Towards Closing the Language & Culture Gap: A Pedagogical Approach

This paper advances an approach to culture and language instruction through the theoretical construct of the 3Ps (Products, Practices, Perspectives), combined with an inquiry-based approach utilizing the theory on stages of second language acquisition. Culture elements, when embodied in a properly developed and organized curriculum can be systematically implemented all along the different phases of language growth. Mastery of a language is not simply mastery of vocabulary as well as grammar and spelling rules. The most successful language learners learn both culture and language together. The conceptualizations provided by research, although at times conflicting, form a useful foundation for language teaching that provides a deeper and a more enriching human experience. Making culture the core in a language class is akin to asserting the obvious (Furstenberg, 2010);they are two flip sides of the same coin. With its focus on revisiting the role of culture in the FL Classroom, the paper seems to fall into the same category - affirming the tried and true, but like Furstenberg, the author believes there is good reason to re-consider the possibility of closing the language and culture gap.

Improving Language Competence of Grade Seven Learners through the I-READ Project

The Integrative Reading Enhancement and Assessment for Student’s Development(I-READ)Project aims to achieve this by providing students with diverse learning experiences that promote critical thinking,creativity,and communication skills.The project’s primary objective is to equip students with essential language skills that will enable them to comprehend,analyze,and communicate effectively.This study utilized a quasi-experimental research design.The researcher prepared reading material and a questionnaire to determine the performance of grade seven learners,who attended Cumba-Quezon Integrated School,in their language competence.The I-READ Project had a significant impact on the reading skills of the learners in the experimental group,as the learners had significant improvement in their reading capabilities.However,the research was conducted solely on grade seven learners,which limits the generalization of the findings to learners of other grades.

On the vocabulary acquisition theories and vocabulary teaching of foreign languages

As one of the important phases of language acquisition process, vocabulary acquisition has great impact on one＇s language competence and communication competence. However, there are still some problems in students＇ vocabulary acquisition. This paper first discusses the current problems in vocabulary teaching, and then analyzes some laws in vocabulary acquisition, and at last it discusses the advantages of making use of Internet in vocabulary teaching, which aims to find a possible solution to the problems.

Alternative Assessment:Games for Language Assessment

This paper discusses using game as an alternative assessment approach to test students' language ability in a foreign language class.In all children's eyes,games are fun and"non-serious"activities where they can safely expose themselves.Language teachers can design reasonable games to assess children's abilities in the four components of language competence and get a reliable result.The strengths and weaknesses of game as an assessment way are also mentioned at the end of the paper.

Interpretation of language competence and its enlightenment for TEFL

What language competence a learner has can she/he achieve an effective communication？ This question is the main concern for applied linguists and English teachers in TEFL, for the recognition of language competence directly influences the goal of teaching, curriculum design, textbook writing and classroom practice. This paper discusses the various points of views on language competence and explores its characteristics which, the author believes, will shed some light on foreign language teaching.

Implementation of the Competence-Based Approach in Teaching Foreign Languages in a Non-linguistic College

Due to the increasing role and importance of foreign languages in the context of globalization, it is becoming more important to teach foreign languages for professional communication in different types of educational institutions including nonlinguistic colleges. In this regard, both the approaches to teaching foreign languages should be reconsidered, and also training programs that meet the requirements of future specialists should be created. One of the possible ways out is to use the competence-based approach, i.e., forming a set of special competences in future professionals to solve practical problems. For training a competitive IT-specialist, in teaching foreign languages it is necessary to form a number of language subcompetences in students that are on the basis of their professional competence. The proposed model can be used for teaching any foreign language, where the language component is invariable, and is filled with professional content.

Improving College Students＇ Language Applying Competence in the Teaching of Reading

College English teaching aims to cultivate the students＇ language applying competence, to help them broaden their mind, to absorb in foreign cultural essence and to improve cultural accomplishment. For college students, acquiring reading comprehension ability plays an essential part in understanding cultural distinctions and communicating effectively. However, the truth is that their reading comprehension ability and language applying competence prove not very optimistic. Therefore, the Present paper gives some insight to teachers on how reading English should be taught more effectively to college students.

