Category: English Language

Introduction

“Language is the most overwhelmingly dominant perceived problem that international students face in their attempt of studying and living in an English-speaking country” (Robertson et al, 2010), particularly Unaided States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. In the UK context, the majority of the international learners come to England having already decent knowledge of Standard English (minimum IELTS 5.5). “The minimum IELTS score in UK universities for different course types is 5.5-6.5. Some universities may also run a summer foundation course for those students whose score is lower or who want to enhance their academic knowledge.” British Council IELTS

However, it is not the Academic English that puzzle the students so much but the colloquial language, as Robertson et al (2010) states in his article. This aspect has negative consequences on the students’ academic results, personal development and their overall study abroad experience. The present essay aims to find the answer of two questions: Firstly: Should Non-Standard English be introduced in the pre-sessional course organized by the universities in UK? If the answer for the first question is ‘yes’ then the second question comes up: To what extent should Non-Standard English be taught, taking into consideration the student’s target and needs

Background

According to the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCHISA) “the total number of international students studying in the United Kingdom in 2016-2017 is 442,375” and the reports published by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) show that this number increases year by year.

The main reason why international learners choose to study in an English-speaking country is to have the opportunity to improve their English language skills. As Jenkins (1998) states: “students need above all to be able to communicate successfully with other native or non-native speakers of English from different L1 backgrounds.”

Yet, this goal seems unachievable for the majority of the international students which complain that their native or non-native interlocutors “employ a variety of English with which they are not familiar with” being self-evident that “the English that they have learnt in school did not enable them to take part in certain English-language conversations” (Bieswanger 2008).

Studies indicate that, over the few years, the educational system of the English Language Teaching as a Second Language failed to prepare the students for the “sociolinguistic reality in an increasingly globalized world” (Bieswanger 2008) where English gained the status of Lingua Franca and New Englishes “claim” their right as real English varieties. “The students are not aware of the considerable regional variation in the use of English” (Bieswanger 2008) therefore, the school failed to prepare students to cope with their lives, achieve their learning goals and fulfill their needs. (Klippel and Doff, 2007)

Basically, the international students that come into UK are not familiarized with the multitude of English dialects and accents due to the fact that they have only been exposed to Standard English in school. As Ashton and Shepherd (2013) wrote in their article: “There is one accent that seems to represent us Brits internationally and that is – Received Pronunciation (RP).” Most learners of English learn only the Standard dialect being the most commonly used variety, employed by the government, in the media, in schools and for international communication. Paradoxically, RP is a minority accent being spoken by only 3 per cent of the population.

Dialects and Accents

The term “dialect” as it is described by the Cambridge Online Dictionary (COD) “is a form of language that is spoken in a particular part of the country or by a particular group of people. There are many different dialects of English and they have different words and grammar.” A social dialect (or sociolects) is associated with a particular social class within a society. Standard English, for example, is a social dialect being considered the language of the upper class and educated people while the lower class speaks Slang. The Standard dialect is defined by the Merriam- Webster Dictionary as follows: “the English that with respect to spelling, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary is substantially uniform though not devoid of regional differences, that is well established by usage in the formal and informal speech and writing of the educated, and that is widely recognized as acceptable wherever English is spoken and understood”

There are also regional dialects (or geographic varieties) of English which are representative to speakers living in a particular area. There are 7 main regional dialects in United Kingdom: British English, Welsh English, Scottish English, Irish English, Gibraltarian English, Channel Island English and Manx English each with its own local varieties and accents.

There are over 70 local varieties depending on the area, social class gender, sex, age group, etc. For example, there is the Yorkshire variety spoken in the county of Yorkshire, the Brummie accent is spoken in Birmingham area, Geordie can be heard if you travel in Newcastle or if you go in the capital, you can hear Cockney, a variety which is spoken by the London working class, and this is just a very few.

An accent is not the same as a dialect. According to the Cambridge English Dictionary (COD), the word “accent” means “the way in which people in a particular area, country or social group pronounce words”. One can deduce therefore, that “the United Kingdom is perhaps the most dialect-obsessed country in the world. With near-countless regional Englishes shaped by millennia of history, few nations boast as many varieties of language in such a compact geography.” (dialectblog.com)

Problems, Consequences and Solutions

Taking into consideration this language diversity, the international students encounter a language shock when they first come to UK, as they come across more or less intelligible varieties of English. Obviously, the language shock added to the so called culture shock, caused by foreign environments can have negative effects like anxiety, lack of self-esteem or even depression (Brieswanger, 2008). Some of them can experience such an ordeal that they can even withdraw from their courses in an attempt to regain their self-balance.

DefEE (2001) states that “international students should be taught about the differences between Standard and Non-standard English, in a balanced approach and, in particular, to be aware that different people make different choices when Standard English is appropriate.”

A proper start for introducing new varieties to international students would be the pre-sessional course run by the universities as this is the first contact that a foreign student has with the academic life.

Standard vs Non-Standard Varieties

The introduction of other varieties of English in the ELT classroom has long been debated in the literature and no outcome has yet been achieved due to the fact that there are advantages and disadvantages on both sides.

Advantages for using Standard English

Standard English is more accessible through broadcasting, in the media, in the literature, etc. It is the variety required by IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge exams. English for Academic Purposes is essential for studying in universities and colleges while in commercial settings you are expected to know Business English. Standard English/Received Pronunciation/BBC English/ Queen’s English is associated with power and prestige in the public mind. A great extent of the English learning materials are structured to teach Standard English.

Disadvantages of using Standard English

On the other hand, many scholars claim that the focus should not be put on the Standard form of a language because “it is unattainable for most learners”. Lee (2005) states that “it is impossible for any learner of a language to become a native speaker unless he or she is born again”. Standard English can be sometimes useless in certain environments and contexts. There are many English teachers whose accent is not RP and who would be more comfortable teaching their own variety of English. This is true for learners as well. There may be students who are more familiarized with a certain variety and prefer to use it instead of RP. Standard English places a great value on form than function, this being superfluous as it is the social function of the language that fulfills the learners’ needs.

There are some countries in the world where the vernacular form of the language was banned from the Educational System and this has caused insecurity distrust among the speakers.

Take for example Singapore, where the government has forbidden the use of Singlish – (their local variety of English which incorporates elements of Tamil, Chinese and Malay) in media and in schools for various economic and academic reasons. The population was strongly advised to use Standard English instead of Singlish to increase the national economy, enabling them to have a proper say on the international market as well as to “increase the quality” of the Educational System as the students would be more prepared for the outside world.

A multitude of contra arguments and studies were published as response to this movement and of course, the population did not remain indifferent. It was militated that Singlish is part of the Singaporean character, culture and national identity and cannot be suppressed so easily; it is a necessity not a fad as the elder population rely on vernacular language to communicate with others and, as studies have proved, Singlish is “an overwhelmingly useful tool for students” (Rubdy, 2007) boosting their multilingual skills, increasing self-confidence and helping them to understand and acquire the Standard form.

In the British Educational System, on the other hand, “the National curriculum states that pupils should be able to shift their language usage in terms of register and form according to the communication situation” (Black, 2008) However, pupils are expected to “sustain Standard English with the familiarity suited to reader and purpose”.

1) Should Non-Standard English be introduced in the pre-sessional programme?

“A pre-sessional programme is an intensive English language programme held during the summer to improve the academic language skills of students’ whose test scores are slightly below the requirements for their chosen degree programme.” (Ward et al, 2001)

As we have seen, using standard and non-standard varieties in the educational sphere is controversial. Cook (2003) describes the situation as being a “two-edged sword” because both advantages as well as disadvantages exist in trying to implement a curriculum that includes the standard and non-standard form.

Let us first consider the contra arguments of introducing a non-standardized variety in a pre-sessional English programme organized by the universities in UK.

