Search

There has been much research on the connections between second language (L2) writing and learner motivation. However, few studies have focused on contexts in which L2 learning is mandatory, rather than elective. This technical action research-based study evaluated a project in which teenage learners in Argentina were engaged in creative writing tasks, with the goal of including their final written pieces in a formal publication. Through focus group interviews and group discussions, it was found that the project had increased the motivation not only of the learners, but also of the teachers. Further, the study highlights the importance of making such writing tasks student-centered, and calls attention to the role played by the teachers in motivating and engaging students. The study suggests that effort should be made to develop more initiatives in formal education settings in order to motivate and engage learners involved in mandatory language study. [Note: The page range (401-422) shown on the PDF is incorrect. The correct page range for this article is p401-421.]

As English has developed into a global language, comprehensive suggestions have been made for the integration of World Englishes (WE) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) into language education. However, such suggestions have often encountered considerable resistance, in part due to the complexities in the formation of language teacher identity. In this paper, the authors employ a duoethnographic research method to explore how their encounters with WE and ELF have impacted their identities as a "native speaker" and a "non-native speaker" teacher of English. Through comparisons between their life histories, they demonstrate how their experience with WE and ELF have led to feelings of newfound legitimacy, and lingering incompleteness. The paper argues in order for the promotion of WE/ELF to be successful, more focus needs to be paid to the identity work required of teachers so that they can successfully and sensitively form a new conception of language teaching.

Research engagement and exploratory dialogue are central to forms of practitioner inquiry such as action research, in particular with regard to developing conceptual knowledge before action. Recently, practitioners have started engaging with technology such as podcasts as a way to facilitate opportunities for these focused interactions to take place. Framing this dialogue as a knowledge building activity, this paper uses a collaborative autoethnography method to explore the authors' own experiences using a podcasting project to engage with research, and then enter into exploratory dialogues with one another. By reflecting on and analysing representative extracts from their ongoing podcasting project, the authors attempt to pinpoint how research engagement and exploratory dialogue through podcasting contributed to developments in thought and understanding around theoretical and pedagogical concepts related to ELT and applied linguistics. The authors hope that this paper will add credence to the use of podcasting as an option for language teachers' independent professional development by demonstrating how the medium can support practitioners' dialogic and collaborative reflection on theoretical and practical topics in the field, and the resultant effects of these activities on classroom practice.

Critical English language teaching (ELT) research is expanding in scope, covering topics such as linguistic imperialism, native-speakerism, and the intersections between issues of race, class, and gender. With this expansion comes a requirement for robust and rigorous methods of data collection and analysis for researchers to employ. This article puts forward 'frame analysis' as a tool for analysing data in critical ethnography, particularly in ELT. Frame analysis is the systematic investigation of the organisational principles which people draw on in interpreting actions and events. After describing the conception of critical theory in which this discussion is situated, the paper gives a theoretical and overview of the concepts of 'frames' and 'framing', with a focus on social movement research. A step-by-step discussion is provided explaining how frame analysis can help to identify hidden ideologies in a research setting as a part of critical ethnography, before supplying a concrete example of data analysis using this approach. It is suggested that frame analysis may be a useful part of a critical ethnographer's toolkit, particularly in terms of identifying hidden ideological assumptions in research setting.

The ideology of native speakerism and its effects on the professional lives of 'native' and 'non-native speakers' in English language teaching (ELT) have been widely documented. Nevertheless, little is known about the impact native speakerism might have on the selection of plenary speakers for ELT conferences. Hence, through the analysis of plenary line-ups of seven conferences in the EU and interviews with their organisers, this study aimed to explore whether 'native' and 'non-native speakers' were represented equally as plenary speakers. The results show that overall only 25 per cent of the 416 analysed plenary speaker line-ups were given by 'non-native speakers'. At some conferences, over 80 per cent of all plenary speakers were 'native speakers'. Apart from one conference organiser who highlighted that steps had been taken to ensure a more equal balance of speakers, the other organisers seemed not to place much importance on equal balance of 'native' and 'non-native speakers' when inviting plenary speakers, preferring a 'colourblind' approach. This study suggests native-speakerism impacts the choice of plenary speakers at certain ELT conferences, and that conscious efforts must be made to alter this balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of English as a lingua franca (ELF) is the subject of much theoretical discussion and debate within ELT. However, little has been written concerning the history of ideas preceding it. This article discusses the concept of 'neutral English' proposed in 1967 by the writer L.?A. Hill. After summarizing Hill's life and work, the article explores his idea for neutral English, noting its apparent similarities to modern ELF theory as well as the historical and contextual factors that distinguish it. Using Hill's work and stated motivations as a lens through which to view modern theory, the article highlights the possibility that apparently radical ideas can be co-opted to 'centre' interests in modern global ELT. Finally, it is proposed that more work into the history of conceptualizations of international English use would shed further light on the academic and political forces which intersect with this area of research.

PurposeTo assess structural, functional, and visual behavioral relationships in mutant rhodopsin transgenic (Tg) rats and to determine whether early optokinetic tracking (OKT) visual experience, known to permanently elevate visual thresholds in normal rats, can enhance vision in rats with photoreceptor degeneration.MethodsEight lines of pigmented Tg rats and RCS rats were used in this study. OKT thresholds were tested at single ages (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 months) in naïve groups of rats, or daily in groups that began at eye-opening (P15) or 10 days later (P25). Electroretinogram (ERG) response amplitudes were recorded after OKT testing, and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness measurements were then obtained.ResultsOKT thresholds, when measured at a single time point in naïve Tg lines beginning at P30, did not decline until months after significant photoreceptor loss. Daily testing of Tg lines resulted mostly with OKT thresholds inversely related to photoreceptor degeneration, with rapid degenerations resulting in sustained OKT thresholds for long periods despite the rapid photoreceptor loss. Slower degenerations resulted in rapid decline of thresholds, long before the loss of most photoreceptors, which was even more pronounced when daily testing began at eye opening. This amplified loss of function was not a result of testing-induced damage to the rod or cone photoreceptors, as ERG amplitudes and ONL thicknesses were the same as untested controls.ConclusionsThe unexpected lack of correlation of OKT testing with photoreceptor degeneration in the Tg rats emphasizes the need in behavioral therapeutic studies for careful analysis of visual thresholds of experimental animals prior to therapeutic intervention.

This paper presents a duoethnographic study into the effects of native-speakerism on the professional lives of two English language teachers, one "native", and one "non-native speaker" of English. The goal of the study was to build on and extend existing research on the topic of native-speakerism by investigating, through dialogic interaction, the complex ways in which this ideology can influence the lives and career trajectories of individual language teachers. We show that the effects of native-speakerism can vary greatly from person to person based on not only their "native" or "non-native" positioning, but also on geography, teaching context and personal disposition.

As English has developed into a global language, comprehensive suggestions have been made for the integration of World Englishes (WE) and English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) into language education. However, such suggestions have often encountered considerable resistance, in part due to the complexities in the formation of language teacher identity. In this paper, the authors employ a duoethnographic research method to explore how their encounters with WE and ELF have impacted their identities as a "native speaker" and a "non-native speaker" teacher of English. Through comparisons between their life histories, they demonstrate how their experience with WE and ELF have led to feelings of newfound legitimacy, and lingering incompleteness. The paper argues in order for the promotion of WE/ELF to be successful, more focus needs to be paid to the identity work required of teachers so that they can successfully and sensitively form a new conception of language teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]