The teaching of English in the Asian context is always challenging and dynamic because both teachers and learners have diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Equally important, where English is not widely used outside the classroom, English language classrooms are an authentic site of learner engagement. For these reasons, for all those concerned with contemporary English language teaching (ELT) in Asia, Asian English Language Classrooms: Where Theory and Practice Meet, provides an account of theoretical orientations and practices in the teaching of English to multilingual speakers whose primary language is not English. While covering the fundamental ELT areas (e.g., the teaching of language skills, educational literature, the use of technology in ELT, the role of pragmatics in ELT, social psychology of the language classroom, and language classroom management) with which every language teacher and teacher trainer must be concerned, this volume showcases how particular orientations shape ELT practices. We believe that practicing English teachers must have a heightened awareness of the theory behind their practice. At the same time, the theoretical stance must be firmly anchored in actual classrooms. Containing newly commissioned chapters written by well-regarded and emerging scholars, this book will appeal not only to beginning teachers or teachers in training but also to established teachers around Asia where English is used as a lingua franca. If you are a student teacher of English or an English teacher who would like to see what other progressive teachers like you are doing across Asia, this is the book you have been looking for.

Silence is a key pedagogical issue in language education. Seen by some as a space for thinking and reflection during the learning process, for others silence represents a threat, inhibiting target language interaction which is so vital during second language acquisition. This book eschews stereotypes and generalisations about why so many learners from East Asia seem either reluctant or unable to speak in English by providing a state-of-the art account of current research into the complex and ambiguous issue of silence in language education. The innovative research included in this volume focuses on silence both as a barrier to successful learning and as a resource that may in some cases facilitate language acquisition. The book offers a fresh perspective on ways to facilitate classroom interaction while also embracing silence and it touches on key pedagogical concepts such as teacher cognition, the role of task features, classroom interactional approaches, pedagogical intervention and socialisation, willingness to communicate, as well as psychological and sociocultural factors. Each of the book’s chapters include self-reflection and discussion tasks, as well as annotated bibliographies for further reading.

The teaching of English in the Asian context is always challenging and dynamic because both teachers and learners have diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Equally important, where English is not widely used outside the classroom, English language classrooms are an authentic site of learner engagement. For these reasons, for all those concerned with contemporary English language teaching (ELT) in Asia, Asian English Language Classrooms: Where Theory and Practice Meet, provides an account of theoretical orientations and practices in the teaching of English to multilingual speakers whose primary language is not English. While covering the fundamental ELT areas (e.g., the teaching of language skills, educational literature, the use of technology in ELT, the role of pragmatics in ELT, social psychology of the language classroom, and language classroom management) with which every language teacher and teacher trainer must be concerned, this volume showcases how particular orientations shape ELT practices. We believe that practicing English teachers must have a heightened awareness of the theory behind their practice. At the same time, the theoretical stance must be firmly anchored in actual classrooms. Containing newly commissioned chapters written by well-regarded and emerging scholars, this book will appeal not only to beginning teachers or teachers in training but also to established teachers around Asia where English is used as a lingua franca. If you are a student teacher of English or an English teacher who would like to see what other progressive teachers like you are doing across Asia, this is the book you have been looking for.

This volume offers comprehensive 'state-of-the-art' overviews of educational policies concerning the teaching of English in a large number of Asian countries. Each contribution is written by a leading expert and gives a clear assessment of current policies and future trends. Starting with a description of the English education policies in the respective countries, the contributors then delve into the 'nuts and bolts' of the English education policies and how they play out in practice in the education system, in schools, in the curriculum, and in teaching. Topics covered include the balance between the acquisition of English and the national language, political, cultural, economic and technical factors that strengthen or weaken the learning of English.

This book offers an insight into the 21st century teaching and learning of English in Asia. Despite English being widely recognized as a lingua franca in this era of globalization, the general EFL proficiency of graduates from high schools and even universities in most Asian countries are still below the expectations of policymakers. Given the critical role English will play in the globalized world, this review and examination of the current state of English education in Asia is both important and timely. This book consists of ten chapters from ten different Asian countries, including the Russian Far East. The scope of the book allows EFL students, researchers and teachers to gain perspectives on many of the significant current issues, expectations, and challenges in the teaching and learning of English faced by Asia in the 21st century.

