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"English language Business English Study and teaching (Higher)"
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The language of organizational styling
\"The ways in which commercial organizations and service providers 'style' themselves - creating the image they wish to portray to their potential consumers - is a long-established area of research in the fields of sociology and business studies. However language also plays an important role in organizational styling, something which until now has been largely overlooked in the literature. This is the first book-length study of the linguistics of organizational styling, looking at the language and semiotic resources used by holiday resorts, pharmaceutical companies, restaurants and insurance companies in order to project their identities, and style themselves. It discusses in detail a number of case studies and presents an innovative take on the notion of style, as well as bringing together work from linguistics, business studies and sociology. This interdisciplinary book will be of interest to scholars and advanced students in sociolinguistics, and scholars of sociology and business studies\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Ideas and Options in English for Specific Purposes
This volume presents a range of views about language, learning, and teaching in English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Its purpose is to go beyond individual cases and practices to examine the approaches and ideas on which they are based. The aim is for readers to adopt an analytical stance toward the field and to identify current perspectives in ESP and the ideas driving them.
Ideas and Options in English for Specific Purposes does not promote any one approach, but rather identifies and illustrates those in evidence today. The main emphasis is on the links between theory and ESP teaching and research. Ideas from linguistics, sociolinguistics, education, SLA, and social theories are described. Links are then made between these ideas and ESP course designs, instructional materials, and research projects. Thus the book moves back and forth between descriptions of theories, teaching practice, and research.
Part I introduces the book's approach to description of ESP and the framework used to investigate it. Part II examines ideas of language, learning, and teaching in ESP. Recognizing that ESP is taught in many different countries and contexts, the author draws on a wide range of examples of teaching practice and research from around the world and from different branches of ESP, including English for Academic Purposes, English for Professional Purposes, and English for Vocational Purposes. From Chapter 3 onward, each chapter includes Questions for Discussion and Projects, to encourage readers to research and analyze the practices of ESP in their own contexts and to consider the ideas they draw on in their own teaching.
This text is geared toward graduate-level TESOL education courses.
Contents: Preface. Part I: Preliminaries. Introduction. Approach. Issues in ESP Course Design. Part II: Ideas and Options. Section A: Language. Language Systems. Language Uses. Combining Language Descriptions. Section B: Learning. Conditions for Learning. Processes of Learning. Section C: Teaching. Methodologies. Objectives in Teaching ESP. Part III: General. Synthesis.
eBook
English-medium instruction in Chinese higher education
With the relentless internationalization and marketization of higher education in the past decades, English has been increasingly adopted as a medium of instruction at universities across the world. Recent research, however, has shown that despite its various optimistically envisioned goals, English-medium instruction (EMI) is not without problems in practice. This article reports a case study of an EMI Business Administration program for undergraduate students at a major university of finance and economy in mainland China. Informed by Spolsky's language policy framework, the study made a critical analysis of national/institutional policy statements and interviews with professors and students to uncover EMI-related language ideologies, language practices, and language management mechanisms. Findings evinced a complex interplay of these three constitutive components of language policy in the focal EMI program and revealed considerable misalignment between policy intentions and actual practices in the classroom. These findings raise concerns about the quality and consequences of EMI in Chinese higher education. The article concludes with recommendations for further research on EMI policies and practices in China. (HRK / Abstract übernommen).
Journal Article
Linguistic and non-linguistic factors impacting EMI academic success: a longitudinal study
This study explored changes in English language proficiency and several non-linguistic factors during four years of English medium instruction (EMI) in two academic disciplines in a Turkish university setting. Moreover, it also investigated whether changes (if any) had a predictive impact on the academic success of EMI students. In addition, potential differences between disciplines were also investigated. The participants were 241 EMI students from Business Administration (
n
= 117) and Mechanical Engineering (
n
= 124) programmes. Our findings revealed that in addition to the language proficiency scores, various non-linguistic factors, including self-efficacy, ideal L2 self, motivation, self-regulation skills, and anxiety levels, changed throughout EMI education. However, only English proficiency and instrumental motivation emerged as positively significant predictors of EMI success.Our findings also revealed that the increase in participants' intrinsic motivation scores was a significant negative predictor of EMI success. These results are discussed and implications are given regarding the impact of linguistic and non-linguistic factors in EMI contexts.
