TESL Canada Journal
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Monitoring the Structure of Meaning in Beginners' ESL Prose
No full textBeginners' ESL prose is characteristically both over segmented and inappropriately segmented with respect to information structurel posing a unique type of challenge to readers attempting to process such texts. This article examines whether this unconventional form of information segmentation results in violation of certain information-packaging constraints that ordinarily ensure that readers can easily identify the macrostructure (van Dijkl 1980; Renkemal 1993) of the text. Comparison of 20 descriptive essays written by ESL beginners with the prose of skilled writers suggests that four constraints on information packaging are needed to facilitate the identification of macrostructure. Evidence is presented of the absence of these constraints in beginners I prosel and it is demonstrated that revising a sample essay to incorporate these constraints results in easier recognition of its macrostructure. These findings suggest that the fragmentation problem in beginners' ESL prose may be overcome if learners are made aware of the notion of macrostructure and taught to conform to the four organizational constraints that ensure its accessibility
Professional Training to Develop Content-Based Instruction in Higher Education
No full textMany TESL professionals have not had training specifically in content-based instruction (CBl) methodology. The lack of professional training in CBl is increasingly problematic as the number of programs adopting some content-based methodology continues to rise. One obvious response to this gap in pedagogical training could be for institutions engaging in CBl to create their own professional orientation programs for experienced faculty members. This article describes one such response at a Japanese university. Drawing on our four years' experience in developing a specific CBI teacher training program, we suggest a number of training points that could be used by teacher trainers to help college faculty to overcome the major hurdles encountered in implementing a CBl approach in higher education
"Canadian Culture," Cultural Difference, and ESL Pedagogy: A Response to Robert Courchene and Virginia Suave
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The Foresee Approach to Integrated ESL Instruction
No full textThis article describes the Foresee Approach to integrating academic content, language, and learning strategy instruction in K-12 ESL or mainstream/part-ESL classrooms. An extension of Chamot and O'Malley's CALLA, the Foresee model was developed in Manitoba to assist teachers in implementing a CALLA based style of integrated ESL instruction. Like CALLA, Foresee includes both theoretical and practical constituents, although these differ somewhat from their CALLA counterparts. The Foresee Theoretical Model guides the formulation of instructional objectives in the three target categories, especially academic language. The Foresee Application Process provides teachers with a practical scheme for designing effective integrated lessons and units. Included in this constituent is a set of systematic, straightforward, and adaptable lesson techniques (not part of CALLA) that teachers can use to plan the procedures sections of Foresee lessons. Five such techniques are described, one in detail and the others briefly, with emphasis on learning strategy instruction
Cases in TESOL Teacher Education: Creating a Forum for Reflection
No full textThis article reviews the case method from an historical perspective and explores why and how "decision" cases might be used by teacher educators in the professional preparation of teachers as reflective ESOL specialists. It is argued that the case method can sharpen the critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills of both novice and experienced teachers and help ready them for the complex challenges they could face in the world of professional practice. Enthusiasm for this methodology, however, is tempered with words of caution about the difficulties involved in implementing case-based learning in teacher education programs. Guidelines for selecting and using"decision" cases are provided and recommendations are made for future developments in case-based teaching and learning in TESOL. Three appendixes include sources for teaching cases and details about a working conference for case facilitators and writers
Peer Reviews in a Hong Kong Tertiary Classroom
No full textPeer reviews are becoming increasingly popular in second language (L2) composition pedagogy. This article describes the implementation of peer reviews in a Hong Kong tertiary classroom: the background, classroom procedure, types of students' negotiations during peer reviews, comparisons of students' drafts before and after peer reviews, and interviews with students. The results, together with the students' positive comments on peer reviews, support the need to introduce peer reviews in L2 writing instruction. The article concludes with some suggestions about ways to incorporate peer reviews in the writing classroom
Pocket Electronic Dictionaries for Second Language Learning: Help of Hindrance
No full textThis article reports on a study that addresses the concerns of ESL teachers about their students' use of pocket bilingual electronic dictionaries (EDs). The purpose is to communicate to content and language teachers: (a) the features of the ED, (b) the uses secondary level ESL students make of the pocket ED as a tool for learning English, (c) the effectiveness of the ED in helping ESL students' comprehension and production of English, (d) students' perception of the usefulness of the ED, and (e) the strengths and weaknesses of the ED as perceived by ESL teachers. The findings indicate that not only do a large number of Chinese ESL students own EDs, but they also make consistent use of them during reading comprehension and writing classes. Examples are given of the students' successful and unsuccessful attempts using the ED, and recommendations are made for ESL teachers to teach dictionary skills