TESL Canada Journal
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Book Reviews
No full textReviews of: 'How to Teach English: An Introduction to the Practice of English Language Teaching,' by Jeremy Harmer; and 'Focusing on IELTS: Reading and Writing Skills,' by Kerry O'Sullivan and Jeremy Lindeck
Variability of ESL Learners' Acquisition of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency: What Can We Learn From Achievement Measures?
No full textWith the revamping of the Canada Immigration Act in 1985, the demographic profile of new arrivals to Canada took a marked shift to place a priority on better educated, business-class immigrants. Most of these immigrants are from the Pacific Rim, and they have high expectations for the academic achievement of their children in the Canadian school system. The purpose of this study was to look at age on arrival and first-language proficiency of these children, as these factors interact with instructed ESL support on achievement measures in grade 12. Analysis of the data reveals that although all learners benefit from structured ESL support, it is the younger-arriving ESL learners who have the most to gain, even after many years of little or no support. We note that all ESL learners, regardless of age on arrival, struggle to acquire the cultural and metaphoric competence that is beyond the linguistic threshold required for success, but nevertheless central to successful engagement in a
literature-based program of studies
Locally Developed Oral Skills Evaluation in ESL/EFL Classrooms: A Checklist for Developing Meaningful Assessment Procedures
No full textThis article explores how teachers, students and other stakeholders collaboratively develop classroom-based assessment procedures for the evaluation of oral skills. By considering crucial issues in assessment such as validity, teacher-learner collaboration, and contextual factors, the authors provide a checklist that will help ESL/EFL teachers develop meaningful assessment procedures for their own classrooms. The checklist addresses 16 questions worth considering in five test-developing stages: (a) identification of course objectives; (b) identification of skills, strategies, tasks and content; (c) design of rating procedures; (d) interpretation of learner performance; and (e) reflection on the impact of the assessment procedure. In all the stages the authors emphasize the significance of involving students in the assessment process, which promotes students' responsibility for their own learning
Experiential Learning in Second-Language Classrooms
No full textThis article is a discussion of some of the issues surrounding experiential learning in the second-language classroom. Experiential learning is defined by the inclusion of phases of reflection designed to help the learner relate a current learning experience to past and future experience. The author seeks to establish a theoretical foundation for incorporating experiential phases into the second-language classroom by exploring past methods of teaching English as a second language, as well as looking at research in the field of second-language acquisition in the light of experiential methodology. The implications of experiential learning to second-language acquisition, in particular the aspects of motivation and investment, are explored, and some pitfalls of the experiential curriculum and their possible solutions are discussed. Finally, some possible projects adaptable to experiential methods are outlined, and areas needing further research, especially in the area of student voice and empowerment, are proposed.Cet article est une discussion de quelques questions portant sur l'apprentissage par l'experience dans une salle de classe de langue seconde. L'apprentissage par l'experience implique l'inclusion d'etapes de reflexion concues pour aider l'apprenant ii: faire le lien entre son apprentissage en cours et ses experiences anurieures ou ii: l'avenir. En etudiant des methodes employees par le passe pour enseigner l'ALS et en revoyant la recherche en acquisition de langue seconde a la lumiere de la methodologie experientielle, l'auteure veut etablir une base theorique pour l'integration d'etapes experientielles dans l'enseignement en langue seconde. Les incidences de l'apprentissage par l'experience sur l'acquisition de la langue seconde, notamment sur la motivation et l'engagement, sont presentees. L'auteure evoque les pieges dans un programme d'etudes base sur l'apprentissage par l'experience et presente des strategies pour les eviter. En dernier lieu, l'auteure decrit des propositions de projets pouvant s'adapter aux methodes experientielles et suggere des pistes de recherche, notamment dans le domaine de l'habilitation des eleves
A Primer on Accent Discrimination in the Canadian Context
No full textNegative attitudes toward foreign-accented speech have led to discrimination against second-language users in Canada. This article reviews aspects of the Canadian human rights process as they pertain to language and accent, and identifies three types of accent discrimination arising in human rights cases: discrimination in employment due to inappropriate concern with accent, discrimination due to accent stereotyping, and harassment based on accent. It is argued that ESL teachers can work to stop this kind of discrimination by developing an understanding of the role of accent in communication and by promoting informed attitudes toward second-language users' speech, in both the classroom and the community.Les attitudes negatives face ala prononciation avec accent etranger sont sources de discrimination contre les locuteurs de langue seconde au Canada. Cet article etudie des aspects des droits de la personne au Canada dans le contexte de la langue et des accents. L'article identifie trois types de discrimination qui a ete documentee au Canada dans des cas juridiques impliquant les droits de la personne: la discrimination en milieu d'emploi resultant d'une preoccupation indue avec l'accent; la discrimination attribuable aux stereotypes lies al'accent; et le harcelement base sur l'accent. L'auteur maintient que les enseignants en ALS sont en mesure d'intervenir pour arreter ce genre de discrimination, notamment en expliquant le role de l'accent dans la communication et en faisant la promotion d'attitudes eclairees face ala production orale des locuteurs de langue seconde
A Case Study of the Revision Process of a Reluctant ESL Student Writer
No full textThis case study investigated the revision process of a reluctant ESL student writer. It focused on revisions made at the in-process stage and at the between draft stage of the writing process in which the student revised in response to written feedback. Two writing assignments were given, and the topics varied in their degree of familiarity to the participant. Some findings corroborated those of earlier studies: the participant made more surface-level revisions than those related to structure and content; he made more revisions and high-level revisions in response to written feedback than when working on his own. Although familiarity with the topic seemed to have no effect on the revision patterns of the student, the classroom teacher's focus on form in responding to and evaluating his writing was seen to affect his attitude toward revision and use of revision strategies.Cette etude de cas porte sur le processus de revision qu'elaborait un etudiant en ALS qui abordait fa redaction it contrecreur. La recherche s'est penchee sur les revisions effectuees lors des etapes de la redaction et de la revision alors que l'etudiant retravaillait son texte en reaction it des commentaires eerits. L'etudiant devait ecrire deux textes ; il connaissait mieux un des themes que l'autre. 'Quelques- uns des resultats corroborent ceux des etudes anterieures. D'une part, les revisions de l'etudiant consistaient davantage en des changements cosmetiques que des modifications liees it la structure ou au contenu ; d'autre part, il afait plus de revisions globalement et plus de revisions en profondeurface it la retroaction eerite qu'il a fait quand il travaillait seul. Alors que sa connaissance du theme impose ne semblait pas influencer le processus de revision adopte par l'etudiant, la retroaction de l'enseignant quant it la forme de ses redactions modifiait son attitude face it la revision et son emploi de strategies de revision
