Papers by Christina Nicole Giannikas
CALL Design: Principles and Practice - Proceedings of the 2014 EUROCALL Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands, 2014
All articles in this collection are published under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4... more All articles in this collection are published under the Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence. Under this licence, the contents are freely available online (as PDF files) for anybody to read, download, copy, and redistribute provided that the author(s), editorial team, and publisher are properly cited. Commercial use and derivative works are, however, not permitted. Disclaimer: Research-publishing.net does not take any responsibility for the content of the pages written by the authors of this book. The authors have recognised that the work described was not published before, or that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. While the information in this book are believed to be true and accurate on the date of its going to press, neither the editorial team, nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publisher makes no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. While Research-publishing.net is committed to publishing works of integrity, the words are the authors' alone. Trademark notice: product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Copyrighted material: every effort has been made by the editorial team to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyrighted material in this book. In the event of errors or omissions, please notify the publisher of any corrections that will need to be incorporated in future editions of this book.
Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in universities are a challenging issue of much con... more Students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in universities are a challenging issue of much concern. University students often need to attend English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classes to complete their studies, as it is necessary for their academic progress. According to Gathercole, Alloway, Willis, and Adams (2006), SEN students show low levels of working memory performance. Also, they are often diagnosed with poor concentration (Westwood, 2007), spelling difficulties (dysorthographia), and often have trouble understanding and applying phonic decoding principles (Westwood, 2007). When these struggling skills are not catered for properly they are often the cause for SEN EAP students falling behind in their studies as their lessons increase in their level of difficulty. Subsequently, it is important for these students, instead of being part of regular EAP classes where they may not receive the required attention, to be taught in a specialised learning environment with tools that ...
CALL and complexity – short papers from EUROCALL 2019, Dec 9, 2019
Despite the critical importance of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Teacher Education (... more Despite the critical importance of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Teacher Education (CTE) programmes, L2 practitioners often report that there are not many such onsite/online programmes, and the ones that exist may not directly meet their specific needs. Moreover, there seems to be a lack of systematic evaluation studies of such courses. As a result, problems in such courses cannot be diagnosed, and they are left unresolved. This paper presents a study undertaken to evaluate an online Master's of Arts (MA) in CALL programme in the Republic of Cyprus. The investigation was based on a conceptual multidimensional e-learning evaluation model rated by the students. Data were collected from 25 graduate students via an online anonymous survey. This focussed on the participants' perceptions of the value of the following aspects: (1) their engagement; (2) the course and its organisation, teaching mode, and materials; (3) course strengths; (4) course aspects most helpful to learning; and (5) course aspects which were obstacles to learning. This paper discusses the findings and offers some first recommendations for further improvement to the MA in CALL programme.
ESP teaching and teacher education: current theories and practices
T eaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in Higher Education (HE) has a long-standing tradit... more T eaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in Higher Education (HE) has a long-standing tradition in the language centres of the Cypriot academic world, much like in other European contexts. Even though Cypriot universities are advancing in educational technology, students enter bearing coursebook-led and teacher-centred learning experiences offered in secondary education. The present chapter focusses on a pilot study involving 20 ESP first year students of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and a curriculum that was developed to tailor their academic and professional needs with the aid of a technology-enhanced environment. The aim of the personalised curriculum was to stress the fusion of interactive tools and make use of applications that would deliver opportunities for: (1) autonomy, (2) resource and content management, and (3) communal and individual content production, presentation, and sharing. The impact of the design of the curriculum was investigated through (1) online surveys completed by the students and (2) students' reflection journals. Data reports on the transformational period, the progress made, and the impact the technology-enhanced curriculum had on their learning. Additionally, the investigation revealed insights on the level of intensity of cognitive and instrumental interactivity.
Mediterranean Language Review
Applied Linguistics Review
The present paper examines the effects of the monolingual and the bilingual approach in the secon... more The present paper examines the effects of the monolingual and the bilingual approach in the second language (L2) classroom. The outcomes of two Likert type questionnaires and classroom observations have been employed to explore teachers’ and learners’ opinions and actions in order to evaluate how the use of the native language (L1) and the L2 is used by both learners and practitioners. Data analysis shows that there is a place for both languages and, when used in a balanced manner, they can comprise a positive cognitive effect due to the fact that the language learner actively draws in interlanguage development. The present study offers clear direction for further research as there is an evident lack of knowledge of principles of L1 use in similar EFL contexts.
