Drama-Based Learning and Self-Confidence: Insights from Malaysian Higher Education

Reviewed by: Materials and Methods in ELT: A Teacher’s guideby Jo McDonough and Christopher Shaw D. Brent Barnard Materials and methods in ELT: A teacher’s guide. 2ndedn. By Jo McDonough and Christopher Shaw. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2003. Pp. xiii, 280. ISBN 0631227377. $29.95. The purpose of this book is to apprise ELT (English language teaching) instructors around the world of major contemporary trends in ELT materials and methodology. It succeeds admirably in bridging the gap between ELT theory and pedagogical practice. This new edition is helpful in that it incorporates the theoretical gains the field has made since the publication of the first edition in 1993. Part 1 examines the principles on which modern materials and methods are based. It begins with a look at the educational framework of materials and methods relevant to every pedagogical context, regardless of institution or locale (Ch. 1). Next, the authors discuss the development of the communicative approach and its impact on methods and materials (Ch. 2). Various critiques of the communicative approach are then examined, as well as the different ‘post-communicative’ trends that have arisen over the last ten years, including the multi-syllabus, the process syllabus, and the task-based syllabus (Ch. 3). The last two chapters of Part 1 provide the reader with strategies for evaluating and adapting these communicative-approach materials to specific classroom environments (Chs. 4–5). Part 2 shows how the principles raised and discussed in Part 1 can be applied to the design and use of teaching materials in the four primary skill areas: reading, speaking, listening, and writing. Each skill area is treated in its own chapter (Chs. 6–9). Finally, the authors look at how materials related to all of these skill areas can be effectively integrated (Ch. 10). Part 3 focuses on different methods for organizing and managing the resources of the classroom. Because of this specific focus, the authors do not discuss tangential topics, like testing, which enjoy extensive treatment elsewhere. The first chapter examines interaction patterns relating to student groups and pairs (Ch. 11). The authors then relate classroom structures to the concept of the individual learner, and they examine interactions between teachers and learners (Chs. 12–13, respectively). Part 3 concludes with a treatment of the shifting nature of the teacher’s role in contemporary ELT settings, examining such issues as in-service education courses (Ch. 14). Finally, there is a useful appendix that directs teachers to important ELT resources on the internet. Throughout the book, the authors provide readers with questions that help them consider more deeply the topicunder discussion. This animates the intense scholarship of the book and makes the assimilation of the ideas come more naturally. The authors provide suggestions for further reading at the end of each subsection, which complements the text’s bibliography. Finally, in almost every chapter, the authors include copies of handouts that illustrate how the concept at hand can be applied to teacher-student interactions. This book alerts readers to the development of the most recent ELT methods and materials, and it does [End Page 209]so in a relatively compact form. It will be a welcome aid to instructors who are attempting to translate advances in ELT theory into real-world classroom praxis. D. Brent Barnard Louisiana State University Copyright © 2006 Linguistic Society of America

Due to the changes in the approaches and methods in English language teaching throughout history, the use of mother tongue (L1) has been one of the most important topics discussed in the foreign language teaching field. Although most of the approaches used nowadays do not support the use of mother tongue, there is a change in the perception towards teachers’ code-switching in foreign language (L2) learning classrooms. There are various recent studies suggesting that using mother tongue facilitates foreign language learning. In this respect, the purpose of this study was to examine the teachers’ and students’ perceptions towards L1 use in L2 classrooms and under which circumstances they preferred using mother tongue. In addition, learners’ preferences of teachers’ code switching were also analyzed. Both teachers’ and students’ perceptions and beliefs on code switching were investigated using the questionnaires, classroom observations and interviews as data collection tools. There were 2 hour-observation periods (90 minutes) in the classrooms of 2 nd grade, 4 th grade and 7 th grade in which the circumstances of L1 use were analyzed to determine if there were any common characteristics of the L1 use. Findings of the revealed that there were some common circumstances where teachers code-switched to facilitate learning in the classroom and that students had some clear preferences for their teachers to switch to L1.

