Theses supervised by Fatoş Erozan
19 theses · Eastern Mediterranean University
Evaluating an English Language Course for Nursing Students
This study aims to investigate into the English course for nursing in the faculty of nursing at Shahid-Beheshti University. More specifically, the study aims to identify the students’ and the instructor’s opinions about the course suggestions as regards the improvement of the English course, and the students’ need as perceived by themselves and the course instructor. This study has been designed as a case study which uses a mixed-methods approach to research. In other words, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through the student questionnaire and instructor interview. The participants of the study were seventy nursing students in the third and fourth years of their study and one instructor in the faculty of nursing at Shahid-Beheshti University. The results of this study indicated that both the instructor and the students held positive attitudes toward the English course for nursing in terms of its aims and objectives, content and materials, teaching-learning process, and assessment. Also, the results highlighted the strengths of the English course for nursing as perceived by the participants of the study. Additionally, the results showed that the course had some weaknesses too. Based on the weaknesses, the participants suggested making some changes in the English course for nursing. For example, by extending the time of the class and adding more English courses to teach the students. They mentioned that academic writing skills and listening skills be must emphasize more in this course. Also, they agreed the technology should be integrated into the English course. Finally, the results of the study explained some implications about the English for course for nursing in the faculty of nursing at Shahid-Beheshti University in Tehran. Also, some recommendations are provided for future studies. Keywords: English for specific purposes (ESP), English for Nursing Purposes (ENP), Need analysis (NA).
Students' and instructors' perceptions of powerPoint use in ELT classrooms
The current study aimed to identify both the students’ ( graduate and undergraduate ) and the instructors’ perceptions of PowerPoint Presentation (PPP) use in ELT Classrooms. The study was conducted in the Department of Foreign Language Education ( FLE) at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). It also attempted to find out the differences in perceptions between the graduate and the undergraduate students as well as between the students and the instructors. This case study used mixed method approach to research. The participants of the study were 108 students ( graduate and undergraduate ) and 10 instructors of FLE Department at EMU. The data were collected using student and instructor questionnaires and interviews. The results showed that both the students and the instructors had positive perceptions regarding the use of PPP in ELT classes. They believed that PPP is an easy and interesting tool to use in the classrooms. However, they varied in their preferences concerning PPP. The data showed that the students preferred decorative and light colored backgrounds while the instructors had some uncertainties regarding these preferences. In addition, although the undergraduate and graduate students showed similarities in their perceptions regarding PPP use, they differed in their preferences. For instance, the graduate students believed that the slides should work as discussion points in the classrooms while the undergraduate students believed that slides should include interesting multimedia features. The findings of this study may have some practical implications for instructors and students. More specifically, they may help the instructors and the students to gain awareness about the important role of PPP in learning and teaching. Also, the findings may provide feedback for the instructors as regards their students’ preferences, so that they can integrate more effective PPPs into their classrooms. Moreover, the study has some suggestions for future studies such as focusing on the topics of motivation and learning styles in relation to PPP. Keywords: PowerPoint Presentation (PPP), PPP in ELT, Perceptions, Preferences.
