English Language Teaching Perspectives

Exploring Teachers' Knowledge and Practices of Self-Regulated Learning: A Case Study in China

Zou Fengmei — 2023-08-30

This paper reports the knowledge and practice of self-regulation of English teachers in public primary and secondary schools in South-East China. The data were collected from multiple classroom observations of and in-depth interviews with two English language teachers working in Chinese schools. This study reported that despite limited knowledge of Self-regulated learning teachers’ classroom practices reflected an extensive use of SRL strategies positively impacting students’ learning engagment. However, the workload and the traditional grade-focused assessment systems influenced teachers’ consideration of self and their students’ learning motivation, metacognition, and cognition. These findings indicate a need to strengthen English teachers’ metacognition, cognition and motivational-emotional regulation to support student learning.

Challenges of Technology Integration in Teacher Education Programmes in Bangladeshi Tertiary Institutions

Ghazi Shahadat Hossain — 2023-08-30

Technology integration has considerably affected teaching and learning cultures and resulted in revolutionary changes to worldwide pedagogical practices. For numerous reasons, including a lack of experience, policy, planning, infrastructure, and the environment, many educational institutions have not been able to gain the greatest benefits from technology. This study, seen through the lens of Activity Theory, reports the challenges of technology integration in the teacher education programs of tertiary institutions of Bangladesh. It has employed an interpretative qualitative research design for data elicitation and data analysis. Seven written reflection papers on the barriers of technology integration from both male and female teacher educators working in various private public universities were collected. The findings reveal that a variety of issues such as lack of tech-tools, devices, training and related expertise, administrative support, electricity, technology-equipped classrooms, attitudes of teachers and students, gap between theory and practice hinder teacher educators’ effective integration of technology in pedagogical practice of teacher education programs in Bangladesh. The findings can have implications for policy makers, curriculum designers, and other stakeholders with similar or different educational contexts.

An Activity Theoretical Perspective on Writing and Supervising a Master’s Thesis

Madhu Neupane Bastola — 2023-08-30

For students as novice researchers, a master’s thesis is the most demanding component because it requires them to display and learn research skills and work independently. Unfortunately, master thesis supervision has remained far from the limelight of university pedagogy. Drawing on mixed-methods research, this paper characterizes the writing and supervising of a master’s thesis from the perspective of cultural-historical activity theory. It presents various components of the activity system and how the interaction between these systems creates conflicts and contradictions. The implications of such an understanding to effective master’s thesis writing and supervision have been provided.

In-service Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching Speaking in English Language Classes

Bhim Lal Bhandari — 2023-08-30

Speaking is a significant productive language skill that can be acquired while studying English as a foreign language. It has been one of the main problems teachers have had to deal with. This article aims at exploring perceptions of in-service English language teachers and the problems they encounter in teaching speaking in English classes. For this purpose, I selected four English language instructors purposively from four public schools as research participants. An unstructured interview was employed to gather the necessary data for the purpose. The study was conducted using a narrative inquiry method and the social constructivism theoretical framework. The research findings showed that English language teachers had favourable perceptions about teaching speaking; however, teaching speaking was not satisfactory at the secondary level as it was neglected by the teachers. In addition, immediate correction by the teacher, their poor competency, lack of resources in schools, insufficient interaction with the students, and lack of co-relation between English and Nepali sounds in English were the major problems of speaking. Furthermore, the study implies that the learners need adequate exposure and regular training to the teachers in speaking. To guarantee the quality of the exam, physical facilities must be enhanced, and students' speaking abilities must be made effective through the reform of the current testing system. The study can be helpful in the improvement of teaching speaking skills in the context of Nepal.

English Language Teaching in Multilevel Classrooms: Challenges and Opportunities

Pitri Raj Banstola — 2023-08-30

ELT classes in the schools of Nepal greatly vary in terms of number of the students in classroom. Large classes become multilevel and can have both challenges and opportunities for English language teachers. Therefore, this paper aims at exploring the challenges and opportunities of teaching English in large multilevel classes. Selecting five classes from five different schools in Pokhara city purposively, I observed ELT classes and interviewed the English language teachers to collect information. It has been found that teaching English in large multilevel classes is challenging though it has brought opportunities for English teachers. Engaging students in the lessons, correcting huge amounts of written work, evaluating students and keeping their records, paying equal attention to all the students and getting the quiet students active are the challenges. However, having enough students for interaction and collecting new experiences from the large classes to develop professional competence are opportunities for English teachers.

Strategies Used in Translation of Brahmako Prayogshalabata

Jay Raj Ojha — 2023-08-30

Brahmako Prayogshalabata, a humorous essay by Bhairab Aryal, is rich in cultural terms and expressions. It may be a challenge for non Nepali readers as well as non-eastern Nepali readers to understand as this humorous essay has been written in eastern Nepali dialect. This essay has been translated in English by Govinda Raj Bhattarai thus his valued work of translation has eased the non Nepali readers as well non -eastern Nepali Readers for acquiring knowledge and insight of reading this essay. This paper aims to explore how the challenges of translating linguistic, pragmatics and cultural terms of native language have been solved while translating into another language. It has adopted corpus- based research design using secondary sources of data and qualitative approach for data analysis and interpretation in order to achieve the set objectives. This paper compares translation of title, words, chunks, culture -specific words and expressions. It concludes that challenges of linguistic, pragmatics and cultural issues can be solved by using the foreignising approach which entails borrowing and literal translation along with substitution, addition, omission, merging, chunking, and expansion of phrases.

Challenges of Online Learning in the Post Covid-19 Era: Lived Experiences of Teachers in Remote Nepal

Luk Gharti — 2023-08-30

This study examines Basic Level (6-8) and Secondary Level (9-10) teachers' experiences about online learning and its position after Covid-19 in the remote areas. To fulfil the objectives of the study, the researcher used semi-structured mediated and face-to-face interview with the teachers. The findings of this study showed that online learning in the remote areas is less effective and practical. The teachers were less motivated and higher preferences to face-to-face mode of teaching rather than online learning due to insufficient infrastructure of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), lack of basic knowledge and skill about ICT, unstable and no electricity and internet access. It found less feasible to receive equitable education and found gap between rich and poor students through online learning. Thus, the strategies of online learning seemed reluctant and beyond teachers' hand due to the lack of online learning tools with students, parents' financial condition, parents' guidance and awareness and lack of administration support. Overall, after Covid-19, online learning was found to be unused and uncertain about its progress in the future.

Multiculturalism in English Education Curriculum of Higher Education in Nepal

Madan Prasad Baral — 2023-08-30

Multicultural education is transformative, emancipatory, and justice-oriented. As multiculturalism is the defining characteristic of Nepali society and the basic identity of Nepal, the relevancy of multicultural education can hardly be exaggerated. The Constitution of Nepal, 2015 has also acknowledged unity in diversity as the basic feature of the country. So, multiculturalism needs to be incorporated into Nepal’s educational system and teacher education programme. In this context, this study aims to explore multiculturalism in teacher education curriculum of Tribhuvan University and outlines the basic features of multiculturalism and assesses the present teacher education curriculum of English Education in B. Ed under Tribhuvan University in terms of multiculturalism. Analysing the different components of English Education Courses of B. Ed in English Education, it is concluded that multiculturalism is adequately addressed in objectives and content of reading courses while other English education courses address multiculturalism in terms of evaluation and teaching strategies not in content and objectives.