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TIRF Publications

TIRF has a series of research-based publication activities, including (1) a series of commissioned research reports; (2) its “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English,” which is co-produced with Routledge (Taylor & Francis); and (3) its TIRF Insights series.

To learn more about these publications, select any of the links below.

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TIRF Insights: Social and Emotional Learning is available in four languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, and Spanish.

This paper, authored by Katherine (Kath) Stannett, investigates social and emotional learning (SEL) against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent disrupted education and learning loss.

Recent research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to disrupted education, learning loss, and the wide-scale use of hybrid and online teaching and learning. The pandemic has also revealed and underscored a need to address not only students’ academic skills but also their social and emotional skills.

This paper is made available to the public for free. Use these links to access the publication:

 

TIRF is pleased to have worked with author Kath Stannett, an England-based teacher trainer and materials writer, and in collaboration with Laureate International Universities and National Geographic Learning, to produce this first paper in the “TIRF Insights” series. This series was formerly known as “TIRF Language Education in Review.”

Via “TIRF Insights,” the Foundation profiles recent research in the field of English Language Teaching in a practical and accessible format. Our publication is written for parents, teachers, school leaders, and all student advocates who want to review recent educational trends in a nonacademic way.

Click here to download the English version of TIRF Insights: Social Emotional Learning.

TIRF_Insights_EMI_Cover

New Ways to Support EMI Teachers, Students, and Schools

English-Medium Instruction (EMI) is the use of the English language to teach academic subjects in settings where English is not the most common language of education. Over the past two decades, the number of schools with EMI curricula has expanded dramatically because English is now essential for success in a variety of arenas, including politics, economics, technology, science, medicine, and media.

Context: EMI is experiencing growth in public sectors globally and is no longer limited to students at elite private academies and universities. However, research shows that issues persist in effectively implementing EMI in schools across all levels due to the complex nature of studying academic curriculum in a second or third language.

What the Research Says: A growing number of EMI programs encourage teachers to take advantage of students’ first language (L1) to deliver new skills and content in English. In this way, two languages are used to process content and support students in becoming fully bilingual and academically successful.

Why it Matters: English is already the leading language of technology and medicine and is the business lingua franca. Young people are required to obtain a level of English proficiency not needed for previous generations. EMI can be foundational in the development of English language skills across the many disciplines required in modern education. Students with greater English proficiency have more university choices and greater career flexibility.

What’s Next: Globalization and EMI are interlinked: International students continue to look for programs providing EMI while English-medium institutions seek these students as a source of income and prestige. EMI will also continue to expand in primary and secondary sectors, in both private and public contexts. Research shows that students who begin an EMI program early in their education are often more successful throughout their learning in English-medium schools.

Read the Report:  In this recent report from TIRF and National Geographic Learning, author Tracey Gibbins sets the backdrop of EMI in today’s educational arena and shares where this approach to language education is heading. This paper is available in multiple languages. Use the following links to download the version of the paper you wish to read:

About the “TIRF Insights” Series: The “TIRF Insights” series profiles recent research in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) in a practical and accessible format. Our publication is written for parents, teachers, school leaders, and all student advocates who want to review recent educational trends in a nonacademic way.

Click here to download the English version of TIRF Insights: English-Medium Instruction.

Calls to Action: Here is a set of discussion questions that will help you and your team take next steps toward adopting, implementing, and/or furthering EMI at your institution:

  1. What are some of the challenges learners face in EMI classrooms? Is there a discrepancy in English language proficiency levels among students in classrooms in our community? Are the materials used with our students suitable for all levels of English proficiency?
  2. Which cultural backgrounds are reflected in our school or community’s student body? How does this cultural mix play a role in our school or community’s EMI approach? How do we currently include and support all students? What more can we do?
  3. How can educators support one another during EMI adoption? Which teachers feel challenged, and by which issues? How can administrators support these differing needs?
  4. We know there is often a performance gap in EMI classes between students with lower levels of English proficiency and those with greater proficiency. How can educators support both types of students to decrease the gap and provide appropriate academic instruction?
  5. Are there additional equity and inclusion issues present in the classroom? How can these be identified and addressed?
TIRF_Insights_ClimateChangeEducation_Cover-v2

Confronting Climate Change Education in ELT

Our world faces a number of challenges, and for many people, the most serious global issue is climate change, driven by the unsustainable use of the planet’s resources. But what does climate change have to do with English language teaching (ELT)?

