TESL Canada Journal
Not a member yet
936 research outputs found
Sort by
Pragmatic Rating of L2 Refusal: Criteria of Native and Non-native English Teachers
No full textMany studies have shed light on rater criteria for assessing the performance of language skills (e.g., Eckes, 2005). However, the interface between rater assess- ment and interlanguage pragmatics (ILP) has remained largely unnoticed. To address this interface, this study explored the ratings native (NES) and nonnative English speaking (NNES) teachers assigned to second language (L2) refusal pro- duction and the criteria they applied in their ratings. To this end, 50 NES and 50 NNES teachers participated in rating L2 refusal production of EFL learners that included responses to a 6-item written discourse completion task. The data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative analysis showed that na- tive teachers applied 11 criteria and nonnative teachers applied 6 criteria in their pragmatic ratings. Reasoning/explanation was the leading criterion in teacher assessment among native raters, whereas politeness was the main criterion for nonnative ratings. Quantitative analysis documented variation in the frequency of drawing on rating criteria and significant differences in ratings, with NNES teachers being more lenient and divergent in their ratings. The results suggest there is a gap between NES and NNES teachers in terms of rating criteria, strictness, and convergence in rating
Pragmatics in the Post-TESL Certificate Course "Language Teaching for Employment"
No full textFor those immigrants to Canada who need some language training in order to access employment in their field, occupational ESL classes have been available in Ontario for several years. Recent additions to Occupation-Specific Language Training and Bridging programs, as well as a new emphasis on work-related content in LINC classes, have created a need for trained instructors for this area of ESL. The Language Training for Employment (LTE) is a Post-TESL Certificate course that addresses this need. Within the course, Pragmatics is 1 of 12 units— one that participants have little knowledge of or practice with before the course, and 1 of 2 units that receive unanimously positive feedback from participants at the end. This article explains the conceptual framework of LTE, the content of the Pragmatics Unit, its implementation and participant feedback
Teaching Strategies to Get the Tone Right: Making Requests and Gaining Compliance
No full textLanguage learners invariably struggle with the target language pragmatics, and helping them to understand and use it appropriately is not an easy task for ESL teachers. Specific pragmatic acts, such as requests, involve myriad elements that, despite being inherent to these acts, are quite elusive. No wonder so many ESL teachers feel intimidated and, not surprisingly, end up avoiding dealing with pragmatics in the classroom. This article introduces a strategy-instruction tech- nique that has been proven effective in teaching language learners how to make requests and gain compliance
Students’ Source Misuse in Language Classrooms: Sharing Experiences
No full textIn this article we first provide a brief discussion of what is generally referred to as “student plagiarism,” which we prefer to call “source misuse” or “inappropriate textual borrowing,” and then provide some of the factors that may contribute to this problem in language classes. Moreover, we provide our views and sugges- tions on how to deal with these causes, drawing mainly on our experiences as students and teachers in both EFL and ESL contexts, but also making references to some conceptual frames and the related literature.Dans cet article, nous présentons d’abord une discussion brève de ce que l’on appelle communément « le plagiat étudiant » et ce que nous préférons nommer « un mauvais emploi des sources » ou « un emprunt textuel inapproprié ». Nous poursuivons en évoquant quelques-uns des facteurs qui pourraient entrainer ce problème dans les cours de langue. De plus, nous offrons nos avis et nos sugges- tions quant à la façon d’aborder ces causes en puisant surtout dans nos expéri- ences tant comme étudiants qu’enseignants dans des milieux d’ALS et d’ALE, mais également en faisant référence à des cadres conceptuels et à la documentation qui s’y rattache
Mind the Gap: How a Project in Alberta Attempted to Narrow the Gap Between Classroom Teachers and Language Education Research
No full textThis article presents the development, rollout, and subsequent uptake of the Al- berta Teachers of English as a Second Language (ATESL) document Best Prac- tices for Adult English as a Second Language (ESL)/Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) Programming in the light of literature on teacher engagement with second-language acquisition and teaching research. The first part of the Best Practices project was designed to develop a set of best practice statements of principle developed in collaboration with language education ex- perts in Alberta and through the professional literature, as well as with ESL teach- ers across the province. In the second part of the project, we facilitated the uptake of the principles by teachers and administrators throughout Alberta.Cet article présente le développement, la mise en œuvre et l’adoption subséquente du document des enseignants albertains de l’ALS portant sur les meilleures pra- tiques pour l’ALS aux adultes et le programme cours de langue pour les immi- grants au Canada (CLIC) et ce, à la lumière de l’implication des enseignants dans la recherche portant sur l’acquisition et l’enseignement de langues secon- des. La première partie du projet des meilleures pratiques visait le développement d’une série de déclarations de principes élaborées en collaboration avec des ex- perts en enseignement de la langue, appuyées par la littérature spécialisée et des enseignants en ALS de partout en Alberta. La deuxième partie du projet visait à faciliter l’adoption des principes par les enseignants et les administrateurs à travers l’Alberta
Toward a Critical Multilingualism in Canadian Classrooms: Making Local Inroads into a Cosmopolitan Identity
No full textDrawing on recent work on cosmopolitanism, global citizenship, and critical ap- plied linguistics, this article examines the concept of cosmopolitanism as a viable goal in education in Canada. Particular attention is paid to the inclusion of global citizenship objectives in K-12 language programs in general and in her- itage language (HL) curricula in particular. I make a case for consideration of the concept of cosmopolitanism as a key guiding principle at diverse levels of ed- ucation in formal, non-formal, and informal settings. I argue that in the Cana- dian context, multilingual education could play a more prominent role in educational agendas as it has the potential to promote cosmopolitan ideals. I con- clude that in the framework of official bilingualism and multiculturalism, cos- mopolitanism can fruitfully add to discussions about the role of education in the emergence of a Canadian identity.Puisant dans les travaux récents sur le cosmopolitisme, la citoyenneté mondiale et la linguistique appliquée, cet article examine le concept du cosmopolitisme comme objectif viable en éducation au Canada. On porte une attention toute par- ticulière à l’inclusion des objectifs de citoyenneté mondiale dans les programmes de langue K-12, notamment dans les programmes de langues ancestrales. Je prône la considération du concept de cosmopolitisme comme principe directeur clé à divers niveaux d’éducation et dans des milieux formels, non-formels et informels. Je fais valoir l’idée que dans le contexte canadien, l’éducation plurilingue pourrait jouer un rôle plus important en enseignement puisqu’il elle peut promouvoir des idéaux cosmopolites. En conclusion, j’affirme qu’au sein du cadre de bilinguisme et de multiculturalisme officiels, le cosmopolitisme peut enrichir les discussions sur le rôle de l’éducation dans l’émergence de l’identité canadienne