A) Studying a Non-standard variety will hinder the development of the students’ academic skills.

The majority (if not all) Pre-sessional English courses teach English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and focus on developing academic skills proper for the journey that has yet to start in the higher education system. The curriculum provides both perceptive and productive skills, grammar, academic vocabulary and language function as can be deduced, for example, from the De Montfort University Pre-sessional curse description:

“To build on the English Language Preparation Programme giving you your final push before going onto your undergraduate or postgraduate course. It consolidates your academic English in all the four skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking. You will be assessed for your academic skills through a final test at the end of the course as well as writing a 1000-word essay, a 1000-word report and giving a 10-minute presentation.”

Cook (2003) argues that introducing Non-standard varieties in the curriculum would only hinder the acquisition of Standard English and therefore, the students’ academic skills would be diminished. Moreover, Anne Smith (2013) states that “due to the fact that international students have only been exposed to one variety of English (Received Pronunciation) introducing a non-standardized variety in an early stage of their language development would only cause confusion”

On the other hand, Black (2008) states that students who are learning English as a second language need to be aware of the existence, pronunciation and form of Non-standard varieties as they are going to cope with the real British life of outside the University’s walls. Moreover, Suzuki (2010) claims that knowing other varieties of a language “would develop students’ proficiency for international communication with other native or non-native speakers of English.” And this can be perceived as a stepping stone words the Standardized Form of English and helping them mastering the Academic skills.

B) Learning Non-standard English is not the students’ goal

It is useless to teach Non-standard English in a pre-sessional course as it can easily be acquired through social media or day-to-day conversation. This would only waste time and make the international students’ long-term goals harder to achieve, wasting their potential and effecting their overall education.

However, “since the global spread of English, the choice of an appropriate English learning target for second language (L2) learners has been controversial in English language education due to the changing nature of English worldwide” (Chan, 2018). On an international basis, yes, the students may need Standard English to get their ideas across, being “the variety of English widely accepted, understood and perhaps valued” (McArthur, 2003 cited in Farrell & Martin, 2009).

But, in the UK context, international students need to be able to communicate with both native and non-native speakers in order to carry on with their lives outside the academic context. This target is much more appropriate and attainable in most English-speaking situations (Kachru & Nelson, 2006)

“Many international students begin their lives in the UK on a pre-sessional programme” (Ward et al, 2001) So, for most of them this is their first contact with the British culture and their initial UK life experience so there is no other proper moment to introduce students to Non-Standard English than the pre-sessional course. Therefore, this pre-sessional course should provide more than just academic information and how achieve the academic goals, but also how to cope with their everyday life needs and in various situations and that’s why Non-Standard varieties should be introduced in the pre-sessional course in UK.

2) To what extent should Non-Standard English be taught in the pre-sessional course?

A pre-sessional course run by the universities in UK are usually organized in the summer on a relative short period of time. It can last for 4 up to 15 weeks in some cases. However, teachers claim that the curriculum is already very dense and complex and the students are overwhelmed by the amount of new information they have to acquire in such a short period of time and introducing new varieties of English in the lesson would only make thinks harder for the students to cope with.

Moreover, as Tegene (2015) states the majority of the materials (text books/activity books) used in classrooms are prepared in a standard dialect that means the teacher has to prepare handouts beforehand that include activities and exercises containing the non-standard variety.

However, it is enough for the students to be exposed to Non-varieties of the language through instructions or short activities at the end of the lesson to make them familiar with certain dialects that they may encounter on every-day life. This short encounters with the Non-standard varieties will be much more useful and efficient than long stages of exercises. Moreover, the lessons will become more dynamic and variate and the students will enjoy them for sure.

Refferences

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2. BIESWANGER, M (2008) Varieties of English in Current English Language Teaching. Stellebosch Papers in Linguistics, 38, pp.27-47.
3. BLACK, B (2008) Investigating Non-Standard English in GCSE level students in England. [Online] Available from: http://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/Images/aspects-of-writing-non-standard-english-sep-2008.pdf [Accessed 18/01/19].
4. BRADSHAW, C. (2004) Student Success in a Pre-Sessional Course for Postgraduate International Students: implications for practice. Investigations in university teaching and learning, 2 (1) pp.1-11.
5. British Council IELTS (2017) IELTS requirements of the world’s top 200 universities in the UK in 2018 [Online] Available from: https://www.ieltsasia.org/hk/en/study-in-uk/required-score [Accessed 20/01/19].
6. CHAN, J. Y. H. (2018) Implications for teaching English as a Global Language. System, 76 pp. 62-79.
7. COOK, V. (2003) Effects of the Second Language on the First, Multilingual Matters, University of Essex Hardback. p-268.
8. COPLAND, F. & GARTON, S. (2011) ‘I felt that I do live in the UK now’: international students’ self-reports of their English language speaking experiences on a pre-sessional programme. Language and Education, 25 (3) pp. 241-255.
9. Cambridge English Dictionary online (2007) [Online] Available from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/types-of-english-formal-informal-etc/dialect [Accessed 19/01/19].
10. De Montfort University LEICESTER (2018) Pre-sessional English course [Online] Available from: https://www.dmu.ac.uk/international/en/english-language-courses/academic-courses/pre-sessional-english-course.aspx [Accessed 18/01/19].
11. Dialect blog (2011) British Accents [Online] Available from: http://dialectblog.com/british-accents/ [Accessed 17/01/19].
12. FARELL, T.S.C. & MARTIN, S (2009) To Teach St-English or World English? A Balanced Approach to Instruction. English Teaching Forum, 2 pp. 2-7.
13. HURTING, M. (2006) Varieties of English in the Swedish Classroom. Thesis (MA), Karlstads University [Online] Available from: http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:6266/FULLTEXT01.pdf [Accessed 19/01/19].
14. LEE, J. J. (2005) The Native Speaker: An Achievable Model? Asian EFL Journal, 7 (2) pp.152-163.
15. JENKINS, J. (1998) Which pronunciation norms and models for English as an International Language? ELT Journals, 52 (2) pp. 119-126.
16. KACHRU, Y. & NELSON, C. L. (2006) World Englishes in Asian Context. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
17. Merriam-Webster online dictionary. (2008) [Online] Available from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Standard%20English [Accessed 20/01/19].
18. ROBERTSON, M. et al (2010) International Students, Learning Environments and Perceptions: A case study using the Delphi technique. Higher Education Research & Development, 19 (1) pp.89-102.
19. SMITH, K. A (2013) Standard English Dialect Instruction that Respects Language Diversity. Thesis (MA), Evergreen State College [Online] pp.11-26 Available from: file:///C:/Users/Asus/Desktop/Smith_KAMIT2013.pdf [Accessed 21/01/19].
20. SUZUKI, A. (2010) Introducing diversity of English into ELT: student teachers’ responses. ELT Journals, 65 (2) pp.145-153.
21. TEGEGNE, W. (2015) The Use of Dialects in Education and Its Impacts on Students’ Learning and Achievements. Education Journal, 4 (5) pp. 263-269.
22. WARD, et al (2001) The Psychology of Culture Shock. 2nd ed. London, UK: Routledge.
23. York St. John University (2018) Advantages and Disadvantages of ‘Standard English’ for ELT. [Online] Available from: https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/changing-englishes/unit-1-defining-english/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-standard-english/ [Accessed 18/01/19].
24. ZIMMERMAN, L. (2007) Standard English in the EFL Classroom. ELT Journals, 61 (2) pp. 164-166.

This paper posits that teaching NNS “English as a Lingua Franca” (ELF) is superior to teaching them a preferred form of “correct” English as propounded by “English as a Native Language” (ENL).

