Archive for September 11th, 2009
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11
Sep
2009
English Tutoring
ESL & Tutoring
ESL, or the study of English as a Second Language, is a booming industry around the world due to the prevalence of English in international business, law and culture. Whether this will remain the case as it has since the rise of the British Empire followed by the ‘American Century’, with the rise of China and India as emergent superpowers is uncertain. However, for the present the study of English by those for whom it is not their native language, is not only a growing industry but is also increasingly gaining the attention of academics.
The analysis of ESL study and teaching covers everything from cooperative learning, plagiarism as a cultural phenomenon, the effectiveness of written feedback by ESL tutors, and the effectiveness of phonological learning. Below a study is briefly outlined on the non-verbal components of ESL tutoring.
Tutoring as an “Embodied Activity”
Hassan Belhiah had an article published in the Journal of Pragmatics in 2009 (Vol 41, Iss 4), entitled ‘Tutoring as an embodied activity: How speech, gaze and body orientation are coordinated to conduct ESL tutorial business’. Her study analyses tutorial openings and closings based on data from real-time dialogues involving native American English-speaking tutors and non-native speaker students. The focus of her research was to study the extent to which conversation participants’ vocal and non-vocal actions contributed to the co-construction of ESL discourse as a collaborative activity. Her study was based on the findings of other academics as well, showing the gaze patterns can be used to indicate commitment and engagement, to elicit or show recipiency, and to ensure a smooth flow of conversation. It can also be used to show disengagement, through a variety of mechanisms.
Her findings showed that in the coordination of talk (eg turn-taking), gaze and body orientation there was little difference between participants, though it might be expected since they were from different cultural backgrounds. This is significant because, she claims, that for two people to communicate effectively it is not sufficient, “and perhaps not even necessary” (p841), that they share the same grammar.
11
Sep
2009
Teaching English
English Language Qualifications
In order to teach English, one must be qualified through an accredited course and institution. A teacher is someone who is able to help others learn because they have greater knowledge and experience in the subject matter, as well as skills in actually being able to teach. This includes developing teaching strategies, knowing how to plan lessons and assessments, and being able to assess how particular students learn best. Of course, different teaching positions will require different levels of qualification and experience, depending on whether it’s primary, secondary, tertiary, or adult students.
Teachers of ESL, ESOL, and EFL students usually require a TESOL certificate, which stands for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. Other courses include English Language TEaching (ELT), Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). For tertiary level teaching, teachers may require additional qualifications such as a Master of Arts in TESOL or a Masters in Applied Linguistics.
Linguistics
But what is linguistics anyway? Linguistics is the study of language, including areas such as grammar (language structure), semantics (language meaning), and pragmatics (the social context of language use). The study of linguistics can help in teaching English as a second language because it helps one understand how language functions. For example, when teaching non-native students English, words often cannot be translated to convey the full meaning in the target language. By using the linguistic tool of natural semantic metalanguage, words in each language can be broken down to reveal assumptions and beliefs inherent in each, to them emphasise which meanings are carried over into English and which are not.
For example, a request can cover asking for information, asking someone to do something, a form of polite order. Whereas the Spanish word for request petición can cover meanings such as to beg or ask for something, but does not mean to ask someone to do something.
11
Sep
2009
English Language Colleges in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is located to the southeast of Australia, and is composed of two main islands: the North Island and the South Island. The South Island is the larger island, and is divided along its length by the Southern Alps, while the North Island is less mountainous but more volcanic. The realm of New Zealand also includes Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, the Cook Islands, and the Ross Dependency in Antarctica.
Its capital is Wellington, though its largest city is Auckland. The official languages are Maori and English, as its indigenous people are the Maori and it was settled by Europeans in the seventeenth century. The first Europeans to reach New Zealand were Dutch, who gave it the name Nova Zeelandia, but it was the English who claimed sovereignty and negotiated a treaty with the Maori in 1840, thereby anglicising the name to ‘New Zealand’. Queen Elizabeth II is the official head of state, represented by the Governor-General, however the actual governing of the country is undertaken by the democratically elected Parliament and Prime Minister.
English Colleges in New Zealand
The GEOS Wellington English College was established in 2003 and is the youngest of the GEOS group. Usually the college contains around 30 to 40 students. The school caters for General English courses (both full-time and part-time), TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and TOEIC (Test of English for International Purposes) courses, Cambridge FCE (First Certificate in English) and CAE (Advanced English) courses, as well as IELTS Examination Preparation and English for Academic Purposes.
The GEOS Christchurch English college opened in 1997 and has now grown to 120 students, though the maximum number of students in a class remains only twelve so students can interact with the teacher easily. It is located in the heart of the city, next to the Avon River. Students come from all over the world to learn English there, with a variety of courses.