The Dynamics of Teaching English as a Foreign Language - Research Paper Example

PhD Proposal: The dynamics of teaching English as a foreign language Over the past few decades, the world has undergone a sea change through the advent of globalization. According to Broughton (2001), the interdependence among various economies and societies across diverse fields has also necessitates the adoption and learning of a common language that is often regarded to be universal in nature. Without any doubt, English has evolved into a major world language and is no longer limited to the English speaking nations like the United States and the United Kingdom. In fact, the primary reason for this trend has been the use of English as a language of communication that has exceeded the number of people who consider it their mother tongue. Today, English is widely spoken in countries like India, South Africa, the Scandinavian countries and South East Asia. Besides, English is now the official medium of communication in many fields like education, engineering and medical sciences in universities and corporations across the world. Purpose The primary purpose of the proposed study is to identify, understand and analyze the various factors that play a role in scenarios where English is taught as a foreign language. Gauntlett (2004) says that teaching English as a distinct course is a common feature especially in the emerging economies like India and China, whose young populations have realized the benefits and importance of having communicative skills in English. According to Gurrey (2005), a language teaching process is influenced by several factors. For the proposed study, it is proposed to study the dynamics involved in learning by focusing a large proportion of the efforts on studying the students themselves. Such students studied will be categorized into two primary groups – students who have studied primarily in their regional language and those who have undergone their schooling and higher education in English. The focus of the study will thus be the first group as students learning English as a foreign language often belong to this group (Dawson, 2003). Likewise, the research will also focus on the environment as well as the family background that play crucial roles in sustaining the learning process. Gebhard (2006) has discussed elaborately about learning a foreign language as a tedious and time consuming process that requires dedication and commitment besides requiring a lot of patience to gather the skills and confidence to converse in English. Thus, the role of the teacher in motivating the students and the level of reception amongst the latter is an important consideration for study and shall be evaluated across several countries where English language education is popular. Apart from studying the general dynamics that affect teaching English as a foreign language, the study shall also research some of the challenges that teachers face and the methods that they employ to overcome such issues. Richards (2005) has demonstrated that one of the profound problems that teachers face in teaching English is inculcating the correct pronunciation and grammar among their students. This is essential if students are to understand and communicate with ease in the future and use the language effectively for all purposes. Thus, the efforts made by teachers to bridge the gap between spoken and native forms of English are aspects that will be studied thoroughly. Likewise, Muriel (2007) believes that it is also important for students learning English to ‘think’ in English. Most learners of foreign languages often make several mistakes in constructing sentences and have trouble framing them. The extent to which ‘thinking’ in English has enabled students understand and apply their linguistic skills in a better fashion and the resulting impact on the language education will also be analyzed in detail. Methodology and significance As the study involves considerable analysis of trends and scenarios that influence the teaching of English as a foreign language, it is proposed to use both primary and secondary sources of study for the purposed of this research. Through primary sources, the study intends to conduct surveys through a set of well-formed questionnaires which will be given to a number of teachers and students involved in related courses. The respondents of these surveys will be chosen from a number of countries across the world and will be able to submit their responses through online mediums. Thus, the questionnaires will be hosted on a website like SurveyMonkey to facilitate easy accessibility to respondents around the world. Likewise, the study will also utilize information available from secondary sources like books, journals and magazines that contain a vast amount of information on the chosen topic. Since the purpose is to present the latest trends in teaching English, care will be taken to source only the latest information from the selected secondary sources so as to analyze the most up-to-date events in this field. As mentioned previously, the study is of great significance especially at a time when the world is increasingly becoming intertwined necessitating the need to adopt a common universal language. Rodgers (2001) cites that various factors like merging economies, cultures and political events during the past several hundred years have contributed to the rise of English as this global communication medium that is gaining popularity as a second foreign language with each passing day. The proposed topic is also important as it highlights the challenges teachers and students face in learning a new language like English that is mandatory for students seeking higher studies especially in advanced countries like the US, UK and Canada where English is the medium of instruction. Further, it is also interesting and important to assess the various techniques and methods that teachers adopt beyond conventional means in teaching English that can often prove instrumental in motivating students and enhance their level of understanding of the language. It is thus evident that the proposed research provides answers to several important questions associated with learning English as a foreign language that is of utmost significance in today’s global economy. Approach A major portion of this proposed research will focus on the utilization of a communicative approach by instructors in teaching foreign languages. Communicative language teaching makes use of real-life situations that necessitate communication. The study will analyze several dynamic and interactive contexts such as small group scenarios or ‘skits’, in-class group presentations, internet blogging etc. At the same time, the approach of learners towards understanding and following their individual styles of learning will also be considered in addition to the analysis of the role of teachers as facilitators and guides in the learning process. McKay (2008) has elaborated that at times fluency may have to take on more importance than accuracy in order to keep learners meaningfully engaged in language use. The study will also comprise thorough observation of a chosen set of students and record their actions and patterns of behaviour when they communicate with other students in the classroom. The study will further examine how effectively learners are involved within the communicative approach such as learner-centred instruction, cooperative and collaborative learning, interactive learning, whole language education, content-based instruction, and task-based instruction. Teachers in language schools often promote students to take part in their communicative language teaching class. Investigations into this aspect will rely on class observations and the responses from the students attending these classes. It is believed that the outcomes may be different from existing methods currently used in classes. The last part of the research will focus on lifelong teaching and learning. Nunan (1998) states that one of the most important ingredients for learning a foreign language is to never stop learning new things about the language. Teaching in these circumstances is especially challenging as the teacher has to constantly find out the effectiveness of a learning technique, analyze ways students process the language, study methods that can improve classroom interaction, assess students’ competencies and improve their teaching style to provide maximum benefit to the learners. In fact, many teachers strive to do a better job of teaching and need to develop patience and perseverance to remain useful to their students. This study will help elucidate all these attributes and qualities necessary for teachers and analyze the related trends on how effectively these characteristics are being pursued. The results of the proposed study are perceived to benefit both teachers and students of English as a foreign language and will provide insights into ways they can enhance and improve their prospects over existing mechanisms. The ultimate goal of this study is thus to assist adult learners who have the unique opportunity to learn English successfully and can take advantage of the outcomes of this study to improve the methods and practices employed in teaching and learning the language. References 1. Broughton (2001), Teaching English as a foreign language. New York: Routledge. 2. Dawson (2003), Teaching English as a foreign language: a practical guide. Indiana University. 3. Gauntlett (2004), Teaching English as a foreign language. University of California. 4. Gebhard (2006), Teaching English as a foreign or second language: a teacher self-development and methodology guide. University of Michigan Press. 5. Gurrey (2005), Teaching English as a foreign language. University of Michigan. 6. McKay (2008), Teaching English as an international language: rethinking goals and approaches. Oxford University Press. 7. Muriel (2007), Foundations for teaching English as a second language: theory and method for multicultural education. New York: Prentice Hall. 8. Nunan (1998), Second language teacher education. Cambridge University Press. 9. Richards (2005), Methodology in language teaching: an anthology of current practice. Cambridge University Press. 10. Rodgers (2001), Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge University Press. Read More