Proponents of ENL subscribe to a parochial dogma concerning the preferability of a “standardised” or ostensibly accurate form of English (Kirkpatrick, 2006). They believe in instilling NNS these standards and denigrate pronunciation differences as mistakes rather than particularised accent conventions of a specific linguistic classification (Jenkins, 2006). This foisting of linguistic standards is tantamount to linguistic colonisation (Ishikawa, 2016; Phillipson, 1992). In contrast, ELF cherishes linguistic heterogeneity of individual speakers and respectfully celebrates non-native varieties as markers of ingenuity (Cogo, 2008). This makes ELF the superior model within English language pedagogies.

ELF is superior as it focuses on pragmatic issues of “intelligibility” (Pickering, 2006), “efficiency, relevance and economy” in ELF circumstances (Seidlhofer, 2001). Research has shown that NNS view the mastery of English through utilitarian lenses – as an avenue for one to become upwardly mobile (Muthanna & Miao, 2015) and thus prioritise practical language expertise over pedantic precision (Sharma, 2008). To instantiate, Wang (2016) illustrates empirically how Chinese speakers of English are more concerned about comprehension and “being understood” (emphasised in ELF) than adhering to standards dictated by Native speakers (ENL); the latter perceived as otiose in real-world communication.

Critics of ELF such as Saraceni (2008) harbour misconceptions about ELF. is an attempt to arbitrarily impose the procrustean bed onto World Englishes – adopt a “one-size-fits-all” model as a plausible “alternative” to ENL.

References

1. Cogo, A. (2008). English as a Lingua Franca: form follows function. English Today 95, 24(3), 58-61. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078408000308
2. Ishikawa, T. (2016). World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca: conceptualising the legitimacy of Asian people’s English. Asian Englishes, 18(2), 129-140.
3. Jenkins, J. (2006). Global Intelligibility and Local Diversity: Possibility or Paradox? In R. Rubdy, & M. Saraceni (Eds.), English in the World: Global Rules, Global Roles (pp. 32-39). London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
4. Kirkpatrick, A. (2006). Which Model of English: Native-speaker, Nativized or Lingua Franca? In R. Rubdy, & M. Saraceni (Eds.), English in the World: Global Rules, Global Roles (pp. 71-83). London: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
5. Muthanna, A., & Miao, P. (2015). Chinese Students’ Attitudes towards the Use of English-medium Instruction into the Curriculum Courses: A Case Study of a National Key University in Beijing. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 3(5), 59-69. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v3i5.920
6. Phillipson, R. (1992). Linguistic Imperialism. Hong Kong: Oxford University Press.
7. Pickering, L. (2006). Current Research on Intelligibility in English as a Lingua Franca. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 26, 219-233.
8. Sharma, B. K. (2008). World Englishes, English as a Lingua Franca, and English Pedagogy. Journal of NELTA, 13(1-2), 121-130.
9. Siedlhofer, B. (2001). Closing a conceptual gap: the case for a description of English as a lingua franca. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11(2), 133-158.
10. Wang, Y. (2016). Native English speakers’ authority in English. English Today 125, 32(1), 35-40. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078415000516

Teaching English as a Foreign Language is rapidly growing as a conventional career. TEFL certification has turned into a trend, now we have been additionally a part of this new quantity of teachers using our language abilities. But, teaching the English language is not only knowing the language. Then exactly how would you teach someone who will not comprehend you?

Just how ready are you to teach the students?

You have to do a course in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and obtain some methods to manage this type of classes. Nonetheless, no teacher training guaranteed to achieve success. Maybe we do not have a secret wand, but we are focused on succeeding in teaching the English language to the students. Within the off possibility that the amazing in-class games can’t take care of the interest for the students, you almost certainly will never have to reevaluate your methodology. We have to adopt a strategy to utilize the very best teaching procedures since it is achievable through the conditions in your team gathering.

Let us discuss some designated procedures, that people can adapt to teach the English language to provide our students using the best learning experience.

Objective

You probably have observed that all instructional classes frequently outline the goal at the start. It’ll provide the students by having a framework in regards to the program and, helps them to remain focused and also make them know very well what exactly is expected in the course.

Degree

You can’t expect everyone to be at an identical level because they have actually various capabilities to understand the English language. Which means that your classes have to be prepared and presented well, and should be suitable for all levels.

Pace and range

Understand the pace for the students, no matter what age and capability related to them. Your teaching English language should match their absorption speed. You need to be well outfitted to displace it for the alternative session as well as, you’re going to have to manoeuvre around tasks and workouts. Your training plan requires versatility.

Progress

As you continue teaching English, the students should get abilities to the progress of their journey, and every chapter should result in the students believe they have been one step nearer to their intention.

Create an Engaging Learning Environment

Your course should really be cheerful and comfortable. You’ll be accountable for the feel and look for the conditions. Being a trainer, show you have actually wanted for enhancement for each and every one of the students. Still, motivation and appropriate levels of dedication will encourage the pupils to work.

Engage And Collaborate Within a Community

Being a teacher instructing English, you always want to give the most suitable for your students. Trainers should cooperate in the industry to deliver the most effective help to their students.

Using Technology to Motivate the Pupils

Motivation is a vital part of learning. A portion of your students involves course inherently satisfied. Other people will be based upon one to create a master plan and provide motivation.

Student talk

It is actually the most important action. The longer time students talk in the course, the larger number of satisfied they become. Furthermore, they are able to make use of English outside more easily.

Anyway, there are various other practices that may use to instruct TEFL. There are lots of strategies which were successfully used to teach English being a language. The methods have become adaptable to implement while training.

Teaching is a satisfying and at the same time, a challenging job. Teachers have significant control in the classroom environment. There is no doubt as a teacher your techniques for teaching the English language make a tremendous difference to spice up the classroom, making it enjoyable whether you are teaching adults or young students.

To teach the English language, the initial difficulty you will face could be the language barrier. You are teaching a student whose native language is not English. Therefore interaction becomes very hard. Developing an understanding between you, and the students is a challenging task. Furthermore, if you’re teaching young ones, creating compatibility with all the students is very important.

As an aspiring teacher, the following techniques will help you to overcome these difficulties. Physical Actions Instead of TalkingTeaching English to beginners with actions is one of many essential methods. As a faculty, your job is to engage the class whenever possible. English is totally a stranger to them. They will find it irritating if you talk throughout the entire program in the traditional method of teaching.

Preferably, you want to use more actions and gestures to talk to them. Then they will find the class as enjoyable. For example, if you want to teach the word “walk,” then walk gently and tell the students to learn the concept. Gradually, add more adjectives to the term by showing different actions and gestures.

Let the Students Enjoy in the Class

As an English teacher in a foreign country, you will be teaching a totally different group of students. Some might have the ability to grab the method faster, but some find it as challenging. It is easier to teach those students who get the idea quicker. Whereas, on the other side, we need to take additional care to those students who find it difficult.

The most effective method to teach the English language always allows the students to enjoy the sections. Allow them to speak up and, in the initial stages, they may talk in their local language, that’s ok!

Gradually, the communication between you and the students becomes more comfortable and enjoyable. However, make sure you reply to them in English. Class playtime is definitely an effective way of teaching techniques for children to learn English quicker. It will help the students to learn quickly and, also makes the classes entertaining and helps them to develop more confidence.

Be Patient

The majority of English teachers agree that teaching novices are one of the most difficult in teaching. As a result of classrooms being noisy, and students losing their control, it may become extremely stressful most of the time.

As a teacher, you have to make sure that the class is under your control and never let it out. Hence, keeping your cool and start to become really patient is another helpful strategy to teach the English language to the students. It is necessary to earn respect from the students by not shouting or screaming at them.

Working Hours and Organizing

Your ways to teach the English language must be presented in such a way that students should find the class engaging. Furthermore, classroom management and structuring are critical. The organization of these classes is in a way that different topics for the courses are divided into different sections so the students, won’t find it uniform.