At first glance, ELT might have little to do with environmental concerns. However, there are convincing reasons for ELT professionals to integrate sustainability into their teaching.

Context: As our world is globally interconnected, many national and international education frameworks underscore the need for young people to become global citizens who take action. Pioneering educators in the field of sustainable development are leading the way in preparing young people to become the global citizens of the future.

Climate Change Education, or CCE, is the education sector’s response to the growing global concern for global warming. Sustainability is steadily becoming a focus of education in science syllabi, through student-based action, and as part of national curricula.

Implications: ELT instructors can play a key role in helping students develop language skills to participate in the climate change debate. Preparing learners to be a part of this ongoing conversation and to act with informed awareness is the very basis of education. Bringing climate change discussions into the ELT classroom will help students develop their voices for sustainability discussions outside of class.

What’s Next: The science of global warming is clear. As climate change awareness increases globally, we can expect to see a much greater focus on climate action in all areas of life, including English language education.

Read the Report:  In this report from TIRF and National Geographic Learning (NGL), author Daniel Barber details how stakeholders in ELT are confronting issues involved in CCE. This paper is currently available in Chinese (Simplified), English, and Spanish and will soon be released in Arabic. Complete the form at the following link to download the paper:

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About the “TIRF Insights” Series: The “TIRF Insights” Series profiles recent research in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) in a practical and accessible format. Our publications are written for parents, teachers, school leaders, and all student advocates who want to review recent educational trends in a nonacademic way. TIRF is pleased to be working with NGL on this important endeavor.

Calls to Action: To promote further exploration and discussion for you and your colleagues on the issues raised in the TIRF Insights: Climate Change Education paper, here are some questions to guide a conversation around the topic of CCE.

  1. What role does climate change currently play in our students’ lives? How can we support students in learning more in a supportive atmosphere?
  2. What are the most relevant and impactful environmental issues that affect the learners’ local area and home country? How can we raise awareness of these issues and the part our leaners might play in tackling them?
  3. Which cultural factors arise when discussing climate change in our classrooms? Is there more we can do to support one another to handle these cultural sensitivities?
  4. What misgivings do we have regarding the adoption of CCE? Lack of training? Uncertainty around content that could be seen as political? Our own climate anxiety? What support could be helpful in overcoming these obstacles?
  5. What climate education projects would our students and our school like to take part in? What actions might benefit students, parents, the school, and the local community.
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Video Greeting from TIRF Trustee Michael Carrier

The use of mobile and handheld technology is growing exponentially in language education, and it is clear that much more research, project evaluation, and evidence-based analysis are needed to help us understand this new phenomenon. However, important questions remain about the efficacy of handheld devices in language learning.

What benefits do learners, teachers and school administrators derive from the use of mobile and handheld technology? What are the challenges and pitfalls? Can this technology be misapplied and waste precious resources?

With questions like these in mind, TIRF has commissioned six papers to explore the current state of mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). It is our hope that these papers provide an accurate account of how MALL is impacting the landscape of English language education, and what challenges lie ahead for language learning teachers and students, administrators, business professionals, and others.

The following provides brief information about the five papers and the authors who wrote them. Click on any of the papers’ titles to read an executive summary of the paper, download the paper, and to view invited discussants’ comments on the authors’ papers. We would also very much like to have your reactions to our MALL papers. Please use the “Comment” function below or on the authors’ pages to provide any feedback you may have.

Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.

Beyond the Classroom: Mobile Learning the Wider World

  • Ken Beatty, Professor of TESOL, Anaheim University

Designer Learning: The Teacher as Designer of Mobile-based Classroom Learning Experiences

  • Nicky Hockly, Director of Pedagogy, The Consultants-E

Re-skilling Language Learners for a Mobile World

  • Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Professor of Learning Technology and Communication, The Open University

Some Emerging Principles for Mobile-assisted Language Learning

  • Glenn Stockwell, Professor, Waseda University
  • Philip Hubbard, Senior Lecturer and Director of English for Foreign Students, Stanford University Language Center

Is there Evidence for Differential Benefits between Mobile Devices Used for Self-access Learning as Opposed to Language Learning in the Classroom with the Teacher?

