Quarterly Journal | December 2004
The “Unknown Unknowns” of Plain English
Dr. Roger Nunn considers the pragmatic implications of some of the double speak that politicians enter into. He considers Donald Rumsfeld’s “Plain English Campaign” ‘Foot in the Mouth’ Award, for his now notorious statement on “known, knowns” and “unknown, unknowns”.
Developing oral skills by combining fluency- with accuracy-focused tasks: A case study in China
This paper reports an evaluative case study in which the researcher working as facilitator, assessor and evaluator critically analyzed the value of his contribution to a Spoken English program offered at Shanghai Normal University in China. The subjects who participated in this research were 268 Chinese third-year college students pursuing different majors excluding English.
Shifting paradigms: from a communicative to a context-based approach
This paper offers a critical examination of the communicative approach (CA) with specific reference to a study of the teaching and learning experiences of a group of Thai university practitioners and students. It is argued that although the fundamental tenets of the approach have served the profession well, it is now time to consider an emerging alternative paradigm in the form of a context-based approach (C-bA).
Perception, Practice and Progress – Significance of scaffolding and zone of proximal development for second or foreign language teachers
Vygotskian approaches to second or foreign language (L2) learning and teaching have been gaining momentum in the field of L2 studies. This paper examines the significance of these approaches, especially scaffolding and the zone of proximal development (ZPD), in the perception, practice and progress of L2 learning and teaching.
Consideration of Age in L2 Attainment – Children, Adolescents and Adults
The idea of “earlier is better” is modified by the concept of a “Critical Period” in a person’s age during which language acquisition is optimal. It is controversial when applied to L2 acquisition (L2A). Evidence from a close examination of the studies relating age to L2A supports the proposition that there is a period in the learner’s age when L2 is acquired more proficiently in terms of the final language outcome or output.
A Study of English Writing by Native Chinese Freshmen : Teaching English Requires the Teaching of Culture(s)
This article presents a study of English academic writing by native Chinese speakers. It explores the interactive relationship of topic influence, individual (cultural) stance and text types in different cultural contexts. Specifically, it argues that topic is an essential element in writing.
Phonological Differences between Japanese and English: Several Potentially Problematic Areas of Pronunciation for Japanese ESL/EFL Learners
In light of the fact that L2 pronunciation errors are often caused by the transfer of well-established L1 sound systems, this paper examines some of the characteristic phonological differences between Japanese and English. Comparing segmental and suprasegmental aspects of both languages, this study also discusses several problematic areas of pronunciation for Japanese learners of English.
A Consideration of the Role of The Four Iddhipada and the Sutta in Teaching English in Thailand Today
This article discusses aspects of two 2,500-year-old eastern frameworks for learning, based on the teachings of the Buddha. They are the Four Iddhipada, a philosophy of principles and process in teaching and learning, and the Sutta, a Thai oral tradition that describes the habits of a scholar.
Preposition Pied-piping and Preposition Stranding Constructions in the Interlanguage Grammar of Iranian EFL Learners
Several studies of the interlanguage of L2 learners of English have evidenced an interim stage in the development of preposition pied-piping and preposition stranding when learners tend to omit the preposition in both interrogatives and relative clauses. The phenomenon generally referred to as null-prep has been controversially discussed in the literature.
The Current Status of English Education in Mongolia
This essay describes the developments of English language education in the People’s Republic of Mongolia since the country’s democratic revolution in 1990. Although the use of English in Mongolia has been thriving since this time, virtually no information about this phenomenon has been reported.
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