Rethinking Speaking Skills in EFL （English as a Foreign Language） Settings

The teaching of speaking has been neglected in EFL （English as a Foreign Language） settings throughout language history which led to negative effects on EFL teachers＇ and learners＇ attitudes. While teachers exhibit hesitation having no preset teaching paradigms at their disposal, learners experience withdrawal in speaking situations that demand interactional ease and socio-pragmatic awareness. Indeed, both the type of instruction and the complexity of this skill make of the teaching of spoken language a highly controversial issue especially with the implicit dichotomy that speaking entails and which opposes accurate mastery of linguistic patterns to ease or facility in meaning transmission. This paper aims at reconsidering the way this dormant skill has been tackled and the interfering variables that should be rethought and revisited while dealing with it.

Using Facebook to Develop Grammar Discussion and Writing Skills in English as a Foreign Language for University Students

This study aimed at investigating the effect of Facebook on grammar discussion and writing skill in English as a foreign language for university students, The study sample consisted of 60 students at Oklt AI Sqoor College of Science and Arts in Saudi Arabia and was divided into two groups： 30 students for the experimental group and 30 students for the control group. The instrument of the study was an EFL grammar and writing test. Students in both the experimental and the control group were pre-tested using the EFL （English as a Foreign Language） grammar and writing test, After that the experimental group was taught using Facebook while the control group was taught using the traditional method. Finally, students in both groups were post-tested using the EFL grammar and writing test. Results of the study showed that the experimental group outperformed the control group in the post-test of EFL grammar and writing. This difference can be attributed to using Facebook.

（Re）Constructing Pedagogical Knowledge in English as a Foreign Language Teacher Education Courses

English language teaching in the post-method condition demands the preparation of critical professionals capable of developing their teaching practice to enhance their pupils＇ language learning process. These professionals should also be able to recognize their prior knowledge as a potential tool to teach and to act autonomously in different educational contexts. Therefore, pre-service teacher education courses need to provide favorable conditions for teacher candidates to engage in reflective practice in order to foster continuous professional development. The main goal of this paper is to discuss the complexity of the pedagogical knowledge （re）construction process in an English as a foreign language （EFL） teacher education course, attempting to understand prospective teachers＇ pedagogical actions and strategies used to cope with classroom problems in their teaching practice. For this reason, some examples of this dynamic process, obtained by class recordings and reflective sessions with future teachers were examined. Results indicated that through self-assessment and reflection, stimulated by these sessions, student-teachers were able to recognize problems in their teaching procedures, as well as analyze their teaching practice and （re）construct their pedagogical knowledge, favoring their students＇ language learning process and their own teaching approach.

Interlanguage Fossilization in Chinese EFL Writing --An Empirical Research of 20 English Major Students

This research is designed to investigate interlanguage fossilization in Chinese college students＇ written output. Twelve common linguistic errors from 20 Chinese EFL （English as a foreign language） learners＇ writing assignments are observed. Results show that among 12 typical errors, five types of errors are declining while the rest are increasing, indicating a tendency towards fossilization. Analysis shows that negative/corrective feedback has played a key role in reducing fossilization of some errors, but it does not work in every case. Some errors tend to be fossilized for several reasons. First, language items that do not have a direct form-function relationship are likely to be fossilized. Second, advanced learners create their own language system and neglect the basic rules of grammar. Third, task difficulty takes learners＇ attention away from form to meaning. Fourth, ingrained thinking patterns have a great impact on how learners organize their thoughts in writing. It is true that many Chinese EFL advanced learners reach a plateau in the process of acquiring English. However, attention, consciousness, and training of self-monitoring ability will help destabilize their interlanguage system.

The Use of Children＇s Literature With University English as a Foreign Language Learners in Taiwan

This paper reports findings from a longitudinal qualitative study that investigated the use of children＇s literature for Taiwan Residents University English as a Foreign Language （EFL） students＇ reading. During the course of their sophomore year, 17 students participated and each student held two to seven individual reading sessions, to which they brought a self-selected children＇s picture storybook or children＇s novel they had finished reading on their own and orally read it to the researcher. Their oral reading and the discussion of each book with the researcher were audio recorded. To gain insight into the reading progress, these oral data were categorized and analyzed in terms of mispronunciation patterns, misunderstanding of vocabulary, misinterpretation of sentence or passage, and researcher＇s guidance. General findings of the 17 participants were presented in three categories： （1） vocabulary acquisition, （2） common comprehension problems, and （3） common pronunciation problems. Further analysis of two motivated students who read five to seven books revealed that （1） these two EFL learners gradually developed conscious awareness of their own pronunciation and comprehension errors and （2） they progressively acquired better competence to apply the pronunciation tips and reading comprehension techniques provided by the researcher during previous sessions. These findings and corresponding implications are discussed and further research suggestions are made.