Bringing together a comprehensive range of extended research-based chapters, English Language Teacher Preparation in Asia provides comprehensive insight into policy, research, and practical aspects of teacher preparation for English teachers at pre-service level across multiple contexts in Asia. Written by local and international scholars specialising in TESOL Teacher education, and acknowledging the increasingly complex demands made on teachers of English in view of globalisation, the book explores the multiple factors which are key to effective professional learning. Chapters consider how pre-service teachers are best prepared for the diverse contexts in which English is learnt and taught in settings throughout Asia and draw on in-depth research studies to provide rich, fully contextualised coverage of aspects of teacher preparation including curriculum design, programme development, policy, professional learning communities, assessment education, and teaching practicum. A timely contribution to the field of teacher preparation, this text will be an invaluable resource for teacher educators, pre-service teachers and academics involved in the preparation of English teachers in Asia.

In Asia, English is no longer a foreign language but a key resource for education, government, business and the general public. Whereas thirty years ago, British and American experts believed that the best way to improve the quality of English teaching was to cancel any programs below the secondary level, Asian nations as well as European are now introducing English in primary school. But there are major obstacles to overcome: the training of enough local teachers or the hiring of English speakers, the preparation of suitable teaching materials, the development of useful tests, and the design of workable curriculums. The chapters in this book, written by leading English-teaching professionals in seven Asian countries and originally delivered at the 2010 annual conference of Asia TEFL which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, describe and analyze national policies and how they are implemented. The coverage is wide: China with its huge number of students learning English, Japan working to make the transition from elementary to secondary school seamless, Singapore continuing to use English as medium of instruction for its multilingual population, Korea developing English education policies to recognize the increased role of English alongside the national language, India building on its colonial past to make English an economic resource, Vietnam fitting English into a program of national rebuilding, and Taiwan spreading its English teaching outside the national capital. This is not a report of the views of outside experts, but of local experiences understood by local scholars of international standing. Policy makers, educators, researchers and scholars will be able to gain valuable insights from Asian experts.

A comprehensive account of how English is being used and reshaped by multilingual Asian speakers to fit their everyday needs.

Providing an East-West flow of language teaching knowledge and know-how to balance prevailing Western-centric perspectives, this book is an in-depth investigation of the impact of Western-based language teacher education on the pedagogy and practice of Chinese English language teachers who received their training in Western institutions or those that emphasize Western-based teaching approaches. A significant and growing number of these teachers will influence millions of language learners in China over the next decades. The Pedagogy and Practice of Western-trained Chinese English Language Teachers: Forefronts Chinese teachers’ voices and experiences in the context of their workplaces and classrooms Connects and balances theory and practice using a sociocultural lens Discusses the Chinese government’s policies on the training of teachers and analyzes them in terms of their impact on both American and Chinese higher education institutions This is a must read book for anyone interested in learning theory adopted from a Western perspective and applied within an Asian setting.

This book seeks a better understanding of the sociocultural and ideological factors that influence English study in Japan and study-abroad contexts such as university-bound high schools, female-dominant English classes at college, ESL schools in Canada, and private or university-affiliated ESL programs in Singapore and Malaysia. The discussion is based not only on data garnered from Japanese EFL learners and Japanese/overseas educators but also on official English language policies and commercial magazine discourses about English study for Japanese people. The book addresses seemingly incompatible themes that are either entrenched in or beyond Japan’s EFL context such as: Japan’s decades-long poorly-performing English education vs. its equally long-lived status as an economic power; Japanese English learners’ preference for native English speakers/norms in at-home Japanese EFL contexts vs. their friendship with other Asian students in western study-abroad contexts; Japanese female students’ dream of using English to further their careers vs. Japanese working women’s English study for self-enrichment; Japanese society’s obsession with globalization through English study vs. the Japanese economy sustained by monolingual Japanese businessmen; Japanese business magazines’ frequent cover issues on global business English study vs. Japanese working women’s magazines’ less frequent and markedly feminized discourses about English study.