The writing process has been an integral part of writing pedagogy for many years. However, both s... more The writing process has been an integral part of writing pedagogy for many years. However, both students and instructors in some contexts might be resistant to writing through the process approach because it is unfamiliar and seems laborious and time-consuming. Teachers in contexts with large classes might be especially resistant to teaching writing as a process. However, the writing process can be carried out in any context though some adaptation might be needed, depending on the context. Many researchers and instructors have written about the writing process, and many have written about formative assessment. However, these two constructs have generally been considered separately when they actually work in tandem. The purpose of this paper is to explain the process approach to writing pedagogy and how it can be implemented along with ideas and techniques for using formative assessment. The paper starts with an explanation of the product approach and the process approach. Then it ex...
Instructors of English courses and students alike tend to view reading as a mostly solitary activ... more Instructors of English courses and students alike tend to view reading as a mostly solitary activity with interaction limited to reader and text. Classroom interaction with reading texts is often limited to the teacher eliciting answers to comprehension and vocabulary questions, and students calling out responses. Teachers sometimes fail to see how reading texts can be used in interactive activities that require spoken communication beyond questions and responses and incorporate a variety of skills. This article explores how reading and interaction influence language development and introduces a number of interactive reading activities teachers can take into their classrooms.
Studies involving pre-service English language teachers have shown positive effects of exchange p... more Studies involving pre-service English language teachers have shown positive effects of exchange programs. However, to date, no research has focused on the impact of teach-abroad exchange programs involving in-service English language teachers. This study investigated the impacts of an exchange program on in-service English language teachers. Twenty exchange program alumni completed a survey focused on the impact of the exchange, and five of those twenty participated in follow-up interviews. Most of the participants reported developing professionally and personally as a result of participating in the exchange program. In terms of professional development, many participants reported having developed a deeper awareness of their teaching practices, and many indicated increased flexibility and adaptability in their teaching practices. The overall impacts included a deeper sense of cultural awareness and an expanded worldview. The results suggest that participation in an exchange program ...
americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum JIMALEE SOWELL AND LARRY SUGISAKI United States ... more americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum JIMALEE SOWELL AND LARRY SUGISAKI United States Accommodating Learning Disabilities in the English Language Classroom I t is estimated that ten percent of learners have some sort of learning disability; on average, this is two or three students per classroom (Butterworth and Kovas 2013). This means that, inevitably, all English language instructors will encounter students with learning disabilities in their classrooms and could encounter students with learning disabilities in each class. In 2018, we, the authors of this article, conducted a pilot study on learning-disability training for English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. All the participants in our study had previously taught or were currently teaching English in EFL contexts. The majority of respondents in our survey (83 percent) indicated they were not confident about their abilities to assist students with learning disabilities. Among the study participants who had received training, the majority (52 percent) indicated their training had been relatively brief-lasting a day or less (Sowell and Sugisaki 2020). This article is a response to the need to provide more information about learning disabilities to English language teachers.
She has served as an English Language Fellow and an English Language Specialist. Her research int... more She has served as an English Language Fellow and an English Language Specialist. Her research interests include disability studies, teaching writing, peace education, genre analysis, large class pedagogy, and teacher education. Bishwa Raj Gautam is the Regional English Language Program Specialist at the U.S. Embassy Kathmandu, Nepal. Mr. Gautam has over 15 years of experience in teacher training, educational program development and implementation, and research and publication in educational issues.
<jats:p>While the field of composition might like to believe it has moved on from concern a... more <jats:p>While the field of composition might like to believe it has moved on from concern about the five-paragraph essay, the debate is far from over. The five-paragraph essay continues to be taught, and oppositionists continue to rail against it. As long as the five-paragraph essay continues as a common form of writing assessment on standardized exams and as a form commonly taught in schools, it is a form that will likely persist. Instead of calling for the retirement of the five-paragraph essay, practitioners and researchers need to rethink the potential of the five-paragraph essay as a foundational form and to reconsider approaches to teaching it. Some of the problems associated with the five-paragraph essay are likely due to pedagogical decisions, such as an exclusive focus on the five-paragraph essay and not advancing to other forms when students are ready rather the five-paragraph essay form itself. In this paper, I define the five-paragraph essay, outline some of the historical links to the five-paragraph essay, challenge common criticisms of it, and suggest that such essay might be a useful foundational form.</jats:p>
Imagine you are attending a seminar. The facilitator gives instructions, and you have a vague not... more Imagine you are attending a seminar. The facilitator gives instructions, and you have a vague notion of what you are supposed to do, but you do not want to ask the facilitator to clarify because you are sure you are the only one who has not understood. After the facilitator tells you to start working, you turn to the person next to you and ask, “What are we supposed to do?” That person says, “I’m not sure. I thought you would know.” Soon you realize that almost everyone in the room is confused, while the facilitator is standing behind the lectern wondering why no one has started engaging in the activity she just explained.