Questioning to the Feasibility of Offering English Courses in the Primary Schools in China

After entering 21 st century,our country has started an incomparable huge English teaching revolution. English has been taught in more and more universities,colleges,high schools,and even primary schools since the early 1990 s. After the decision,which made by China` s Ministry of Education,of offering English courses from Grade 3 in primary schools nationwide in China from county-level in the fall of 2001 was carried out step by step,the starting age of foreign language learning for children have been discussed in China. Many experts and scholars in foreign language teaching and research fields paid close attention to it and held different opinions about offering English courses in primary schools. This study aims to do some research in theory to query the feasibility of offering English courses to the primary school students in China. The mainly underlying theoretical framework in this thesis is the critical period hypothesis discussed by Rod Ellis in Understanding Second Language Acquisition. By referring to his argument about age,the thesis seeks other two theories to support the idea that it is inappropriate to offer English courses in primary schools.

A Research on Errors in Paraphrasing in Academic Writing of English Majors

This paper seeks to identify errors made my English majors in academic writing so that preventive measures such as effective pedagogic strategies and learning activities can be devised and conducted to reduce these errors. In order to facilitate learners in horning their skills in paraphrasing, a practical strategy is proposed. It is hoped that by implementing strategies like this, ESL learners will be confident in using their own words to paraphrase academic texts with minimal errors.

Application of Social Constructivism into EFL Classroom

Recently, the view that classroom knowledge is socially constructed rather than being merely transmitted from teacher to student has made a significant impact in English language teaching. Based on social constructivism theory, this article gives a brief discussion on the role of motivation in the language classroom. Then it suggests some ways of improving language teaching and incorporating constructivism into the traditional language classroom.

Writing Haiku in a Second Language： Perceptions, Attitudes, and Emotions of Second Language Learners

The aim of the current study is to discuss the value of poetry writing in an L2 （second language） by investigating perceptions, attitudes, and emotions of 20 EFL （English as a Foreign Language） college freshmen regarding writing Japanese poetry, haiku in English. This paper first discussed issues and uses of literature in L2 contexts and addressed the current empirical inquiry into L2 haiku writing as a method for L2 learning. The study was designed as a qualitative research which investigated the participants＇ reflection on writing L2 haikus for six weeks in an EFL college writing course. The data obtained was analyzed by using the coding system and showed that writing haiku in the target language was a challenging but valuable task for L2 learning among the EFL students. Especially haiku composition allowed them to develop their L2 linguistic awareness

Peer Feedback： A New Approach to English Writing Instruction in a Chinese College Setting

The paper mainly focuses on peer feedback--one specific approach to teach writing. After analyzing the current practice in English writing instruction in Chinese tertiary institutions and reviewing YANG, Badger and YU＇s （2006） empirical research study, the author evaluates the suitability of peer feedback approach in a Chinese college context. Hopes that it may offer and challenges which might be faced, are discussed as well.

The Efficacy of Peer Feedback in Turkish EFL Students’ Writing Performance

The overarching aim of this study is to find out the effects of peer feedback on Turkish EFL learners at pre-intermediate level. More specifically, the researcher sought to probe the strategies most suitable to these students by motivating them to scrutinize each other’s writings and develop their own perceptions of the advantages of becoming more critical of their writing. By addressing these aims and objectives, the researcher hoped to discover the advantages and effects of peer feedback in improving the writing skills of these students. A mixture of both quantitative and qualitative methods was considered appropriate to meet the needs of research. A questionnaire on attitudes and writing tests were used to collect primary data for the study in order to gain information about the needs of the students and the suitable strategies required for peer reading, examining, and giving feedback. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted to examine the students’ perceptions of peer feedback. Results of this study revealed that the peer feedback process helped learners in improving their writing performance as a result of which the students had a positive attitude towards using peer feedback in EFL classrooms. Based on the findings, implications for foreign language （FL） writing classes and suggestions for future studies are presented.

A content analysis related to the cross-cultural/intercultural elements used in EFL coursebooks

This study aimed to examine some coursebooks of English as a Foreign Language （EFL） to see whether they involve any cross-cultural topics belonging to different cultures from different countries in the world. Assuming that EFL coursebooks written after the communicative movements in foreign language teaching and learning in the 1970s and the 1980s would have a plenty of cross-cultural elements, it was expected to see these coursebooks would also have a lot of cross-cultural elements, especially regarding their publication dates. This study aimed to investigate to what extent teaching materials used in EFL setting involve intercultural elements. Accordingly, 5 coursebooks were evaluated, and topics and number of cross-cultural elements were presented. The coursebooks used in the study were published in 1998, 1999, 1999, 2001 and 2006 namely. However, as the results displayed, the frequency of cross-cultural elements were not mutually related to their publication dates. The distribution and frequency of cross-cultural elements were not balanced with the dates chronologically.

