Books by Michael Lessard-Clouston
Alexandria, VA: TESOL Press. ISBN 978-1-945351-94-5, Jul 1, 2021
Vocabulary is central to English language teaching. Without sufficient vocabulary, students canno... more Vocabulary is central to English language teaching. Without sufficient vocabulary, students cannot understand others or express their own ideas. Teachers who find the task of teaching English vocabulary a little daunting are not alone! This easy-to-follow book presents important issues from recent vocabulary research and theory so that teachers may approach teaching vocabulary in a principled, thoughtful way. Topics covered are understanding vocabulary, importance of vocabulary, relevant research findings, students’ vocabulary levels, and teaching vocabulary effectively. This revised volume contains two new chapters — Technology and Online Resources for Vocabulary Learning and Teaching and Using Word Lists in Vocabulary Teaching. New references and updated research, as well as new web links, activities, charts, and a detailed lesson plan for teachers to consider, are also included. The book is practical for English language teachers in any context and provides helpful reflections. [Note: The attached file includes the Table of Contents and some sample pages from Ch. 1.]
Alexandria, VA: TESOL Press. ISBN 978-1-945351-04-4, Jan 2, 2018
Second Language Acquisition Applied to English Language Teaching offers teachers of English langu... more Second Language Acquisition Applied to English Language Teaching offers teachers of English language learners an overview of second language acquisition (SLA) theory while allowing readers to reflect on their own classroom practices. It defines SLA, outlines how it helps teachers understand their roles and those of learners in their classes, and introduces major concepts and issues. The book argues that input, output, and interaction are essential for English language learning and teaching, and touches on questions of age, anxiety, and error correction. Finally, SLA Applied to ELT encourages readers to use teaching materials that reflect SLA principles and explains what the field of SLA offers practicing English teachers, including encouragement. The book is written in a straightforward, easy-to read style, complete with reflection questions so that busy teachers can apply what they are reading to their own classroom teaching. As such, it’s a must have for any teacher who wants to understand student learning better so that they can teach their English language students effectively. [Note: The attached file includes the Table of Contents and a sample of Ch. 5.]
Alexandria, VA: TESOL International Association, ISBN 978-1931185974, Feb 26, 2013
Teaching Vocabulary explores different approaches to teaching vocabulary in ESL/EFL classrooms. I... more Teaching Vocabulary explores different approaches to teaching vocabulary in ESL/EFL classrooms. It provides an overview of the place and importance of vocabulary in English language learning and teaching in an easy-to-follow guide that language teachers will find very practical for their own contexts. Topics covered include understanding vocabulary, the importance of vocabulary, relevant research findings that impact vocabulary, knowing your students’ vocabulary levels, and how to teach vocabulary effectively. [Note: The attached file includes the Table of Contents, front matter, and a sample of Ch. 1.]
Koln, Germany: Lambert Academic Publishing, ISBN 978-3838304717, 2009
While second language acquisition (SLA) research has grown significantly, one research gap concer... more While second language acquisition (SLA) research has grown significantly, one research gap concerns natural SLA in contexts other than ESL/EFL classes. One field with large numbers of ESL/EFL students is theology, and this book addresses this area by describing an investigation into 1) the specialized vocabulary of an introductory course at a graduate school of theology in central Canada and 2) the learning and use of this theological vocabulary by both native and non-native English speaker participants. Using various data sources, the book details how native and non-native English speakers approached and succeeded in learning the technical vocabulary of their discipline over one semester and provides corpus analyses of a) theology lectures as lexical environments and b) participants? written work in this context. This study delivers a systematic overview of issues in technical vocabulary and discusses implications for related theory, future research, and the learning and teaching of specialized vocabulary. The book, with samples of word lists and student writing, will therefore be of interest to theological students as well as ESL/EAP teachers and applied linguistics researchers. [Note: The attached file includes the Contents, front matter, and a sample of Ch. 1, the Introduction.]
Journal Articles by Michael Lessard-Clouston
Journal of Christianity and World Languages, 24, 67-71, 2023
One blessing of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic seems to be that it has forced people, including ... more One blessing of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic seems to be that it has forced people, including language educators, to consider our health and wellbeing more carefully. Summarizing and drawing upon some recent, relevant writings on self-care and wellbeing, this forum reflection describes research and other perspectives on language teacher wellbeing. It aims to offer Christian second and foreign language educators insights on faith-based whole-person perspectives and ends by noting some practical suggestions for self-care and wellbeing.