During a university workshop on avoiding plagiarism, I asked a group of English as a foreign lang... more During a university workshop on avoiding plagiarism, I asked a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) students, “Is it okay to lift one sentence from the Internet and put it into your essay without acknowledging the source?” They replied, “Yes, it is okay. It is only one sentence.” Not one student in the room said otherwise. I had been asked to give a workshop on plagiarism because, I had been told, it was a major problem at the university, and with that response, I understood that the problem was even more pronounced than I had realized.
A t a recent TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo, I heard a number of comments... more A t a recent TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo, I heard a number of comments about writing conference abstracts: "Wow, she got three proposals accepted; she must be really good at writing conference abstracts." "My proposal didn't get accepted: I guess I'm not good at writing conference abstracts." "There was an 18 percent acceptance rate of proposals this year. You have to be able to write a good abstract to have any chance." While the conference abstract is not the only important factor in determining acceptance or rejection to present at a conference, it is probably the most significant one. No matter how timely and relevant your intended presentation might be, if your conference abstract does not show that you have a proposal worth presenting, you risk not having your proposal accepted.
Image by Heather Benucci OVERVIEW: Circumlocution-using known vocabulary to describe a forgotten ... more Image by Heather Benucci OVERVIEW: Circumlocution-using known vocabulary to describe a forgotten or unknown word-can help English language learners avoid communication breakdowns when speaking. For example, a speaker who can't remember the word toothbrush might say, "It's the thing you use to clean your teeth" to
At a conference I attended, dedicated to the topic of teaching writing to second-language writers... more At a conference I attended, dedicated to the topic of teaching writing to second-language writers, a debate raged as to whether writing models should be provided for students. On the one hand, many conference attendees (the majority of whom were writing instructors) agreed that models help students understand how to produce a piece of writing in a specific genre. On the other hand, some attendees argued that students simply copy the models they are given— seeing the models as an ideal to replicate rather than as a guide for producing their own original texts. One attendee gave the example of a student who, when asked to write his own resume on an exam, copied word-for-word information from a model resume and turned it in as his own—that is, the educational background and work history he provided were taken straight from the model resume.
The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses,... more The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses, and teachers and students typically view the student-teacher writing conference as an effective way of providing feedback. However, most previous research on conferencing has been carried out with first language (L1) writers or advanced multilingual writers, and little attention has been given to student-teacher conferences with multilingual (L2) writers at various stages of language development. Though little research has been conducted, recent studies on student-teacher conferencing with multilingual writers offer important insights that provide direction for conducting effective conferences with multilingual writers. Earlier studies on conferencing with L2 students tended to measure the success of the conference on whether the conference effectively employed certain policy-as-pedagogy principles of conferencing, principles that had been initially developed with L1 speakers. Two of th...
The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses,... more The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses, and teachers and students typically view the student-teacher writing conference as an effective way of providing feedback. However, most previous research on conferencing has been carried out with first language (L1) writers or advanced multilingual writers, and little attention has been given to student-teacher conferences with multilingual (L2) writers at various stages of language development. Though little research has been conducted, recent studies on student-teacher conferencing with multilingual writers offer important insights that provide direction for conducting effective conferences with multilingual writers. Earlier studies on conferencing with L2 students tended to measure the success of the conference on whether the conference effectively employed certain policy-as-pedagogy principles of conferencing, principles that had been initially developed with L1 speakers. Two of th...
The word work in workshop indicates that participants need to do work rather than just receive id... more The word work in workshop indicates that participants need to do work rather than just receive ideas and information as they scribble in their notebooks. A workshop should be a platform to engage the audience in activities and provide opportunities to share ideas and experiences with one another. As Portner (2006, ix) says, “presenting a workshop is a form of teaching in which you invite those in attendance (participants) to interact with you and each other in the exploration of a professional issue, curriculum content, or instructional methodology.” This does not mean, though, that workshops consist exclusively of engaging in activities—they include both presenting information and facilitating activities and may also include the exploration of ideas (Portner 2006).
Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning
Approximately ten percent of learners have some sort of learning disability. This means that all ... more Approximately ten percent of learners have some sort of learning disability. This means that all English language instructors will encounter students with learning disabilities and could encounter students with learning disabilities in each class. Research has shown that different countries have varying degrees of infrastructure for identifying and accommodating learning disabilities. However, little research on the degree to which English language teachers in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts have received training for learning disabilities has been carried out. This study had three goals: first, to identify whether the participants in the study, all of whom were EFL instructors, had received training for identifying and accommodating students with learning disabilities; second, among the teachers who had received training, to find out specifically the types of training they had received; and finally, to find out whether training had helped these teachers develop compete...
