Paradigms In Global Communication

Introduction to English Language Teaching Materials

English has over the years become a leading language globally that millions of people use on a daily basis for purposes of communication in different places across the world. Today, the language is part of the daily lives of people who are either multilingual or bilingual. Today, we encounter quite a large number of people who speak English who either formally learn the language in schools or informally through natural contexts in the streets or even at work. One of the major proponents of ELF. Jenkins (2007, p.2) considers English to be an emerging language existing in its rights and described in its terms. ELF is continuously being developed and is not a finished product, and there exists an ELF corpus which is usually called (Vienna-Oxford International Corpus of English).

ELF exists purposefully to facilitate communication between and among individuals who speak different first languages as such, it in no way faults the mixing up of words during interactions or the retention of influences from different first languages that make up ELF. ELF is a contact language which implies that it is not dependent on native speaker norms and is usually moulded by its numerous speakers across the globe who usually are multilingual and who English is not their first language. As such, there exists a challenge posed by ELF to the traditional view of teaching and testing languages that is largely grounded in the stance that native competence is what most learners strive for and many really never get to reach their goals and are often considered as failed natives who more often are viewed as having errors, shortcomings, difficulties, and problems (Cook, 2006).

English learning takes place in very many different contexts across the world today to the extent that it is a chameleon of different colours, sizes, and shapes. There are however two examples of this complexity that would perhaps help to shed some light on the criteria that could guide a vision of English teaching in the future. In both instances, the influence from North Americas TESOL and Britain`s ELT traditions of teaching English have considerably evolved since 1945 (Savignon, 2018). Tenets that are fundamentally false, strongly influenced both cultures in the past. There exists a major fallacy that only native English speakers are capable of monolingually teaching English. The position of English has with no doubt significantly strengthened in former Britain colonies. In those countries, those who get to learn English get a privilege passport. In formal education, there exists some significant tension that is not resolved between going straight for English and building on local linguistic diversity.

English is in effect promoted by the policy of De Facto unilingualism, as the language of power that usually is used in high status functions, at this moment necessarily and even in the foreseeable future. In the event that English was learned in schools subtractively at the expense of the mother tongue and other languages, that would increase existing polarisation between the individuals who speak English and those who do not. This is the exact scenario in India, whereby English-medium education is attributed to the positions of the elites. This has been able to equip these individuals for roles in the global economy, however detaching them from local languages. It is quite common to find the products of two generations of English-medium schooling having no shared language with their grandparents as a result of their incompetence in the Indian language (Hall, 2017). This is with no doubt a recipe for a society that is not stable.

English Language Teaching Materials

Careful analysis of the appropriateness of ETL materials to establish their suitability for learners needs and Teaching and learning goals is prerequisite for most of the learning situations (Richards and Rogers, 2014). The cruciality of these tends to increase in the learning as well as teaching of languages. Additionally, if a language is being taught as either a second or even a language which is foreign language, the criticalness of analysis increases. In a situation where English is either taught as a language which is foreign or second language, the availability of materials from different sources makes the choice of materials quite puzzling. There are many sources for ETL materials that are considered authentic, and they include websites and ELT materials produced locally and proclaimed to be the best resources for local usage and consumption.

There is a positive role played by ELT materials in the process of learning and teaching. And this is mainly in those situations where trained in an EFL or ESL context, teachers are not available. In cases like this, the teaching of languages is closely tied to textbooks (Carter and McCarthy, 2014). Textbooks and course books frequently facilitate the process of learning and teaching by provision of examples of some of the difficulties learners commonly face. Even though there is presently some controversy over the roles that ETL materials that are commercially produced play, there still exists an important role played by readymade articles and course books.

It is not possible to ignore the importance of these materials albeit the limitations they have. This implies the seriousness with which the selection of ETL materials should be given (Phillipson, 2003. Good ETL materials offer students a syllabus that is coherent, the result of many years of experience and extensive discussions and research with publishers, consultants, and teachers. The system of selecting ETL materials should always be facilitated by the use of procedures for evaluation that are systems which are capable of ensuring that documents are consistent with the interests and needs of students they intend to teach and also be in harmony with ideologies on the nature of learning and language.

