A literature-based review concerning why and how to evaluate language-teaching materials is presented with the purpose to facilitate English Language Teachers＇ awareness of material evaluation and assist their conduc...A literature-based review concerning why and how to evaluate language-teaching materials is presented with the purpose to facilitate English Language Teachers＇ awareness of material evaluation and assist their conduction.展开更多
The focus of this study is to investigate the school textbooks of Greek Language, particular emphasis being paid on the search via their content of the level of emergence of the Rights of the Child. The research focus...The focus of this study is to investigate the school textbooks of Greek Language, particular emphasis being paid on the search via their content of the level of emergence of the Rights of the Child. The research focuses on the specific topic, as school textbooks are utilized at the most during schooling and also, as they constitute the basis for the linguistic transfer of messages, values, and attitudes, which are used in all subjects and in the majority of teaching activities and actions. In addition, school textbooks of Greek Language contribute significantly to the cultural understanding and development of the child. This whole dimension is attempted to be highlighted in the present study, the main outcome of which is that via the school textbooks of Greek Language of the last three grades of the Greek Primary School, the emergence of the Rights of the Child is attempted at a satisfactory level. The present research is an empirical approach to textbooks of Greek Language of Greek Primary School on the Rights of the Child and it is innovative, for being the first evaluative approach on the aforementioned issue, since the last review of school textbooks in the Greek.展开更多
The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the multimodality in college English textbooks. Because multimodality is closely associated with college English teaching and learning, it is necessary to probe into ...The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the multimodality in college English textbooks. Because multimodality is closely associated with college English teaching and learning, it is necessary to probe into the multimodality in college English books. First, the study showed that the images in college English textbooks have the following functions： to illustrate the text, to consolidate the information in the text, to aestheticize the text, as well as to collaborate with the text to establish harmony between the author and the reader, therefore to convey the author＇s intentions well. Second, the study showed that the multimodality in college English textbooks reflects power relation and solidarity relation between the author and the reader. On the one hand, multimodality in college English textbooks implies unequal power relationships which are represented by unequal power opportunities for the author to select images while the reader has little influence. On the other hand, the learning activities provide a lot of chances for the reader to make contact with the images, hence establishing a familiar and harmonious relationship between the reader and the author. The findings of the present study have useful implications for college English teaching and learning and imply the need for further studies in this field.展开更多
The paper investigates Saudi English textbooks in order to trace the ways in which culture was dealt with in the English curriculum in the last 33 years. To this end, the three textbooks which were published one after...The paper investigates Saudi English textbooks in order to trace the ways in which culture was dealt with in the English curriculum in the last 33 years. To this end, the three textbooks which were published one after another for the third-grade secondary school students in the last three decades were analyzed. The paper finds that in the first book published in 1982, the writer introduced only those cultural elements from outside Saudi Arabia, which could be subordinated to the self-enclosed cohesive Saudi national culture that rested and was shaped on and around the faith of Islam. The same cultural pattern is maintained in the second book published in 1998, but in the third book published in 2013, a huge number of western and multicultural elements were accommodated without any attempt to assimilate them to Saudi national culture. The paper concludes that in these textbooks, culture was taken either as Parsons＇s ＂system＂--pattern-maintaining national culture-or as Rothkopf＇s and Friedman＇s ＂pattern-breaking＂ western culture, but it was seldom treated as Bauman＇s ＂matrix＂.展开更多
Language learners can hardly develop their communicative competence and aesthetic appreciation of literary works without the awareness of stylistics. Since CET-4 and CET-6 direct college students in China, as learners...Language learners can hardly develop their communicative competence and aesthetic appreciation of literary works without the awareness of stylistics. Since CET-4 and CET-6 direct college students in China, as learners of English as a foreign language, what to learn and how to learn English, they naturally reflect the importance of stylistics. This paper gives a stylistic analysis of the listening and reading part in CET-4 and CET-6 to show it is important for non-English majors to have some knowledge of stylistics.展开更多
Sharing the environment of English as a foreign language （EFL） in South Korea and China, English text in the authorized English textbooks deserves a cross-country comparison in the same grade level. This research ex...Sharing the environment of English as a foreign language （EFL） in South Korea and China, English text in the authorized English textbooks deserves a cross-country comparison in the same grade level. This research explored the English texts linguistic characteristics in the authorized English textbooks through Coh-Melrix 3.0 and intended to provide implications to EFL English textbook design in the future. The results suggest that there is a need to be aware of the weaknesses and strengths from each other： the South Korean English texts display a diversity in noun, verbs, adjectives, the mean number of words before the main verb of the main clause in sentence, TTR and lexical diversity; the Chinese English texts reveal an overlap in lexical level （content words, noun, and sentences） and semantic level （syntactic patterns）.展开更多
Text-theme, the writing or speaking motive, is construed before creation at the basis of a writer＇s or speaker＇s background and typical cognitive structures. This paper attempts to explore text-theme in the Pearl Ha...Text-theme, the writing or speaking motive, is construed before creation at the basis of a writer＇s or speaker＇s background and typical cognitive structures. This paper attempts to explore text-theme in the Pearl Harbor address to the nation within the framework of appraisal theory founded by James Martin, et al., the excavation is centered on how the grammatical resources of appraisal can disclose the addressor＇s evaluation of the text-theme. The aim for the study is to testify the operationality and practicability of appraisal theory towards the exploration on text analysis. It is hoped that the theoretical and practical significance in the present exploration of text-theme can provide inspirations and novel insights in the realm of English language teaching and text analysis.展开更多
Teaching writing to Arab EFL learners in general, and to students who have never been exposed to an Anglo-Saxon foreign language in particular in institutions of higher education, through incorporating culturally mean...Teaching writing to Arab EFL learners in general, and to students who have never been exposed to an Anglo-Saxon foreign language in particular in institutions of higher education, through incorporating culturally meaningful learning materials, can actually be enjoyable and fruitful. However, it can also be very challenging given the sociocultural and linguistic background of the learners as well as other factors related to the nature of the imported teaching materials from overseas. The challenge then is identifying and selecting materials for each particular class, as well as how to get students motivated and successfully engaged in the process of writing. This paper enlightens educators and language programs managers and planners about the mechanism of the writing process while incorporating the cultural components relevant to the learner, as well as drawing their attention to the benefits of engaging students in the actual process of writing and boosting their motivation via a meaningful socioculturally based approach.展开更多
文摘A literature-based review concerning why and how to evaluate language-teaching materials is presented with the purpose to facilitate English Language Teachers＇ awareness of material evaluation and assist their conduction.
