Prospect of Electronic Media as Curriculum In Non-Native Contexts

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Prospect of Electronic Media as Curriculum In Non-Native Contexts

Author Name : Juri Dutta, Asima Ranjan Parhi

Synopsis :

In the context of India in general, and places where English language functions as a second language in particular, the prevalent idea that our students have to support their language learning capability through the native accent (pronunciation) structures is a myth. The paper takes up the following hypotheses:

1. Listening to BBC English or Standard English need not be the criteria for good English.

2. Speaking and appropriating the native speech is cumbersome, neo- colonial in approach.

The study takes the objective of developing a learner friendly curriculum that is modeled on the basis of materials from the electronic, and other mass media in non-native contexts. It was proposed that reading all kinds of material instead of the defined, the canonized and formal text books is the pragmatic study in this direction and while writing, the learners could experiment with all kinds of Englishes around without appearing ridiculous.

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Gendered Word (or World): Sexism in Philippine Preschool English Language Textbooks

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Gendered Word (or World): Sexism in Philippine Preschool English Language Textbooks

Author Name : Veronico N. Tarrayo

Synopsis :

Adhering to the notion that language learning is necessarily a culture-learning process, this paper explores the issue of sexism in six Philippine preschool English language textbooks. The study adopts the qualitative-quantitative approach in examining the following categories: gender visibility (illustrations), “firstness”, occupational-role representations, character attributes, and interests and lifestyles. Data reveal that the textbooks seem to feature both genders; still, the males appeared more frequently than females in the illustrations of the textbooks. In terms of “firstness”, males appear before females more often; this could imply that the textbooks seem to favor males, thus, appearing to be sexist. Also, females are far less visible than men in occupational roles. The occupational roles for females are less diverse and are restricted to stereotypical types of occupation/profession while male occupations show a wider range, thus, providing them with more options than females. Moreover, about the same number of character attributes that is allocated to both genders. Females are usually attributed with their “good” looks and passivity; by contrast, males show aggression, dominance, and activity. In the textbooks analyzed, the number of interests, and lifestyles of females is higher than those of males. However, the females are more particularly represented in indoor activities, i.e., household chores. This paper likewise discusses the implications of the findings on language teaching, and learning.

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Bilingualism – A Sanguine Step in ELT

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Bilingualism – A Sanguine Step in ELT

Author Name : Beena Anil

Synopsis :

Bilingualism can be used as a teaching aid in teaching and learning English language in an Indian classroom and to improve the language accuracy, fluency, and clarity of learners. Bilingualism can aid the teaching and learning process productively in the classroom. In India, most of the students consider English as a subject rather than a tool of communication. The fear towards English language can be diminished when native and source languages are used comparatively in the classroom. The interest and exposure are the key words for learning a language. Teachers should instill confidence among learners by making the learning process easy and simple. This paper aims at observing and analyzing students' use of bilingualism in various linguistic situations and the process of learning English through bilingualism. The study demonstrates that all learners need a support of the vernacular language in learning English as a second language.

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Impact of Gadget Based Learning Of Grammar in English at Standard II

Vol.4  No.2

Year : 2014

Issue : Apr-Jun

Title : Impact of Gadget Based Learning Of Grammar in English at Standard II

Author Name : Singaravelu G

Synopsis :

The study enlightens the impact of Gadget Based Learning of English Grammar at standard II. Objectives of the study is to find out the learning problems of the students of standard II in Learning English Grammar in Shri Vani Vilas Middle School and to find whether there is any significant difference in achievement mean score between pre test of control group, and post test of control group in Learning English Grammar of the students of standard II in Shri Vani Vilas Middle school at Mannargudi. Equivalent group Experimental method was adopted for the study. The study is confined to 160 students of standard II studying in Shri Vani Vilas Middle school, Mannargudi for 80 students (40 control group+40 Experimental group), and 80 students (40 control group+40 Experimental group) from Gopala Samudram Middle school at Mannargudi. Researcher's self-made achievement test was used as instrumentation for the study. It establishes that the conventional method of teaching is not effective in learning English Grammar at standard II. The main educational implication is that it can be implemented to all other schools.