Teachers are very much in a position of adapting ETL materials so as to fit their purposes through reorganisation of the sequence through which topics are organized (Widowson, 2014). A teacher can reorganize a lesson according to the learner`s adaptability and grade. A set of proper ETL materials allows for adaptation to some certain degree so as establish a learning and teaching situation that is balanced. ETL materials like textbooks usually are inevitable in the field of academics as they play the role of a model; supplying sessions that are ready-made and examples which have the capabilities of saving the energy and time of teachers, they further provide some sense of security to learners who feel that as the course advances, the learning process becomes even more developed. Designers of ELT materials are always careful to give them appealing universally.

Modern ELT materials are enriched with all required supportive materials, for example, tapescripts, teachers` guides, self-study workbooks and video-records (McCarthy and Carter, 2014). As a result of this, learners and teachers are still reliant on ELT materials commercially produced. This in no way implies that they are in one way or another negligent to the biased nature and checklists of some of the course materials.

In all ELT situations, ETL materials are usually the invisible hearts. If they are properly designed and selected to reflect the requirements of the learners and the teachers and if they are aimed towards the development of some set of specific skills, they become more suitable than materials that are personally produced. At all costs, learning needs and target needs should never be biased by items that are discriminative on nationality issues, gender, race, and culture. These biases, however, do not make the ELT materials already published negligible altogether (Morrow, 2018).

ELT materials typically consist of a range of materials that generally facilitate both the learning and the teaching process. Some of the recent trends in ELT pedagogy and materials include;

Behaviourist to communicative methods

Course books are customarily written or printed works that are generally used by students in a program of instructions. Course books that are reflective of the methodology of the grammar-translation, audio-lingual and direct approach included things like multiple choice questions, translation activities, and matching items. One good thing with using course books is that progress is easily observed as the book can easily range students understanding. Additionally, with the presence of a course book, students can review and strengthen their capabilities even with the end of lessons. Course books are always the best allies for teachers especially in those instances they have limited time, and they desire to prepare lessons (Hall, 2016).

Most of the course books used today follow the presentation, practice and production sequence which in no small extent makes students lose their enthusiasm (Harwood, 2014). Course books that have recurring appearances and themes end up diminishing the motivation of both students and teachers. Even though there exist many advantages and disadvantages to the use of course books as ETL materials, it is worth noting that there is a rage of responses evoked by ELT course books, which teachers frequently term as evils that are necessary. What this means is that teachers continue to use course books even though they have quite some deficiencies (Tomilson, 2011). They use them because they believe that they are necessary. The use of course books for teaching is best when it is complemented by the use of videos, songs and other interactive activities.

English language teaching is quite dynamic and has been observed to evolve from time to time, and this is particularly alongside technological advancements. Some of the changes that have had the biggest on teachers in the recent years are;

Digital platforms

Most of the times, when innovation is discussed, most people usually think of the internet and what could be done online. Facebook is one of the most popular platforms which is quite popular with teachers because it creates a safe environment for teachers, parents, and students to connect. Cloud-based tools, for example, Google Cloud have also over time become indispensable. There exists an extensive list of digital platforms that is ever growing (Chan, 2018). Nik Peachey`s multimedia manual Digital Video helps teachers navigate the overwhelming world of digital resources which is at times complicated and thus enabling teachers to create lessons, activities, and courses from a range of digital tools available.

Online corpora

The use of corpora used to be the privilege of lexicographers. Corpora included large text collections that were used for studying frequencies and linguistic structures. Today, however, with most corpora available online teachers can now access information about the use of language in speech and authentic texts. Teachers no longer have to panic when students come up with challenging questions like asking the difference between ‘problem' and ‘trouble.' It is worth noting that it`s not only teachers who benefit from this. Students can from anywhere and at any time merely search words they are not sure about on Google. Google uses the internet as its corpus.

As a result of the growth of social media and the advent of the internet, teachers of English from all corners of the globe are today able to form online communities that generally act as huge global staffrooms. A good example is ELT blogging and Twitter which have opened up a network of people capable of offering advice, ideas, and support (Nunan, 2015). Those participants who are generous with their ideas, help and guidance tend to gain much in return.

Mobile Learning and BYOD (bring your device)

Many of us are today able to access the internet and a vast variety of apps on the go as a result of the development of mobile technology and the proliferation of smartphones. From applications like WIBBU and podcasts like Luke`s English Podcast – Learn British English with Luke Thompson, learners get to benefit too. On the other hand, technological developments put teachers in a position to build on their knowledge and skills by listening in into podcasts or watching webinars and archived videos of talks by TEFL teachers on EFL talks. According to Ou, (2015), tools like WhatsApp help in constructing communication channels beyond classrooms. It is further observed that allowing students to bring their own devices to class is a game changer in ETL practice.

