With the rise of learner autonomy as an important goal in second/foreign language education, the idea of teacher autonomy has recently come to the fore. In this paper, I first review the literature to explore various ...With the rise of learner autonomy as an important goal in second/foreign language education, the idea of teacher autonomy has recently come to the fore. In this paper, I first review the literature to explore various definitions and meanings of teacher autonomy. I then present an overview of current perspectives on the relationship between teacher autonomy and learner autonomy. This is illustrated through a discussion of the literature about teachers' responsibility and capacity to support learner autonomy. Finally, I examine how action research, reflective practice, and exploratory practice are argued and demonstrated in the literature as major processes of teacher (autonomy) development in second language education.展开更多
The revolutionary online application ChatGPT has brought immense concerns to the education field.Foreign language teachers being some of those most reliant on writing assessments were among the most anxious,exacerbate...The revolutionary online application ChatGPT has brought immense concerns to the education field.Foreign language teachers being some of those most reliant on writing assessments were among the most anxious,exacerbated by the extensive media coverage about the much-fantasized functionality of the chatbot.Hence,the article starts by elucidating the mechanisms,functions and common misconceptions about ChatGPT.Issues and risks associated with its usage are discussed,followed by an in-depth discussion of how the chatbot can be harnessed by learners and teachers.It is argued that ChatGPT offers major opportunities for teachers and education institutes to improve second/foreign language teaching and assessments,which similarly provided researchers with an array of research opportunities,especially towards a more personalized learning experience.展开更多
This historical study investigates the concept of learner autonomy in the national English language curricula for Chinese universities.It seeks to understand the meaning of learner autonomy in China and the intentiona...This historical study investigates the concept of learner autonomy in the national English language curricula for Chinese universities.It seeks to understand the meaning of learner autonomy in China and the intentionality of promoting this concept through the curricula from 1978 to 2007.By adopting Quentin Skinner’s intentionalist approach to analyzing the history of ideas,this study conducted a systematic document analysis of three national curricula in relation to their linguistic and practical contexts constituted of 169 Chinese academic articles in total.The study revealed that learner autonomy mainly referred to students’motivation and ability to work hard on their own outside the classroom in the Chinese context.Importing this concept,however,caused ideological confusion and exacerbated the disempowerment of teachers within the dynamics of China’s English language education at the tertiary level.The study raises awareness for borrowing concepts across different cultural contexts and has implications for research,policymaking,teacher development,and pedagogical practice in second language education in China.展开更多
The adequacy of language education largely depends on the favorable and unfavorable emotions that teachers and students experience throughout the education process.Simply said,emotional factors play a key role in impr...The adequacy of language education largely depends on the favorable and unfavorable emotions that teachers and students experience throughout the education process.Simply said,emotional factors play a key role in improving the quality of language teaching and learning.Furthermore,these emotional factors also promote the well-being of language teachers and learners and place them in a suitable mental condition.In view of the favorable impact of emotional factors on the mental health of language teachers and learners,many educational scholars around the world have studied these factors,their background,and their pedagogical consequences.Nonetheless,the majority of previous studies have employed traditional research methods in assessing these variables and their influences on language teachers’and learners’mental health.Because of the complex and dynamic quality of emotional factors,traditional research approaches often fail to evaluate these factors and their dynamic,non-linear connections with teachers’and learners’mental health and well-being.Accordingly,some novel research approaches are required to measure the dynamicity and complexity of emotional factors in language education settings.To address this call,the current state-of-the-art conceptual article seeks to provide new insights for investigating emotional factors and their potential impact on language teachers’and learners’mental states.This study also intends to offer a comprehensive list of emerging methods that take into account the complex and dynamic nature of emotional variables.Finally,the study outlines the potential implications of this review for educational researchers.展开更多
This paper focuses on current theoretical research in second language education and on how the Language Awareness Approach, specifically, is key to successful second language teaching. LAA methodology gives students t...This paper focuses on current theoretical research in second language education and on how the Language Awareness Approach, specifically, is key to successful second language teaching. LAA methodology gives students the tools and confidence to internalize the second language for the long term. Through the Language Awareness Approach, students become highly motivated self-learners, expertly analyzing the syntax of their native language as well as that of the second language. As students become more skilled in understanding how language works, they are able to internalize the new language and make it their own. Eventually, students do not have to ＂change the chip to the target language＂ when they walk through the classroom door.展开更多
文摘With the rise of learner autonomy as an important goal in second/foreign language education, the idea of teacher autonomy has recently come to the fore. In this paper, I first review the literature to explore various definitions and meanings of teacher autonomy. I then present an overview of current perspectives on the relationship between teacher autonomy and learner autonomy. This is illustrated through a discussion of the literature about teachers' responsibility and capacity to support learner autonomy. Finally, I examine how action research, reflective practice, and exploratory practice are argued and demonstrated in the literature as major processes of teacher (autonomy) development in second language education.