文摘The focus of this study is to investigate the school textbooks of Greek Language, particular emphasis being paid on the search via their content of the level of emergence of the Rights of the Child. The research focuses on the specific topic, as school textbooks are utilized at the most during schooling and also, as they constitute the basis for the linguistic transfer of messages, values, and attitudes, which are used in all subjects and in the majority of teaching activities and actions. In addition, school textbooks of Greek Language contribute significantly to the cultural understanding and development of the child. This whole dimension is attempted to be highlighted in the present study, the main outcome of which is that via the school textbooks of Greek Language of the last three grades of the Greek Primary School, the emergence of the Rights of the Child is attempted at a satisfactory level. The present research is an empirical approach to textbooks of Greek Language of Greek Primary School on the Rights of the Child and it is innovative, for being the first evaluative approach on the aforementioned issue, since the last review of school textbooks in the Greek.
文摘The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the multimodality in college English textbooks. Because multimodality is closely associated with college English teaching and learning, it is necessary to probe into the multimodality in college English books. First, the study showed that the images in college English textbooks have the following functions： to illustrate the text, to consolidate the information in the text, to aestheticize the text, as well as to collaborate with the text to establish harmony between the author and the reader, therefore to convey the author＇s intentions well. Second, the study showed that the multimodality in college English textbooks reflects power relation and solidarity relation between the author and the reader. On the one hand, multimodality in college English textbooks implies unequal power relationships which are represented by unequal power opportunities for the author to select images while the reader has little influence. On the other hand, the learning activities provide a lot of chances for the reader to make contact with the images, hence establishing a familiar and harmonious relationship between the reader and the author. The findings of the present study have useful implications for college English teaching and learning and imply the need for further studies in this field.
文摘The paper investigates Saudi English textbooks in order to trace the ways in which culture was dealt with in the English curriculum in the last 33 years. To this end, the three textbooks which were published one after another for the third-grade secondary school students in the last three decades were analyzed. The paper finds that in the first book published in 1982, the writer introduced only those cultural elements from outside Saudi Arabia, which could be subordinated to the self-enclosed cohesive Saudi national culture that rested and was shaped on and around the faith of Islam. The same cultural pattern is maintained in the second book published in 1998, but in the third book published in 2013, a huge number of western and multicultural elements were accommodated without any attempt to assimilate them to Saudi national culture. The paper concludes that in these textbooks, culture was taken either as Parsons＇s ＂system＂--pattern-maintaining national culture-or as Rothkopf＇s and Friedman＇s ＂pattern-breaking＂ western culture, but it was seldom treated as Bauman＇s ＂matrix＂.
文摘Language learners can hardly develop their communicative competence and aesthetic appreciation of literary works without the awareness of stylistics. Since CET-4 and CET-6 direct college students in China, as learners of English as a foreign language, what to learn and how to learn English, they naturally reflect the importance of stylistics. This paper gives a stylistic analysis of the listening and reading part in CET-4 and CET-6 to show it is important for non-English majors to have some knowledge of stylistics.
文摘Sharing the environment of English as a foreign language （EFL） in South Korea and China, English text in the authorized English textbooks deserves a cross-country comparison in the same grade level. This research explored the English texts linguistic characteristics in the authorized English textbooks through Coh-Melrix 3.0 and intended to provide implications to EFL English textbook design in the future. The results suggest that there is a need to be aware of the weaknesses and strengths from each other： the South Korean English texts display a diversity in noun, verbs, adjectives, the mean number of words before the main verb of the main clause in sentence, TTR and lexical diversity; the Chinese English texts reveal an overlap in lexical level （content words, noun, and sentences） and semantic level （syntactic patterns）.
文摘Text-theme, the writing or speaking motive, is construed before creation at the basis of a writer＇s or speaker＇s background and typical cognitive structures. This paper attempts to explore text-theme in the Pearl Harbor address to the nation within the framework of appraisal theory founded by James Martin, et al., the excavation is centered on how the grammatical resources of appraisal can disclose the addressor＇s evaluation of the text-theme. The aim for the study is to testify the operationality and practicability of appraisal theory towards the exploration on text analysis. It is hoped that the theoretical and practical significance in the present exploration of text-theme can provide inspirations and novel insights in the realm of English language teaching and text analysis.
文摘Teaching writing to Arab EFL learners in general, and to students who have never been exposed to an Anglo-Saxon foreign language in particular in institutions of higher education, through incorporating culturally meaningful learning materials, can actually be enjoyable and fruitful. However, it can also be very challenging given the sociocultural and linguistic background of the learners as well as other factors related to the nature of the imported teaching materials from overseas. The challenge then is identifying and selecting materials for each particular class, as well as how to get students motivated and successfully engaged in the process of writing. This paper enlightens educators and language programs managers and planners about the mechanism of the writing process while incorporating the cultural components relevant to the learner, as well as drawing their attention to the benefits of engaging students in the actual process of writing and boosting their motivation via a meaningful socioculturally based approach.
