Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemConcept of spoken English( 2007)The study presented here examines the concept of spoken English held by tertiary teachers of English as a Foreign Language in China. The objective was to discover this knowledge so as to inform the design of professional development programs aiming to raise the standards of spoken English teaching in order to meet new government policy objectives. A college in South China was chosen as the research site and 17 EFL teachers participated in the study. Data were collected through the teachers' written responses to samples of spoken English, answers to a questionnaire, and focus group discussions. The findings of the study provide a 'map', showing both the range and the focus of how the teachers conceive of the features of spoken English across its different domains, and the gaps between these concepts of spoken English and those in contemporary theories. Although a wide range of features covering all domains of spoken English are included by the teachers as a group, most of them focus more on the features of formal accuracy and fluency than on those in the domain of sociolinguistic and strategic language use. The findings also suggest a number of reasons for this imbalance. These include practical constraints, such as the national examination guides and big class size, and the teachers' lack of confidence and knowledge in certain domains of spoken language use. Considered in light of current theories of language teaching, these findings show the knowledge, beliefs and assumptions of a representative group of teachers which can be used to guide the design of on-going professional development programs for such teachers in the area of spoken English pedagogy.
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ItemAustralian reactions to Chinese EFL speakers( 1999)Paralanguage encompasses many areas of non-verbal communication, and is a vital part of interactional communication. Despite its significance, it is a relatively neglected area in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. Besides a lack of paralanguage awareness and explicit teaching in using Target Language (TL) paralanguage, paralanguage factors are strongly tied to cultural influences; in this way a mismatch between utterance and non-verbal signals may commonly result, causing confusion and/or irritation, and leading to a breakdown in interpersonal harmony. This not only affects the ongoing interactional process at the time, it may also have repercussions on future encounters. Chinese EFL Iearners, who form a sizeable group of EFL learners, are particularly vulnerable to the dangers of paralanguage incongruity when interacting in English with native English Speakers (NES), due to the wide gap that exists between the EFL learners' first language and culture, and that of the NES. This thesis examines these issues in the context of Australian NES responses' to adult Chinese EFL speakers, and identifies those areas of paralanguage which produce a negative reaction in the former group, as well as the nature of that negative reaction. This would aid selection of EFL curriculum and ultimately contribute to meeting the need for interactional competence by Chinese EFL learners.
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ItemHow and why L1 is used and prohibited for ELT in children's cram schools (Buxibans) in Taiwan( 2006)In recent years, the use of the students' first language (L1) in the classroom has attracted attention in the field of English learning and teaching. Surprisingly, there is very little research exploring the enactment of the English-only policy, and how teachers enact the policy in their classrooms. The No-Chinese policy is commonly accepted in cram schools in Taiwan, especially in programs for primary-school-aged children. This study aims to investigate how teachers perceive the use and the prohibition of the students' L1, in terms of their attitudes, beliefs, and their actual classroom practice. What are the factors that influence these teachers' language choices? Data were gathered from surveys and semi-structured interviews. Participants are broadly grouped into three categories: 1) native English speaking teachers with Chinese competency (NSC), 2) native speaking teachers without or with very limited Chinese competency (NS), and 3) local English teachers who are native speakers of Chinese (LET). Based on the statistics and descriptive data, it is found that even though most teachers agree it is necessary to enact the No-Chinese policy in order to maximize students' exposure to English, Chinese is inevitably spoken and used, either by the teacher, the teaching assistant, or by the learners themselves. Besides methodological and pedagogical grounds, for use of Chinese teachers' language backgrounds are also investigated. Teachers' bilingualism (referring to English and Chinese in this study) appears to be a useful tool for building up the students' meta-linguistic awareness of the two languages and for using the students' L1 more strategically. In conclusion, the students' L1 should not be excluded; rather, it should be applied purposefully, judiciously, and strategically. The No-Chinese policy should be rephrased as "English, please!"
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ItemPerceptions of Chinese university EFL teachers and learners on appropriate western language teaching methods in use in China( 2004)The last 20 years have witnessed the introduction and the development of `Western' language teaching methods in the Chinese context. A large amount of research has been conducted on this iss�e. Some focuses on the appropriateness and the effectiveness of importing the "Western" methods to the teaching of English as a foreign language in China (Scovel 1983; Burnaby & Sun 1989; Cortazzi & Jin 1996); others suggest teachers and learners from different cultures may have different ideas about what constitutes good teaching (Richards & Lockhart 1994). The present study reports on the results of an investigation into Chinese EFL teachers' and learners' perceptions concerning the appropriateness and effectiveness of Western language teaching methods in use in the Chinese. context. In particular, it attempts to explore their attitudes towards and their evaluation of learner-centred communicative activities in use in their English Intensive Reading classes. The major findings of this study is that, first, both teachers and learners understand learner-centred and communicative language teaching well and hold positive attitudes towards the Western methods, which make it possible and feasible to introduce and implement communicative approach in China. They are also aware of the difference between the Western and the Chinese contexts and point out that adaptation is necessary when introducing the Western methods to the Chinese context. Secondly, this study also finds a mismatch between teachers and learners in terms of their understanding of and attitudes towards Western methods. Learners seem to be more positive than their teachers to welcome learner-centred communicative approach, which is far beyond their teachers' anticipations. This indicates the importance of negotiation between teachers and learners in Chinese EFL classes.