Challenges of English Language Teaching in Yemeni Primary and Secondary Schools


Book Description

Academic Paper from the year 2018 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, grade: A+, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University (Dialoguing Borders: Vital Issues In Humanities, Commerce, IT and Management (International Conference)), language: English, abstract: In the recent decades, English has become an indispensable part of the Yemeni primary and secondary school curriculum. It is not only a matter of being a compulsory subject within the school curriculum but it is also an area of study that many students/ pupils want to develop. Many Yemeni parents have recently recognized the importance of English as a key to science, technology and business in our modern world and want their children to get mastery over English. Unfortunately, though its recognized importance by teachers, schoolmasters, students and parents, the outcomes, especially within the rural Yemeni context, are still low and most students can’t cultivate a good level of English during their pre-tertiary education due to many challenges that obstruct English language teaching in the Yemeni schools. This study was an attempt to survey challenges of English language teaching in AL-Dhalea primary and secondary schools from the viewpoints of 20 EFL senior teachers and supervisors for the purpose of identifying such challenges and suggesting some solutions and strategies for better English language teaching. Findings show that large classes, lack of teaching aids, teachers’ low proficiency in English and their limited experience with communicative language teaching are considered as major challenges of English language teaching in the concerned Yemeni primary and secondary schools.




Communicative Competence in Teaching English at Secondary Schools. A Critical Investigation in Yaff'ae District of Yemen


Book Description

Doctoral Thesis / Dissertation from the year 2016 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - Pedagogy, Literature Studies, , language: English, abstract: Communicative competence globally becomes the aim of English language teaching and learning. So far, the aim of any English course should develop students’ communicative competence to the extent that they will be able to express themselves naturally, proficiently and appropriately. This study is conducted to check English language secondary school teachers’ knowledge about communicative competence elements and to what extent they are able to teach communicative competence elements to secondary school students. The researcher uses a non-probability sampling, taking into account the representativeness of the whole districts of Yaff’ea. Seventy English language teachers (n=70) at secondary schools in Yaff’ea responded to the questionnaire. Moreover, the researcher observed fourteen English language teachers (n=14) to check their classroom practices. The researcher followed the multi-methods research design. Data were collected by using a semi-closed ended questionnaire and a structured classroom observation. Both data were analyzed quantitatively. The validity was checked depending on the pilot study and referees whereas the reliability was checked by using a test-retest method with an interval time of two weeks. The findings of this study showed that teachers have to some extent good perceptions about communicative competence elements. However, strict contradictions were found between teachers’ perceptions and their actual practice. Moreover, the study revealed that teachers face difficulties in teaching communicative competence with different levels of complexity among its elements. Teachers neglected teaching phonology which is a basic element of linguistic competence as well as they taught vocabulary and grammar using traditional approaches. With reference to sociolinguistic competence, discourse competence and strategic competence, the study reported similar problems whether in the contradictions between what teachers believe in and what they actually do, or the overwhelmingly neglection of sub-elements. Finally, the study reflects the dominancy that teachers play and the passive orientation for learners.




English as a Medium of Instruction on the Arabian Peninsula


Book Description

Focusing on English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in the Arab Gulf states, the authors consider both sociolinguistic and pedagogical perspectives, and explore practical implications. This edited volume features chapters covering how teachers are negotiating the linguistic challenges posed by EMI; issues of ownership, choice and agency; the scaffolding of academic literacies; how to support the development of content teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in EMI settings as well as the benefits of a bilingual education. Chapter authors all have extensive local experience that they draw upon reflectively in their writing. Policy-makers, teachers and teacher educators wondering how they can best balance the need to develop competence in English in students of all ages on the Arabian Peninsula in a globalizing world, together with the concern to nurture Arabic language, culture and identity, will gain rich insights from this book. Postgraduates and researchers exploring issues surrounding EMI, both locally and internationally, will benefit from the arguments presented in this volume.