International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching, 9, 35-53, Oct 31, 2022
Collaboration is largely assumed in English language teaching, while reconciliation is often a go... more Collaboration is largely assumed in English language teaching, while reconciliation is often a goal in this discipline. This article briefly introduces frameworks to help us think about collaboration and to understand reconciliation. Next it discusses three critical incidents in EFL teaching and ESL teacher education from personal experience in China, Indonesia, and the United States. Using the literature and frameworks outlined, the article reflects on cultural and other challenges, notes helps and hindrances to collaboration, and possible ways such issues were or might have been reconciled in the three incidents.
International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching, 7, 20-33 Aug 21, 2020
We live during challenging times, in a divisive world. English language students, teachers, and t... more We live during challenging times, in a divisive world. English language students, teachers, and teacher educators long for positive input and useful perspectives. Ephesians 4:29 tells us to use language to build others up. Accordingly, this article aims to help English language students, teachers, and teacher trainers to take a positive approach to their activities. Following an introduction, it first introduces appreciative inquiry (AI), an approach to change that offers positive assumptions and affirmative questions. Second, it describes three case studies that used AI in ESL/EFL teaching and teacher education. Third, it concludes with a discussion of potential AI connections for taking a positive approach to teaching and teacher training, and offers additional resources so readers may locate further ways to implement aspects of AI in their work in English language teaching.
International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching, 5, 18-39, Jul 2, 2018
Christians teaching English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) address cultural issues to ... more Christians teaching English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) address cultural issues to improve students' intercultural communication. In reflecting on my experience delivering a teacher training course, this article describes strategies for incorporating seven virtues in an Intercultural Communication for Teachers class. It first outlines foundational background and then offers examples of ways students in the course may go deeper with Christian virtues in their reflection and in their ESL/EFL teaching. It also introduces Scriptures and relevant resources that may be useful to professors involved in teacher training and to teachers who wish to incorporate virtues into ESL/EFL classes.
NECTFL Review, 77, 53-89, Jan 13, 2016
While the role of culture in second and/or foreign language (L2/FL) learning and teaching has oft... more While the role of culture in second and/or foreign language (L2/FL) learning and teaching has often been unquestioned, empirical research on culture learning and teaching in L2/FL education has been less common than opinion-oriented writings in relevant journals. This article offers a summary and synthesis of 52 empirical studies on L2/FL culture learning and teaching published during the 20-year period 1996-2015. In doing so, it first provides some background, then discusses the methods used for choosing, summarizing, and briefly analyzing these studies, and finally outlines a range of quantitative and qualitative findings. Culture learning and teaching research in L2/FL education during this period involved five main languages (English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish) in 19 different countries; adopted mainly qualitative research approaches; and addressed a diverse range of age and educational levels, although postsecondary research studies were most common. The survey here highlights a shift from a focus on ‘culture’ to the ‘intercultural,’ and reveals that culture learning and teaching research has moved beyond reporting teachers’ and students’ attitudes to a range of topics impacting L2/FL learning and teaching, including instructional approaches, teaching materials, assessment, and technology. It also points to connections between the studies outlined and offers possibilities and directions for future research in this important area.
Evangelical Missions Quarterly, 51, 394-401, Oct 1, 2015
Christians are charged with taking the Gospel to all nations, and therefore inevitably work in cr... more Christians are charged with taking the Gospel to all nations, and therefore inevitably work in cross-cultural situations. But the current prominence of English as an international language creates potential problems in our approaches to missions and to communicating the Gospel. Most importantly, neglecting to speak people’s local heart language may prevent us from connecting deeply with them. We believe English can be a blessing in sharing the gospel, but that there is also great potential for it to cause harm. So should native English-speaking Christians use English as our primary means of communication in missions? In this article, we consider relevant issues and suggest several principles to help formulate a useful perspective in moving forward.
International Journal of Christianity and English Language Teaching, 2, 37-53, Mar 12, 2015
As a field, English language teaching (ELT) has come under attack from a number of critical pract... more As a field, English language teaching (ELT) has come under attack from a number of critical practitioners. In the classroom, English language teachers aim to empower our students by helping them improve their English abilities and skills. Yet there are discrepancies in terms of who learns and uses English for various purposes. Are English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) teachers helping, or are we part of the ‘problem’ in ELT, as critics suggest? This article poses four questions in order for readers to consider issues in ELT and empowerment. In doing so, it summarizes observations from both the author’s experience and potential resources in the ELT literature, and closes with some reflections to help Christians in ELT consider their understanding of and response to some important current topics in our field.