Get Down to the Students’ Level

The students may discover your teaching style different as they regularly had exposure to a new training system. Because of the language barrier, initially, students could be hesitant about getting near to you. Hence, you should figure out how to get right down to students level and communicate with them. Additionally, keep saying things repeatedly if they haven’t understood what you thought.

Digital Teaching

The approaches to teaching the English language online are totally different from classroom training. Teaching English online means you certainly be teaching small children from different nations. As young ones are always playful and excited, controlling them through the entire class is a tough job. It is a monotonous work to keep the children involved in the class. Moreover, they often get the course really dull until you have something to catch their awareness.

Teach Grammar Easily

You must have a great understanding of English grammar even if you are really a native English instructor and speak English with ease. Or perhaps you might not know how to teach “tenses” and “adverb” and “adjective” to a total set of new students who don’t even know a word of English.

The initial step for it would be to plan your grammar lessons in a way that students don’t see them too annoying. Also, it is crucial to make sure that the grammar lessons are taken quickly.

Teaching is one of the most rewarding and demanding jobs. As an English instructor, the brand new environment can be a bit challenging for you. Probably the students also have a tendency to back away because of this language barrier. However, follow the tips which will help you become a teacher loved by all of the students.

Abstract

We are living in a digital era of technological learners who are adept at using technology without any formal instructions. The ongoing pandemic may have staggered economy and halted lives across the globe, but, one blessing of these desperate times has been the desperation of ever individual to empower oneself with information and technology because it has proved to be the lifeline of communication and learning. Emails and virtual classrooms have been the new norm ensuring connectedness between the teacher and the taught amidst such desperate times calling for desperate measures. English language teaching too has undergone the much needed metamorphosis. It has been proved beyond doubt that technology enabled language learning can help one to ameliorate the efficiency and effectiveness of the English Language learning process. It not only offers flexibility and interaction but is also a rich platform that provides the users a whole new experience of learning. The use of ICT in a language classroom stimulates young learners to undertake assignments which they would otherwise ignore or avoid. It makes the same task more interesting and is specially beneficial for learners who are otherwise reluctant to speak in class. It saves the teachers repetitive tasks because the content in multimedia formats can be stored and retrieved at any time and any number of times. The role of teacher too has transformed to that of an instructor or facilitator. ICT enabled language teaching has the biggest advantage in a class with differential learning abilities because self-paced independent learning methodology is encouraged which can handle diverse groups with different learning abilities without any inferiority complex for a slow learner. Thus ICT is a welcome and powerful tool for educational change and reform.

Introduction

The term ICT is defined as’ forms of technology used for creating, displaying, storing, manipulating and exchanging information.’ (Melelsea, 2007).

English a global language of communication and learning and to integrate language acquisition with technology is the need of the hour. In fact it has rejuvenated the whole experience of English language acquisition. The greatest advantage of ICT in language teaching and learning is that a teacher centered class can, very conveniently, using ICT tools, be transformed into a learner centric class with the teacher playing the role of a facilitator. As a matter of fact, the use of technologies provides learners with unprecedented opportunities to practice English and involve themselves in authentic environments of language use. (Kramsch and Thorne, 2002). In addition, the integration of ICT boosts learners motivation because of multimedia capabilities including visual aids, audios and . (Altimer, 2001).

Online language support helps to encourage learner autonomy and motivation by attracting their attention and elevating their interest in learning, thereby making language acquisition an enjoyable process. Adoption of e-content inside and outside classroom leads to enhanced comprehension, better listening and writing skills. For example, according to Kelson (2009 p.3) ‘YouTube has the potential to connect learners with authentic English input through what is quite possibly already a part of their life experience… and provides a context through which they can interact, exchange ideas, share feelings and participate in a web based environment’.

Technology has offered new opportunities to restructure language learning and teaching by opening new avenues and newer challenges to the teacher and the taught. Computer aided language learning empowers the learner to take charge over one’s own learning – they set their own objectives and targets, choose their own content and material, decide their own methods and techniques and evaluate their performance themselves too. This newly found freedom and flexibility offers opportunity to learn beyond boundaries of a prescribed text and time and contributes to lifelong learning. It also offers rich e-resources that can be accessed fast and efficiently at the click of a mouse. For language learners, ICT offers a chance to be creative, improves efficiency and helps them to communicate better.

Thus the blend of ICT in English language learning helps to enhance interactive teaching – learning methodologies and teaches them to annotate texts in innovative ways. The student get exposed to a wide range of strategies to learn reading, writing, speaking, listening skills and ways of improving grammar and vocabulary. ICT has not only changed methodology but also assigned new roles to language teachers which is in sharp contrast to traditional language teaching. Teaching has gone beyond books and classrooms with teachers playing the role of guides to help learners to be skilled in selecting, accessing, evaluating organizing content and resources. In this whole process the teacher also plays the motivator in the learning process – facilitating intellectual group discussions mediated by technology and critically reflecting and commenting on the e-resources and digital literature. Thanks to ICT, more information is transmitted to a larger number of students in a shorter span of time. As Zepp (2005) points out,’ teachers should relate the goals of English language learning with effective use of ICT… The teacher’s role in an ICT environment is that of a facilitator instead of being a purveyor of knowledge. The modern teacher in the ICT era is no longer described as “a sage on the stage” but a guide by the side”. ‘

E-learning … not merely electronic learning but enhanced, enjoyable and easily accessible learning

The truth behind the popular Chinese saying “Tell me, and I will forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand,’ is best illustrated in the use of ICT in English Language teaching. The use of animations, power points, live chats, webinars and other audio visual material injects a renewed motivation and enthusiasm in a otherwise mundane language teaching class. The introduction of these new technological pedagogical tools seamlessly addresses the language learning needs and abilities of diversely heterogeneous groups and enables the learners to address their pace and mode according to his / her ability and availability of time at home. To make the teaching – learning process more viable and enjoyable in the electronic mode , language teachers specially need to take up the challenge of creating course material which instills a whiff of fresh air in the lesser explored areas of language teaching – specially grammar and vocabulary. The rules of grammar are so baffling at times that students prefer to just let them be or lose interest in the class. In a virtual mode, where the teacher is not physically present, it is indeed a challenge to make the lesson so interesting and effective that the student is tempted to tread in lesser explored territory. There has to be a tenuous balance of practice and consciousness raising (Ellis : 2002) which would lead to more effective learning. The aim should be to offer material which is interactive and communicative and provided with sufficient contextualization for deeper and more effective assimilation on the part of the learner. The mechanical mode of rote memorization with no real learning, needs to be veered away from, because on the e-platform mode the situation is less controlled by the teachers and there are no preconceived strings attached.

The use of ICT tools also helps to address students who may be differently placed in the ladder of learning ranging from basic, to intermediate to advanced. The activities can be planned and pitched keeping in mind the learning abilities of the learners and they can decided to upscale or downscale their progress in language learning according to their learning ability. Even though the interface between the teacher and the taught is minimal in a virtual learning environment, the liberal use of audio visual material, coupled with the methodology of repetition to reinforce learning, helps to explain better an otherwise challenging task in grammar. The feedback is generally prompt, supported by explanations for wrong answers and is specially rewarding for students who are reticent to speak in class or raise their doubts out of fear and inferiority complex. The provision of supplementary materials, through links, You Tubes, demonstrations, power points and other related and relevant websites go a long way in students learning to explore and enrich their understanding. The role of the teacher, in such cases, is that of a facilitator and guide exposing the students to the vast repositories of knowledge. In short, the visual classroom exposes you to a virtual world which gives you access to the treasure of knowledge with the space and freedom to chart your own journey to progress. The transition from the chalk and blackboard form of pedagogy to the use of ICT in classroom has redefined English language learning for both the mentor and the mentee offering lucrative returns for both stakeholders.