ESP teaching and teacher education: current theories and practices
for anybody to read, download, copy, and redistribute provided that the author(s), editorial team... more for anybody to read, download, copy, and redistribute provided that the author(s), editorial team, and publisher are properly cited. Commercial use and derivative works are, however, not permitted. Disclaimer: Research-publishing.net does not take any responsibility for the content of the pages written by the authors of this book. The authors have recognised that the work described was not published before, or that it was not under consideration for publication elsewhere. While the information in this book is believed to be true and accurate on the date of its going to press, neither the editorial team nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions. The publisher makes no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. While Research-publishing.net is committed to publishing works of integrity, the words are the authors' alone. Trademark notice: product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Copyrighted material: every effort has been made by the editorial team to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyrighted material in this book. In the event of errors or omissions, please notify the publisher of any corrections that will need to be incorporated in future editions of this book.
Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics
Handbook of Research on Cultivating Literacy in Diverse and Multilingual Classrooms
Digital technologies have become an important part of language learning and teaching across the g... more Digital technologies have become an important part of language learning and teaching across the globe at various levels of education. The advances in question have altered texts and tools available to teachers and students and have given practitioners and researchers a new understanding of L2 literacy development. More specifically, the successful attempts of integrating the blogosphere in language education suggest the improvement of L2 writing. Through blogging, students are given the opportunity to use the new language they are learning and new technologies to strengthen social bonds and express their thoughts and reflections on the online platform. This chapter elaborates on the use of the blog in teenage learners' L2 literacy in the digital age, and examines the impact that blogs have on the authorship, personal expression, writing fluency, and confidence of the L2 teenage language learner. The chapter also offers a theoretical, practical scope to establish the full perspec...
Professional development in CALL: a selection of papers
B logs are considered to have made an intervention in many English as a foreign language contexts... more B logs are considered to have made an intervention in many English as a foreign language contexts. The architecture of the platform is thought to give authorship, a readership, and ownership of one's work, and encourage collaborative learning. The present chapter focusses on an exploratory research study which took place in a private language school setting in Greece. The study included 52 teenage learners who were introduced to Edublogs for the first time. The aim of the study was to (1) determine the frequency and form of peer feedback, (2) investigate the impact of blogs on students' collaborative skills, and (3) to investigate the progress made in students' literacy skills with the integration of blogs in the curriculum. Questionnaires were distributed to examine participants' impression of blogs and the effect it had on their learning.
Professional development in CALL: a selection of papers, Mar 15, 2019
B logs are considered to have made an intervention in many English as a foreign language contexts... more B logs are considered to have made an intervention in many English as a foreign language contexts. The architecture of the platform is thought to give authorship, a readership, and ownership of one's work, and encourage collaborative learning. The present chapter focusses on an exploratory research study which took place in a private language school setting in Greece. The study included 52 teenage learners who were introduced to Edublogs for the first time. The aim of the study was to (1) determine the frequency and form of peer feedback, (2) investigate the impact of blogs on students' collaborative skills, and (3) to investigate the progress made in students' literacy skills with the integration of blogs in the curriculum. Questionnaires were distributed to examine participants' impression of blogs and the effect it had on their learning.
Applied Linguistics Review
The present paper examines the effects of the monolingual and the bilingual approach in the secon... more The present paper examines the effects of the monolingual and the bilingual approach in the second language (L2) classroom. The outcomes of two Likert type questionnaires and classroom observations have been employed to explore teachers’ and learners’ opinions and actions in order to evaluate how the use of the native language (L1) and the L2 is used by both learners and practitioners. Data analysis shows that there is a place for both languages and, when used in a balanced manner, they can comprise a positive cognitive effect due to the fact that the language learner actively draws in interlanguage development. The present study offers clear direction for further research as there is an evident lack of knowledge of principles of L1 use in similar EFL contexts.
ESP teaching and teacher education: current theories and practices
for anybody to read, download, copy, and redistribute provided that the author(s), editorial team... more for anybody to read, download, copy, and redistribute provided that the author(s), editorial team, and publisher are properly cited. Commercial use and derivative works are, however, not permitted. Disclaimer: Research-publishing.net does not take any responsibility for the content of the pages written by the authors of this book. The authors have recognised that the work described was not published before, or that it was not under consideration for publication elsewhere. While the information in this book is believed to be true and accurate on the date of its going to press, neither the editorial team nor the publisher can accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions. The publisher makes no warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein. While Research-publishing.net is committed to publishing works of integrity, the words are the authors' alone. Trademark notice: product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Copyrighted material: every effort has been made by the editorial team to trace copyright holders and to obtain their permission for the use of copyrighted material in this book. In the event of errors or omissions, please notify the publisher of any corrections that will need to be incorporated in future editions of this book.