Students’ and Teachers’ Perceptions of an Effective English Language Teacher
The present study mainly aimed to investigate the students‟, instructors‟ and alumni‟s perceptions of an effective English language teacher in the English Language Teaching (ELT) Department at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). To this aim, personal qualities, professional qualities, pedagogical skills and classroom behaviors of effective English language teachers as perceived by the students, instructors and alumni were identified. The study was designed as a qualitative and quantitative (i.e. a mixed-type) case study. The participants included 82 undergraduate ELT students (student teachers), 10 instructors and 20 alumni. The data was collected through questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews from three groups of participants. The results of the study showed that the perceptions of each group of participants generally differed from another although some similarities were identified. According to the students and alumni, in order to be an effective English language teacher, professional qualities, pedagogical skills and classroom behaviors are more important than personal qualities. On the other hand, the instructors believed that the combination of all qualities is necessary for being an effective English language teacher. The overall findings of the study revealed that the highly important qualities of an effective English language teacher as perceived by the participants were: being fair, reducing students‟ anxiety, being good at classroom management, knowing students‟ names, correcting students without offending, being encouraging, approachable and patient, teaching speaking skills well, having good knowledge of vocabulary and having correct pronunciation, respectively. Although most of the qualities were perceived important, three qualities which are gender, being young and having lived in an English speaking country, were been perceived slightly important. In the light of the results of the study, some implications for pedagogy and further research are suggested. Keywords: effective teacher, English language, teacher qualities, perceptions
Teaching Speaking Skills in an English Language Teaching Department
The present study evaluates the Oral Communication Skills II course (ELTE 108) offered in the undergraduate program of the Department of English Language Teaching (ELT) at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in terms of teaching speaking skills. In this evaluation study, a mixed method approach was used; both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used. The participants of the study were twenty – six undergraduate students who were enrolled in ELTE 108 course and the two instructors who were teaching the course. The data were collected through a student questionnaire, teacher interviews and classroom observations. The results of the study show that the Oral Communication Skills II course is effective in improving the students’ speaking skills as perceived by the students and their instructors. In other words, the students and instructors have positive attitudes towards the course, but at the same time they suggest some changes to make the course more effective. More specifically, the results of the study revealed that the course has some strengths and weaknesses as perceived by the instructors and the students. From the students’ perspective, the results show that the main strength of the course is that it has helped them to learn how to give presentations, impromptu speeches and engage in a discussion, while one of the main weak points is that visual aids were not used sufficiently in the class. In relation to the teachers’ perspective, they stated that the strong points of the course are that it provided the students with the theoretical knowledge of delivering presentations, impromptu speeches and also it helped the students to develop inter-cultural and inter-personal skills. One of the major findings of this study is that listening activities were very limited. The findings of this study may provide feedback to the instructors as regards the effectiveness of the course so that they can make the necessary improvements.
Kurdish Novice English Language Teachers’ Perceptions on their Teaching Practices and Needs: A Case Study
The present study aimed to investigate into Kurdish novice English language teachers’ perceptions on their teaching practices and needs. The study also aimed to identify their perceptions on the teacher education programs they had gone through and to what extent they had prepared them for the process of teaching. For this purpose, the teachers’ perceptions regarding their difficulties, challenges and needs in their first year(s) of teaching were identified. This study is a mixed method case study, which applies a descriptive -interpretive method. Sixty – three Kurdish novice English teachers who are teaching in basic and preparatory schools of General Educational Directorate of Erbil participated in this study. Thirty – three teachers were from the basic level while thirty teachers were teaching in preparatory level. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from two different sources: teacher questionnaire and teacher interviews. The results of the study indicate that in general, Kurdish novice English language teachers found some aspects in their first year(s) of teaching difficult, some neither difficult nor easy and some others easy. The results also show that teaching about target culture, hiring practices and dealing with special needs of students were their main problems. The results at the same time show that the teachers were in need of support from their administrators, interaction with experienced English teachers and a continuous training program. As regards the teacher education program, the results show that teacher education program they completed did not fully satisfy them and they believed that their needs were not met. Based on the results, some implications for improving the teacher education in Kurdistan regional government of Iraq and suggestions for further studies have been recommended. The implications can help teacher education programs to be more effective and help novice teachers more to face less problems and provide them with their needs.
An investigation into the use of L1 in EFL classes in the Kurdistan region of Iraq