Transacting teaching and learning from the Computers to Classrooms : A case of reciprocal gains

The veracity of what Albert Einstein said, “I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the condition in which they can learn’, can best be illustrated through the learning that takes place through virtual classrooms. Traditional teaching when blended with methods that use newer technologies yields results that can never be achieved through blackboard and chalk form of pedagogy. What we need is to harness the immense potential of the electronic world to create good e-learning systems within the realm of classroom teaching. This is blended learning which will serve as a platform to spark students’ interest in language learning with the use of technology. Software’s like Moodle, aid the learning process by throwing an array of options before the learners. The sooner these learning management system make inroads in the classrooms of India, the sooner will we be able to address the challenges involved in traditional language teaching pedagogy. Today the virtual learning mode has been presented as a solid alternative through novel pedagogical strategies that promise to revolutionize English language teaching as well as learning. The use of ICT in language teaching is a kind of panacea to address the rampant inertia in education system. This by no means spells doom or extinction for teachers as mentors – there is just a shift in the role where the teacher now plays the facilitator and guide. The proliferation of courses on MOOC (Massive open and online courses) Swayam, Swayamprabha, Arpit and a host of others such platforms are symbolic of the importance of providing open ,accessible, superior, higher education content for a global community of teachers, scholars and learners. Digital divide across borders is narrowing and making its way to the rural pockets of India as well. Hence ICT is increasingly playing a role in making productive interventions more effective and useful.

Blended learning : Curriculum designing for specific skill sets – Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Grammar and Vocabulary

To begin with the learning objectives of the skill set that the e-content developer is targeting need be specified. This is to be framed keeping in mind the text in hand and the language skill that can be enhanced using that particular test. The next step is to build up activities which will enhance purposeful participation and interaction with the use of ICT tools. Let us delve into the skills and discuss at length the strategies to hone these skills. Reading skills can be planned to fulfill the objective of identifying one’s strength or weakness as a reader along with an ability to interpret diverse reading material in hand. The aim should be to check one’s ability to distinguish between functional and intelligent reading. The activities that can be planned to develop this skill, the teacher can pick up comprehension exercises based on reference to context, newspaper clippings, interesting, emails, blogs, Facebook posts, illustrations, advertisements, interviews, pieces of travelogue, poems etc. Centered around such diverse reading material activities like “Take a quiz to assess your reading skills” can be worked on. JAM-Just a minute sessions can be organized where the learner uploads his / her one minute narration of his / her understanding of the topic. Match the following / true or false, fill in the blanks- type of exercises can be very interactively created using user friendly softwares like hot potatoes.

Writing skills should aim to practice the process of writing in a formal as well as informal situation and also the ability to review and edit one’s own piece of writing. Again, instead of merely providing a topic to write on with instructions for an introduction, body and conclusion in the name of teaching the format- the ICT tools can be roped in to provide pictures, clippings of movies, cartoon strips, recordings of dialogues, pictorial diagrams- based on which activities can be designed. The writing may revolved around writing blogs, Facebook posts, learners journal writing skills, editing other’s writing, writing differently on the same topic and writing from another person’s point of view. When it comes to speaking skills, the objective should be clear – to develop an ability to converse in formal and informal situation and to gain enough confidence to overcome barriers and hesitation in communication. Activities can be devised from smaller speaking tasks like greetings, apologizing, introductions etc. to JAM (Just a minute) sessions on topics discussed, to more complex tasks like giving presentations and engaging in group discussions on the virtual platform. The e-content can be provided in the form of visual clips, audio files, graphics, movie clips- that can stimulate thinking and provide food for thought before attempting an activity on speaking. The learning objective on an exercise in listening can aim to indulge in listening effectively in different situations – be it a classroom, friend circle, office meeting etc. The learner must develop the ability to identify good listening habits and gradually hone the skill to listen with a specific aim – to interpret, to infer to critique .The e-content can be supplied through audio files, mp3 files, animation etc. The activities can involve listening to speeches, songs, commentary, announcements, case studies- followed by listening comprehension tasks that assess listening abilities and the learner can post their responses that can be evaluated by the teacher- the facilitator. For grammar, several YouTubes, web links, presentations and web resources can be provided as supplementary material to reinforce learning through repetition. The objective should be clear- to learn to use grammar correctly in real life communication- oral or written, and can be tested through endless grammar games, puzzles, organizer grids that are freely available on the internet and very user friendly.

Last but equally important is vocabulary i.e. enhancing your word bank. The learning objective should be to give the learner exposure to new words to improve one’s word bank. Learning words and their meaning in isolation is of no use unless you become adept at using them in your day to day interactions. So verbal and written activities should be planned in the form of crosswords, puzzles, word search, treasure hunt. Inducing information technology in these activities make them more interesting and instant evaluation and feedback instills further quest in the learner’s mind. Case studies can be shared wherein poor communication skills of an employee prevent him / her from performing well in an organization. Listening will be tested, suggestions can be invited as to what the employee could do to prevent the situation. This would assess speaking, several other techniques like role play, narration tasks can be designed to test clarity, pronunciation, and comprehension of the leaner. Therefore, virtual learning does offer a promising framework for setting up an effective learning environment in a English Language Teaching .A unique synchronicity between face to face and e-learning methodology is the need of the modern era.

ICT: Issues of access, equity and impending threats

There is no doubt that ICT enabled lessons offer an array of communication channels that are neither place nor time dependent. They are also appreciable for the fact that they encourage a non threatening, unique learning environment that promotes and motivates learning. Learners from diverse background can participate freely in online programmes without any fear, complex or feeling of inadequacy. At times, language courses are opted for, not out of compulsion for course fulfillment and requirement, but, also for professional and academic enrichment. The autonomous learning methodology in ICT enabled lessons puts the onus of learning on the learner because they learn to take responsibility for themselves. Online learning also facilitates, communication with a mentor who addresses queries and concerns thereby providing an excellent opportunity for learners to communicate for a real task in real time. There is opportunity to connect through interaction. There is no monologue or one way communication like in a typical classroom but a dialogue between the two stakeholders. The joint efforts of both helps to create and share knowledge and there is ‘talking to’ students instead of’ talking down’ students that usually happens in a traditional classroom. Hence ICT is a welcome change and a terrific pedagogic device that generates better attention span and participative learning. Such e-lessons command the attention of the learners and they engage meaningfully in the process of knowing , learning and retaining. This creative engagement is beneficial because the leaner is not stifled with too much imposition of structures and frames. However, the problem lies with equitable access of ICT in a country like India where the rich-poor divide and urban- rural boundaries are so vast that in spite of best efforts the fruits of labour are not reaped evenly by all. Connectivity issues and affordability of internet services is a challenge at times, in fact, even possession of an electronic gadget that empowers you to learn is a distant dream. Then again, cyber crime and plagiarism are issues that are a big threat that cannot be overlooked.

So, issues of access and equity need to be addressed before we claim to take language lessons in the virtual form to every household.

Conclusion

If online activities and exercises in English language teaching are created with good range of imagination, research and openness, they can revolutionize language teaching across the globe. At the hands of an imaginative, motivated teacher, technology can do wonders and can greatly impact the learning attitude of the taught. However caution is needed to ensure that only authentic sites are referred to and copyright issues are in place. A Teacher must understand the great responsibility as a facilitator to recommend resources that are safe from cyber stalkers. To conclude, it is certainly a challenge for a language teacher to adopt ICT as an alternative to improve language skills of the student, but it is definitely an effort worth it. In an era where vast strides are being made in technology and the acceptance of English as a global lingua-franca it is the need of the hour to develop alternative paradigms for delivering education.