Journal Article
Teaching English in multilingual Israel: Who teaches whom and how. A review of recent research 2014–2020
This article presents research on teaching English in Israel, a vibrant multilingual country, in the period between 2014 and 2020. After a brief introduction to the current approach to English language teaching around the world, it outlines the studies investigating: (a) learners of English, (b) English teachers, and (c) methods that are used in the country for teaching English. We explore how various student populations, Arabs, Bedouins, Circassians, Druze, Charedi (ultra-orthodox Jews), Jews, and foreign students, are taught English as well as their attitudes to this language. Then, we discuss research investigating different categories of English teachers in Israel, including teachers in Arab and Jewish sectors, the teachers labeled as ‘native speakers’, and also teacher trainers and teacher-training principles. We look at secondary and high school students, including those in special education, as well as those who take English courses in tertiary educational institutions. Finally, we are interested in whether innovative teaching methods compete with the conventional ones and which groups of learners have access to the former. Throughout the article, we aim to show to what extent practitioners and researchers are aware of the present-day realities of the interconnectedness of ‘teacher, student, and method’ elements and the impact of multilingualism on English teaching in Israel. This Country in Focus report also considers the current holistic perspective on English language teaching. This language should not be taught in isolation but work in concert with other contact languages.
Journal Article
Bridging disciplinary knowledge
The growing market of international students puts increasing pressure on higher education providers to also provide language support, as students from non-English speaking background face the dual challenge of developing their English language proficiency alongside their subject content. However, there is little research on how knowledge about language is actually integrated with content knowledge in practice or how such an integration can be supported by curriculum design. Using a case study of a popular academic language support program implemented in an Australian university, this paper examines the relationship between academic literacy and business ethics as two distinct forms of disciplinary knowledge, to investigate how the complexity of their integration is managed dynamically in the classroom. In this study, we draw on Legitimation Code Theory to analyze the role of language in constructing discipline-specific knowledge. Our findings suggest that students do not automatically understand the relevance of language support and that shifting knowledge practices during classroom interaction can enhance students’ motivation as well as help students to relate their knowledge about language to the discipline.
Journal Article
Examining the Efficacy of Blended Learning Inputs in Enhancing Saudi Students’ English Language Skills
The application of blended learning is increasingly becoming an essential aspect of the pedagogical approaches for English language instruction at all stages of learning, from elementary school to university. As only a few research studies have explored blended learning's efficacy in enhancing English skills, this current study seeks to investigate the efficacy of various blended learning inputs in enhancing the English language proficiency of business students. The study adopted an experimental design with five intact classes as experimental and control groups. 197 participants from intact classes were selected through purposive sampling from the College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. Participants from five intact classes were exposed to different blended instructional inputs: the rotation instructional input, flex instructional input, self-blend instructional input, and enriched-virtual blended instructional input, with a fifth class using the communicative language teaching approach as a control. Data were collected through standardized TOEFL pre-and post-tests. Results of the study demonstrated significant improvements in English proficiency across all groups, with the rotation model proving most effective. These findings offer valuable insights for curriculum designers, training program developers, and other stakeholders in various disciplines.
Journal Article
Cultural threads in writing mastery: a structural analysis of perfectionism, learning self-efficacy, and motivation as mediated by self-reflection in Chinese EFL learners
Background
The study explores language acquisition in Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, where English proficiency is crucial for global opportunities. As China gains prominence, the demand for English skills rises beyond communication to include academic and business success. The Chinese education system emphasizes proficient English writing for further education and professional achievement. This research investigates the complex linguistic context for EFL learners in China, analyzing the intersection of psychological factors, cultural nuances, varied pedagogy, and individual experiences.
Methods
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is utilized for analysis, enabling the creation of a metric set to explore intangibles such as perfectionism, learning self-efficacy, motivation, study habits, cultural influences, and introspection. The research utilizes a diverse sample from multiple universities across different regions of China, incorporating demographic factors to encompass the varied characteristics within the EFL learner community.
Results
Results reveal that perfectionism (β = 0.30,
p
< 0.001), learning self-efficacy (β = 0.25,
p
= 0.005), motivation (β = 0.35,
p
< 0.001), study habits (β = 0.20,
p
= 0.01), and self-reflection (β = 0.28,
p
< 0.001) significantly predict writing proficiency. Cultural effects (Beta = 0.15,
p
= 0.05) show a statistically significant, albeit minimal, impact. Mediation-moderation analysis underscores perfectionism as a mediator (Beta = 0.25,
p
= 0.005), emphasizing its influence on other predictors. Cultural factors act as moderators (Beta = 0.15,
p
= 0.01), shaping the link between predictors and writing skills. The combined mediation and moderation effects on writing proficiency are positively significant (Beta = 0.20,
p
= 0.02).
Conclusions
This study makes a significant theoretical contribution, enhancing existing models and providing practical insights for EFL educators and policymakers. Emphasizing the intricate relationship between psychological factors and cultural dynamics underscores the necessity for a sophisticated, culturally sensitive approach to language acquisition in Chinese EFL instruction. Beyond language skills, the research recognizes the importance of fostering a conducive environment that encourages personal development, socio-cultural awareness, and a holistic learning approach.
Journal Article