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Book review: Kwok, Virginia H. Y. (2023). Language learning in the digital age: YouTube and learners of English as a foreign language. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Full text linkYouTube has gained global popularity for language education, especially among young language learners in informal contexts. Language Learning in the Digital Age: YouTube and Learners of English as a Foreign Language by Virginia H. Y. Kwok explores how university students in Hong Kong use YouTube to enhance their English language proficiency outside formal classroom settings. Through a qualitative, case study approach, the author delves into diverse ways students navigate and personalise their language learning opportunities on YouTube. This paper reviews the book, focusing on how the book provides a nuanced understanding of student engagement with YouTube and its role in facilitating autonomous and self-directed language learning
ANIMAL INTERFACES AND (NON)HUMAN PERSONAS
Full text linkThis article explores the phenomenon of animal interfaces from a critical digital culture and media perspective. It focuses specifically on the shared boundary between the animal and technology, considering how such interfaces shape animal subjectivity and persona. By tracking various case studies of dog-technology interfaces – including, space dogs, dog photography and bionic dogs – it explores the possibility of a possible ‘cydog’ persona. I argue that dogs interfacing technology represent a possible animal persona that uniquely captures the intricacies of animal being. The cydog is an additional concept to help think through nonhuman persona that are irreducible and subjective, yet remained enframed by human actions. Guided by theorists Donna Haraway, Joanna Zylinska and Akira Lippit, I argue that interfaces play a key role in cydog encounters, creating increasingly complicated interactions that simultaneously mask anthropocentric pursuit and unmask nonhuman personas
Meier, G., Smala, S. (2021). Languages and social cohesion: A transdisciplinary literature review
No full textBook review
EFL preservice teachers' professional identity dilemmas during the last-stage practicum: The case of Chile
No full textThis article investigates two language teacher identity dilemmas encountered by EFL preservice teachers (PSTs) during their last practicum and how they navigated them to reconcile their identities. Dilemmas, characterised as inner conflicts and challenges PSTs face in resolving contradictory demands and different roles in their profession (Cabaroğlu & Tillema, 2011), can illuminate how PSTs understand their teaching roles and language teacher identity (LTI) amidst the complexities of the teaching practice. The article begins by contextualising the study, presenting an overview of the ELT national curriculum and how this is reflected in the practicum. Next, an exploration of LTI and how dilemmas can serve as tools for reconciling this identity will be drawn. Lastly, findings and conclusions will be presented. This study suggests that a locally responsive ELT pedagogy could empower PSTs to better navigate and transform challenges into valuable learning-to-teach opportunities. Accordingly, caring emerged as a tool for PSTs to better navigate political dilemmas in underprivileged contexts. By integrating contextual knowledge into curricula, PSTs could align their language teaching identities with specific needs, enhancing student engagement, motivation, and success in diverse educational settings
Une analyse des groupes « grassroots » au sein du discours sur la localisation.
Full text linkHumanitarian localisation seeks to make aid more equitable and effective by empowering local actors. However, ambiguity surrounding the definition of 'local actors' hinders progress in this direction. Despite growing discussions on localisation, there remains a significant gap in understanding the role and consideration of grassroots actors within humanitarian discourse. This article aims to critically review some of the discourse on humanitarian localisation, particularly focusing on the consideration given to grassroots actors, to address this gap and foster a deeper understanding of their significance. Using a scoping review, the article analyses three key articles published between 2020-22, examining their consideration of grassroots actors and concepts within the context of humanitarian localisation. While specific explorations of the idea of 'grassroots' are limited, the reviewed articles reveal critical engagement with related concepts, such as the emergent transnational, transcultural and translocal dynamics that are challenging traditional notions of local action. Expanding the understanding of grassroots beyond traditional boundaries is essential for promoting local empowerment and more effective and inclusive localisation efforts in humanitarian responses. Acknowledging grassroots actors as distinct stakeholders is crucial for advancing equitable and impactful humanitarian practices.Le principal but de la localisation de l'aide humanitaire est de rendre l'aide plus équitable et plus efficace en responsabilisant les acteur.rice.s locaux.ales. Cependant, l'ambiguïté qui entoure la définition des acteur.rice.s locaux.ales entrave l’atteinte de cet objectif. Malgré les discussions de plus en plus présentes sur la localisation dans le secteur humanitaire, il reste des lacunes importantes dans la compréhension du rôle et dans la prise en compte des groupes « grassroots »[1] au sein du secteur. Afin de combler ces lacunes et de favoriser une compréhension plus profonde de l’importance de ces groupes, cet article examine de manière critique le discours sur la localisation humanitaire, en se concentrant particulièrement sur la prise en compte de ces acteur.rice.s. À l'aide d'une étude exploratoire, ce document analyse trois articles clés publiés entre 2020 et 2022, et examine de quelle manière les groupes « grassroots » et les concepts de base de la localisation sont définis. Bien que la prise en compte directe des membres de la société civile soit limitée, les articles examinés révèlent par contre un engagement important envers certains concepts connexes, tels que les dynamiques transnationales, transculturelles et translocales qui remettent en question les notions traditionnelles de l’action locale. Si nous souhaitons promouvoir l'autonomisation locale et des efforts de localisation plus efficaces et plus inclusifs dans la réponse humanitaire, il est essentiel d'élargir la compréhension de cette population au-delà des frontières traditionnelles. Si nous voulons instaurer des pratiques humanitaires équitables et efficaces, reconnaitre que les individus provenant des mouvements « grassroots » représentent des parties prenantes distinctes est cruciale.