Psycholinguistics or commonly known as the psychology of language is the consider of interrelation between linguistic components and psychological viewpoint. In other words, its reason is to discover the structures and prepare that underlie human’s capacity to talk and get it the language. In common, it can be characterized as the ponder of intellect and language, where it is related between human intellect and the language because it analyses the method that happens in the brain whereas creating and seeing the dialect. It has been a critical component in educating and learning.

There are three primary imperative viewpoints forms that are secured in psycholinguistics. Dialect generation may be a form included in making and expressing meaning through dialect. Though, dialect recognition could be a preparation of deciphering composed and talked dialect. Whereas, dialect procurement alludes to prepare for obtaining local and moment dialect. There are a few approaches and speculations of psycholinguistic and how the speculations offer assistance to the teachers in educating preparation. And of course, these hypotheses are considered in planning dialect instructing programs and materials in arrange to be successful in instructing the second dialect and focused on the dialect.

What is dialect learning and dialect acquisition? To begin with, dialect acquisition is for those who are obtaining local dialect /mother tongue. But in case the individual is learning an unused dialect it’ll allude as moment dialect procurement or outside dialect. As for dialect learning, come specialists accept that the moment dialect can be aced by learning the dialect ceaselessly, intentioned, and consciously. But the primary dialect known as mother tongue is procured normally and unknowingly. There are two sorts of dialect learning such as formal dialect learning and naturalistic dialect learning. Formal dialect learning is generally carried out in the classroom with the instructors, materials, and learning help. As for naturalistic dialect, learning is on learning a dialect normally and deliberately that happens in a bilingual and multilingual society.

As for the general dialect, learning can be characterized as a handle of an individual acing a moment dialect or outside dialect in a formal education setting illustration in Malaysia –English may be a Second Language instructed by the teachers and learned by all Malaysians. The learning moment dialect isn’t as simple as all of us think. A few learn it quicker and more quickly than others. Why? There are a few variables that influence the method such as Intelligence, Aptitude, Learning style, Personality, Motivation (Intrinsic), Motivation (Extrinsic), Culture, and status, and the final would be Age. Approach and Strategy are where approach relates with speculations on the nature of dialect and the standards in dialect teaching.

It appears that how individuals secure their knowledge towards the dialect and Strategy is another standard of approach where it appears sort exercises and parts of instructors and learners which is way more accommodating within the syllabus. Beneath approach which relates to the psycholinguistic approach that backs dialect procurement. In these approaches, it has separated into four hypotheses of dialect abilities such as Listening skills, Reading skills, Writing skills, and speaking skills. These speculations decided the method in the human brain how an individual produces and gets a dialect. As for strategies, it’s more on crucial speculations in where it isolates into two hypotheses of dialect and hypothesis of dialect learning. In this hypothesis, it has separated into three strategies such as Normal Strategy, Add up to Physical Reaction Strategy, and Suggestopedia.

The response by the researchers who take contention might not be so ideal (Krashen 1985) in where to get it and learn dialect one ought to be uncovered to their level of competence. Here, Krashen clarifies the see of his possess concept which is i + 1 that demonstrates learners get a sum of data on what the learners as of now know. This hypothesis is uncovered to comprehensible input and increment the chances of their level of comprehension past the learner’s arrange of etymological competence.

In conclusion, the title offers profitable theoretical bits of knowledge and beginning point for the students with an intrigued in dialect is to enable understudies learning prepare and visualize the learner’s understanding, procuring and creating dialect abilities and improve the learning handle.

Teaching English language in Malaysia can be nonetheless possessed its own challenge to ESL teachers. Malaysia made up of three main races have that tendency of embracing their own identity including the language that spoke on daily basis. Well, ESL learning was expectedly having its own sets of difficulty to be taught in a multicultural community. As Malaysia moving into a new era of generation Y slowly to be overtaken by generation Z, millennial seems to have got the gist of it. In this new era of technological advancement, English language is no longer too uncommon for Malaysian as various English content are easily made available in the internet especially via social media. The utilization of more traditional literature such as novel or short stories is still widely practiced with paper printed material eventually replaced by E-based content such as E-books and all sorts. Although the introduction of video and animated content seems to be much more appealing to millennial English learner, however, word based material is still significantly relevant in ESL lessons as understanding the language requires not only mastering listening aspect of the language but also reading and writing as well. Utilizing literature in teaching language provides better linguistic understanding and developing creativity as it is an authentic language model which are rich in potential (Ramsaran 1983; Colin & Slater, 1987). Novel and short story is a very suitable learning material for English language learner as it can be a good indicator of increased motivation, interest in reading and improved reading skills (Vural 2019; Saka, 2914; Pardede, 2011). Ceylan (2016) studies has further indicated that studying short stories may benefits students by broadening their perspectives, enabling them for better reasoning rather than solely focusing on the result, exposing them with different life styles, allowing them to compare various cultural differences, and at the end increasing their appreciation for the material to encourage reading interest.

To ensure learning outcome achieved to its fullest potential, it is important that both education policy maker including ESL teacher themselves understands that there are elements which included the lesson plans designed for ESL learning as well as how the teaching personnel conduct themselves in the class can be vital to English learning for the students. ESL teacher should be aware that student may respond differently towards literature (novel and short story). Studies conducted in the past have shown that readers mostly assume aesthetic stance when responding to a literature. However, more often than not, student post-responds after going through a literature are more efferent as their feedback suggested. This may highly due to the widely practiced efferent teaching in school where teacher teach their student efferently to ensure student pass with good grade. Students were taught to provide the absolute “right” answer at all time in order to score the best mark they could possibly get. Often in literature learning, reading novel and short story exercises learning outcome has been pre-determined with teacher-perceived meanings rather than student perceiving their own meanings based on the reading that they have done on their own. Rosenblatt (1994) distinguishes the differences between efferent as reading in which the reader is concern with what they will carry away (reading for information) and aesthetic reading as reading for what happens during the actual reading. Forouzani (2017) founded that aesthetic reading can lead to aesthetic transaction and more engagement of readers with texts. Further confirmed that aesthetic reading led to deeper understanding of the text (Hunt & Vipond, 1987), improves students meaning making of a text through transacting with it which ultimately improves their writing (through reading) (Martin, 1987).