  • Paul Sweeney, Founder and Director, Eduworlds Knowledge Ltd.

Mobile Learning for Languages: Can the Past Speak to the Future?

  • John Traxler, Professor of Mobile Learning and Learning Lab Director, University of Wolverhampton
LEiR_ESP_Cover-232x300

English for Specific Purposes (ESP), as a field within language education, has been evolving constantly since its inception. And as COVID-19 has affected our industry in a multitude of ways – many of which are known to us now yet many others are likely on the horizon – ESP is inevitably undergoing further changes in the near future.

Topics centered on ESP, such as key issues in the field, what we currently know, what the future holds, and what the implications are for various types of stakeholders, are all addressed in the latest installment to the TIRF Language Education in Review (LEiR) series. Authored by TIRF Trustee and TIRF Publications Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Andy Curtis, Language Education in Review: English for Specific Purposes, is free to download on TIRF’s website.

The primary readership for the entire series, regardless of the topics of individual papers, is non-academic. Papers are intended for policymakers and language education professionals in leadership and management roles, who need to be aware of trends and recent findings, for decision-making purposes, but who do not necessarily teach, conduct research, publish, or present.

TIRF is appreciative for its partnership with Laureate Languages to commission this latest LEiR paper and is grateful for Dr. Curtis’ efforts in authoring the publication.

Please click here to access this paper.

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The 10th volume in the TIRF-Routledge series, this book features research on the teaching and learning of English in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). With chapters written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees and internationally known scholars, the volume addresses contemporary challenges and considerations to teaching English in the MENA context. With empirical research covering a wide range of under-studied contexts, this book provides important insights and future directions to improve research and instruction. Offering up-to-date research at the primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels, this volume is an essential resource for language education programs and pre-service teachers.

This book has been co-edited by TIRF Trustees Dr. Kathi Bailey and Dr. David Nunan. It is featured in the “Global Research on English Language Teaching and Learning.”

If you are interested in ordering the book, please click here to visit Routledge’s website.

 

 

 

Research on Integrating Content and Language in Diverse Contexts

This publication presents research on the practice of integrating content and language in diverse contexts where English is used as a medium of instruction. With chapters written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees and other scholars, the volume offers an overview of a wide range of methodological approaches to teaching content in English to English learners and examines factors that impede or contribute to effective instruction. The chapters include findings from original empirical research, as well as overviews of existing research and model programs, providing valuable insights and taking into account a multitude of contextual features.

Offering up-to-date research on integrating language and content at the primary, secondary, and postsecondary levels, this book familiarizes readers with the latest advances in theory and practice. It is a key text for teacher education courses for preservice teachers, a resource for professional development programs for practicing teachers, and a useful reference for researchers.

Research on Integrating Language and Content in Diverse Contexts is the latest volume in the TIRF-Routledge “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” series. The book is the ninth volume in the “Global Research” series.

Three long-time TIRF Trustees collaborated to compile the volume. MaryAnn Christison, Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and the Urban Institute for Teacher Education at the University of Utah; JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall, Professor Emerita and former Director of the Language, Literacy, and Culture Ph.D. Program and Co-Director of the MA TESOL Program at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Donna Christian, a Senior Fellow at the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, D.C. are the co-editors of Research on Integrating Content and Language in Diverse Contexts.

TIRF would like to acknowledge the contributions of all the authors and editors. We are grateful for their scholarship and dedication to furthering research in our field, as well as for agreeing to forego any royalties or honoraria, so that any profits may be used for TIRF initiatives.

To learn more about the volume, including how to purchase a copy, please click here.

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This book is the eighth volume in the Global Research on Teaching and Learning English series, co-published with Routledge (Taylor & Francis). It brings together the latest developments in research on teaching English in under-resourced contexts across the world, offering a window into the complex challenges that these communities face. Recommendations from research and experience in well-resourced contexts are frequently not relevant or feasible in different circumstances. Contributors explore local and regional assets and challenges to provide a deeper understanding of the difficult issues that language learners and teachers must confront, and they provide insights to meet those challenges.