Communicating with people online

Students are today able to meet and interact with others in English as a result of tools like Skype. In monolingual classes, that is, the majority of the English classrooms across the world today, this would with no doubt provide the much-required motivation for students who might otherwise not have the opportunity to interact with any other person in English (Harwood, 2010). For teachers, a whole new market of online classes and Skype lessons has been opened up by the ability of teachers to converse with their students face-to-face online.

Online authentic materials

The sudden widespread availability of trustworthy resources is with n doubt one of the most significant benefits of the internet for language learners today. This availability enables teachers to use ‘content with messages students would want to hear'/ it is now possible to access daily news watch videos that are trending on YouTube and even get the latest tips from Trip Advisor. There exist endless possibilities.

However, with so much content available, making the appropriate choice of the proper online materials is essential for learning to be both effective and efficient. National Geographic's Learning Keynote utilizes TED talks for purposes of developing pedagogically sound approaches to teaching languages.

The IWB (Interactive whiteboard)

It was during the early years of this century that the interactive whiteboard started appearing in classrooms and has over the years become a staple of many classes across the world, especially in Britain. The IWB gives an opportunity to save notes that are written on the board, print them, use the whiteboard to control the classroom`s computer, use the screen as a presentation slide, use the sound system to play listening activities, access the internet and so much more (Walker, 2010). There are endless possibilities. However, the addition of IWB`s into classrooms does not automatically make for better learning experiences. As such teachers use them with skill so that they can be capable of complementing both learning and teaching, without which they tend to become distractions.

Dogme (or materials-light teaching)

For most teachers, discovering the Dogme approach to teaching languages has with no doubt been galvanizing. Dogme which is a communicative approach that eschews textbooks that are published in favour of conversational communication between teachers and learners signals a departure from a one-size-fits-all approach to classroom materials (Meddings and Thornbury, 2017). For most teachers, this approach with no doubt presents a new way by which they can be able to look at the content of their lessons, and the chance to break free from language points that are self-contained and provide more time for language generated by students.

Students steering

Learning has been moving from a teacher-centred top-down approach over the last couple of decades to a bottom-up one that is student-centred. In recent years, this trend has rapidly accelerated especially with the increasing quality and quantity of information available on the internet (Braine, 2013). This has in many respects changed the roles of teachers from that of a transmitter of knowledge to facilitator, coach, guide or consultant. The negotiated syllabus is one good example, which was previously the domain of the English business teacher, who would conduct a needs analysis before embarking on tailoring a course suitable for participants. With time, it has, however, become evident that there exists nothing in general about the general English teacher, and teachers increasingly involve students in making decisions on what to do in the classroom.

Teaching critical thinking skills and soft skills

Many students across the world are today learning English to oil the wheels of communication in the realms of tourism, education, business and trade as English continues to cement its position as the world`s lingua franca (Herrel and Jordan, 2011). To improve student`s communication skills, there is a need for teachers to go beyond pronunciation. Vocabulary and grammar and also look more into helping the students.

Audio-lingual method

This is an oral approach used in the teaching of languages that brings together aspects of behavioural psychology and linguistic theory. Behaviourism is a school of psychology that is capable of confining itself to the study of characters that are quantifiable and observable and excludes subjective phenomena like motives and emotions. There is little explanation of

It appears that there is a broad agreement that the current demography of general EFL classes in the UK has undergone change that is quite significant in recent years. In the past the Italians, Japanese, Swiss, Spanish and Germans were the nationalities whose presence was significant. It is common to find a majority of the teachers of the English language in Britain having completed an initial training course, for example, the Trinity Cert Tesol or even the Cambridge Celta. Practically, they will have taught about real students for as little as six hours, and in most instances, the students they have taught usually are refugees.

Recommendations for the Development of Teaching English Language

To best succeed in teaching English language, the materials need to be designed in such a way that they increase the student`s English Language production and peer interaction. Even though nothing can be done to rush the acquisition of the English language teaching, there exist many ways through which they could provide opportunities for practicing English within classrooms. If the materials and structures are designed in such a way that they are supportive of student-to-student interactions that would improve peer interaction and language production of students (Hinkel, 2015). It is required that ELT materials use English in explaining concepts and further making contributions to the work. In so doing, an opportunity is provided to teachers to gauge what a student has been able to learn and further demonstrates the progress of the student in English Language development. It is also possible for teachers to conduct an informal assessment to identify the correct use of academic vocabulary and language structures. In instances where students face difficulties with either vocabularies or phrases, teachers would be capable of offering guidance and further instructions to support the development of a language.

