Current TESL issues (Teaching English as a Second Language) in an interactive fashion enriched with distinctive keywords and tags and comment forms to discuss the issues
Activity Theory Activity Theory was developed by a group of Russian psychologists called the Kharkovites, of which the best known is A. N. Leont’ev. This theory was a development of Vygotskian theory. Lantolf described it as “a unified account of Vygotsky’s original proposals on the nature and development of human behavior”. Leontiev proposed that people …
Chaos Theory Chaos theory was developed from the 1960s work of the meteorologist, Edward Lorenz. Lorenz discovered that a very small difference (less than one part in one thousand) in the initial conditions led to large changes in the weather predicted by his model over time. A chaos is included in a larger phenomenon, that …
Complexity Theory Complexity theory is closely linked to chaos theory. Complex systems are random, nonlinear, unpredictable, self-organising, and subject to ‘strange attractor’, (i.e. they home in on a pattern that determines the boundaries of the phenomenon). Language and L2 acquisition are best viewed as complex systems. Larsen-Freeman identified a number of features of L2 acquisition …
Cortex Cortex or cerebral cortex covers the surface of the brain and is only 2-4 mm (0.08-0.16 inches) thick. It plays a central role in such functions as memory, attention, perceptual awareness, language, and consciousness. The outermost part of the cortex is grey in color, hence the common term ‘grey matter’. The inner layers are …
/əˈfeɪ.ʒə/ (noun) Aphasia Aphasia refers to any damage to the left hemisphere that often provokes aphasia (dysfunction in, or loss of, language due to neurological damage. This damage results in a loss of procedural ability to use the L2 (i.e. learners cannot automatically and accurately access all aspects of their implicit knowledge of the L2 …
Dyslexia Dyslexia or (word blindness) is a general term sometimes used to describe any continuing problem in learning to read, such as difficulty in distinguishing letter shapes and words. Reading specialists do not agree on the nature or causes of such reading problems, however, and both medical and psychological explanations have been made. Because of …
Case Study Case study research involves the study of an issue explored through one or more cases within a bounded system (a setting or context). Case study research is a qualitative approach in which the investigator explores a bounded system (case) or multiple bounded systems (cases) over time through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple …
Grounded theory in research conduction as a qualitative research design Grounded Theory Grounded theory is a qualitative research design in which the investigator moves beyond description and attempts to generate or discover a theory, an abstract analytical schema of a process, action or interaction (Strauss & Corbin, 1998). This theory-development does not come ‘off the …
Problem Statement Problem Statement is a crucial section of your research project. Pay attention to the principal specifications of this part of your research listed below: The Problem means a perplexing question. This is a sentence that states your goal and the main idea of your research. The problem should be clearly stated. Each word …
In-text citations in APA Style In-text citations in APA Style If you use something second hand, you must make it clear. The following examples are intended to clarify this point: Some fact (Smith, as cited in Jones, 1982): You are citing an author indirectly as you don’t have the exact source of the author. Instead, …