Cultural and Academic Meetings in the Writing Classroom： China and the West

With growing numbers of Chinese students entering Western universities, cultural understanding is of increasing importance, not least in higher education. Without a good understanding of the academic conventions of Western universities, Chinese students, and undergraduates in particular, are at a disadvantage in the multi-cultural classroom. Lack of knowledge of structural influences on higher education, including teacher-student relations, reference management practices, and assessment procedures, are likely to lead to failure and disappointment. This paper, which is based on writing workshops conducted at Beijing University and in Sweden （Kristianstad University and Linnaeus University） in 2014, focuses primarily on writing practices and conventions because written texts are the main means of assessment in higher education. Addressing four key problems encountered by Chinese undergraduate writers in Western universities, namely lack of familiarity with the structure of academic papers, lack of focus on relevant issues, copying and pasting without giving proper reference, and inadequate understanding and mastery of the conventions of academic English, this paper argues for greater awareness of cultural differences between the Chinese and Western systems of education. Not until this has been achieved can Chinese students realize their full potential at Western universities.

The Strengths and Weaknesses of Mini-Class Model for Chinese College Students

When it comes to the practical use of English, the traditional college English class, which has big size and uses lecture-style teaching, has increasingly showed its disadvantages. The English Department of Harbin Engineering University has initiated a mini-class model in recent years, which has received positive responses from both teachers and students who have experienced the class. By comparing the lecture-style class with mini-class, this paper will introduce the strengths and weaknesses of mini-class according to the author＇s observation of the class as well as the feedbacks from teachers and students. As is found out, its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses, and therefore the model is highly recommended for college English class in other schools

SWOT Analysis on Flipped Classroom Based on Chinese Setting

The flipped classroom as a new teaching mode has provided a new thought for the development of teaching and learning. This paper first introduces the concept and features of flipped classrooms, and then compares some typical cases of flipped classrooms at home and abroad. Based on this, this paper introduces the business analysis method --SWOT analysis, to analyzes the strengths and weaknesses as well as the opportunities and threats of flipped classroom application in China. In addition, enlightenment on the application of flipped classroom in theory and teaching practice are provided in the final part of the paper.

Educational Application for Special Needs Is a Learning Tool the Way Forward？

As the 21st century brings in a revolutionary change in the way students study at schools and universities, technology continues to play a crucial role in helping students achieve more conceptual and practical knowledge of topics taught in classrooms. Students with special needs too are now able to study in a general classroom setting, access relevant technologies and use them for higher cognitive development, helping them integrate with their surroundings. However, existing literature shows that though multiple learning tools exist that do enhance learning in special needs students, they either cater to specific areas of development such as Mathematics and English, or that are targeted towards a specified category of studentswith special needs such as autism and cerebral palsy. Furthermore, despite multiple laws and regulations supporting the right to education launched by the UAE （United Arab Emirates） government for special needs students, there seems to exist a need to provide classrooms across the country with educational applications that have a universal approach particularly in the UAE in order to include students with almost any special needs. This paper looks closely at the existing literature and highlights this gap, especially in the UAE and proposes to develop such a tool based on existing learning concepts.

An Empirical Study on Interaction in EFL Classrooms in Middle Schools in Western Areas of China

Interaction in EFL （English as a foreign language） classrooms has received much attention in recent years However, little research exists that has investigated interaction in Chinese EFL classrooms. To bridge this gap, the current research investigates interaction in EFL classrooms in middle schools in China in terms of： （1） the amount of teacher talk and interaction; （2） the type of teacher questions and teacher feedbacks; and （3） the amount and forms of meaning negotiation. The data set include observation records and observation reports of 140 naturally occurring lessons in middle schools in China. The findings reveal that there is not much interaction in EFL lessons in middle schools in western areas of China, which is shown by class time dominated by TTT （teacher talking time）, teacher questions and feedbacks that do not encourage students＇ responses and very little negotiation of meaning Possible causes are analyzed, and implications of this research for EFL teaching in China, teacher development and further research are also discussed