The writing process has been an integral part of writing pedagogy for many years. However, both s... more The writing process has been an integral part of writing pedagogy for many years. However, both students and instructors in some contexts might be resistant to writing through the process approach because it is unfamiliar and seems laborious and time-consuming. Teachers in contexts with large classes might be especially resistant to teaching writing as a process. However, the writing process can be carried out in any context though some adaptation might be needed, depending on the context. Many researchers and instructors have written about the writing process, and many have written about formative assessment. However, these two constructs have generally been considered separately when they actually work in tandem. The purpose of this paper is to explain the process approach to writing pedagogy and how it can be implemented along with ideas and techniques for using formative assessment. The paper starts with an explanation of the product approach and the process approach. Then it ex...
Instructors of English courses and students alike tend to view reading as a mostly solitary activ... more Instructors of English courses and students alike tend to view reading as a mostly solitary activity with interaction limited to reader and text. Classroom interaction with reading texts is often limited to the teacher eliciting answers to comprehension and vocabulary questions, and students calling out responses. Teachers sometimes fail to see how reading texts can be used in interactive activities that require spoken communication beyond questions and responses and incorporate a variety of skills. This article explores how reading and interaction influence language development and introduces a number of interactive reading activities teachers can take into their classrooms.
Studies involving pre-service English language teachers have shown positive effects of exchange p... more Studies involving pre-service English language teachers have shown positive effects of exchange programs. However, to date, no research has focused on the impact of teach-abroad exchange programs involving in-service English language teachers. This study investigated the impacts of an exchange program on in-service English language teachers. Twenty exchange program alumni completed a survey focused on the impact of the exchange, and five of those twenty participated in follow-up interviews. Most of the participants reported developing professionally and personally as a result of participating in the exchange program. In terms of professional development, many participants reported having developed a deeper awareness of their teaching practices, and many indicated increased flexibility and adaptability in their teaching practices. The overall impacts included a deeper sense of cultural awareness and an expanded worldview. The results suggest that participation in an exchange program ...
americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum JIMALEE SOWELL AND LARRY SUGISAKI United States ... more americanenglish.state.gov/english-teaching-forum JIMALEE SOWELL AND LARRY SUGISAKI United States Accommodating Learning Disabilities in the English Language Classroom I t is estimated that ten percent of learners have some sort of learning disability; on average, this is two or three students per classroom (Butterworth and Kovas 2013). This means that, inevitably, all English language instructors will encounter students with learning disabilities in their classrooms and could encounter students with learning disabilities in each class. In 2018, we, the authors of this article, conducted a pilot study on learning-disability training for English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. All the participants in our study had previously taught or were currently teaching English in EFL contexts. The majority of respondents in our survey (83 percent) indicated they were not confident about their abilities to assist students with learning disabilities. Among the study participants who had received training, the majority (52 percent) indicated their training had been relatively brief-lasting a day or less (Sowell and Sugisaki 2020). This article is a response to the need to provide more information about learning disabilities to English language teachers.
She has served as an English Language Fellow and an English Language Specialist. Her research int... more She has served as an English Language Fellow and an English Language Specialist. Her research interests include disability studies, teaching writing, peace education, genre analysis, large class pedagogy, and teacher education. Bishwa Raj Gautam is the Regional English Language Program Specialist at the U.S. Embassy Kathmandu, Nepal. Mr. Gautam has over 15 years of experience in teacher training, educational program development and implementation, and research and publication in educational issues.
<jats:p>While the field of composition might like to believe it has moved on from concern a... more <jats:p>While the field of composition might like to believe it has moved on from concern about the five-paragraph essay, the debate is far from over. The five-paragraph essay continues to be taught, and oppositionists continue to rail against it. As long as the five-paragraph essay continues as a common form of writing assessment on standardized exams and as a form commonly taught in schools, it is a form that will likely persist. Instead of calling for the retirement of the five-paragraph essay, practitioners and researchers need to rethink the potential of the five-paragraph essay as a foundational form and to reconsider approaches to teaching it. Some of the problems associated with the five-paragraph essay are likely due to pedagogical decisions, such as an exclusive focus on the five-paragraph essay and not advancing to other forms when students are ready rather the five-paragraph essay form itself. In this paper, I define the five-paragraph essay, outline some of the historical links to the five-paragraph essay, challenge common criticisms of it, and suggest that such essay might be a useful foundational form.</jats:p>
Imagine you are attending a seminar. The facilitator gives instructions, and you have a vague not... more Imagine you are attending a seminar. The facilitator gives instructions, and you have a vague notion of what you are supposed to do, but you do not want to ask the facilitator to clarify because you are sure you are the only one who has not understood. After the facilitator tells you to start working, you turn to the person next to you and ask, “What are we supposed to do?” That person says, “I’m not sure. I thought you would know.” Soon you realize that almost everyone in the room is confused, while the facilitator is standing behind the lectern wondering why no one has started engaging in the activity she just explained.