In the context of teaching novel or short story to Malaysian students, I am in agreement with the role of efferent/aesthetic continuum as how the findings has suggested. Traditionally when English language was taught for English learner, it is often too convenient to limit their learning experience to merely understand that actual meaning of what was taught. The utilization of literature such as novels or short story was commonly taught in a sense of asking the reader to merely direct translating in a form they could understand rather than to allow deepen exploration of the content. Malaysian commonly thought that having reading novel and short story in English language lesson is to merely allow more chances of encountering new vocabulary for them to translate and learn. Therefore, feedbacks upon completed reading of any literature often result in a content being summarized and paraphrased in a written form which often short and brief for ESL students. Thus, learning outcome can be very limited. Balancing the approach for both efferent and aesthetic in both teaching and learning English literature will open up more possibility in terms of mastering the language as well as developing interest to have another go at the literature again outside of teaching and learning. In my opinion, to promote aesthetic reading must be done without compromising the need of approaching literature efferently. For Malaysian whose mostly native language is not English, there are such needs in efferently approaching a literature in order to first understand what it meant actually meant first. As noted by Rosenblatt, “any reading act.. falls somewhere on a continuum between predominantly efferent and predominantly aesthetic reading. Rosenblatt further added that efferent reading is meant for knowledge/information, and aesthetic reading focuses on the artistic side of the text itself. Other than that, having reader response upon each literature teaching is just as important as this is one way of allowing student to actually looks back at what they have gone through. A local studies done by Angeline Ranjethamoney Vijayarajoo and Moses Samuel (2013) on tertiary students, tested on their literary responses through written feedback which measured with efferent / aesthetic continuum (level 1 to 5) proposed by Cox and Many (1992), before and after the exposure of reader response. The study found that student start to show aesthetic respond after exposed to the reader response for the 2nd and subsequent time. This implicated that the importance of having reader response in literature teaching.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a popular novel which was adapted into film in the past as well as widely use in schools for teaching novel to English learner. John Steinbeck is an award winning writer where he was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, he described the writer’s obligation as “dredging up to the light our dark and dangerous dreams for the purpose of improvement.” He was criticized for that statement which obscured his literary value. Steinbeck has been characterized variously as an advocate of socialist-style solutions to the depredations of capitalism, a champion of individualism, a dabbler in sociobiology, and naturalist. Steinbeck’s writings culled evidence of different political and philosophical stances, but nonetheless there is no denying that there are many interesting aspects to his work which included his use of paradox especially in one of his writing The Grapes of Wrath. In The Pearl, Steinbeck attempt to question the mysteries of human existence can ever be fully explained. He urges the dispossessed to challenge a system that denies them both sustenance and dignity, and to seek the spiritual belonging that enable individuals to achieve their full humanity. Thus, it can be seen the paradox of the writer in denouncing injustice while at the same time exalting acceptance of the sorrows visited on humanity, whether those sorrows are brought upon by nature or by human themselves. The Pearl is one work of Steinbeck which examine the morality and necessity of actions as the the protagonist Kino chose as he pursue his dreams. Kino in The Pearl story dreams of better standard of living for his family and salvation for his people. The reader first read of him in the dimness before dawn, listening to the sounds of his wife Juana doing her chores, which merge in his mind with the ancestral Song of the Family. “In this gulf of uncertain light (where) there were more illusions than realities”, the pearl that Kino finds has brought upon him more than just world and the end of centuries of mistreatment by white colonizers. The promise of wealth has manifests the archetypal evil hidden in the community’s unconscious, like the pearl that had laid hidden within the oyster at the bottom of the sea. As things turn ugly, Kino resorted into violence by bringing death to four men to protect himself, but unfortunately could not save his own son life. Ultimately this led readers into thinking what other choices might Kino could made to have different outcome. These contents of Steinbeck writing raises questions about our relationship to nature, the human need for spiritual connection, and the cost of resisting injustice. The Pearl also evoke readers on questions the novel raise about gender roles and family identity. In The Pearl, Juana’s “quality of woman, the rason, the caution, the sense of preservation, could cut through Kino’s manness and save them all”. Which raises the thought of whether these quality ultimately led to the return of the pearl to the sea at the end of the story. Steinbeck further depicted women to be the hope in the bleakest of circumstances in the story. The questions listed below may invoke aesthetic understanding towards appreciating the story, these are suggested based on a readers guide found in Penguin Random House:

Discussion Questions:

1. Why can neither Kino nor Juana protect their baby from the scorpion?
2. Why could Kino kill the doctor more easily than talk to him?
3. Why is it important to Juana that Kino be the one to throw the pearl back into the sea?
4. Why does Kino think the killing of a man is not as evil as the killing of a boat?
5. What does the narrator mean when he says, “A town is a thing like a colonial animal” (p. 21)?
6. Why does the music of the pearl change?
7. Why does Kino come to feel that he will lose his soul if he gives up the pearl?
8. Why does Tomás help Kino?
9. Why does Juana feel the events following the pearl’s discovery may all have been an illusion?
10. What is the significance of Juana and Kino’s walking side by side when they return to the town?

For Further Reflection:

1. Did Kino do the right thing in demanding a fair price for the pearl, even if it meant leaving his community?
2. Why does Steinbeck choose the parable as the form for this story?

Teacher plays a vital role in further promoting aesthetic reading among their students. The Pearl is one such novel that requires teacher guidance to allow the story to be learned, so that at the end of reading the story, student may provide feedback more than just merely re-describing how the story goes but to view it beyond than how it was told. Uncovering various messages and ideas that the author attempt to suggest to the reader. Therefore, teacher has an important role in ensuring lesson objective are reached and to avoid student being confuse when going through the novel as it is written in a form of satire. Of course, it is part of the reader response pedagogy for teacher to help students to bring personal meaning with emotions to moves student response towards aesthetic continuum. While teaching the literature, teacher ought to encourage diverse respond from the students as this indicated that multiple levels of interpretation have been done through the reading which will resulted in enriched responses from the students. Tools which are crucial to assist teaching personnel would be the teaching handbook which serve as both reader response pedagogy source for the teacher and also learning guide for the students. In class rather than assuming the conventional authoritative teacher role, teacher should be less authoritative towards his or her class. Rather than strictly giving instruction and providing one right answer to the students, teacher should instead lower down their level slightly and assuming the role of a facilitator or if required to be in the same level as their student in a learner role in order to encourage aesthetic learning. By not taking too much control, this manner of teaching would allow greater degree of exploration of the material. Allowing sufficient time for student to read through the literature, as well as enough time to re-read it as past finding suggested that reading falls into aesthetic continuum through subsequent reading of the literature. It is important as well for teaching personnel to create a learning atmosphere that are suitable for aesthetic learning. A good class for such purpose should be engaging and noisy where all students are very participative within the lesson. Often, class that are taught through efferent approach can be too quiet and boring as there are too much control done by the teacher to ensure that the students are receiving the so called “absolutely right” information so that they can get the highest score possible in their exam. In creating an engaging and participative class environment, teacher can further promote aesthetic learning by asking open ended question which allow students to explore the literature further as well as offering reader response upon completion of the material. As past finding suggested, reader response is vital in promoting aesthetic reading. The interactive and transactive roles that student play equip student with greater knowledge. Thus, the knowledge they gain in the class is not restricted to only one “right” answer for all. This ultimately open up more learning potential for student to learn the beauty of the language itself other than plainly understand what it meant, and further promote interest for more reading in the future.

Understanding efferent / aesthetic continuum in teaching literature such as novel and short story is crucial in ESL lesson. As the world is moving rapidly towards economic and technological superiority, language play an important role in ensuring that we as a developing nation can keep up with the rest of the developed nation. As English language is commonly spoken between countries in global events, it is ever so importance that the language are fully understood in whatever form that it is presented. Other than purely mastering the language itself, it is important that millennial are taught in such a way that they can think outside of the box. Creative thinking is an important element in advancing a nation towards better quality of life. Having that tendency for greater exploration in various aspect of life allowed greater possibility as well as maximize potential for advancement. I strongly believe this may be encouraged through aesthetic learning beginning from grass root level which is beginning from the classroom itself. Both education policy maker and teacher play a huge role in ensuring student learning experience are at its fullest potential. Millennial shorten attention span provide a huge challenge for teaching personnel nowadays to keep student interested and engaging in classroom. Teacher may need to look at various technological assistance to keep the class lively. Nevertheless, approaching a literature aesthetically allowed multidimensional exploration on the literature and keeping it interesting as students are free to approach it on their own pace and understanding. In a long run, student would not turn away from literature reading and this encourage greater imagination which expand the potential for more learning to be done in the future.

Learning a second language is never easy. Learning English as a second language is even more difficult, and here’s why.

First of all, learning English is difficult because of the limited learning environment. In most cases, students can speak sufficient English in class only under supervision. In addition, students do not always hear enough English from those around them. Therefore, learning correct English becomes more difficult. Learning materials refer to elements that contribute to the learning process. Books may be necessary materials, but books alone are not enough. Audio tools are also needed. If students see a sound symbol in a book, how do they know how to pronounce it? The fact is that English learners become English teachers after graduation, but they have never heard the correct pronunciation of native speakers. Students can also study at will. They have books to read, but they don’t know how to say certain words. How do students know the pronunciation of the word ‘sheep’? You should hear the correct pronunciation from your teacher or a native English speaker. Students tend to learn from the movies they watch, but they often learn the wrong things because movies contain jargon and dialects that are not suitable for multiple forms of communication.