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An Exploratory Investigation Of Online Forum Mediated Collaborative Learning Of Speech Writing: A Case Study

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : An Exploratory Investigation Of Online Forum Mediated Collaborative Learning Of Speech Writing: A Case Study

Author Name : Dr. Pushp Lata, Suman Luhach

Synopsis :

Learning Management Systems (LMS) are being integrated in the curriculum by many educational institutions to extend teaching and learning beyond classroom. This paper is based on a case study exploring the integration of LMS Nalanda created on Moodle in Effective Public Speaking (EPS) classroom to give students an additional platform to practice, collaborate and discuss speech writing. Out of many teaching learning facilities available on LMS, the researcher chose online forum as a tool for giving additional practice in speech writing. This tool helped in enhancing learner centeredness on one hand and encouraged equal participation of all the group members on the other. The present paper looks at the researcher's observation of the outcomes of the integration process. One of the important finding was that students' interaction on online forums resulted in improvement of students' performance in speech writing. Higher participation, constructive feedback and community of practice resulted enhancement in their speech organising abilities while preparing the speech draft. Vygotsky's Socio-cultural theory which holds active, interactive and collaborative role of learners in the entire learning process has been used as its theoretical basis.

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Effect Of CAI On Achievement Of LD Students In English

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : Effect Of CAI On Achievement Of LD Students In English

Author Name : R. T. Sivaram, Dr. R. Ramar

Synopsis :

The present experimental study was undertaken with three objectives in view, (i) to identify students with language learning disabilities (ii) to develop CAI software to teach LD students through computer-assisted instruction and (iii) to measure the effectiveness of CAI with special reference to LD students. Two matched groups of LD students were constituted for the purpose of this experiment and a normal group comprising average and above average students was also formed in order to assess how far Computer-Assisted Instruction enabled the LD students to cope with normal students. The control group and the normal group were taught through traditional lecture method while the experimental group was taught through Computer-Assisted Instruction. The obtained results show that the computerassisted instruction was more effective than the traditional lecture method in teaching and learning of English with record to the students with language learning disabilities and it enabled the LD students to cope with normal students to a considerable extent.

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Use Of Formative Assessment, Self- And Peer-Assessment In The Classrooms: Some Insights From Recent Language Testing And Assessment (LTA) Research

Vol.4  No.1

Year : 2014

Issue : Jan-Mar

Title : Use Of Formative Assessment, Self- And Peer-Assessment In The Classrooms: Some Insights From Recent Language Testing And Assessment (LTA) Research

Author Name : Oksana Afitska

Synopsis :

A considerable number of studies on formative teacher assessment and feedback, learner self- and peer-assessment have been carried out in the field of Language Testing and Assessment (LTA) research over the last two decades. These studies investigated the above mentioned concepts from different perspectives (impact of assessment on learning, attitudes towards assessment, comparison between teacher and learner assessment practices, types and quality of formative teacher feedback), in a number of different contexts (English as second language classrooms, mainstream classrooms, immersion classrooms, i.e. for mainstream classrooms, teaching and learning is done through the medium of a second or additional language) and in a number of different ways (experimental studies, observational studies, surveys, research review studies). This paper systematically reviews most recent research on formative teacher assessment and feedback, learner self- and peer-assessment, and reveals gaps which have not yet been addressed by research.pose of this paper is to study, the extent of constructivist classroom characteristics that exist in ELT (English Language Teaching) Methodology. It is an attempt to explore the constructivist learning activities and evaluation strategies, whether they are useful to the students and the instructors. This paper elevates the contrast of traditional classrooms and constructivist classroom setup through the pedagogical approach. Multiple strategies for Constructivist Learning are elaborated to enhance student learning. Nevertheless, educators must meet the challenge mandated by reform efforts to produce highest quality of student learning. In order to be effective, educational reforms must be tied to the development of an enhanced curriculum that incorporates authentic assessment practices.

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