TeechConsult's BOOKpad

(MyCASELT 2010) The 'Good English Language Learner' on Facebook: an extension of CALL and SALL.

The 3rd Malaysia International Conference on Academic Strategies in English Language Teaching: Maximising ELT Potential for Diversity and Intelligibility.
December 15th to December 16th, The Saujana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abstract for parallel paper presentation (co-written by Zarlina Mohd Zamari and Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan)

In this paper, we begin by discussing the notions of computer aided language learning (CALL) and self-access language learning (SALL) and review their related literature. Although CALL and SALL as pedagogical models have been widely discussed in English language teaching, the implementation of both frameworks has been sporadic at best especially in the context of developing nations. On the other hand, the expansion and growth of information and communications technologies around the globe have led to a quiet revolution in learning, unsurprisingly involving ideas like CALL and SALL. This revolution in a way has democratised the process of language learning by allowing anyone, anywhere with access to a computer and an Internet connection to learn English independently. In response to this, one of us (Airil) started a community called the ‘Good English Language Learner’ (GELL) on the popular social networking platform Facebook to take advantage of all it has to offer towards realising the pedagogical objectives of CALL and SALL. Six months later with nearly 2,500 community members from 19 countries around the world and counting, the GELL community is a site ripe for research into online English language learning. Employing examples from GELL on Facebook, we examine the opportunities that social networking platforms afford language learners and instructors using our own 5-point computer-aided self-access language learning (CASA-LL) framework. Through the 5-point CASA-LL framework we also critically explore the contemporary ‘face’ of online language learning and its many manifestations, and we highlight both the pros and cons of online English language teaching using GELL on Facebook as our primary example.

(MyCASELT 2010) Languages and identities in professional and social spheres: a study of South East Asian nations.

The 3rd Malaysia International Conference on Academic Strategies in English Language Teaching: Maximising ELT Potential for Diversity and Intelligibility.
December 15th to December 16th, The Saujana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abstract for parallel paper presentation

This paper is based on an international effort that employed several research instruments to explore the language and identity link for young professionals in non-native English language settings in South East Asia. Nevertheless, in this paper, only data from two countries will be compared and contrasted namely Indonesia and Malaysia. To study how English impacts upon the construction of personal and professional identities of EFL and ESL speakers in these settings, a group of Indonesian and Malaysian young professionals were selected as participants. They comprise a select group of employees who are currently working in the media and media related industries who are proficient in the English language but who are also non-native speakers. All of the participants use English as the primary language in the workplace and they ‘own’ English as one of the languages in their repertoire of languages. The choice of media and media related industry is also a conscious one, given the fact that many media companies in South East Asian nations use English as their medium of internal communication. Results are presented in this empirical paper based on recurring themes and comments from the participants. Data indicates that the use of English by these young urban professionals have given them new opportunities for self expression and widened their views of the world around them but at the same time leading to a sense of being a stranger in their own backyards and having to mask their own identities with their family members and close friends.

(MyCASELT 2010) ICT adoption by language teachers in urban Malaysian private schools.

The 3rd Malaysia International Conference on Academic Strategies in English Language Teaching: Maximising ELT Potential for Diversity and Intelligibility.
December 15th to December 16th, The Saujana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abstract for parallel paper presentation (co-written by Johana Yusof, Ita Salfarina Mohd Taib and Airil Haimi Mohd Adnan)

Education technology has long been recognised as an important means of disseminating knowledge and skills to students. Nevertheless, even though the Malaysian government has spent millions of ringgit to equip schools with computers and to train local teachers, the actual adoption rate of ICT is not what is expected. It is also increasingly clear that having access to technology does not mean that it will automatically be integrated as a resource for day-to-day teaching with any great effect. In our study, we examined the adoption rate of ICT by teachers of language in two private schools near the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. We also wanted to find out to what extent these our participants use ICT in their classroom language teaching. We found that the use of ICT is common among upper secondary school teachers and the teachers in our study are also positively inclined towards ICT use in teaching, but are not taking advantage of the range of opportunities ICT offers, such as interactive exams and web discussions. Our participants were also unconvinced that the use of ICT in teaching will lead to better learning outcomes. The feelings of our participants indicate that the introduction of ICT has not changed the nature of teaching. Technology has simplified teaching preparation but has not led to new forms of instruction.

(MyCASELT 2010) Communication patterns in the world of work: A comparative study of Malaysian educational institutions.

The 3rd Malaysia International Conference on Academic Strategies in English Language Teaching: Maximising ELT Potential for Diversity and Intelligibility.
December 15th to December 16th, The Saujana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Abstract for parallel paper presentation (jointly written with Zarlina Mohd Zamari and Nurulhayati Ilias of MARA Poly Tech College, Perak)

The act of communicating orally serves not just a simple communicative purpose but it is also linked to the sociocultural identity of the speaker. Language choice and language use in oral communication are not simply based on mere preference or fondness towards a certain language – they are both consciously and unconsciously calculated so that the speaker can find a place within her or his immediate social environment. Our comparative study examines the language choice and language use of Malaysian working adults in contrast to English at four institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. A related questionnaire was distributed to office workers at the four research sites to investigate the foundation of the respondents’ choice and the reason behind the language they use to mark their identity for their day-to-day work responsibilities and towards becoming a global workforce as outlined by the Malaysian government. The findings point to the importance of verbal skills and the justification of the chosen spoken language for the upcoming workforce. We conclude that in the world of work and specifically within the Malaysian education industry where English is expected to be widely spoken, local office workers frequently resort to using their mother tongues for certain communicative acts and using English only when they feel socially comfortable or professionally compelled to do so depending on the situation.

(ESEA 2010) Teaching English to a Malaysian minority group: Empowerment or disenfranchisement?

The 15th English in Southeast Asia Conference: Our diverse communities.
December 9th to December 11th, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China.

Abstract for parallel paper presentation

This research paper confronts critical issues in minority language maintenance, education planning and the teaching of English in developing nations. Using Malaysia as a case in point, this paper reports on a research effort to collect the ‘stories’ of Malaysian Orang Asli (native or original peoples) who are being taught English as a third or even fourth language. Using the voices of English language teachers and prominent Orang Asli community leaders from two rural districts in Malaysia, this paper suggests that the teaching and learning of English within these rural communities are fraught with sociocultural misunderstandings and pedagogical difficulties, leading to the underachievement of young Orang Asli learners of English. Employing a narrative approach, this research effort tries to bring forward the views of key stakeholders in the teaching profession and the actual minority communities – views that are commonly lost in the wider national education system. This paper concludes that finding a way forward for these Orang Asli children to acquire the English language will take more than just macro level planning given the fact that this international language is not only alien to most members of this minority group but the teaching of this language, in a sense, is further disadvantaging the Orang Asli within the national education system.