There is a critical role that is played by teachers in supporting the development of a language (Rivers, 2018). Apart from just teaching children on how to read and write they should also seek to help them to acquire and use aspects of English language that are closely linked to the discourse of academics in different subjects taught in school. Students should be supported in such a way that they increase their awareness of how languages function. It is essential for students to be more aware of how well enough language functions to be able to select materials that would assist them in developing their horizons linguistically. This would help them further plan for instructional activities that have the potential of providing students with opportunities of using the new modes and forms of expression they get exposed to. The classroom language environment needs to be developed in such a manner that it optimizes the language learning and also literacy learning to avoid challenges experienced in the content area of learning that are linguistic.

There is increasing importance in understanding English language structures. The language acquisition theory has also continuously increased its influence especially with the increase in the number of students in classrooms (Dörnyei, 2014). The number of teachers, however, that have the formal training that is important to be adequately prepared for identifying and teaching the structures and vocabularies in English that are found is minimal. The best way through which content teachers could go about this is by checking the lessons concerning the content area and further identifying the grammar structures as well as the vocabulary words that students are not familiar with and not just the vocabulary.

Learning something new could be compared to stacking building blocks (Burns, Freeman and Edwards, 2015). One can only go higher if they have more. As a result of language barriers, it is always not evident which building locks students of the English language come with, and at times, the students are not capable of connecting with their last experiences with the lesson they are learning. At this point, the importance of the ability of a teacher to draw on background knowledge increases and ensure easy linking of the past experiences. Working creatively, teachers can be able to show background understanding from learners on content topics to increase the materials comprehension.

ETL materials should also be designed in a way that they increase opportunities for writing. In most places, the ability of a student to effectively write and convey a message accurately is an important skill. The curriculum, however, seems to be primarily focused on the development of mathematics and reading skills. These are also very important with no doubt. However, it is crucial for students to have numerous positive opportunities for developing skills for writing in several formats to enhance their abilities to communicate (Tavella, 2016). For English Language Learners, this is quite important. Writing may at times be frustrating for a student, and this largely depends on a student`s English language abilities and their writing skill levels in their first languages. It is quite common to find English Language students focusing on most students frequently focus negatively on challenges with mechanics and tend to lack the strengths displayed in their writing. Humans naturally write in a similar way they speak as well as think, and through doing an analysis of our writing we begin to analyse our speeches and our thoughts too.

Through discussing their writing, students are generally able to see their statements and thoughts from the perspectives of other people, and they further gain awareness of the development of their languages (Benson and Voller, 2014). In this age of technology where many things are done electronically including communication, it is with no doubt very important for students to develop the abilities of stating their thoughts in ways that are clear and accurate and also to have a good grasp of the existing differences between sending an official email to your boss and texting your friends informally.

Conclusion

Finally, no matter the kind of language spoken by either the teacher or the student, support from parents is vital for success in academics. For those students who learn English as a foreign language, they are generally at a disadvantage because of the existing cultural and language barriers (Littlewood, 2014). In the UK, the lack of availability of these parents could easily be interpreted as some disinterest in learning, in most cases, however, English language learner’s’ parents typically wish to see their children succeed as other parents whose children succeed in learning. They, however, are not able to participate to the same extent as the other parents mostly because of the existing cultural barriers.

All ETL teachers should be challenged into exploiting their creativities and further embark on the development of their own materials which is a quite fascinating task, applying their knowledge and experience that is quite valuable with regards to the needs of learners of the English language. This is particularly when it comes to the needs of English for Speakers of other languages case. To ensure this, teachers should take some considerations with regards to the issue of teachers as developers of materials and the contribution they make to teacher development. Additionally, they should also provide some reflection on the learning and teaching of languages as demands that are essential during the development of materials.

Teaching English language should also be structured in such a way that it provides space for regular, open and friendly communication between the teacher and the parents. This would make a big difference in the participation of parents in their children’s education. Even though it could feel daunting to some extent for teachers who speak English to call parents who do not speak English, there is always someone in a family who can be able to speak enough English and interpret it to the parents. Seeking the assistance of other staff members who are bilingual could also be important.

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