With chapters written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees, the volume addresses the crucial and growing need for research-based conversations on the contexts, environments, and challenges of teaching English in areas of the world with limited resources, literacy levels or other constraints.

The volume includes sections on policy connections, teacher preparation, and practice insights. It is a useful resource for graduate students and teacher educators in language education, ESL/EFL education, and international education, and an enlightening reference for all readers with an interest in language education around the world.

To view the book, please click here.

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(Download this publication here: http://www.tirfonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/LEiR_CEFR.pdf)

A recent search for the term “CEFR” (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) on Google Scholar gave the following results: approximately 28,000 hits with no time frame; 12,700 hits since 2015; approximately 3,900 hits in 2018; and approximately 700 hits in the first three months of 2019. In other words, there is an abundance of work on the CEFR – an embarrassment of riches perhaps, that makes it very difficult for any single publication to summarize all the research that has been done, and that is being done, on the CEFR.

Examples of CEFR research published in 2019 include the paper by Afir, Hamid, and Renshaw on the use of the CEFR in Malaysia. In that paper, the authors start by stating that the CEFR “has emerged as a global policy in language education which has been ‘borrowed’ by nations across the world” (p. 1). That notion of ‘borrowing’ refers to the fact that the CEFR was originally designed by Europeans for Europeans, but now appears to have taken on a life of its own, being referred to in teaching, learning, and testing contexts far away from Europe, not only geographically far-removed in space and time, but also far-removed in terms of histories, languages, and cultures.

In a paper published in 2018, also on the implementation of the CEFR in Malaysia, Azia, Rashid, and Zainudin concluded that “the implementation of CEFR in Malaysia still needs to be improved. All the stakeholders need to be properly synchronised, aware of their responsibility and updated with the latest information” (2018, p. 415, emphasis added). Those two papers (and others) on the CEFR in Malaysia highlight one of the challenges of employing the Framework, i.e., the context – geographical, linguistic, cultural, educational, etc. Another challenge relates to being “updated with the latest information” on the CEFR, as so much CEFR-related research is being done, and so many papers on the Framework are being published.

Other papers reiterate this recurring theme of contextual challenges. For example, working with Spanish learners of English in Spain, Díez-Bedmar (2018) found that “despite the current importance of the CEFR in the learning, teaching, and assessment of languages, limitations arise in the use of the CEFR descriptors, which are also present in the European Language Portfolio (ELP)” (p. 199, emphasis added).

Another context for CEFR research has been Canada. For example, Arnott, Brogden, Faez, Péguret, Piccardo, et al. (2017) proposed a research agenda for the CEFR in Canada. In their paper, the authors conclude with a series of questions, including the following:

  • “What policies currently exist or might need to be created in order to support CEFR use within and across the provinces at all three levels of education for a variety of languages?
  • What professional development opportunities are currently being offered, and what further types of scaffolding are needed to support language teachers?
  • How is the CEFR currently being used, and how might it be used to greater advantage in order to enhance language learning?
  • How do students experience CEFR-informed instruction, and what types of impact does it have?” (Arnott, Brogden, Faez, Péguret, Piccardo et al., 2017, p. 47)

On the basis of the third question above – “How is the CEFR currently being used, and how might it be used to greater advantage in order to enhance language learning?” – TIRF commissioned Professor Enrica Piccardo, Professor of Applied Linguistics and Language Education at OISE (University of Toronto), to author the second paper in TIRF’s LEiR series.

TIRF remains grateful for partnering with Laureate Languages to commission The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) in Language Education: Past, Present, and Future, and thanks Prof. Piccardo’s diligence in authoring the paper. Please click here to access the paper.

– Andy Curtis, Chair of TIRF’s Publications Committee

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The seventh volume in the “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” features chapters with original research written by internationally recognized scholars and TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees. The volume addresses the crucial and growing need for research-based conversations on the contexts, environments, goals, and measures of success for Chinese-speaking learners of English. It includes sections on language assessment, perceptions in university contexts, and technology, especially in relation to young learners, in order to promote in-depth discussion of the teaching and learning of English for native speakers of Chinese.

