Forward by the editor
Language practitioners have been entrusted with the responsibility of preparing generations of learners in competent oral and written communication. The approaches have been varied and the theories of teaching and learning a language have been in a constant state of flux. As a result, research has underlined an overlap with practice, oscillating between pedagogic and linguistic foci and bringing a spectrum of interpretations to any phenomenon under observation (Beveridge & Stevens 2020; BERA-RSA Inquiry 2013). Consequently, in recent studies, research-based debates on whether there is or should be a relation between research and educational practice, have become an integral part of the language practitioner professionalism (Dekker & Meeter 2022; Mills 2020; Vanderlinde & van Braak, 2010). However, the nature of the required research and its relationship to educational practice remains unclear (Leow, Thinglum, Havenne & Tseng 2022; Alazmi & Alazmi 2022).
Whether the language practitioners need to reinforce their practice with research knowledge or whether teaching can rely solely on the coordinators' instructions and the implementation of the provided curriculum, continue to underpin the debate. The Centre for Applied Linguistics Research (CALR) at the Arab Open University, invited linguists, researchers and educationists to probe into the role of research in teaching and learning. Contributors to this volume present or reflect on their experience in pursuit of evidence about the role that research-informed practices have contributed to teaching and learning. Alternatively, they can reflect on evidence of research-free successful practical approaches. In particular, researchers have presented working papers, research articles and case studies on:
- The intersection between teaching and research, and its implications
- The role of research in knowledge building
- Researchers' experiences, particularly in relation to the English language classroom
- How research on teaching can inform linguistic and pedagogic practices and policies
- The overlap between research-informed practice and effective language teaching.
We hope that you enjoy this issue. Our next call for papers will be out in April 2024.
CALR Linguistics Journal is an ISSN referenced and indexed journal in the European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH Plus). ISSN number 2073-1175.
Editor-in-Chief
Hayat Al-Khatib, Professor of Applied Linguistics
Arab Open University – Lebanon
hkhatib@aou.edu.lb
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60149/YJQJ1156
LIST OF ARTICLES
Implementing CLIL in a Japanese prefectural university: Reflecting on research-based pedagogy
Author:
John Lindsay Adamson adamson@unii.ac.jp
Patrick Chin Leong Ng chin@unii.ac.jp
University of Niigata Prefecture, Japan
This study investigated the beliefs and practices of two English language teachers - an English as an Additional Language (EAL) speaker and an Anglophone speaker - towards Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) at a regional Japanese university offering English medium instruction (EMI). Established in 2009, the university offers students EMI in the fields of international studies and regional development and international economy and prepares 1st grade students in a compulsory English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme adopting a CLIL approach.
This study examined how the two teachers conceptualized and implemented their CLIL syllabi and what limitations and opportunities CLIL offered. Qualitative data elicited from a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) revealed CLIL as both a bridge into EMI and post-university life. For this purpose, both teachers scaffolded language and content materials, especially with general cultural and social science themes. Translanguaging was important in developing pragmatic integration of students' Japanese in classes. Difficulties were noted in teaching higher cognitive skills due to the test focus of secondary education. Pedagogically, both shifted along a CLIL continuum between language and content foci according to student needs. The perceived limitations stressed the problematic balance between content and language and a lack of a language threshold before embarking on CLIL. Further issues raised were the paucity of teacher development in CLIL and tension between content and language teachers in syllabus design. Finally, opportunities were mentioned in the knowledge transfer between content and language classes and the development of autonomous collaboration. Of final note, the teachers' linguistic backgrounds were seen as important for students. Overall, implications for this study suggested that teaching practitioners can reinforce their classroom instructions with research knowledge.
Download link: 
Article 1.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60149/NXAS1779
Research, teaching and time: teacher practices and possibilities
Author: Dr Andrew G Scott [a.scott2@uq.edu.au]
The University of Queensland, Australia
Issues around the relationship between teachers and research have long been a topic of debate in the literature (Bartels, 2003; Borg, 2009, 2010; Erlam, 2008; Hall, 2023; Korthagen, 2007; Levin, 2013; Lightbown, 1985; Marsden & Kasprowicz, 2017; McIntyre 2005; McKinley 2019; Medgyes, 2017; Nassaji, 2012). There is a relationship between research and educational practice but it is complex and nuanced. Teachers engage with research through teaching, using research, often indirectly, to inform their professional practice. This paper argues that an explanatory framework (Maton, 2014) that can account for this complexity is required to understand the relationship between research and teaching; knowledge from sites of knowledge production such as university research centres is recontextualised by state education departments and educational publishers before being incorporated into classroom discourse (Bernstein, 2000; Maton, 2014). The paper then argues that a teachers' professional life cycle (Huberman, 1989) must be considered to ensure any more direct engagement with research is likely to be of benefit. Finally, the paper argues that teachers as practitioner researchers presents a possible way of more closely linking research and educational practice.