文摘The revolutionary online application ChatGPT has brought immense concerns to the education field.Foreign language teachers being some of those most reliant on writing assessments were among the most anxious,exacerbated by the extensive media coverage about the much-fantasized functionality of the chatbot.Hence,the article starts by elucidating the mechanisms,functions and common misconceptions about ChatGPT.Issues and risks associated with its usage are discussed,followed by an in-depth discussion of how the chatbot can be harnessed by learners and teachers.It is argued that ChatGPT offers major opportunities for teachers and education institutes to improve second/foreign language teaching and assessments,which similarly provided researchers with an array of research opportunities,especially towards a more personalized learning experience.
基金This work was supported by the MOE Project of Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences in Universities in China.
文摘This historical study investigates the concept of learner autonomy in the national English language curricula for Chinese universities.It seeks to understand the meaning of learner autonomy in China and the intentionality of promoting this concept through the curricula from 1978 to 2007.By adopting Quentin Skinner’s intentionalist approach to analyzing the history of ideas,this study conducted a systematic document analysis of three national curricula in relation to their linguistic and practical contexts constituted of 169 Chinese academic articles in total.The study revealed that learner autonomy mainly referred to students’motivation and ability to work hard on their own outside the classroom in the Chinese context.Importing this concept,however,caused ideological confusion and exacerbated the disempowerment of teachers within the dynamics of China’s English language education at the tertiary level.The study raises awareness for borrowing concepts across different cultural contexts and has implications for research,policymaking,teacher development,and pedagogical practice in second language education in China.
基金supported by Nanjing Normal University’s New Liberal Arts Research and Reform Project in 2021.
文摘The adequacy of language education largely depends on the favorable and unfavorable emotions that teachers and students experience throughout the education process.Simply said,emotional factors play a key role in improving the quality of language teaching and learning.Furthermore,these emotional factors also promote the well-being of language teachers and learners and place them in a suitable mental condition.In view of the favorable impact of emotional factors on the mental health of language teachers and learners,many educational scholars around the world have studied these factors,their background,and their pedagogical consequences.Nonetheless,the majority of previous studies have employed traditional research methods in assessing these variables and their influences on language teachers’and learners’mental health.Because of the complex and dynamic quality of emotional factors,traditional research approaches often fail to evaluate these factors and their dynamic,non-linear connections with teachers’and learners’mental health and well-being.Accordingly,some novel research approaches are required to measure the dynamicity and complexity of emotional factors in language education settings.To address this call,the current state-of-the-art conceptual article seeks to provide new insights for investigating emotional factors and their potential impact on language teachers’and learners’mental states.This study also intends to offer a comprehensive list of emerging methods that take into account the complex and dynamic nature of emotional variables.Finally,the study outlines the potential implications of this review for educational researchers.
文摘This paper focuses on current theoretical research in second language education and on how the Language Awareness Approach, specifically, is key to successful second language teaching. LAA methodology gives students the tools and confidence to internalize the second language for the long term. Through the Language Awareness Approach, students become highly motivated self-learners, expertly analyzing the syntax of their native language as well as that of the second language. As students become more skilled in understanding how language works, they are able to internalize the new language and make it their own. Eventually, students do not have to ＂change the chip to the target language＂ when they walk through the classroom door.