Secondly, students do not value learning. They often think that the English they speak at home or on the street is the same as the English they write on the test. However, since communication does not have to be grammatically correct to be understood, students do not always follow the rules they learned in school, and therefore cannot receive a full education and/or pass exams. Students will not spend as much time learning English as they do on other subjects. In most cases, students only learn English in class while the teacher is teaching. After class, they put down their books and waited for the next class. They don’t learn pronunciation, they don’t write on paper, and they don’t struggle to learn new words. In class, they gave each little question to the teacher, including what they could find in the dictionary. When students make mistakes and correct themselves, they often say, “After all, this is not my language”. This will greatly affect your ability to learn English.

And finally, vocabulary is the biggest obstacle to learning English. However, English word training is an effective way to learn English, as it can help us correctly identify word forms and parts of speech, understand the meaning of words, and quickly expand our vocabulary. Among them, the affix is the strongest and constitutes the largest number of words, it is considered one of the best ways to learn English. Also, combining, converting, mixing, and adapting, acronyms and suffixes are also effective ways to learn English. The thesis analyzes the form and characteristics of words from the aspects of affix, compound, and conversion. For example, conversion includes the formation of new words by converting words from one type to another without changing the morphological structure. New words are new words only in the grammatical sense. For example, the word ‘paper’ as a noun has four meanings: 1) material in wood or cloth, 2) newspaper, 3) expert article, and 4) wallpaper. When it becomes a transitive verb, it is only related to the fourth meaning, such as ‘use green wallpaper in the room’.

In conclusion, learning English is not an easy process, but I think it is worth it. English is a language of opportunity, so we should all make an effort to master it to the fullest.

English 102 is critical thinking, writing, and research paper. I have learned basic essay structure, strategies for effective research, and other skills that develop the skills necessary for forming and analyzing arguments. English 102 is more challenges I faced, including critical thinking skills, research skills, and cited sources. During this semester, I learned types of writing techniques, different MLA forms, and how to find and use the right sources together. I have gained more knowledge, and better confidence, showing how much I understood from the articles when I write the essay assignment.

English 102 class allowed me to improve my overall knowledge of the language. We have more articles to read than ever before. We read textbooks and articles on the website in class together, and also read at home before the next class and answer discussion questions. I did a research paper about college education, and we were allowed to choose a topic of our interest. There were many steps to the audience paper: I have to write a good introduction with background information, including a thesis, three supporting arguments, one opposing argument, and a conclusion. This assignment explains for whom the article is intended, and how it appeals to that audience. Looking back at my papers, I don’t have a good thesis and I made some grammar mistakes in some of my essays. My professor helped me with how to use comma splices and quotation marks, and how to divide long sentences.

I have learned MLA format to write a research paper. I used the sources from the article to support the thesis statements in my essay. After I had used the sources, I needed in-text citations and MLA format. At first, I didn’t do well with how to properly write work cited pages. My professor helped me understand more about work cited and use MLA format because it will help the reader avoid plagiarism from the source documents. I did not understand much of the MLA format, until I glanced at my book again, noting only that, but my organization and details in my essay were irrelevant to the topic I had chosen. Later, my professor gave me feedback to help me know what I need to improve.

I have learned another important element of an essay is a thesis statement. In the essay ‘Toulmin Analysis’, a thesis statement such as claim and reason in this assignment. It attracts the reader’s attention and just only one sentence. I had a hard time developing the essay structure because I didn’t understand how to use logos, pathos, and ethos to support my essay. My professor allows me to rewrite the essay because I did not follow the instructions After I rewrote it, I felt that my ability to form my thesis argument has become stronger. This semester, English class focuses on the creation of the thesis statement and the effective manner most appropriate for each essay. English class helped me to easily build a dissertation and thesis better.

English 102 class was not easy for me, but I got through it. Over the course of the semester, I feel as though I improved my grammar errors, but I feel I could use more practice with it. Now, I know how to do the MLA format correctly and how to cite my sources. I also learn how to have a thesis statement in an essay. In the future, I hope to bring all the skills I have gained in my English courses. I think they will be very helpful for me, no matter what I am trying to achieve. I feel that I am much better now at convincing someone through my articles, which will definitely be useful in my career. The responsibility I had in this experience was incredible and taught me to become a much more organized person. During this semester, I was faced with deadlines, rules, and exercises that I could not work around. I feel that all these responsibilities have made me realize that I can definitely take the next step in my academic career. Every new experience I participate in keeps me growing and constantly learning new things. I have really enjoyed my English classes and knowing what I have learned will be extremely beneficial.

Since the world we are living in has been a global village, therefore, it is a requirement of the current scenario that people should be able to communicate around the globe, specifically for students in their academic careers. English language not only helps us to build our careers but also enhances confidence level that enables a person to talk and comprehend properly what is being said. In my opinion, it is absolutely required to know how to communicate in English properly with special reference to student life because it is a major medium of instruction in most colleges and universities.

According to Balan (2011), in the current scenario, English transforms into the most noteworthy and unmistakable strategy for overall correspondence that keeps our separation around the globe and a window to the brisk progression and improvement in our lives. It is the most spread and generally used language among different nations and individuals worldwide for social and enlightening exchange. Similarly, the use of the English language ends up being by and by an undeniable prerequisite for the element of neighborhood just as overall preparing too. Various countries a long time in the past have started using English. Subsequently, if understudies abroad examination from a non-English medium, may have issues. In addition, present-day preparation, as English is its best technique, is continually given fundamental essentialness to the worldwide guidance structures. Various countries over the world routinely sort out some phenomenal undertakings in and outside the country that go for extended understudies’ number in their very own countries.

Coleman (2010) said that various scientists and scholastics are passed on to their countries in a mission for cutting-edge instruction and academic degrees, whatever their ages, social orders, or specializations. One-of-a-kind activities of English language getting ready and social exchange are planned to help understudies and educators practice the use of English in local English talking systems such as the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, etc. to keep awake with the most recent, with the front-line English spoken worldwide and appearing for ESL/EFL.

Barton and Appleby (2008) have suggested that the spread of English and its necessity has been discussed in etymological, informative, and financial additionally, parties. Regardless, the impact of English on understudies’ progressively broad lives is just once in a while investigated. Talks and open financing in ESOL (English as a moment or other language) will all in all drive plans of employability and joining, declaring vagrants are a channel on the economy or – discrediting that taking neighborhood jobs. Inadequate is circulated on the impact of ESOL game plan on understudies’ callings, and especially their lives.

Griffler (2002) declared that from the second 50% of a decade ago, accentuation on having English language skills has been gathering force – there is an increasing interest for schools and colleges in many nations. Close by this, for migrated students, it is also mandatory to learn English; not simply in the UK and other English-talking nations, but also in Europe, in non-English-talking nations.

Cogo (2012) suggested that regardless of the nation, English is indeed a common medium of investigation or instruction. For advanced education, English isn’t just locally, but comprehensively, needed as a wellspring of getting to understudies’ significant information in all fields, speaking with the most rumored colleges around the world, seeking an assortment of degree projects, and securing amazing positions and positions in instructive foundations and outside organizations somewhere else.

Summing up, the significance of learning English, especially in student life, is huge, as absolutely everyone in modern times should be able to communicate in English properly.

References

1. Balan, J. (2011). English Global Dominance and the Other Languages of Higher Education & Research. Published Article in Columbia Global Centre. Columbia University.
2. Barton, D. and Appleby, Y. (2008). Responding to People’s Lives. UK: NIACE and NRDC.
3. Cogo, A. (2012). English as a Lingua Franca: Concepts, Use and Implications. ELT Journal 66/1: 97–105.
4. Coleman, H. (2010). The English Language in Development. London: British Council. Available online at: www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/english-language-development
5. Griffler, B. (2002). World English: A Study of Its Development. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.