TESL Reporter, 47(1&2), 1-20, Dec 1, 2014
Although corpus linguistics has become quite influential in English language teaching in recent y... more Although corpus linguistics has become quite influential in English language teaching in recent years, the actual use of corpora (large, searchable collections of real language, electronic texts) by practicing teachers still seems to be fairly limited. In their introduction to data-driven learning (DDL) in the classroom, Gilquin and Granger (2010) declare, for example, “one reason for not doing DDL might simply be that the teacher does not know enough about corpora and the possibility of using corpora in the classroom” (p. 366). This article aims to help fill this gap, by assisting teachers in understanding potential uses of corpus linguistics for English language teaching (ELT). To do so we will introduce key concepts in this area as well as potential applications for pedagogy, including introductory worksheets for teaching collocations in English as a second and/or foreign language (ESL/EFL) contexts with an online corpus.
The CATESOL Journal, 24(1), 287-304, May 2013
Within the communicative approach, often the assumption has been that with the right exposure, st... more Within the communicative approach, often the assumption has been that with the right exposure, students will simply “pick up” the vocabulary required for learning and using English, and thus there is no need to focus on or teach it. Yet, as many teachers can attest, this is frequently not the case, and there have been recent efforts to reemphasize vocabulary learning and teaching in both research and practice. This article surveys the literature on word lists for vocabulary teaching in English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL), especially for adults, briefly summarizing their potential for learners and teachers in learning and teaching English vocabulary. After discussing general and academic word lists, it introduces contributions from recent corpus research resulting in 2 lists of English formulaic expressions and 8 subject-specific English word lists, in fields varying from agriculture, business, and engineering to medicine and theology. Finally, it offers suggestions for their potential in vocabulary teaching.
The Linguistics Journal, 6(1), 127-150, 2012
Recognizing the importance of vocabulary in English-medium disciplinary writing, this article pre... more Recognizing the importance of vocabulary in English-medium disciplinary writing, this article presents a descriptive, corpus-informed case study of technical vocabulary use in the writing of both native and non-native English speaker (NES and NNES) students during their early socialization into a Master’s program in theology. Using data collected over one semester from 5 NNES and 7 NES volunteers in an intact, required first year course at a graduate school in central Canada, it first describes the study’s background, research context, and procedures. It then addresses three research questions on 1) how well participants define technical terms in the vocabulary section of their written mid-term and final examinations, 2) the distribution of general, academic, technical and other (low frequency) vocabulary in their term papers, and 3) ways that NNES and NES students’ knowledge and use of vocabulary are similar or different. Both groups scored well, overall, on their definitions, particularly for the final exam. Corpus analyses of the term papers revealed surprisingly few differences in the distribution and use of four types of vocabulary in NNES versus NES writing, yet concordance analyses examining the use of seven target technical vocabulary items in participants’ papers noted generally similar use but some differences, particularly in relation to collocations. Results are discussed with examples from participants’ writing, and possible implications for teachers and students are considered.
Evangelical Missions Quarterly, 48(2), 172-179, 2012
Although vital to cross-cultural missions, language learning presents a major a challenge for mis... more Although vital to cross-cultural missions, language learning presents a major a challenge for missionaries. This article introduces seven biblical themes for language learning, noting possible applications for second and foreign language (L2/FL) learning and teaching. It refers to scripture and resources to help missionary language learners and educators.
CALR Linguistics Journal, 1, 1-9, 2011
Many second/foreign language (L2/FL) teachers do not see the relevance of research to their teach... more Many second/foreign language (L2/FL) teachers do not see the relevance of research to their teaching. This article aims to help bridge this gap by addressing form-focused instruction (FFI), a current pedagogical and research issue of particular interest to both teachers and students. The article begins with background from second language acquisition research and outlines two main types of FFI. Next it addresses three main topics. First, it considers the role of FFI in communicative language teaching. Second, it reviews various influences that impact whether teachers should choose to use integrated or isolated FFI in their classes. Third, it discusses the connection between error correction and focus on form in FFI. In establishing these points, the article introduces literature that argues for clear connections between FFI and L2/FL learning. In essence, this article answers the question: how does focusing on form appear to help L2/FL learning, and how can teachers encourage ESL/EFL students? The article argues that form-focused instruction makes a positive difference. Research implications are summarized on grammar and vocabulary learning, and reference is made to key resources dealing with focusing on form. Teachers should thus think about how an understanding of FFI can improve their teaching and students’ learning.
Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 9(4), 308-321, 2010
This article presents a descriptive case study on the use of technical vocabulary in the lectures... more This article presents a descriptive case study on the use of technical vocabulary in the lectures of a first-year graduate theology course in Canada. It first contextualizes this research by noting four kinds of English vocabulary and the study of classrooms as lexical environments. Next it outlines the study’s methodology, including the observation of 23 classes over one semester, the transcription of 34 h of audiotaped lectures, and the use of computer programs VocabProfile and MonoConc Pro to analyze the files of the lecture transcripts. Data analysis addresses two research questions: 1) What kind of lexical environments are these lectures (and what is the specific frequency and distribution of vocabulary within them)? 2) How are representative technical theological terms used, in oral and written form, during these lectures? Quantitative results are presented on the frequency of each of four types of vocabulary, and sample transcript, handout, and whiteboard extracts offer examples and a qualitative description of the use of specialized theological vocabulary within the lectures observed. The final section discusses possible implications for specialized vocabulary learning, suggesting that academic lectures may offer a rich lexical environment for ESL students trained to observe and acquire technical vocabulary in context.
Asian ESP Journal, 5(1), 7-22, Jan 1, 2009
English language learners studying at the tertiary level face many challenges, and developing aca... more English language learners studying at the tertiary level face many challenges, and developing academic language proficiency is a major one which requires the acquisition of both the academic and technical vocabulary of their disciplines. Recognizing that the natural oral input such learners receive is a key resource for relevant vocabulary learning, this article describes a case study of definitions in the introductory theology course of one graduate school in central Canada. Eight representative lectures from the semester-long course were transcribed and 269 definitions were identified in them, and then categorized using Flowerdew’s (1992) classifications. The article outlines both quantitative and qualitative data, with example definitions, and draws on and compares its results with relevant previous work in the sciences. It concludes that there are many commonalities between definitions in the two fields, yet there are also understandably some major differences. Thus the article adds to an earlier taxonomy and discusses possible implications for technical vocabulary learning in theology and other fields, noting several key points for EAP and ESP professionals.
Polyglot: A Journal of Language, Literature, Culture and Education, 3(1), 28-40, 2009
Reading much current TESOL literature, one would receive the impression that the influence of Chr... more Reading much current TESOL literature, one would receive the impression that the influence of Christianity on English has been completely negative. In this article I challenge that assumption based on a review of relevant literature and a survey I carried out on views of the influence of Christianity on English among teachers and teachers in training. I also introduce relevant resources that I have found and that respondents mentioned.
Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 34(1-2), 31-63, Jul 1, 2008
Recognizing the importance of lexis and vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) in academic studies,... more Recognizing the importance of lexis and vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) in academic studies, this article presents a descriptive case study of technical vocabulary learning in English over one academic term in an intact, required first year course in a graduate school of theology in Canada. After outlining background information and describing the research methods, the article discusses the vocabulary learning strategies and success of five non-native (NNES) and six native English speaker (NES) participants. Data were collected using pre- and post- Tests of Theological Language (TTL), through mid- and end-of-term interviews, and at the end of the course using an Approach to Vocabulary Learning Questionnaire. Analyses addressed the VLS that NNES and NES students use in learning the technical vocabulary of their discipline, how these VLS may be classified in relation to previous research, what types of words participants report learning, and whether a particular approach to or strategy in technical vocabulary learning predicts success in acquisition, as reflected in scores on the TTL. Results indicate that participants used a variety of VLS, though no one strategy appeared to dominate. Detailed portraits of participants’ approaches to technical vocabulary learning are included. While there were no consistent trends in approaches to or strategies in success on the TTL, overall participants who approached their technical vocabulary learning in an unstructured manner tended to obtain higher scores on the TTL. In terms of growth in depth of vocabulary knowledge, however, TTL results suggest that a structured approach may be helpful for NNESs.
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Books by Michael Lessard-Clouston
Journal Articles by Michael Lessard-Clouston