During a university workshop on avoiding plagiarism, I asked a group of English as a foreign lang... more During a university workshop on avoiding plagiarism, I asked a group of English as a foreign language (EFL) students, “Is it okay to lift one sentence from the Internet and put it into your essay without acknowledging the source?” They replied, “Yes, it is okay. It is only one sentence.” Not one student in the room said otherwise. I had been asked to give a workshop on plagiarism because, I had been told, it was a major problem at the university, and with that response, I understood that the problem was even more pronounced than I had realized.
A t a recent TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo, I heard a number of comments... more A t a recent TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo, I heard a number of comments about writing conference abstracts: "Wow, she got three proposals accepted; she must be really good at writing conference abstracts." "My proposal didn't get accepted: I guess I'm not good at writing conference abstracts." "There was an 18 percent acceptance rate of proposals this year. You have to be able to write a good abstract to have any chance." While the conference abstract is not the only important factor in determining acceptance or rejection to present at a conference, it is probably the most significant one. No matter how timely and relevant your intended presentation might be, if your conference abstract does not show that you have a proposal worth presenting, you risk not having your proposal accepted.
Image by Heather Benucci OVERVIEW: Circumlocution-using known vocabulary to describe a forgotten ... more Image by Heather Benucci OVERVIEW: Circumlocution-using known vocabulary to describe a forgotten or unknown word-can help English language learners avoid communication breakdowns when speaking. For example, a speaker who can't remember the word toothbrush might say, "It's the thing you use to clean your teeth" to
At a conference I attended, dedicated to the topic of teaching writing to second-language writers... more At a conference I attended, dedicated to the topic of teaching writing to second-language writers, a debate raged as to whether writing models should be provided for students. On the one hand, many conference attendees (the majority of whom were writing instructors) agreed that models help students understand how to produce a piece of writing in a specific genre. On the other hand, some attendees argued that students simply copy the models they are given— seeing the models as an ideal to replicate rather than as a guide for producing their own original texts. One attendee gave the example of a student who, when asked to write his own resume on an exam, copied word-for-word information from a model resume and turned it in as his own—that is, the educational background and work history he provided were taken straight from the model resume.
The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses,... more The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses, and teachers and students typically view the student-teacher writing conference as an effective way of providing feedback. However, most previous research on conferencing has been carried out with first language (L1) writers or advanced multilingual writers, and little attention has been given to student-teacher conferences with multilingual (L2) writers at various stages of language development. Though little research has been conducted, recent studies on student-teacher conferencing with multilingual writers offer important insights that provide direction for conducting effective conferences with multilingual writers. Earlier studies on conferencing with L2 students tended to measure the success of the conference on whether the conference effectively employed certain policy-as-pedagogy principles of conferencing, principles that had been initially developed with L1 speakers. Two of th...
The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses,... more The student-teacher conference has been established as a pedagogical tool in composition courses, and teachers and students typically view the student-teacher writing conference as an effective way of providing feedback. However, most previous research on conferencing has been carried out with first language (L1) writers or advanced multilingual writers, and little attention has been given to student-teacher conferences with multilingual (L2) writers at various stages of language development. Though little research has been conducted, recent studies on student-teacher conferencing with multilingual writers offer important insights that provide direction for conducting effective conferences with multilingual writers. Earlier studies on conferencing with L2 students tended to measure the success of the conference on whether the conference effectively employed certain policy-as-pedagogy principles of conferencing, principles that had been initially developed with L1 speakers. Two of th...
The word work in workshop indicates that participants need to do work rather than just receive id... more The word work in workshop indicates that participants need to do work rather than just receive ideas and information as they scribble in their notebooks. A workshop should be a platform to engage the audience in activities and provide opportunities to share ideas and experiences with one another. As Portner (2006, ix) says, “presenting a workshop is a form of teaching in which you invite those in attendance (participants) to interact with you and each other in the exploration of a professional issue, curriculum content, or instructional methodology.” This does not mean, though, that workshops consist exclusively of engaging in activities—they include both presenting information and facilitating activities and may also include the exploration of ideas (Portner 2006).
Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning
Approximately ten percent of learners have some sort of learning disability. This means that all ... more Approximately ten percent of learners have some sort of learning disability. This means that all English language instructors will encounter students with learning disabilities and could encounter students with learning disabilities in each class. Research has shown that different countries have varying degrees of infrastructure for identifying and accommodating learning disabilities. However, little research on the degree to which English language teachers in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts have received training for learning disabilities has been carried out. This study had three goals: first, to identify whether the participants in the study, all of whom were EFL instructors, had received training for identifying and accommodating students with learning disabilities; second, among the teachers who had received training, to find out specifically the types of training they had received; and finally, to find out whether training had helped these teachers develop compete...
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