Materials and methods in English Language Teaching (ELT) predominantly depended on conventional textbooks and visual aids. In the 21st century, the discourse around ELT materials and methods has progressively transitioned to non-traditional approaches, where the integration of multimodal digital texts and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is becoming standard practice. A central theme of this edition of MaJER (Volume 22, Issue 1) is the impact of technology on the engagement with ELT materials. A pertinent question is whether interaction with new technologies has resulted in significant changes to methodologies. Although traditional materials may continue to be relevant in contexts with restricted technological access, the incorporation of novel digital tools in ELT necessitates a deeper understanding of their effective application and the ways in which their integration facilitates innovative methodologies. Another focus of this issue is the role of English in instruction, which is a central to the topic of ELT materials especially where English serves as a lingua franca, extensively utilised for communication by non-native speakers of English. In such environments what constitutes standard English? Which variety should be used in communication and reading materials adopted in the classroom?

This article talks about the methodology of foreign language teaching, the history of its development as a science, the types of modern methods used in the methodology of foreign language teaching and their use.

This study explores the integration of mindfulness-based activities in English language teaching (ELT) at an Islamic senior high school in Indonesia. It aims to investigate how such activities influence students’ language anxiety, classroom participation, and overall engagement. Using a qualitative case study design, data were collected through classroom observations, teacher and student interviews, and reflective journals. The findings reveal that mindfulness practices—including guided breathing, reflective journaling, and mindful listening—significantly reduced students’ foreign language anxiety, improved emotional regulation, and fostered greater willingness to communicate. Observations also indicated increased voluntary participation and more supportive peer interactions, particularly through mindful listening, which promoted empathy and reduced fear of judgment. Moreover, the cultural and spiritual alignment of mindfulness with Islamic values such as muhasabah (self-reflection), sabr (patience), and ikhlas (sincerity) enhanced students’ receptivity and deepened engagement. These results suggest that mindfulness not only supports linguistic development but also nurtures resilience, peer empathy, and holistic well-being when contextualized in Islamic educational settings. The study contributes to the growing body of research on affective factors in ELT and provides practical implications for integrating mindfulness into culturally relevant pedagogy.

The technology is omnipresent and indispensable at present era. Due to the technology, the education of teaching English is undergone an enormous transformation. The recent technology signifies the major development in the English language teaching and learning methods. The English teachers are very energetically integrating the technological teaching materials planned to make possible and through this, it helps the most advantageous in teaching delivery. According to the language teaching, the digital virtual media is occupied the classroom. At present era, the teaching is too interesting because of the digital media. The language teachers are creating a visualized of innovative in approach. “Technology in Education” is being an important role in educational field. The students need for technology in the education system. The conventional methods are based on lecturing but the present learning is foundation on interactive learning method. The modern technologies like Internet, Skype, Interactive Boards, Blogs, Android phones, Twitter, YouTube are used for the learner’s interactive session in the classroom. The research paper attempts to establish the use of technology in language teaching and it brings new teaching technique and to make sure the effective and quality based teaching.

Communicative Language Proficiency (CLP) in the target language is critical for the teachers joining English language teaching for different reasons. The Ministry of Education in the Sultanate of Oman has sanctioned the score of Band 6 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as the main criterion for accepting English language teachers graduating from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). Nonetheless, some fourth-year Student Teachers (STs) have failed to achieve the specified score due to reasons pertinent to the choices made in the initial English language teacher education program content knowledge and methods. This qualitative study, hence, investigates the perspectives of purposively selected STs and faculty members about the effect of SQU English Language Teaching (ELT) content knowledge and methods on the STs’ IELTS band scores. Results have shown that there is a need to reconsider the content knowledge and methods to create more opportunities for the program participants to use the language communicatively. Results have further shown that certain faculty members adopt certain teaching methods insensitive to the needs and interests of the STs and which negatively affect their CLP. The results have important implications for the STs’ success in the IELTS and hence their employability.