[1] N.d.T Les lecteur.rices trouveront le terme anglais “grassroots” tout au long de l’article. La traductrice de ce texte a jugé préférable de conserver ce terme dans sa langue d’origine, ce choix répond à une double exigence de fidélité et de lisibilité. L’auteur définit les groupes ou les mouvements « grassroot » comme des groupes de personnes venant d’une même localisation, qui se sont rassemblées afin d’améliorer le bien-être de leur communauté, à travers des actions. Ces groupes sont généralement bénévoles
Collaborative strategies for designing employability curriculum in a liberal arts context
Full text linkIn Australian higher education, the push for curriculum innovation to enhance graduate employability is crucial but faces contention and debate. While the importance of integrating employability skills is widely recognised, perspectives on how and whether to incorporate these as curricular objectives vary, especially in liberal arts programs. This paper explores a multidisciplinary academic team’s experiences of embedding employability units into the Bachelor of Arts and undergraduate Communication and Creative Arts degrees at one Australian university. It addresses the challenges of diverse disciplinary perspectives on employability, career education, and work-integrated learning (WIL), and the design for a diverse student cohort, including career starters, career advancers, and career changers from multiple disciplinary contexts. Utilising Tuckman’s ‘forming, storming, norming, and performing’ model, the paper evaluates the team’s dynamics, offering insights and guidance for academics and institutions undertaking similar curriculum innovation projects to enhance graduate employability. This case study highlights the institutional support necessary for fostering sustainable curriculum reforms and the positive effects of collaborative curriculum design on the professional development and teaching capabilities of the educators involved
Exploring changes in perceived employability in Australian engineering undergraduates: A pilot study
Full text linkThe paper is part of a pilot study exploring how undergraduate engineering students at one Australian university perceive their own employability development over the span of their degree. The paper outlines approaches to defining employability and the individual factors within employability. Students across a range of year levels were surveyed about their perceived employability, which refers to how likely it is that an individual believes they will be able to gain employment. The paper discusses the survey results and finds that perceived employability drops as students progress through the year levels of their degree. The study strengthens previous research in this area, and reinforces the need for universities to ensure that students are supported as they enter the labour market to become the engineering professionals of the future
Developing graduate attributes through the application of coaching theory
Full text linkGraduate attributes (GAs) have been formally adopted by higher education institutions for some time and describe the skills and competences that students should develop over the course of their studies. GAs are considered to be important to universities as they act as a means to represent and extend their brand, while also providing a channel to maintain connection with industry. However, despite regular engagement with industry, employers remain unsatisfied with graduate transferable skills. This may be caused by a lack of a common theoretical underpinning to develop such attributes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to provide an evidence-based methodology which develops transferable skills in university graduates. Two classes at a public university in Hong Kong were used in this study. One class received a 12-week intervention incorporating a variety of coaching activities. The second class acted as a control group. Students were asked to complete pre-intervention surveys which provided self-reports of current ratings in GAs and resourcefulness behaviours. After completion of the 12-week intervention, students were asked to complete post-intervention surveys, again reporting self-ratings on the same topics. Survey data was analysed to identify changes in student scores, which highlighted improvements in all graduate attribute ratings post-intervention. Furthermore, help-seeking behaviours were shown to have significant improvement post intervention. The findings of this study suggest that coaching practices may provide an efficient and effective way to develop transferable skills in students, and this paper provides discussion on the implications of these results
The critical challenge for ELT in Indonesia: Overcoming barriers in fostering critical thinking in testing-oriented countries
Full text linkIn recent years, the Indonesian government has put greater emphasis on promoting critical thinking in the education system, including the notion of critical thinking in national examinations, curriculum, and graduate outcomes for school education. Nevertheless, as in many testing-oriented countries, fostering critical thinking in the Indonesian context can be challenging, as the long-standing culture of testing, in which every answer is either correct or not, contradicts the concept of critical thinking. This paper focuses on identifying challenges in promoting critical thinking in English Language Teaching, especially in testing-oriented countries. The paper argues that critical thinking can be effectively fostered in students if teachers have a profound understanding of the notion. Demonstrating how critical thinking can be incorporated into teachers’ daily pedagogical activities and encouraging teachers to conduct collaborative action research about the teaching of critical thinking are suggested as two productive ways to boost teachers’ understanding of the notion of critical thinking
The Role of Personas in Political Marketing in Canada
No full textMany political party strategists draw on Big Data to target specific groups of voters. This predominantly quantitative approach is useful for mobilising support, yet there are alternatives that help bring these voter segments to life. Pioneered in Australia (1996) and perfected in Canada (2006 to 2008), the use of personas in political marketing and communications holds several notable advantages. By personifying the segments – using names like “Phil and Jenny” or “Dougie” – strategists foster both internal cohesion and external consistency around their messaging. The technique is also useful for policy development. Grounded in an extensive review of campaigns and in-depth interviews, this article analyses the use of personas by the Conservative Party of Canada, pointing to the strengths and shortcomings of the approach