Figuring out the Big Picture of the Research

I need to figure out the big picture of the topic of my research if I want to finish my research projects in an effective time and way. (Pinterest).

I need to figure out the big picture of the topic of my research if I want to finish my research projects in an effective time and way. I must not get trapped by many subtopics to discuss during my studies so that I may get lost and never finish the projects. 

Currently, I am studying the relationships between culture, identity and language teaching and trying to know how they intersect especially in the practices of language teaching and learning. The result of this study will lead me to some pedagogical implications that teachers may consider when they undergo their professional works. 

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Mediating Languages and Cultures

Mediating Languages and Cultures: Towards an Intercultural Theory of Foreign Language Education Multilingual Matters (Buttjes and Byram, 1991)

The book is good for understanding how culture is carried out in the practices of language teaching and learning. One of the topics exposed is Byram’s proposal of integrating language and culture in one process, so the teachers will acquire the elements simultaneously. 

One of the topics exposed is Byram’s proposal of integrating language and culture in one process

In Byram’s article we can learn some promising proposals in carrying out culture in language teaching. Decades ago, culture was usually neglected in the process, that the students merely acquired new language structures into their mind without considering the culture of the L2 speakers.  

In the further development, it feels some necessity in integrating cultures in LTT, but many still find the best ways to do that. This article which is put in the first section of the book gives us good insight about the topic. 

Other titles are also worth reading such as Buttjes’ article about mediating languages and cultures, developing research-based theories of internal communication and many other topics related to language and culture teaching. []

Culture, Identity and ELT

Culture, identity and English language teaching are intersecting each other. (Google).

My current research topic is about the intersection of culture, identity and English language teaching. This topic is emerging since social theories help establish what is called “the social turn” in the field of linguistics. 

This topic has some aspects to discuss further. One is about culture. Recent trend says that English language teaching cannot be excluded from the acquisition of culture, especially in L2. 

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Bringing ELT to the Next Level

Linguistics is important in building the sound theoretical aspects for English Language Teaching practices (Pinterest).

LANGUAGE studies are always related to the teaching practices. We learn languages in order to know how to teach them effectively. We learn languages (their structures and the social aspects) and always want to know how to teach them both in formal and informal instructions. 

The statement above can be traced back to the human being’s interest in learning new languages, especially the foreign ones. In order to acquire new languages effectively, we have to know how human beings learn them. It is related to the fields of psycholinguistics and sociolinguistics which are important in our research. 

We also want to make our acquisition of the new language sensitive to the social conditions. Then, we need the understanding of other fields such as discourse studies, semantics, pragmatics, semiotics, etc. The comprehensive understanding of the aforementioned fields will make the acquisition process effective and efficient. It will cope with certain problems that usually occur when one learns new languages. 

To this point, it is important for all language teachers and researchers to understand certain aspects of linguistics in terms of building the sound theoretical and practical aspects of language teaching. We can get benefits from it so that our field of expertise will improve form time to time. 

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For me, as an ELT teacher and researcher in the advanced level, understanding the linguistic and non-linguistic aspects of ELT is important. I should learn these aspects and relate them to the practices of ELT in its various uses. For instance, I learn the identity construction theories (sociolinguistics) and its pedagogical implications. This will help me – or other teachers to bring the ELT profession to the next level. []