). Reading for survival includes all those readings that we do from our surroundings, for our day-to-day activities. For example, reading traffic signboards, bill boards, information on product wrappers etc. Reading for learning includes the readings we do for gaining knowledge, such as academic texts. Those readings we do in our leisure times, such as stories, novels and poems come under reading for pleasure. According to Alderson (2000) reading is “an enjoyable, intense, private activity, from which much pleasure can be derived, and in which one can become totally absorbed.”

Thus reading plays a very important part in the life of an individual. In the words of Holden (2004) “reading is an important gateway to personal development, and to social, economic and civic life.”

Given the global status of English, a lot of language (in English) is available outside to be read. It is important that learners gain the competency to read and comprehend these. Therefore, it is crucial for a language classroom to provide opportunities for learners to enhance their reading skills.

Using Authentic Materials to Enhance Reading Skills

Using a variety of authentic materials in the language classroom can build learners’ familiarity with the target language and this can help enhance their reading skills. Brosnan et al. (1984) state that authentic reading materials help learners discover the meaning more easily by giving them the opportunity to make use of non-linguistic clues – layout, pictures, colors, symbols, the physical setting in which it occurs etc.).

In a study conducted by Akbari and Omid (2016) among Iranian EFL (English as Foreign Language) teachers, it was observed that the majority of them found authentic materials to be useful in their reading classes. Many other researches have studied the impact of using authentic materials to enhance the reading skills of learners. Bacon & Finnemann (1990), observed that authentic materials provide new vocabulary and expressions to language learners which in turn improve their reading skills. Jusoh (2016) conducted a study among diploma students in Malaysia, where an experimental group was taught using authentic reading materials and a control group was taught using conventional textbooks. At the end of the study, it was found that the experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of vocabulary acquisition.

Another research study conducted by Guo (2012), among under-graduate students in Taiwan, also showed evidence of vocabulary gain as a result of extensive reading of authentic texts. It was also noted that there was an increase in the motivation levels of the learners.

Authentic materials that can be used in the classroom include story books, newspapers, journals, children’s magazines, posters, food/stationary/cosmetics wrappers, advertisements, menu-cards, invitations, letters etc. (Berardo 2006, Gebhard 1996). ICT (Information and Communication Technology) can be used to bring online reading materials into the classroom.

Ample guidance and scaffolding would be necessary to initiate learners into reading authentic texts, as these aren’t simplified or abridged for the purpose of learning. However, once learners develop an interest in any of the different kinds of authentic texts, they would be motivated to read further on their own.

It is therefore important that the learners are exposed to a variety of authentic reading materials inside the classroom. Learners’ interests differ and hence a particular student may be more attracted towards fiction while another may be keen towards facts and general knowledge. “The wide variety of different types of text means that it is easier to find something that will interest the learner and may even encourage further reading or reading for pleasure” (Berardo, 2006).

Research Design

Participants

The research would follow a quasi-experimental design. Middle-school learners (classes 6 to 8) from an English medium school would be chosen. There would be a control group which is taught using the prescribed textbook and an experimental group which would be taught using authentic materials.

Pre-test

A baseline assessment would be done to analyze the current level of the learners (of both groups), with respect to their reading skills. The data collection instrument used would be a written test which analyses the ability of the learners to read and look for specific information in a piece of text as well as the ability to read and comprehend an academic text. Additionally, the learners would be interviewed to understand their interests in ‘reading for pleasure’. Data about the kinds of books they read, the frequency in which they are read etc. would be collected.

Intervention

The experimental group would be exposed to authentic texts for a certain period of time. A variety of materials such as short stories, novels, drama, comic books, children’s magazines, newspaper, journals, online magazines and journals etc. would be used. Activities would be designed using authentic materials such as menu cards, invitations, flyers, bus/train time tables, wrappers of various products etc. Regular textbook instruction would also be done simultaneously.

The control group would be taught using the prescribed textbook alone. No authentic materials would be used with them.

Post-test

An endline assessment would be conducted to analyze the post-intervention reading skill levels of both groups of learners. The instruments used would be similar to that of the pre-test – written test analyzing (i) the learners’ ability to read and look for specific information in a piece of text (ii) their ability to read and comprehend an academic text; personal interviews to understand their interests in ‘reading for pleasure’.

Data Analysis

The results from both the tests (baseline and endline) would be compared to see the progress in reading skills of both groups (experimental and control), over the period of intervention. The scores of the written tests would be compared to see the differences in ability (i) to read and look for specific information in a piece of text (ii) to read and comprehend an academic text. The data from the interviews would be compared to see the difference in variety and frequency of materials being ‘read for pleasure’.

The difference in improvement of reading skills between the groups would be analyzed to understand the impact of using authentic materials in the language classroom.

Expected Outcomes

Both the experimental group as well as the control group would show almost similar performance (reading skills) in the pre-test. However, the experimental group would outperform the control group in the post-intervention test. Besides, as a result of the intervention, they would have done a lot more ‘reading for pleasure’ when compared to the control group.

References

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