The13 research-based chapters in Chinese-Speaking Learners of English: Research, Theory, and Practice discuss topics such as the impact and implications of using emerging assessment tools; the increase in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses; academic speaking and writing; and teaching in an online or hybrid environment. Throughout the book, the authors draw on their knowledge of their multiple contexts, as well as their learners’ needs and goals.

This volume is co-edited by Ryan Damerow, TIRF’s Chief Operating Officer, and Dr. Kathi Bailey, TIRF President is now available for purchase online.

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The FreeBook TIRF has co-published with Routledge features one chapter in each of the six previously published books in the “Global Research in Teaching and Learning English” series.

To download the FreeBook, click here.

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Many stakeholders (e.g., parents, policymakers, students, and teachers) see English as a medium instruction (EMI) as a tool for creating opportunities for English learners to achieve success in both educational and workplace environments, and to join a global academic and workplace community. EMI has major implications for English language learning and the formation of policy, with a range of stakeholders affected when new decisions are made.

This paper is useful to universities struggling to make sense of the language issues around mobility of students, proficiency of the faculty, etc., and includes recommendations of what would need to be in the policies of universities, faculties, and departments.

TIRF is pleased to be working with Laureate International Universities and Dr. Joyce Kling, the author, to produce this first paper in this series. Please click here to access this paper.

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The sixth volume in the “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English” was released in February 2019. Global Perspectives on Language Assessment: Research, Theory, and Practice is co-produced with Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

This new book offers up-to-date research on the rapidly changing field of language assessment. The volume features original research with chapters reporting on a variety of international education settings from a range of diverse perspectives. Covering a broad range of key topics—including scoring processes, test development, and student and teacher perspectives—contributors offer a comprehensive overview of the landscape of language assessment and discuss the consequences and impact for learners, teachers, learning programs, and society. Focusing on the assessment of language proficiency, this volume provides an original compendium of cutting-edge research that will benefit TESOL and TEFL students, language assessment scholars, and language teachers

This volume is co-edited by TIRF Trustees Dr. Spiros Papageorgiou and Dr. Kathi Bailey. Click here to learn more information about this book, including how to order.

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In February 2018, we released the fifth volume in the series entitled, “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English,” which is co-published with Routledge/Taylor & Francis. This volume is co-edited by TIRF Trustees Dr. Jodi Crandall and Dr. Kathi Bailey.

This volume presents research on language policy and planning, with a special focus on educational contexts in which English plays a role. Global Perspectives on Language Education Policies brings readers up-to-date on the latest developments in research, theory, and practice in a rapidly changing field. The diversity of authors, research settings, and related topics offers a sample of empirical studies across multiple language teaching and university contexts. This volume features access to both new and previously unpublished research in chapters written by TIRF Doctoral Dissertation Grant awardees and invited chapters by respected scholars in the field.

For more information about the book, including how to order, please click here. Please note that all royalties earned from the sale of the book will be donated to TIRF to help fund our programs.

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TIRF’s 2017 commissioned study is titled, Online Language Teacher Education: Participants’ Experiences and Perspectives. This paper is a follow-up study to TIRF’s 2013 study, A Case for Online English Language Teacher Education (see below for further information).  

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the co-authors of this study, Dr. Denise Murray (Professor Emerita at Maquarie University, Sydney, Australia & at San José State University, San José, California, USA) and Dr. MaryAnn Christison (Professor, Department of Linguistics and the Urban Institute for Teacher Education at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah). This research investigates the experiences and perceptions of students and instructors in OLTE courses and programs.

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In February 2017, we released the fourth volume in the series entitled, “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English,” which is co-published with Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

This volume features a carefully balanced set of studies and practitioner research projects carried out in various learning contexts around the world. Digital Language Learning and Teaching highlights cutting-edge research in the use of digital learning technologies in language classrooms and in online learning. Providing an overview of recent developments in the application of educational technology to language learning and teaching, it looks at the experience of researchers and practitioners in both formal and informal (self-study) learning contexts, bringing readers up-to-date with this rapidly changing field and the latest developments in research, theory, and practice at both classroom and education system levels. The volume is co-edited by Michael Carrier (TIRF Trustee), Ryan M. Damerow (TIRF Chief Operating Officer), and Kathleen M. Bailey (TIRF President).