Motivation in a Flipped Classroom, a Case Study of Teaching Oral English in a Vocational College in China's Mainland

This action research explores the use of the flipped classroom approach in an English speaking class with 25 students at intermediate level in a vocational college in China's Mainland. It aims at motivating English learners and helping them develop communicative language skills more effectively and efficiently. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted to analyze the data collected through interviews, teaching logs, as well as anonymous questionnaires and a summative assessment. Results show that the flipped classroom approach does stimulate students to invest more time and effort prior to instruction and during class learners do participate in communicative language exercises more enthusiastically. As a result, conceivable progress has been made in learners＇ performance. Possible recommendations of incorporating periodic rotation within the class, adding certain teacher-led instruction, and informal evaluation with group members, are raised at the end of the paper to help further improve the teaching/learning outcome of the flipped classroom approach.

Virtual Classroom in the Cloud Transnational Scandinavian Teaching With Digital Technology

In the Scandinavian countries： Sweden, Norway and Denmark, the project GNU （Gr^enseoverskridende Nordisk Undervisning, i.e. Transnational Nordic Teaching） is experimenting with ways of conducting teaching across the borders in the elementary schools. The cloud classes are organised with one class from each country in the subjects： language, science, math, social science/history. The teachers from the three classes work together to design teaching they conduct together with assignments the students will be able to solve only in collaboration with their fellow students in the three classes. The three year project ends in 2014 but already now there are some interesting findings on how transnational teaching collaboration works for teachers and students. This paper will focus on the different uses of web based tools of synchronous and asynchronous communication and discuss challenges and benefits in regard to learning and pedagogy with virtual classroom.

Application of Literary Theory in Teaching Literature——A Case Study From ＂Approaching Fiction＂ in China Youth University of Political Studies

For most universities and colleges in China, literary theory is taught at the graduate level of literary studies. Most English teachers think literary theory is such a complex field with jargon-ridden disciplines and concepts that it is often considered as ＂a hot potato＂ in classroom teaching. Based on a case study from ＂Approaching Fiction＂ in China Youth University of Political Studies （CYUPS）, the present paper claims that application of literary theory in teaching literature not only greatly broadens students＇ horizon but also deepens their interpretation and understanding of literary works. With proper selection of teaching material and carefully designed teaching approaches, application of critical theory plays an increasingly important role in the undergraduate literature classroom.

Study on Foreign Teachers＇ Teaching Validity of English Majors

With the deepening of global economic integration, the internationalization of education has become the trend of education development in the world. The paper intends to study on foreign teachers＇ teaching validity from English majors＇ students＇ perspective. The essay mainly adopts the classroom observation method to directly observe foreign teachers＇ classroom. In addition, the paper used the questionnaire and interview method for the English major students to get the first-hand feedback information to explore the existing problems of foreign teachers and then puts forward some suggestions.There are there parts in this paper. The first part is introduction of background and significance, and then it mainly analyzes performance of English majors from the present situation of the foreign teachers＇ class, and finally solves some common problems in classroom teaching.

The Impact of Online Automated Writing Evaluation:A Case Study from Dalian

Automated writing evaluation （AWE） technology is being adopted in classrooms in China and the USA. This paper presents the results of a case study of the application of AWE in Dalian, China. The quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2010 in Chinese middle school English language classrooms. An effect size of 0.30 was found in favor of the experimental group using AWE as an online formative assessment. Student survey responses and teacher observations are presented as convergent evidence to illustrate the impact AWE technology has on teachers, students, and student achievement in English writing.

Creating a Community of Learners in the Language Classroom

This paper reports a study designed to observe how a learning community arose when a group of learners of English focused on a common project. The students＇ task was to participate as speakers in an international conference. Undergraduate students in a course of Business English at a small private university in western Mexico worked in teams to research and develop a topic to be sent as a proposal to the conference.The study used Interaction Analysis with a qualitative focus to observe participant interactions. Video and audio recordings were supplemented with participant interviews and questionnaires. Analysis shows that in the course of the project, the students learned not only business terminology, but also how to work together.