The present study aimed to identify the attitudes of students and teachers toward the use of L1 (Kurdish) in English as a foreign language (EFL) classes in basic and high schools in the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It also investigated if attitudes of the learners change across different levels of study and gender. Besides, it tried to find out the students’ and the teachers’ perceived needs for L1 use in their classes. Finally, it looked into the students’ and the teachers’ actual uses of L1 to see when, where, and for what purposes they use it and to identify whether level of study and gender affect the students’ use of Kurdish. This research study was designed as a case study in which qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed. The participants included 98 students and 4 teachers from 7th grade and 11th grade classes. The data was collected through a student questionnaire, a teacher questionnaire, teacher interviews, and classroom observations. The results of the study showed that the teachers and students were positive toward the use of Kurdish in English classes. However, the students were more positive than the teachers. While students believed that Kurdish can often be used in English classes, the teachers preferred moderate and sometimes use of it. The results also showed that the attitudes of 11th grade students were more positive than those of 7th grade students and that the difference between them was statistically significant. Similarly, the female students showed more positive attitudes than the male students did toward the use of Kurdish; yet, the difference was not statistically significant. It was found that the teachers use Kurdish usually because the students’ proficiency level was not adequate to understand English-only classes. Moreover, they thought it helps students understand and learn better, it helps teaching new vocabulary and difficult topics, and it saves time. Students reported that they use Kurdish because they think they are not proficient in English enough to speak it and it helps them understand and learn English. The results of the classroom observations showed that teachers and students used Kurdish extensively in different situations and for a variety of purposes while very little English was used by them. Finally, the findings showed that 11th grade students used much more L1 than 7th grade students did and that male students used more Kurdish than female students did. However, the difference between males’ and females’ use of Kurdish was not very considerable. In the light of the findings of the study, some pedagogical implications for a judicious and moderate use of L1 and implications for further research were proposed. Keywords: student attitudes, teacher attitudes, L1 (Kurdish), L2 (English), use of L1, gender, level of study
Perceptions and Practices of Learner Autonomy in the Department of English at the University of Petra
This study was conducted in the English Department at Petra University, in Amman, Jordan seeks to look into students‟ and teachers‟ perceptions on learner autonomy. The study aimed to find out to what extent learner autonomy is fostered or practiced in that specific context. This study more specifically attempted to find out the perceptions and practices of the instructors and the students regarding learner autonomy. This is a case study which follows a descriptive method, it adopts a mixed- method approach to research where quantitative and qualitative data are gathered via student and instructor questionnaires and instructor interviews. The number of participants in this study is 76 undergraduate learners and 8 educators in the English Department in Petra University in Amman. The outcomes of the research study reveal that the students and the instructors shared positive beliefs bout learner autonomy. Also, both groups of participants encouraged the involvement of learners in decision taking about their learning. In general, the instructors thought that the students have the required skills to develop autonomy and turn out to be autonomous. However, they claimed that it is not feasible to make students take part in decisions regarding all aspects of their learning for example, the time and place of the lesson, the materials used and the course content. Additionally, both the students‟ and the instructors‟ perceptions about learner autonomy were found to be positive, but in terms of the feasibility of learner autonomy in their Department the students expressed different opinions from their instructors: while they found it feasible to promote autonomy in their Department, their instructors felt it was not feasible. Finally, the instructors indicated that they always attempt to encourage and promote autonomy in their courses. They stated various ways of doing so, such as making their learners explore, discover, learn and search for themselves and engaging them in group discussions, debates on the topics they choose or find interesting. Keywords: Learner Autonomy, Autonomous Learners, Desirability, Feasibility, traits.
Social Media Use in English Language Learning and Teaching
The rapid developments in technology have brought along new tendencies, one of which is social media. Today, social media are used for various purposes by many people around the world. The present study investigates into the attitudes of the students and instructors in the Foreign Language Education Department of Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus towards the use of social media tools, Facebook and YouTube, in language learning and teaching. It also seeks to identify the students’ and instructors’ attitudes on integrating social media into English language learning and teaching. A mixed method approach was used in this case study. The quantitative data were collected from the students’ and instructors’ questionnaires, while the qualitative data were collected from the interviews with the instructors and the open-ended questions from the questionnaires. The study sample consisted of 125 students and four instructors, 129 participants in total, in the Department of Foreign Language Education of Eastern Mediterranean University in North Cyprus. The results indicated that both the students and the instructors had positive attitudes towards the use of social media in language learning and teaching. The results also indicated that the participants were of the same mind in general regarding the function of each social media tool, namely, Facebook and YouTube in language learning and teaching. Most of the participants agreed on certain contributions of Facebook and YouTube to language learning and teaching. As perceived by them, YouTube contributes more to listening and speaking skills as well as pronunciation, while Facebook contributes more to writing and reading skills. Furthermore, the general idea was that social media can be used as a supportive tool to the curriculum. The results showed that YouTube and Facebook enhance learners’ certain language skills, communication skills, and cultural awareness as perceived by the participants. Keywords: Social media, Facebook, YouTube, language skills, communication, culture, language learning and teaching
