The Pedagogy and Practice of Western-trained Chinese English Language Teachers


Book Description

Providing an East-West flow of language teaching knowledge and know-how to balance prevailing Western-centric perspectives, this book is an in-depth investigation of the impact of Western-based language teacher education on the pedagogy and practice of Chinese English language teachers who received their training in Western institutions or those that emphasize Western-based teaching approaches. A significant and growing number of these teachers will influence millions of language learners in China over the next decades. The Pedagogy and Practice of Western-trained Chinese English Language Teachers: Forefronts Chinese teachers’ voices and experiences in the context of their workplaces and classrooms Connects and balances theory and practice using a sociocultural lens Discusses the Chinese government’s policies on the training of teachers and analyzes them in terms of their impact on both American and Chinese higher education institutions This is a must read book for anyone interested in learning theory adopted from a Western perspective and applied within an Asian setting.




The Pedagogy and Practice of Western-trained Chinese English Language Teachers


Book Description

Providing an East-West flow of language teaching knowledge and know-how to balance prevailing Western-centric perspectives, this book is an in-depth investigation of the impact of Western-based language teacher education on the pedagogy and practice of Chinese English language teachers who received their training in Western institutions or those that emphasize Western-based teaching approaches. A significant and growing number of these teachers will influence millions of language learners in China over the next decades. The Pedagogy and Practice of Western-trained Chinese English Language Teachers: Forefronts Chinese teachers’ voices and experiences in the context of their workplaces and classrooms Connects and balances theory and practice using a sociocultural lens Discusses the Chinese government’s policies on the training of teachers and analyzes them in terms of their impact on both American and Chinese higher education institutions This is a must read book for anyone interested in learning theory adopted from a Western perspective and applied within an Asian setting.




Teacher Training and Professional Development of Chinese English Language Teachers


Book Description

This up-close look at Chinese ESL teachers documents undertakings at formal and informal levels to support and sustain their expertise in ways that balance collaborative and competitive efforts, situated and standards-based programs, ethnically responsive and government-based efforts, and traditional and 21st-century teaching visions. English is a mandated subject for approximately 400 million Chinese public school students. Making transparent the training and professional development received respectively by pre-service and in-service teachers, this book provides a rare window into how Chinese English Language teachers (ELTs) reconcile the two needs with the responsibility to teach large numbers of students while also navigating societal, cultural, and institutional cross currents. It also explores the range of ways China invests in the training and professional development of its English language teachers.




Study Abroad for Pre- and In-Service Teachers


Book Description

By exploring the experiences of pre- and in-service teachers, as well as the design and implementation of study abroad programs developed specifically for them, this volume highlights the potential of international learning in promoting teachers’ global and critical understandings of their roles as educators in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. Recognizing teacher study abroad as a unique strand within the wider foreign education literature, Study Abroad for Pre- and In-Service Teachers emphasizes how it can be conceptualized, theorized, and implemented as part of initial and continuing teacher training. Chapters consider study abroad programs and teaching practices in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and in Indigenous communities, and document the transformative learning experiences which impact the way teachers think about learning, teaching, and identity. Together, the chapters foreground the personal and professional advantages of teacher study abroad and provide key insights to inform design and programming for sustainable, impactful teacher study abroad which supports teachers in building intercultural competence and enhances their capacity to serve students of varying cultural and linguistic backgrounds. This volume will appeal to researchers, scholars, education abroad facilitators, and teacher educators with an interest in international mobility, multicultural education, culturally responsive pedagogy and study abroad. In addition, pre- and in-service teachers will find the book of value.




Sociocultural Theory and the Pedagogical Imperative in L2 Education


Book Description

Explicating clearly and concisely the full implication of a praxis-oriented language pedagogy, this book argues for an approach to language teaching grounded in a significant scientific theory of human learning—a stance that rejects the consumer approach to theory and the dichotomy between theory and practice that dominates SLA and language teaching. This approach is based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, according to which the two activities are inherently connected so that each is necessarily rooted in the other; practice is the research laboratory where the theory is tested. From the perspective of language education, this is what is meant by the ‘pedagogical imperative.’ Sociocultural Theory and the Pedagogical Imperative in L2 Education • Elaborates a new approach to dealing with the relationship between theory and practice—an approach grounded in praxis—the dialectical unity of theory and practice • Presents an analysis of empirical research illustrating praxis-based principles in real language classrooms • Brings together cognitive linguistics and sociocultural theory ─ the former provides the theoretical knowledge of language required of praxis and the latter furnishes the theoretical principles of learning and development also called for in a praxis approach • Offers recommendations for redesigning teacher education programs Its timely focus on the theory-practice gap in language education and its original approach to bridging it put this book at the cutting edge of thinking about Vygotskian sociocultural theory in applied linguistics and SLA.