For more information about the book, including how to order, please click here. Please note that all royalties earned from the sale of the book will be donated to TIRF to help fund our programs.

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In March 2016, we released the third volume in the series entitled, “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English,” which is co-published with Routledge/Taylor & Francis.

This volume is co-edited by TIRF Trustees JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall and MaryAnn Christison. It presents new empirical research situated in different contexts around the world, including Canada, Denmark, Israel, Japan, Korea, Qatar, Sudan, and the U.S. It is framed by the volume editors’ insightful overview and analyses of previous and ongoing work in a variety of related domains and an epilogue by David Nunan. The chapter studies are organized around three themes: teacher identity in ESL/EFL teacher education and professional development programs, second language teacher education programs for diverse contexts, and professional development for diverse contexts.

For more information about the book, including how to order, please click here. Please note that all royalties earned from the sale of the book will be donated to TIRF to help fund our programs.

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In March 2015, we published our second full-length book in cooperation with Routledge/Taylor & Francis. This book is the second in the series entitled, “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English.”

The volume is co-edited by MaryAnn Christison (TIRF Trustee & Chair of TIRF’s Research Advisory Comittee), Donna Christian (TIRF Trustee & Treasurer-Secretary), Patricia Duff (Former TIRF Trustee), and Nina Spada (TIRF Grantee). This grammar-focused publication is dedicated to Dr. Betty Azar for her support during TIRF’s early years, as she was a major supporter of our grant programs. The volume features a collection of work that resulted from TIRF grants, which were awarded to individuals whose research focused on grammar in language education.

For more information about the book, including how to order, please click here. Please note that all royalties earned from the sale of the book will be donated to TIRF to help fund our programs.

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In March 2014, TIRF released its first ever book-length publication. Teaching and Learning English in the Arabic-Speaking World is co-published by TIRF and Routledge/Taylor & Francis. This book is the first in the series entitled, “Global Research on Teaching and Learning English.”

Co-edited by Kathi Bailey (TIRF President & Chairman of the Board of Trustees) and Ryan Damerow (TIRF’s Executive Assistant), this volume includes contributions from TIRF’s Sheikh Nahayan Fellows and several individuals who were instrumental in developing the relationship between the Foundation and Sheikh Nahayan Bin Mubarak Al Nahayan. The book is dedicated to Sheikh Nahayan, as he was the person responsible for funding the Sheikh Nahayan Fellowships. We remain ever grateful for his support.

For more information about the book, including how to order, please click here. Please note that all royalties earned from the sale of the book will be donated to TIRF to help fund our programs.

As part of TIRF’s mission to sponsor and disseminate cutting edge research into language education, we have commissioned a set of papers on different aspects of handheld language learning, to be published in the first instance as free downloads on our website. Each of these papers aims to summarize the state of our knowledge concerning the use and effects of handheld devices on the outcomes of English language learning.

More information on our mobile-assisted assisted language learning commissioned papers can be found by clicking here.

Some Emerging Principles for Mobile-assisted Language Learning

For the main paper, click here.

Glenn Stockwell, Professor, Waseda University

Philip Hubbard, Senior Lecturer and Director of English for Foreign Students, Stanford University Language Center

Executive Summary: The steadily increasing access to sophisticated but affordable portable technologies over the past several years has brought with it a body of research into using these technologies for learning in both formal and informal contexts. It is not surprising, then, that language teachers have also adopted mobile technologies into their individual teaching and learning contexts. This paper first examines recent studies from the mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) literature, exploring the issues that emerge from this body of research through a framework distinguishing physical, pedagogical, and psycho-social dimensions. Recognizing not only the contributions but also the limitations of existing MALL literature, it then identifies a number of findings from the closely allied fields of mobile learning (ML) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) that can inform both research and practice in MALL. Drawing from all three sources (MALL, ML, and CALL), the paper proposes ten general principles to guide teachers, learners, administrators, employers, and other stakeholders in the challenge of effectively integrating mobile devices and tasks into language learning environments. The paper concludes with a case study showing how each of the principles described have been applied in an actual mobile language learning context.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Tarana Patel, Founder & Educator, learnEd, India

Read the discussion by clicking here.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Simone Smala, Professor, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Read the discussion by clicking here.

Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.