Integrating Peer-teaching Element into Pre-Service English Language Teacher Education Courses
The present study aims to investigate into the attitudes of both students and instructors in the English Department at Islamic Azad University of Shiraz towards „microteaching‟ element in some departmental courses. The study also aims to identify their needs, expectations and suggestions as regards the utilization of microteaching component in some of the departmental courses. This study has been designed as a case study which uses a mixed-methods approach to research. In other words, both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through student and instructor questionnaires and interviews. The participants of the study are sixty-five student teachers and twelve instructors in the English Department at Islamic Azad University of Shiraz. Overall, the findings of the present study indicate that both the instructors and the student teachers held positive attitudes as regards the inclusion of microteaching element in some of the departmental courses including methodology courses and study skills courses. Also, the results highlighted the effectiveness and necessity of integrating microteaching component into language teacher education programs as perceived by the participants of the study. Furthermore, some pedagogical implications of the present study such as increasing the teacher candidates‟ awareness as regards the importance of microteaching as well as promoting the integration of microteaching in some of the departmental courses are presented. Also, some recommendations are provided to pave the way for the future researchers who are eager to conduct further studies on the utilization of microteaching component in language teacher education programs. Keywords: peer-teaching, student teacher, teacher education programs, instructors‟ attitudes, student teachers‟ attitudes
Evaluating the Undergraduate English Language Teacher Education Program at Eastern Mediterranean University
This study mainly aimed to evaluate the undergraduate ELT program at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). To this aim, the strengths and the weaknesses of the program perceived by the students, instructors and alumni were identified. The participants’ suggestions for the improvement of the program were also elicited. Finally, the extent to which the undergraduate ELT program meets the needs of the provided students was explored. This case study was a program evaluation study which was designed to evaluate the undergraduate ELT program at EMU and to recommend some suggestions for its improvement. Peacock’s (2009) Evaluation Model was used in the study and the data were collected through a student questionnaire, student interviews, student essays, teacher interviews, an alumni questionnaire, and document analysis. Twenty six third and fourth year ELT students, eight instructors and thirty three alumni participated in this study. The results of the study showed that the undergraduate ELT program at EMU has various strengths and weaknesses which need to be taken into consideration. The major strengths of the program are that the program trains well qualified English language teachers; balances the teaching of English, teaching skills, and classroom management skills; has a clearly stated philosophy and the reflection of this philosophy. The existence of qualified teacher trainers and the open-door policy in the department are the other strengths of the program. On the other hand, the weaknesses of the program perceived by the students, instructors and alumni are that the program seems to not have sufficient practical components and academic events; and includes some unnecessary courses. The number of the courses in the program was also found excessive. In relation to the strengths and the weaknesses, the students, instructors and alumni suggested some recommendations for the improvement of the program such as adding more practice, removing some of the courses, reducing the number of courses, adding courses on teaching culture and sociolinguistics, and organizing more academic events. Overall, the results revealed that the undergraduate ELT program at EMU meets the needs of the students to a great extent. According to the results of the study, some implications for pedagogy and further research are proposed. Keywords: program evaluation, language teacher education, English teacher education program evaluation, Peacock’s (2009) model
ELT Students’ and Instructors’ Perceptions, Practices and Needs about the Use of Technology in ELT
This study aimed to investigate into the English Language Teaching (ELT) students’ and instructors’ perceptions, practices and needs about the use of technology in ELT, at the Department of Foreign Language Education (FLE) Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). To this aim, the ELT students’ and instructors’ perceptions, practices and needs were identified. The current study was designed as a case study which applied the qualitative and quantitative research methods (mixed methods). The participants of the research were 30 third and fourth year undergraduate students, as well as 15 M.A students, 15 Ph.D. students and 6 instructors in the Department of Foreign Language Education of Eastern Mediterranean University. The data was collected through student and instructor questionnaires together with semi-structured interviews. The results of the study showed that the ELT students’ and instructors’ perceptions, practices and needs are parallel to each other, and a variety of similarities were acknowledged from the study. According to the results of the study, the students and instructors have positive perceptions of technology use in ELT. Moreover, the students believe that technology is useful for language learning and language teaching; it improves students’ vocabulary knowledge, motivates students and extends the educational setting to outside the classroom. Likewise, the instructors also believe that technology extends the educational setting beyond the classroom; it attracts students’ attention, motivates students, and it is useful for language learning and teaching. Overall, the instructors and the students have parallel positive perceptions, practices and challenges, but various needs regarding the integration of technology in ELT. This can be associated with the fact that the participating instructors are the teachers of the participating students sharing the same experience when technology is used in the classes. Keywords: Technology in ELT, Perceptions, Practices, Needs, Pre-service English Teachers, ELT Instructors.