Cultivating Students＇Intercultural Awareness through Literature in Language Teaching

Literature in the language teaching can be used to arouse students＇ intercultural awareness. They are asked through a range of techniques to respond to the unfamiliar experience from different perspectives and to identify and understand aspects of a foreign culture in the literature. The assessment of their understanding is carried out against specific criteria. The paper shows how a literary text can be used to develop an understanding ofothemess and how students＇ intercultural competence can be developed through the literature texts.

The Application of the Whole Language Teaching Approach in College English Teaching and Learning

The goal of College English is to cultivate leamers＇ linguistic competence. There are quite a lot of approaches to make it, if properly applied. This paper intends to present one approach --- the whole language teaching approach in college English teaching. By applying this approach, the emphasis should be laid on the use of language rather than knowledge learning. Also, this paper will present in detail the application of this approach in teaching New Horizon College English.

Application of the Communicative Language Teaching in College Oral English Class

To improve students＇ listening and speaking ability and cultivate thinking habit of speaking is the focus of English teaching. And CLT is the best choice to solve this problem. CLT focus on improving students＇ communicative competence through creating harmonious teaching environment, establishing fruitful teacher-student relationship and organizing effective classroom activities. Through the experiment done in the an independent college oral English class, this thesis tries to prove CLT is effective for improving independent college students＇ communicative competence by tests, questionnaire and interview to seventy non-English freshmen of our college by means of qualitative and quantitative methods. Besides, this thesis provides the teaching model of CLT. Through the painstaking organization of classroom teaching, students can experience the real communicative environment and can cultivate the ability of using language.

Constructivism-based Course Books＇ Compiling and a New Mode of Teaching

The paper explores the positive impact of constructivism-based course books compiling and the new mode of teaching, analyzes their effects on helping students improve their integrated English language competence, and pointing out that the development of teaching non-English major graduate students has raised new demands for teaching devices, teaching methodology and new roles of teachers and learners. Therefore, New Century Graduate English Series, as constructivism-based course books, has made some beneficial attempts for the implementation of the new graduate English teaching reauirements.

Learner Factors and Contextual Influences of an Overseas Short-term Training Program for Chinese University Teacher Educators

The participants of an overseas three-month program in this paper were divided into 3 levels according to their English language competences,and classroom observation,and interview were conducted during the learning process.Results show the English language competences,interpretation,learners’education and research background and motivation are determining factors affecting classroom behavioral performance and learning effectiveness.

A Contrastive Study of English Source Text and Back-Translation Version and Its Application

Back-translation is the translation of a translated text back into the language of the original text, which is an effective way to ensure accurate translation and assumes to be beneficial to improving learner＇s English competence. This thesis, based on the author＇s back translation training exercise, intends to make a constrastive study of source text in English and its back-translation precisely from the aspects of word choice, collocation, and sentence mechanics. Results have shown that by doing back-translation practice, the learners will strengthen their awareness of language differences between English and Chinese. Besides, as a special kind of translation, back-translation has its implications on English learning and Chinese-English translation, such as being a recitation method and testing tool.

Understanding L2 Learners＇ Difficulties in Listening Comprehension

This paper is prompted by a ＂strange phenomenon＂ in L2 teaching and learning as related to listening： it is regarded as ＂easy＂ by teachers, but ＂difficult＂ by students. The paper tries to analyze the difficulties encountered by the L2 learners in the process of acquiring listening skills and competence in an attempt to find out how these problems are related to classroom teaching, and their implications for pedagogical classroom practice.

An Exploratory Study of Chinese University Students＇English Textual Competence

This paper argues that the textual competence is one of the important abilities for English learners to organize their spoken or written discourse effectively. However, the investigation found that Chinese university students were weak in textual competence in English reading. It concludes that English teachers had better to be conscious of what communicative competence includes and the training of students＇ textual competence should be reinforced in communicative English classroom.