 

Re-skilling Language Learners for a Mobile World

For the main paper, click here.

Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Professor of Learning Technology and Communication, The Open University

Executive Summary: Ubiquitous access to mobile phones and other portable devices means that language learning increasingly straddles classroom-based learning and learning outside the classroom, in virtual spaces and out in the world. We know from studies of emergent learner-led practices that foreign language study can be enriched through easy access to resources selected to suit individual interests or needs. Yet learners’ choices seem largely determined by what they happen to come across, rather than knowledge about which language skills are best improved through mobile learning. Existing mobile applications often fail to exploit connections between life and learning. This paper suggests which language skills can be enhanced through mobile learning and how learner-technology interaction supports that development, particularly opportunities for learners to extend or practice their communication with others. The paper also suggests that new skills may be required in relation to the next generation of wearable devices and increasingly instrumented, technology-rich surroundings where use of mobile technology integrates with other tools, resources, and social networks that continue to challenge traditional knowledge and skills.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Richard Boyum, University Partnership and Grants Evaluation Coordinator for Afghanistan and Pakistan, US State Department, USA

Read the discussion by clicking here.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Sky Lantz-Wagner, ESL Instructor, University of Dayton, USA

Read the discussion by clicking here.

Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.

Mobile Learning for Languages: Can the Past Speak to the Future?

For the main paper, click here.

John Traxler, Professor of Mobile Learning and Learning Lab Director, University of Wolverhampton

Executive Summary: This paper explores the past decade of mobile learning projects, policies, research, and conceptualising and asks about its relevance to the future as it might apply to language learning. The paper provides a very broad categorization of mobile learning in order to identify pedagogic possibilities for language learning, but it moves on to ask about the changing nature and authority of language and learning. There are nevertheless practical lessons to be learnt.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Shannon Sauro, Associate Professor, Department of Culture, Languages & Media, Malmö University, Sweden

Read the discussion by clicking here.

Discussion of this paper provided by: David L. Chiesa, US Department of State – Senior English Language Fellow, Coordinator, Beijing Normal University, China

Read the discussion by clicking here.

Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.

Is there Evidence for Differential Benefits between Mobile Devices Used for Self-access Learning as Opposed to Language Learning in the Classroom with the Teacher?

For the main paper, click here.

Paul Sweeney, Founder and Director, Eduworlds Knowledge Ltd.

Executive Summary: Educators in ‘traditional’ face-to-face training scenarios are exploiting the potential of students’ own mobile devices – often but not exclusively smartphones and tablets – to increase the relevance of the taught English for the workplace programs. Seven educators from very different contexts but all teaching some form of English for the Workplace were interviewed about their practice of creating mobile-enabled self-access activities. The introduction of these activities proved beneficial in a number of ways: they compensated for some of the inherent limitations of the face-to-face program; they increased the workplace relevance of the course overall; they increased student participation and motivation and provided the students with tangible skills and resources which they could use in their personal and professional lives. The changed approaches and practices required by the use of these activities provided insights into the real nature of student digital literacies in educational contexts and pointers towards the training and support needed. Training is unlikely to be sufficient in itself – educators need to own and use these devices in their personal lives in order to use them appropriately in a professional context. The use of such activities extends the traditional classroom and leads to a rethinking of traditional educator roles.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Jeff R. Watson, Center for Languages, Cultures, & Regional Studies, US Military Academy – West Point, USA

Click here to read the discussion.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Kevin Jepson, Senior Development Editor, EF Englishtown.com, USA

Click here to read the discussion.

Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.

Designer Learning: The Teacher as Designer of Mobile-based Classroom Learning Experiences

For the main paper, click here.

Nicky Hockly, Director of Pedagogy, The Consultants-E

Executive Summary: This paper takes as its starting point Laurillard’s (2012) assertion that classroom practitioners need to become designers of effective learning experiences. It describes a small-scale classroom-based action research project carried out with two different levels of international EFL students studying in the UK, over a two-week period. Through the experience of implementing mobile-based communicative classroom tasks with these learners, six parameters for the effective design and sequencing of these tasks became apparent: (1) hardware, (2) mobility, (3) technological complexity, (4) linguistic/communicative competence, (5) type of MALL, and (6) educational /learning context.

