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230 Pages·2011·1.44 MB·English
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Training and Transitions: The Lived Experiences of Adult Learners of English as a Second (or Other) Language Suzanne Margaret Reszke BMus(Perf) LRSM MEd Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Faculty of Education University of Tasmania November 2011 Statement of Originality This thesis contains no material which has been accepted for a degree or diploma by the University or any other institution, except by way of background information and duly acknowledged in the thesis, and to the best of the my knowledge and belief no material previously published or written by another person except where due acknowledgement is made in the text of the thesis, nor does the thesis contain any material that infringes copyright. Signature ____________________________ Date ____________________________ ii Statement of Authority of Access This thesis may be made available for loan and limited copying in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. Signature ____________________________ Date ____________________________ iii Statement of Ethical Conduct The research associated with this thesis abides by the international and Australian codes on human and animal experimentation, the guidelines by the Australian Government's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and the rulings of the Safety, Ethics and Institutional Biosafety Committees of the University. iv Abstract This study endeavoured to explore and examine the lived experience of adults learning and using English as a second language within the context of an international charitable and humanitarian organization, and the significance of this for English language teaching pedagogy. The study has at its foundation principles of hermeneutic phenomenology and as such sought to understand what these experiences were like for the respondents. Two clusters of participants contributed responses in different formats from different contexts within the international organization. At level one the 16 participants were working in multicultural teams with an international charitable and humanitarian organization in various locations around the world and contributed one off written responses to guiding questions. The 18 respondents at level two were studying English at an organizational training college in order to fulfil requirements for a standardised level of English proficiency, and took part in semi-structured interviews. Data analysis and interpretation utilised a combination of grounded theory and thematic analysis methods so as to discern themes arising from the data. Findings from the study suggest that significant personal transformation is possible when adults learn English in a country and culture other than their own. Attitudes and approaches to English language learning undergo change as adults endeavour to participate in the target language community. Intercultural awareness and an increased understanding of the host culture develop as adults relate to those from other cultures in the new context. In their everyday routine experiences, English language learners and users experience changes to the self, particularly growth in self confidence and a sense of empowerment. The changes brought about by the ESL experience also necessitate negotiation within existing relationships as families deal with separation from family members and establish routines in the host culture. The role of English within the family also v Abstract requires ongoing negotiation as contexts change. The role of the English language teacher can be regarded as crucial both in affecting good language learning experiences but also in facilitating learning that is transformative. Within the international organization experiences of learning and using English have a temporal nature that is context dependent. For non-native speakers within the organization the role of English develops as proficiency develops however, fulfilling roles of additional responsibility creates additional pressure from the expectations both of the English language users themselves and from others. The findings suggest that the participants in this study were motivated to learn English by a sense of vocation that also assisted them to maintain their English language learning and to persist in using English to fulfil their vocation through working with the international organization. vi Acknowledgements I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the following people who have made the completion of this thesis possible: I am indebted to Dr Thao Lê, my primary supervisor and source of inspiration. Thank you, Thao for the many hours you have devoted to this thesis, for the encouragement you gave at every meeting and for challenging me to think widely. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my family, my husband Jerry and my daughters Phoebe and Bethany, for their unwavering support and understanding. Thank you also to my mother Patricia, for instilling in us the belief that we can accomplish anything to which we put our minds. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the participants who gave their time so generously. I feel privileged to have shared their stories. My thanks also to my colleagues at Migrant Education, Launceston for modelling dedication and commitment to learners. Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge and experience and for giving me a sense of belonging. Many thanks also to my study colleagues in A-008 for sharing their academic and technological expertise with me and for making the journey so much more enjoyable. vii Abbreviations and Acronyms EFL English as a Foreign Language EIL English as an International Language ELL English Language Learning/Learner ELT English Language Teaching ESL English as a Second Language IELTS International English Language Testing System L1 First language (mother tongue) L2 Second Language LFC Lingua France Core NNSE Non-native Speaker/s of English NSE Native Speaker/s of English WCHO Worldwide Charitable and Humanitarian Organization WE World English/Englishes viii Table of Contents Statement of Originality _____________________________________________ ii Statement of Authority of Access______________________________________ iii Statement of Ethical Conduct_________________________________________ iv Abstract ___________________________________________________________ v Acknowledgements _________________________________________________ vii Abbreviations and Acronyms________________________________________ viii Table of Contents___________________________________________________ ix Table of Figures ___________________________________________________ xiv Table of Tables ____________________________________________________ xv Chapter 1: Introduction ______________________________________________ 1 1.1 Background Leading to the Study_________________________________________ 2 1.1.1 Organizational context._______________________________________________ 2 1.1.2 Motivation for research._______________________________________________ 5 1.1.3 Justification for the study._____________________________________________ 7 1.2 Research Objectives ____________________________________________________ 8 1.3 Research Methodology __________________________________________________ 9 1.3.1 Qualitative research approaches. ________________________________________ 9 1.3.2 Qualitative methods in this study.______________________________________ 11 1.4 Significance of the Study _______________________________________________ 12 1.5 Limitations of the Study ________________________________________________ 13 1.6 Ethical Issues _________________________________________________________ 13 1.7 Organization of the Thesis ______________________________________________ 14 1.8 Conclusion ___________________________________________________________ 16 1.9 Summary ____________________________________________________________ 17 ix Chapter Two: The Challenges of English Language Learning _____________ 18 2.1 Challenges in Adult Second Language Learning ____________________________ 20 2.2 The “Good” Language Learner __________________________________________ 25 2.3 Identity and Language Learning _________________________________________ 27 2.4 Language Learning and Culture Stress ___________________________________ 29 2.5 Significance for the Second Language Learner _____________________________ 32 2.6 Conclusion ___________________________________________________________ 34 2.7 Summary ____________________________________________________________ 35 Chapter Three: Global Dimensions of English Language Pedagogy ________ 36 3.1 English and Globalisation ______________________________________________ 36 3.2 Kachru‟s Model of English Usage ________________________________________ 38 3.3 English: A Global or an International Language? __________________________ 39 3.4 Why English? ________________________________________________________ 40 3.5 World Englishes ______________________________________________________ 41 3.6 Difficulties and Disparities ______________________________________________ 42 3.7 The Role of the Native Speaker and the Bilingual Teacher of English __________ 43 3.8 Standards of English ___________________________________________________ 44 3.9 Pronunciation Models __________________________________________________ 45 3.10 Significance for English Language Teaching ______________________________ 46 3.11 Conclusion __________________________________________________________ 48 3.12 Summary ___________________________________________________________ 49 Chapter Four: Learning in Adulthood _________________________________ 50 4.1 Addressing the Place of Andragogy ______________________________________ 53 4.2 Jarvis‟s Model of Learning _____________________________________________ 56 4.3 Context in Learning ___________________________________________________ 58 4.4 Learning that Transforms ______________________________________________ 60 x

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