This study explores the role of the Korean military as a bridgehead for the spread of English through the lens of English Linguistic Imperialism (ELI). In so doing, it is particularly concerned with the question of how Galtung`s (1980) four distinct categories (cC, pC, cP, and pP) of the structure of imperialism, or the Center-Periphery dichotomy, can apply to the introduction and expansion of English in the socio-historical and political contexts of Korea during the nation-building period (1945-the 1960s). The U.S. Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) (1945-1948) declared English to be the official language of Korea and, in modernizing the Korean military, paid special attention to English education. Connected with the dominant power of the USAMGIK (cC), the Korean military became the new elite group (cP) in Korean society. Enjoying supremacy over the civilian sector, the Korean military committed to playing a pivotal role in spreading English into the civilian sector (pP). Not only anglocentricity, or the supremacy of English, but also professionalism, typically represented by the English Language Teaching (ELT) method of audiolingualism, was widely disseminated from the U.S. military to the Korean military, and then to the Korean public. Though short-lived, the language policy and practices of the USAMGIK have had a long-term effect on English education in Korea. The spread of English in Korea, in this sense, cannot be disassociated from the military as one of the social institutions.

This research sought to investigate the dynamics involved in employing pre-service English language teachers in public secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Specifically, the research investigated the dynamics involved assessment of the applicants’ pedagogical skills, personality and classroom management traits in a 21st-century paradigm. The secondary data emanated from the Practical Teaching Assessment Rating Scale (PTARC) and Oral Competence Test (OCT) on 114 unemployed English language teachers. Four research questions and two hypotheses were formulated and raised to guide the research respectively. The research population consisted of 1,050 graduate English language teachers from Ekiti State University, Ado- Ekiti, College of Education, Ikere Ekiti and the affiliated degree programme of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ekiti State, selected 114 English language teachers for the examination. The sample size of 114 was derived from the selection process aforementioned. The findings of the study revealed that the English language teachers were employable based on impressive performance in oral and theoretical assessments. The research provides recommendations on the need to include digital interactive courses in oral communication and instruction in spoken English while emphasizing earner-friendly strategies of teaching in Ekiti State public secondary schools

This paper reveals the results of a small-scale pilot study of the effects of a flipped classroom (FC) model, applied in higher education, with Year IV students of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Philology of the University of Banja Luka. Students’ perceptions of their engagement, motivation and satisfaction with a flipped approach to learning in one of their major subjects, English Language Teaching Methods 2, were explored. Four, out of twelve, lectures were flipped as an experiment, in the winter semester of the 2015/2016 academic year, and the students were later surveyed to hear their perceptions of flipped versus traditional lectures, after the term had finished and they had passed the final exam of the subject in question. Students’ comments from the post-semester survey, consisting of a 5-point Likert scale and interview questions, were examined critically and compared with personal, after-class teacher notes. The results show that these students were open and very positive towards the new approach to the organization of lectures. Although the students expressed some skepticism towards a total replacement of the lecture format with the FC model, they acknowledged a higher level of satisfaction, engagement, collaboration, motivation and autonomy than they experienced in traditional lectures. Therefore, they recommend its implementation in a tertiary education context. Our conclusions suggest the future elaboration of the FC approach, its more frequent application in higher education and identifies avenues for further research.

Subject under consideration in the article is memory as entire, complex and uninterrupted process and lecturer’s influence on character of students’ memory processes. Efficient techniques for improving memory processes of various scientists and the features of modern technologies for English vocabulary memorizing have been studied; nontraditional ways of words memorizing in the English language teaching methods, shown good results in practice have been proposed. The author has analyzed the inclusion of psychology for studying English. The psychological aspects of efficiency increasing of new words memorizing in English classes have been shown. It has been proposed that teachers take into account the individual differences of students in perception and memorization of new English vocabulary. The use of psychological methods of mnemonics and pictograms in English classes has been also considered. Recommendations concerning positive consequences of lecturer’s impact on character of students’ memory processes have been given in the article.

Institution of higher education are required to provide to the growth of students' critical thinking skills.The use of online learning is common in Universitas Negeri Surabaya because of pandemic Covid 19.Therefore, the goals of the study is to describe English method, project-based learning, to enhance critical thinking in an online environment for English Education Program teacherstudents.Students learn how to analyze arguments, evaluate, solve problems, work in teams, and communicate ideas to make decision through online project-based learning.The research employed a descriptive study with 30 English Education teacher-students enrolled in English Language Teaching Methods course at one of public university in Indonesia.The findings indicate that online project-based learning had developed students' critical thinking skills.It encourages the development of such skills (argumentation, evaluation and analysis).It is clear that virtual project-based learning methodology is more effective to develop students' critical thinking skills and greater understanding.