An Empirical Study of Learner-Based Teaching in EFL

This paper gives a detailed annlysis of the learner-based teaching in EFL （English as a Foreign Language）. It deals with how we arrive at learner-based teaching, what is the role of teachers and the textbooks, and the advantages and potential problems of learner-based teaching in EFL. The main principle in learner-based teaching is that all class activities can be done in using information that the learners themselves bring into the class. What is novel about learner-based teaching is the idea that all activities can be based on that wealth of experience, their grammar exercises, or translations, etc.. In learner-based teaching, we should know how to help students to teach themselves in learning English. In using a learner-based approach, the learners themselves are responsible for the information input, thereby ensuring its relevance and topicality for each particular group. The basic procedure has two stages First, learners prepare materials which are designed to practice. Second, these materials are passed to other learners in the class who carry out the activities. In this way, students obtain valuable language practice, not only while they are using the materials, but also while they are preparing them as well.

The Role of First Language Transfer in Second Language Writing and Pedagogical Implications

The influence of first language(L1) involvement in second language(L2) writing has been a theme widely discussed since the research on L2 writing process thrived in the early 1980 s. So far extensive studies have indicated that L2 writing is a bilingual event and the use of L1 is a fairly common strategy among L2 writers. In light of this cognitive characteristic of L2 writing process,a wide range of studies have been carried out,seeking to further reveal what role L1 plays in L2 composing process and how L1 assumes its role during the process. However,there seems to be no consensus reached by the L2 writing researchers so far on whether L1 involvement facilitates or interferes L2 writing,which results in a lot of confusion and frustration in L2 writing teaching practices. Therefore,this paper tries to examine the conflicting views on the role of L1 transfer in L2 writing process and analyze the reasons and theories that may underlie this phenomenon for an attempt to elicit some pedagogical implications for future L2 writing teaching.

A Diary Study of the Impact of Extensive Reading on English Writing

Motivated by the continued growth of research on extensive reading and positive results from a variety of studies (e.g. Bell,2001; Nash &Yuan,1992; Nation, 1997), an investigation is conducted on the impact of extensive reading on college students’ writing per-formance over a 20-week period. Data are collected from multiple sources, mainly including teacher and learners’ diaries, together with aninterview and writing tests. The results of the study show that extensive reading can enhance learners’ writing skills and promote a positiveattitude toward writing.

Brief Introduction of Intercultural Communicative and College English Course

With the acceleration of globalization, people have encountered more and more intercultural communication.In China, more and more scholars have turned their attention to the intercultural communication, and many foreign language teachers have done a lot of work in the field of research and practice of cultural teaching. In this paper, the author will try to introduce the relationship between intercultural communication and college English course briefly.

EFL语境下作者身份与EAP写作的有效性研究

EAP的重要性已经为越来越多的教育者和科技人员认识到,越来越多的专家学者开始从课程定位、语料库、教材编写、师资培训等各个角度对此进行研究。但是ESP写作的有效性目前在我国还没有得到充分的探究。文章试图从思维模式、价值观念、风俗习惯等方面的分析入手,基于作者的身份分析,探讨作者的文化身份、社会身份、个人身份、民族身份的差异在EFL语境下对ESP有效性的影响,提出在ESP写作教学中不仅应该重视形式和规则,更应重视文化差异带来的影响。

Challenges and Countermeasures in Integrating Chinese Traditional Culture into English Listening and Speaking Course

Foreign language education involves not only language education but also cultural education.It is the new mission of today’s foreign language education to integrate Chinese traditional culture into foreign language teaching and cultivate foreign language talents who can tell Chinese stories well and spread Chinese voice.As a basic course for English majors,English Listening and Speaking faces many challenges when it is integrated into Chinese traditional culture,such as complex teaching content,limited teaching resources,insufficient teachers’literacy,and students’listening and speaking difficulties.In order to solve these problems,teachers and universities should work together to sort out the connotation of Chinese traditional culture,develop audio-visual teaching materials,organize teacher training,and innovate teaching methods,so as to effectively promote the connection between Chinese traditional culture and English Listening and Speaking curriculum system.

The Role of Personality in Second Language Learning: An Exploration of Influence of Students’ Personality Traits in Chinese foreign language schools

Individual differences(IDs)have an important influence on second language acquisition(SLA).Intelligence,learning styles,personality and motivation,etc.are included in the IDs and personality characteristics seem one of the significant influence factors of acquiring the second language effectively.This article aims to explore some applications about the effects of personal characteristics in Chinese English classrooms.Most extroverted students perform well in English language acquisition such as speaking tests and communication capacity.However,there are some quiet learners or students who are unwilling to speak in the class could get good grades on pronunciation and listening as well.Also,these introverted students are likely to good at memorization and writing practice.This is different from stereotype of successful language learners who always are related to extroversion.This article aims to explore some applications about the effects of personal characteristics in Chinese English classrooms,and based on practice,research and explore how to create a class that suits most personality types and how to design the specific tasks to meet the needs of students with different characters to enhance language teaching efficiency.