Learner autonomy in skill-based language improvement courses in an undergraduate ELT program
The present study aimed to explore the extent to which the three skill-based language improvement courses in the first semester of the undergraduate English Language Teaching (ELT) program at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) promote learner autonomy as perceived by the students and the course instructors. To achieve this aim, the students‟ perceptions of learner autonomy in these courses were identified by administering them a questionnaire and the instructors‟ perceptions were obtained through interviews. Moreover, class observations were conducted to find out whether or not learner autonomy was actually promoted in the above mentioned classes. This study was a qualitative case study which includes both qualitative and quantitative data. It was also an evaluation study which adopted naturalistic and descriptive inquiry approach. The participants of the study were 87 students taking the three skill-based courses and the four instructors teaching these courses. Both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered through three parallel student questionnaires, teacher interviews, and class observations. The results of the study revealed that generally the three skill-based language improvement courses promote learner autonomy, as perceived by the students. However, the instructors‟ perceptions of learner autonomy in these courses were comparatively less positive. In other words, the teachers stated that they try to promote learner autonomy in their classes through some activities such as strategy training, and giving options in presentation or project topics, but due to some reasons like students‟ backgrounds, course materials, etc., they cannot fully foster learner autonomy in these courses. Similarly, the class observations also show that only few class activities were leading to learner autonomy. In addition, the results of the study included some suggestions from the students and the instructors; they proposed to make some changes in the existing courses in order to make them more effective in terms of promoting learner autonomy. To conclude, the findings of the present study may have the following implications for teaching and further research: i) The existing materials should be replaced by the materials which include more strategy-training and more activities/tasks promoting autonomy; ii) Various supplementary/self-study activities should be utilized; and, iii) The students should be involved in decision making. Keywords: Autonomy, Leaner Autonomy, Decision Making, Strategy Training, Perceptions.
An Investigation into Learner Autonomy in the Department of English at the University of Sulaimani
The aim of this study is to investigate the beliefs and practices of the instructors and the students regarding learner autonomy in the Department of English at the University of Sulaimani (UoS) in Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). For this purpose, the instructors’ and students’ beliefs as well as their practices of learner autonomy in general, and specifically in the Department of English at the UoS were identified. This case study follows a descriptive approach, and it is a mixed-method study in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected through student and instructor questionnaires and instructor interviews. The participants of the study are 150 undergraduate students and 18 instructors in the Department of English at the Uos in KRG. The findings of the study show that both groups of participants have positive perceptions about learner autonomy. Also, they both recommend the involvement of students in decisions about their learning, and they think that generally students have the necessary abilities to develop learner autonomy and become autonomous learners. Yet, they state that involving students in all the decisions regarding their learning such as the place and time of the lesson, the materials used, the pace of the class, the objectives of a course, and the teaching methods used in the Department of English is not very feasible. In addition, both the instructors and the students think that the students in the Department of English specifically do not have the necessary abilities to develop learner autonomy. Moreover, the majority of the instructors state that they always attempt to promote learner autonomy in their classes. They point out different ways of doing so such as encouraging their students to depend on themselves, giving them tasks to be done either in pairs, group or individually, involving their students in classroom discussions, and giving them opportunities to present seminars. To conclude, the results of this study show that learner autonomy is not promoted much in the Department of English at the University of Sulaimani, as both the instructors and the students think that it is not completely feasible (i.e. realistically achievable) in the Department at the moment, although both the instructors and students claim to be ready for it (i.e they have the desire for it) and they express positive ideas about it. Finally, the results of the study have some pedagogical implications for fostering learner autonomy in the Department of English at the University of Sulaimani, and some recommendations for future studies. Keywords: Learner Autonomy, Autonomous Learners, Students’ Beliefs, Teachers’ Beliefs, Desirability, Feasibility.