Key words: knowledge, pedagogic discourse, professional life cycles, practitioner researcher
Download link: Article 2.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60149/NWJG6218
Addressing
the Gap: Educational Research and its Implementation
Author: Dr Rula Yazigy
Professor of English
The Lebanese University
ynroula@ul.edu.lb
Education is an essential feature of every civilization as it attempts to develop the various aspects of knowledge of the community. Research in education is a significant topic for study itself to connect research and practice in Education. Therefore, research in education must become a priority as it bridges the existence of any gap between the findings of research and the implementation of the recommendations, and to limit any future possibility of its existence. The applicability of research findings is not whether it leads to clear implications for practice, but also whether the implications will materialise in the educational setting and whether the stakeholders will accommodate to the required changes (Bridges, 2015). This paper offers some definitions of educational research and its characteristics, types and levels of educational, and investigates its limitations in practice- the gap between research and practice. There is reference to research in higher education in the Arab world in general and Lebanon in particular. Suggestions are made to support the connection between educational research and educational practice mainly through Research-Practice collaboration. These include the need to support researchers by various bodies in the education field such as universities, governmental institutions, research centers and educational organisations, and more importantly to offer the findings and follow up the implementation practices to help practitioners overcome the real world problems.
Key words: applied research, educational research, educational practice, educational research in the Arab countries, educational research in Lebanon
Download link: Article 3.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60149/TTXN1073
Towards
Optimal English Language Teaching and Learning: Dependence
on or Independence from Research-based Practices
Author: Catherine Bou Nasr [catherineelandary@gmail.com]
Doctorate School – The Lebanese University
Despite the universal urgent appeal to close the gap between researchers and language practitioners in attempts to better enable effective language instruction and professional pedagogical assistance, proposing discernible solutions remains one of the most difficult conundrums, even for experts. Therefore, the present study aimed to methodically investigate and explore the perspectives and decision-making skills of forty U.S. English language educators, who have different teaching experiences at different types of institutions and grade levels, with respect to either implementing instructional and educational research findings in their teaching methodology or not. The research data were anonymously collected through a causal- comparative survey and analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by inspecting the participants' answers to pre-structured closed and open-ended questions. The findings indicated that, regardless of teaching backgrounds, the majority (80%) of U.S. English language educators (group A) implement research-based findings as well as abide by state, board of education, and school standards at the same time; whereas (20%) of teachers (group B) follow a research-free teaching approach. Moreover, participants of both groups (A&B) reported similar learning outcomes (in terms of meeting learning objectives, students' grades/engagement/participation). Eventually, the criterion of 'experience' was mostly affecting the successful application of and satisfaction with research practices, where 21.8% of Group A teachers (71.4% of them are novice) admitted not attaining similar results to those reported in the research findings; while 78.2% of the same group (90% are experienced/expert) gave a detailed and extensive description and reported attaining pretty similar results after critically 'adapting', not merely 'adopting', research data to meet their lessons objectives, unique classrooms settings, state requirements and students' interests. The study concludes with a provisional call to start a regional/state-wide/national/or even international database platform, where existing research papers are updated by comparing and contrasting researchers' findings with practitioners' feedback, test results, and/or suggestions after clinically following the same research methodology in their classrooms to deduce the reasons behind reaching similar/different outcomes.
Key words: effective English language teaching/learning, successful research-based/free practices, years of experience, grade level, public/ private schools.
Download link: Article 4.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60149/WEGU5042
The Unwholesomeness of the Scientific Ecosystem in the Research Misconduct: A Breach of Duty
Author: Dr. Laurence Ajaka
The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
laurenceajaka@usek.edu.lb
Professor Joseph Saab
The Holy Spirit University of Kaslik
josephsaab@usek.edu.lb
Science is an important fixture in the human experience, and it has emerged from the shrouds of magic and fallacies. Science is now how humans come to understand the world around them. It is also the basis for the evolution and technological advancement of today's
society. There are two major schools of thought in science: the inductive and the deductive (Wills, 2022). The latter has received wider acceptance and governs the experimentation (Wang et al., 2020). However, this process is marred by scientific misconduct when some researchers do not adhere to the rules of science for a variety of reasons (Lee, 2016). This threatens to compromise the integrity of our technological status and might even lead to catastrophic consequences. Examples include the fraudulent study on the cancer-fighting properties of plants published by Dr. M.D. Anderson (Ackerman, 2012) and Joachim Boldt published studies indicating that colloids are safe to use contrary to previous studies (Blake, 2011). It is therefore imperative to recognize these instances of misconduct and uproot them from the scientific community. The article is a review that looks into the articles dealing with scientific misconduct to develop an overview of the subject at hand. These incidents can be detrimental to the health and well-being of human beings. It can hinder progress as well as cause untold harm by the re-emergence of diseases that have already been conquered. It is recommended that we foster a culture of scientific integrity where everyone is aware of the importance of this issue. Moreover, journals can be more diligent in their reviews and reliant on peer reviews.
Key words: science, scientific method, theory, misconduct, liability of misconduct
Download link: Article 5.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60149/RDKU3775
Teaching the political speech at secondary level schools. Towards critical and digital literacy.
Author: Dr. Georgios Alexandropoulos
Postdoc researcher at the University of Thessaly
Teacher in public education
gealexandr@phil.uth.gr
In this study, I present the teaching approach of political discourse to high school students, aged 17-18 (secondary level education in Greece). Through this didactic scenario students will acquire the knowledge required for political communication, political discourse, persuasion techniques and means. In addition, through this teaching scenario, students will be led not only to critical thinking but also to digital literacy.
Key words: teaching,
political speech and communication, secondary level education, critical and
digital literacy.
Download link: Article 6.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60149/STSL9113