IAFOR Journal of Language Learning
The present Action Research (AR) study investigates the impact Multiple Intelligence (MI) activit... more The present Action Research (AR) study investigates the impact Multiple Intelligence (MI) activities and film can have on EFL students' conversational skills. The participants were adult language learners who had moved to the UK for academic and/or professional purposes. The majority of the students were accustomed to a teacher-centred learning environment where most of their L2 input derived from their coursebook. The combination of MI and film in the learners' language lessons aimed to stimulate their linguistic competence and conversational interaction in a student-centred environment. The multimedia used in the study was chosen with educational objectives in mind and the activities were to fulfil pedagogical language learning issues.
Mediterranean Language Review
CALL communities and culture – short papers from EUROCALL 2016, 2016
Ceps Journal Center For Educational Policy Studies Journal, Jul 1, 2013
Prispevek se osredinja na poučevanje tujega jezika v Grčiji na razredni stopnji, še posebej na po... more Prispevek se osredinja na poučevanje tujega jezika v Grčiji na razredni stopnji, še posebej na pozitivne učinke vodenja razreda in organizacije pri poučevanju, kjer je v središču učenec. V grškem izobraževalnem sistemu se prav učitelje jezikov spodbuja, da za poučevanje izbirajo pristope, pri katerih so v središču učenci, vendar pa za tak način dela niso dobili nikakršnih smernic. Prav zato, ker učitelji jezikov niso usposobljeni za vodenje razreda in organizacijo, ki bi pripomogla k vzpostaviti učnega okolja, v katerem je v središču učenec, so nenaklonjeni opustitvi pristopov, pri katerih je v ospredju učitelj. Ključne besede: vodenje razreda in organizacija v razredu, mlajši učenci, pristopi, pri katerih je v središču učenec, razredno okolje, ureditev razreda, akcijsko raziskovanje, kvalitativna raziskava
Interdisciplinary Approaches Toward Enhancing Teacher Education
Performance assessment has emerged as a useful measure of teacher performance and is a valuable f... more Performance assessment has emerged as a useful measure of teacher performance and is a valuable form of assessment. The chapter elaborates on the benefits of performance assessment in pre-service teacher training and will present findings of a study which focuses on two English Language Didactics courses of a Higher Education pre-service teacher training program for potential secondary state school ELT teachers of the Republic of Cyprus. The aim of the research was to investigate the trainees' progress, potential teaching ability, and confidence via the means of their assessment. The study conducted supported a mixed method approach, where there was sequential data gathering. The initial phase involved direct observations of student teachers' performance in combination with an evaluation of the lesson plans they would follow. This process informed the second type of data collection, which was conducted via evaluation forms, where student teachers were given the opportunity t...
Professional development in CALL: a selection of papers
CALL Design: Principles and Practice - Proceedings of the 2014 EUROCALL Conference, Groningen, The Netherlands, 2014
New technologies in language learning have been the centre of pedagogical attention in recent yea... more New technologies in language learning have been the centre of pedagogical attention in recent years. Ministries of Education worldwide have been recorded to spend an enormous amount of capital in order to supply schools with the necessary equipment so as to improve education in their countries. Nonetheless, research has shown that language teachers around the globe remain hesitant when it comes to integrating technology in their practice and the equipment they are provided with are underused due to a lack of training. The current paper aims to review the promotion of new technologies in education worldwide, discuss the purpose behind teachers’ reluctance to accept and implement them in their teaching and suggest possible solutions for the situation to change.
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Papers by Christina Nicole Giannikas
This paper focuses on alternative professional development in an education system that cannot support ‘traditional’ teacher training. The researcher aims to present action research as a supplement to pre/in-service training and the outcomes of her study where private language school teachers took part in workshops, peer-observations and were observed during their own attempts to apply action research themselves. The practice of action research has been an academic tradition in the English language classroom in primary and secondary schools in the Western context; however, in the Greek region where the research took place, teachers were not familiar with this form of self-development. Language teachers could put action research into practice and gain valuable insight into their own teaching and increase their confidence and motivation in order to become innovative and explore their profession from different angles.
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share ideas and expertise on the use of Interactive Whiteboards; and (3) to document teachers’ current
practice with Interactive Whiteboards. The research is still in progress.