Students’ and Instructors’ Attitudes towards Peer Teaching Component in ELT Courses
The present study attempted to investigate into the students’ and the instructors’ attitudes towards the ‘peer teaching’ component in the Department of Foreign Language Education of Eastern Mediterranean University. In addition, aims to identify the students’ and instructors’ suggestions regarding how the quality of the peer-teaching component can be improved. The participants of the present study comprised two groups which are thirty-three third and fourth year undergraduate ELT students and the six instructors in the department. In order to collect the data for the study, a set of four instruments were used, including student questionnaire, instructor questionnaire, interviews with students, and interviews with instructors. The results of the data analyses indicated that both the students and the instructors expressed positive attitudes towards the peer-teaching component of ELT teacher education programs held at the EFL Department of EMU. The results of the study also indicated that the instructors and students were aware of the benefits that peer-teaching would have for ELT teacher education programs and for the students’ future teaching careers. The participants also mentioned some suggestions as to how to enhance the micro-teaching component of ELT courses. Overall, based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that ELT peer-teaching has been successful in proving itself as an effective instructional strategy in the eyes of both students and their instructors. However, based on the suggestion that students and instructors have made, some improvements can be done to enhance the micro-teaching component of ELT courses. Further, in the present study, some implications and suggestions for further research on attitudes towards the peer-teaching component of ELT teacher education programs are made to guide other researchers who are willing to conduct research in this area. Keywords: peer-teaching, teacher education programs, students’ attitudes, instructors’ attitudes
Evaluation of the English Language Teacher Education Program at the University of Sulaimani
This case study aimed at evaluating the undergraduate English language teacher education program at the University of Sulaimani. To this aim, the strong points and weaknesses of the program were identified as perceived by the students, alumni, and instructors. The participants’ suggestions were also obtained. Additionally, the study investigated whether the program meets the students’ needs or not. As a research design, Peacock’s (2009) model of program evaluation was used and through the student questionnaire, alumni questionnaire, instructor questionnaire, and instructor interviews the data were collected. Hundred and forty-six third and fourth year students, 50 alumni, 15 instructors responded to the questionnaires, and nine instructors participated in the interviews in the present study. The findings of the study showed that the undergraduate English language teacher education program at the University of Sulaimani had several strong points and weak points. The main strength of the program was that it prepared its students to become teachers by teaching them how to teach English and the skills of classroom management. However, the major weak points of the program were insufficient practical opportunities in the courses, unqualified instructors, and having some useless courses in the program. Moreover, the main suggestions that the participants proposed for the program’s improvement were to add more practical courses, to hire qualified teachers, to remove useless courses and to add more language improvement courses, specifically for the first year students before taking the academic courses. Overall, the results of the study showed that the program meets the students’ needs to some extent. The present study has some practical implications such as it may provide useful feedback to the English Department, and help them to make possible changes or revisions in the existing program. Also, some suggestions for further research can be made: to conduct interviews with students, alumni and the other stakeholders (program designers, decision makers, academicians in the field, and Council of Higher Education), and to add observation sessions. Keywords: Program evaluation, language teacher education, language teacher education programs, Peacock’s (2009) model of program evaluation.
Teachers’ and Students’ Attitudes towards Native and Non-Native English Language Teachers
The current study mainly aimed to identify students’ and teachers’ attitudes concerning native speaker (NS) English language teachers and non-native speaker (NNS) English language teachers, at the English Preparatory School (EPS) at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). In addition, the strengths and weaknesses of NS English language teachers and NNS English language teachers were noted. In this case study, a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection was employed. The participants included thirty EPS teachers and ninety-eight pre-intermediate and intermediate level EPS students. The data was collected through teacher and student questionnaires as well as interviews. The results of the study revealed that NS English language teachers and NNS English language teachers have various strengths and weaknesses. From the perspective of the students, the results indicated that the major strength of NS English language teachers is their pronunciation and accent, whilst their foremost weakness is their teaching abilities of English grammar. In contrast, the leading strength of NNS teachers is their teaching of English grammar and the main weakness is their pronunciation and accent. In relation to the teachers’ perspective, the results showed that the major strength of NS English language teachers is their pronunciation and accent, whereas, their leading weakness is their knowledge of grammar rules. Moreover, the key strength of NNS English language teachers is their previous experience in learning a second language, while their major drawback is pronunciation and accent. Overall, the students were found to have more positive attitudes about NS English language teachers. However, the teachers believed that it is irrelevant whether a teacher is a NS or a NNS, providing that they can teach effectively. Keywords: native speaker (NS) English language teacher, non-native speaker (NNS) English language teacher, students’ attitudes, teachers’ attitudes
Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Learner Autonomy in the ELT Department at Eastern Mediterranean University
The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of the ELT students and their instructors as regards learner autonomy in the English Language Teaching (ELT) Department at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in North Cyprus. To achieve this, the ELT students’ and instructors’ overall perceptions about learner autonomy in general, and learner autonomy in the ELT Department at EMU specifically were identified. The present study is a case study, which employs a descriptive -interpretive method. The study was conducted with 69 ELT students and 11 instructors teaching in the ELT Department at EMU. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected through three different sources: student questionnaire, teacher questionnaire, and teacher interviews. The results obtained from this study reveal that both students and teachers in the ELT Department have positive views about learner autonomy. The outcomes of the study also show that both ELT students and their instructors believed that students should be involved in decisions about their learning, and that the ELT students have the potential to become autonomous learners. However, most of the instructors and students think that it is slightly feasible or unfeasible to involve students in every decision, such as classroom management, the teaching methods used, and the time and place of the lesson in the ELT Department. On the other hand, the instructors recommended that they should try to promote learner autonomy more in their courses by revising the ELT curriculum, redesigning the courses, giving freedom to students to choose their topics for projects and assignments, teaching students how to learn, etc. To conclude, the results of this study show that the ELT students’ and their instructors’ perceptions of learner autonomy are positive, and they can be considered ready for it, because they desire it although they think that it is not completely feasible (i.e. realistically achievable) in the ELT Department at the moment. Based on the results, some pedagogical implications for fostering learner autonomy in the ELT Department at EMU, and suggestions for further research have been recommended. Keywords: Autonomy, Learner Autonomy, Teacher Autonomy, Student Perceptions, Teacher Perceptions
Fostering Learner Autonomy outside the Classroom at an English Preparatory School
Learner autonomy is one of the major topics in education and language learning for more than 40 years. It has been studied as a research topic almost all over the world. In contrast to being studied too much, every single study comes up with a new point to be considered. This is the proof for the wideness of this subject. The main purpose of the present study is to identify the FLEPS students’ and instructors’ perceptions as regards fostering learner autonomy outside the classroom at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) School of Foreign Languages and English Preparatory School (FLEPS). To this aim, the study attempts to find out the students’ study habits, and how they use the Student’s Self Study Centre (SSSC) to develop their autonomy level. In other words, it aims to obtain to what extent the SSSC and the instructors are fostering learner autonomy outside the classroom. In this case study, the mixed method approach was used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The participants were 10 instructors and 105 students from the FLEPS. A questionnaire was administered to the students and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the instructors in order to obtain data. The results revealed that generally the students watch movies and listen to music outside the classroom to improve their English. They also said that they frequently use the SSSC. Based on the results, the instructors, on the other hand, mainly give assignments to help students develop autonomy. Moreover, the results showed that there is an urgent need for updating the materials and renewing the SSSC’s resources and facilities. There is also need for a continuous staff development programme in the SSSC in order to equip the staff with necessary knowledge and skills to make them be able to inform, guide and facilitate students more effectively. Keywords: Learner Autonomy (LA), English Preparatory School (EPS), Students’ Self Study Center (SSSC), perceptions.
Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in ELT Classrooms
The current study’s aim is to investigate the Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) in ELT classrooms at Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU). For this purpose. The students’ ICC levels were identified by using the adapted version of Fantini’s (2007) questionnaire, and their attitudes towards promotion of ICC in ELT classrooms were found out through five open-ended questions. Then, the instructors’ attitudes about ICC and their practices of promotion of ICC were examined through instructor interviews, and the course policy sheets were analyzed accordingly. The research study was designed as a mixed method approach case study with a sample of 127 students and 10 instructors from the Foreign Language Education Department (FLED) at EMU. The study employed triangulation approach to collect the data. The study collected data from various sources such as: 1) Student questionnaire 2) Instructor interviews 3) ELTE course policy sheets. The results of the study reveal that the ELT students of EMU have a fairly average of ICC level. According to the findings, the ELT students and instructors believe that ICC is significant in ELT and they show positive attitudes accordingly. Thus, in order to foster ICC, the instructors attempt to include some classroom activities and tasks that help students to gain intercultural awareness and competence. Furthermore, around 1/3 of the course policy sheets do address ICC which can be considered acceptable. Based on these results, ICC is promoted in ELT classrooms at EMU. Finally, the results may offer a clear feedback to the instructors about students’ ICC levels. This study may also raise the awareness of both students and instructors regarding the importance of ICC in ELT. Further studies can be conducted to expand the scope of the research in this field. Keywords: Intercultural Communicative Competence, English Language Teaching, Culture.