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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
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Discussion of this paper provided by: Sky Lantz-Wagner, ESL Instructor, University of Dayton, USA
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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 Insights: Social-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 stude
nts’ 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’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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- To download the Executive Summary, click here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mobile Learning for Languages: Can the Past Speak to the Future?
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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
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Discussion of this paper provided by: David L. Chiesa, US Department of State – Senior English Language Fellow, Coordinator, Beijing Normal University, China
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