Handbook of Research on Teacher Education


Book Description

This comprehensive book presents emergent findings and promising results in teacher education, curriculum, assessment, teaching and learning approaches, pedagogical innovations and practices, and professional development in educating the next generation of students. The volume reflects the current trends and highlights teacher education programs in all 14 MENA countries in one place. The chapters in this handbook discuss the challenges and the ways to improve teacher education by the educators in the Middle East region, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. It also provides an extensive and rich reference for future comparisons across the countries. The book contains chapters written by experienced international teacher educators who draw on their experience and expertise to perennial issues and formidable challenges in teacher preparation and meaningful school reforms. This volume is a valuable resource and essential companion for teacher educators, faculty members, staff developers, trainee teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, school leaders, policy-makers, and professional learning communities to refresh their knowledge and improve their understanding. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in evolving issues in teacher education in the Middle East region.




The Online Informal Learning of English


Book Description

Young people around the world are increasingly able to access English language media online for leisure purposes and interact with other users of English. This book examines the extent of these phenomena, their effect on language acquisition and their implications for the teaching of English in the 21st century.




Handbook of Research on Implications of Sustainable Development in Higher Education


Book Description

Research in the field of education for sustainable development (ESD) is of growing concern to meet the needs of the diverse student populations in various higher education institutions. People around the world recognize that current economic development trends are not sustainable and that public awareness, education, and training are key to moving society toward sustainability. Although ESD continues to grow both in content and pedagogy and its visibility and respect have grown in parallel, education officials, policymakers, educators, curriculum developers, and others are called upon to rethink education in order to contribute to the achievement of the goals of sustainable development in higher education. The Handbook of Research on Implications of Sustainable Development in Higher Education provides insight regarding the implications of ESD for teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education and demonstrates the value of adopting an ESD lens by broadening and strengthening the evidence base of the impact that this can make for students, educators, and society as a whole. Covering key topics such as assessment, globalization, and inclusion, this reference work is ideal for university leaders, administrators, policymakers, researchers, scholars, practitioners, academicians, instructors, and students.




International Journal of Applied Linguistics & English Literature


Book Description

International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature (IJALEL) is a peer-reviewed journal established in Australia. Authors are encouraged to submit complete unpublished and original works which are not under review in any other journal. The scopes of the journal include, but not limited to, the following topic areas: Applied Linguistics, Linguistics, and English Literature. The journal is published in both printed and online versions. The online version is free access and downloadable. Vol. 1 No. 2










All American Yemeni Girls


Book Description

Based on more than two years of fieldwork conducted in a Yemeni community in southeastern Michigan, this unique study examines Yemeni American girls' attempts to construct and make sense of their identities as Yemenis, Muslims, Americans, daughters of immigrants, teenagers, and high school students. All American Yemeni Girls contributes substantially to our understanding of the impact of religion on students attending public schools and the intersecting roles school and religion play in the lives of Yemeni students and their families. Providing a valuable background on the history of Yemen and the migration of Yemeni people to the United States, this is an eye-opening account of a group of people we hear about every day but about whom we know very little. Through a series of intensive interviews and field observations, Loukia K. Sarroub discovered that the young Muslim women shared moments of optimism and desperation and struggled to reconcile the America they experienced at school with the Yemeni lives they knew at home. Most significant, Sarroub found that they often perceived themselves as failing at being both American and Yemeni. Offering a distinctive analysis of the ways ethnicity, culture, gender, and socioeconomic status complicate lives, Sarroub examines how these students view their roles within American and Yemeni societies, between institutions such as the school and the family, between ethnic and Islamic visions of success in the United States. Sarroub argues that public schools serve as a site of liberation and reservoir of contested hope for students and teachers questioning competing religious and cultural pressures. The final chapter offers a rich and important discussion of how conditions in the United States encourage the rise of extremism and allow it to flourish, raising pressing questions about the role of public education in the post-September 11 world. All American Yemeni Girls offers a fine-grained and compelling portrait of these young Muslim women and their endeavors to succeed in American society, and it brings us closer to understanding an oft-cited but little researched population.