This paper describes the study and proposes these six parameters as key to designing effective mobile-based tasks for the communicative language classroom. It is hoped that these parameters may be applicable to other fields in education. Finally, areas of concern within the study are explored, suggestions are made for future classroom-based research, and the importance of teacher training is highlighted.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Xueting Wang, Assistant Professor, DLIFLC, USA

Read the discussion by Xueting Wang by clicking here.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Anne Burns, Professor in Language Education & Director of the Centre for Language Education Research at Aston (CLERA), United Kingdom

Read the discussion by Anne Burns by clicking here.

Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.

 

Beyond the Classroom: Mobile Learning the Wider World

For the main page, click here.

Ken Beatty, Professor of TESOL, Anaheim University

Executive Summary: Mobile learning has extended opportunities for making teaching and learning available beyond the traditional classroom. Associated technologies, software programs, and internet access have enfranchised many students who previously had little access to quality teaching. However, a paradigm shift has occurred in which learners are turning to new mobile learning opportunities to supplant traditional teaching as virtual extensions of earlier self-help books, phrase books, and audio-based language learning programs. Audio translation apps, augmented reality, and just-in-time learning approaches are providing alternatives to those with neither access nor time to learn a language. This paper examines the theoretical underpinnings of a range of technologies and applications, contrasting them with the traditional classroom and imagining the future of mobile language teaching and learning and the impact it will have on policymakers, teachers, employers, and learners.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Leonardo A. Mercado, Academic Director, Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano (ICPNA), Peru

Read Leonardo A. Mercado’s discussion of this paper by clicking here.

Discussion of this paper provided by: Joyce Wangia, Director, Centre for Institutional Based Programmes, Kenyatta University, Kenya

Read Joyce Wangia’s discussion of this paper by clicking here.

Terms of Use and Disclaimer: TIRF is providing this information as a service to our constituents, and no endorsement by TIRF of the ideas presented in this paper is intended or implied. The information is made available free of charge and may be shared, with proper attribution. However, the papers may not be reprinted without express written permission from TIRF.

TIRF’s 2013 commissioned study is titled, A Case for Online English Language Teacher Education. This paper investigates a range of online professional development opportunities offered by institutions around the world. We would like to recognize TIRF Trustee Dr. David Nunan and Anaheim University for their financial support of this report.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Dr. Denise Murray (Professor Emerita, Maquarie University, Sydney, Australia), principal author of this study, for her diligence and professionalism in conducting this research-based paper. This study is based on a series of eighteen case reports about online professional development opportunities for language teachers. We are especially thankful for the expertise of each of these eighteen contributors.

  • Click here to download the paper. (For a printer-friendly version, click here.)
  • To access and download the case reports utilized in this study, click here.

We are pleased to announce the publication of its most recent commissioned paper entitled, English at Work: An Analysis of Case Reports about English Language Training for the 21st-century Workforce, which was co-authored by Anthony Fitzpatrick and Robert O’Dowd.

  • Click here to download the paper. (For a printer-friendly version, click here.)
  • To download a business-oriented summary, please click here.
  • To download the executive summary, please click here.
  • To browse and download case reports that were summarized in TIRF’s English at Work paper, go here.

The Foundation is pleased to share access to a translated Chinese version of its 2012 report regarding English language training for the 21st-century workforce. Click here to access the translated paper. We are extremely thankful to our colleagues at English Career magazine for making this report available to Chinese readers. We would also like to recognize Ms. Yi-hua Lin for helping to check the translation of the paper.

TIRF colleagues, Ryan Damerow and Kathi Bailey, have also published an article in BizEd magazine which explains the necessity of language requirements in MBA programs worldwide. To read the article, please click on the title, The Language of Business, and then advance to page 70.

TIRF is pleased to announce that a Chinese translation of The Impact of English and Plurilingualism in Global Corporations has appeared in the 2010 English Career, Volumes 33 and  34 (June and October), a magazine which is published in Taiwan. We are grateful to the editors and to Ms. Kuan-Ling Lin and Mr. Chao-Min Hsu for the translation.

TIRF’s first publication was in 2009 and is entitled, The Impact of English and Plurilingualism in Global Corporations. The full version of the report is available here.

To see a summary of this report, please click here.