English language teaching methods have been transforming to improve learners’ English language proficiency. Currently, effective teaching methods are essential for enhancing learners’ academic achievement. Despite the recognition of collaborative learning as a beneficial approach, research specifically investigating its effects on writing performance remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of collaborative writing on Ethiopian English as a Foreign Language students’ writing accuracy, fluency, and complexity performance; it is a crucial area in language pedagogy that has not been extensively examined. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study selected a total of 86 students, with 43 participants from each of two grade 10 classes. One class was assigned to the experimental group, where students participated in collaborative writing activities. The other class served as the control group, receiving conventional writing instruction. The intervention was implemented over a 12-week period. Data were collected through pre- and post-writing tests, and the results of the pre and post writing performance tests were analyzed using descriptive statistics, an independent-samples t test, and ANCOVA. The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in writing accuracy and fluency. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of writing complexity performance. The findings indicate some theoretical and pedagogical implications to enhance advancements in writing proficiency, and overall, the study concludes by offering suggestions for future research.

This study examines how English Language Teachers perceive teaching in mixed-ability classrooms within the context of community schools in Nawalpur District. During their teaching activities, what barriers do they face while teaching in mixed-ability classrooms? I employed the qualitative case study as a research design or methodology. The data were collected from interviews, personal stories of English Language Teachers, and experiences with open-ended questions asked to four English Teachers who have been teaching in mixed-ability classrooms at the secondary level, as well as classroom observations. The issues include diverse socio-cultural backgrounds, varying levels of proficiency, different learning styles, varied instructional techniques, and varying student numbers. Teachers have been facing many challenges and issues in addressing the needs of learners in mixed-ability classrooms. The collected data was analyzed under the Sociocultural Theory of Vygotsky (1978) and Constructivist Learning Theory (1950). Previous research and literature have not given in-depth attention to the challenges faced by English Language Teachers, focusing instead on differentiated instruction. This research reveals that teachers should adapt their pedagogical approaches to incorporate various instructional methods, as the learning pace and style differ among students. The class size, peer learning, and teachers' scaffolding can also address the challenges they face in their classroom activities and improve and increase the student's learning outcomes. Furthermore, it contributes to the current issue of mixed-ability classrooms by filling the gap in the existing literature and providing some solutions and guidelines to enhance students' learning outcomes in community schools.

Background: In Indonesia's public Islamic secondary schools, English Language Policy and Planning (ELPP) faces challenges such as resource limitations, a lack of qualified educators, and a non-standardized curriculum. However, despite these challenges, compared to ASEAN peers like the Philippines, Indonesia's approach lacks focus on student-centered learning, underscoring the need for enhanced ELPP strategies. Methodology: Four English language teachers and one headmaster participated as respondents in this research to provide comprehensive data findings. Data were collected through interviews conducted over the course of one month, employing guided questions. Subsequently, descriptive analysis was utilized to analyze the data. Findings: English's mandatory integration in secondary education, especially in Madrasah Tsanawiyah, highlights its crucial academic role. Analyzing educational policies and curricular shifts, from competency-based to the Merdeka curriculum, showcases Indonesia's deliberate push for English proficiency. Interviews stress the Merdeka Curriculum's CEFR alignment, prioritizing student empowerment through learner-centered methods and technology. Despite efforts, challenges remain in public Islamic schools, with teachers advocating for supportive environments due to limited exposure and resources. Conclusion: The complex nature of these challenges necessitates the cooperation of politicians, educators, and administrators to establish an atmosphere that promotes successful English language acquisition while also honoring Indonesia's distinct cultural and linguistic diversity. Originality: This study uniquely explores ELPP in Indonesia's public Islamic secondary schools, highlighting the balance between English proficiency and cultural preservation, offering fresh insights into the ELPP discourse in a multicultural and multilingual context.