What English Language Teachers Need to Know Volume III


Book Description

What English Teachers Need to Know, a set of companion texts designed for pre-service teachers and teachers new to the field of ELT, addresses the key question: What do English language teachers need to know and be able to do in order for their students to learn English? These texts work for teachers across different contexts (countries where English is the dominant language, one of the official languages, or taught as a foreign language); different levels (elementary/primary, secondary, college or university, or adult education); and different learning purposes (general English, workplace English, English for academic purposes, or English for specific purposes). Volume I, on understanding learning, provides the background information that teachers need to know and be able to use in their classroom. Volume II, on facilitating learning, covers the three main facets of teaching: planning, instructing, and assessing. Volume III, on designing curriculum, covers the contexts for, processes in, and types of ELT curricula—linguistic based, content-based, learner-centered, and learning-centered. Throughout the three volumes, the focus is on outcomes, that is, student learning. Features • Situated in current research in the field of English language teaching and other disciplines that inform it • Sample data, including classroom vignettes • Three kinds of activities/tasks: Reflect, Explore, and Expand




Creativity in Language Teaching


Book Description

Current, comprehensive, and authoritative, this text gives language teachers and researchers, both a set of conceptual tools with which to think and talk about creativity in language teaching and a wealth of practical advice about principles and practices that can be applied to making their lessons more creative. Providing an overview of the nature of creativity and its role in second language education, it brings together twenty prominent language teachers and researchers with expertise in different aspects of creativity and teaching contexts to present a range of theories on both creative processes and how these processes lead to creative practices in language teaching. Unique in the field, the book takes a broader and more critical look at the notion of creativity in language learning, exploring its linguistic, cognitive, sociocultural and pedagogic dimensions. Structured in four sections— theoretical perspectives, creativity in the classroom, creativity in the curriculum, and creativity in teacher development—each chapter is supplemented by Questions for Discussion and Suggestions for Further Research. Its accessible style makes the book relevant as both a course text and a resource for practicing teachers.




Teaching English Grammar to Speakers of Other Languages


Book Description

This practical and research-based introduction to current and effective English grammar instruction gives pre-service and in-service teachers and teacher educators a strong foundation for teaching second language grammar and helps them develop their professional knowledge and skills. Written in a highly readable style for an international audience, it provides a thorough and rounded overview of the principles, strategies, techniques, and applications currently dominant in teaching L2 grammar in a range of instructional settings around the world. Chapter authors are world-class authorities in grammar and grammar teaching and learning. All chapters are based on theoretical frameworks and/or research foundations with a strong emphasis on practical applications and implications for classroom teaching, and highlight teaching methods, key concepts, and terminology associated with grammar instruction. Illuminating the options and choices in grammar teaching from a contemporary perspective, Teaching English Grammar to Speakers of Other Languages is ideal as key text for students in undergraduate and graduate MA-TESOL programs and as a resource for practicing ESL/EFL teachers, teacher educators, and teaching faculty.




Teaching and Assessing EIL in Local Contexts Around the World


Book Description

English today is a global language embedded in a great variety of social contexts, resulting in linguistic and pedagogical variation. Taking a new look at the teaching and assessing of English as an international language (EIL), this text highlights overarching principles and provides specific strategies for responding to questions and challenges posed by the changing demographics of English language learners and users around the world. Teaching and Assessment in EIL Classrooms introduces an original, coherent framework in which needs analysis, pedagogical principles, and assessment are integrated describes variables that influence effective teaching and assessment and the characteristics of various EIL teachers and learners emphasizes that pedagogical and assessment decisions need to be based on the learning and teaching needs of each specific EIL context includes specific principles and strategies for teaching and assessing grammar, oral language, and literacy skills in EIL classrooms provides strategies for integrating computer-mediated language into EIL classrooms in ways that promote cross-cultural awareness, language development, and individualized learning Timely, accessible, and practical, this text for graduate and pre- and in-service courses on language teaching and assessment is at the forefront in providing valuable information and guidance for enabling principled and context-sensitive praxis in EIL classrooms worldwide.




Effective Curriculum for Teaching L2 Writing


Book Description

Effective Curriculum for Teaching L2 Writing sets out a clear big picture for curricular thinking about L2 writing pedagogy and offers a step-by-step guide to curriculum design with practical examples and illustrations. Its main purpose is to help pre-service and practicing teachers design courses for teaching academic writing and to do this as efficiently and effectively as possible. Bringing together the what and the how-to with research-based principles, what sets this book apart is its overarching focus on language pedagogy and language building. Part 1 examines curricular foundations in general and focuses on what is socially valued in L2 writing and pedagogy at school and at the college and university level. Part 2 is concerned with the nitty-gritty̶—the daily realities of curricular design and classroom instruction. Part 3 takes a close look at the key pedagogical ingredients of teaching academic L2 writing: vocabulary and collocations, grammar for academic writing, and down-to-earth techniques for helping L2 writers to organize discourse and ideas. The Appendix provides an extensive checklist for developing curricula for a course or several courses in language teaching.