Language learning materials development

This chapter discusses critical approaches in the examination of representation in language coursebooks in an effort to debunk two educational myths in relation to language teaching materials: the notions that they are neutral and apolitical. First, a review of the main concerns of critical research on representation in language coursebooks is presented. The chapter then advocates for a turn to political economy in the studies of representation in language materials. Political economy refers to the relationships between social, political and economic factors within a capitalist economy. Later, an example of critical analysis of representations in language coursebooks from a political economy perspective is provided. In particular, the analysis is based on a sample of Catalan language coursebooks and the specific concern will be on the representation of housing, against the backdrop of the recent political and economic transformations in Spain in this area. The chapter concludes with suggestions to researchers, materials developers, publishers, teachers and teacher educators interested in applying critical approaches in language education.

Two experiments using online speech processing measures with 18-to 36-month-olds extended research by showing that young children's comprehension is disrupted when the grammatical determiner in a noun phrase is replaced with a nonce determiner (the car vs. po car). In Expt. 1, 18-month-olds were slower and less accurate to identify familiar nouns on nonce-article than grammatical-article trials, although older children who produced determiners in their own speech showed no disruption. However, when tested on novel words in Expt. 2, even linguistically advanced 34-month-olds had greater difficulty identifying familiar as well as newly learned object names preceded by a nonce article. Children's success in "listening through" an uninformative functor-like nonce syllable before a familiar noun was related to their level of grammatical competence, but their attention to the nonce article also varied with lexical familiarity and the overall redundancy of the processing context.

To assist learning, preparation of suitable learning material is recommended along with a blended learning approach. Educational videos could be considered as a tool that can be adapted. This study aimed to develop educational videos for three (3) selected topics in Digital Illustration course offered to FirstYear Multimedia undergraduate students. ADDIE instructional design model was used to develop those educational videos. This study started with choosing a topic, designing storyboards, developing videos, uploading prototype videos to Google Drive for evaluation purposes, and conducting a usability evaluation on selected respondents. Finding from the user testing showed it was ascertained that the students agreed to use videos to enhance their understanding in selected topics in the Digital Illustration course. There should be continuous improvement in the educational videos specifically in including additional content to further enhance the videos.

This paper introduces new language learning techniques, called here "Junks+", but which the author has more recently called "MultiForm Relational" techniques or materials.  It is argued that it is much more useful to aim to cultivate in learners a "multi-word mindset" than to attempt to identify lists of lexical chunks or multi-word items for learners to learn.

While portfolios are commonly used as a tool for assessment in the area of English language teaching (ELT), this article reports on how a portfolio is deployed as a tool for building students’ vocabulary in the Vocational English program context. There have been myriad studies on the use of portfolios in second and foreign language reading and writing, but sparse research focuses on the adoption of a portfolio in ESP vocabulary learning as part of the extensive ESP reading program. To fill this gap, this participatory action research looks into how a portfolio fosters ESP vocabulary learning. It was found that the students reaped the benefits of the vocabulary portfolio, such as meaning oriented vocabulary learning, selective and contextual vocabulary learning, engaging and reflective language learning, and personalized language learning. These are crucial factors in students’ language development.

To assist learning, preparation of suitable learning material is recommended along with a blended learning approach. Educational videos could be considered as a tool that can be adapted. This study aimed to develop educational videos for three (3) selected topics in Digital Illustration course offered to First Year Multimedia undergraduate students.

emerges from the combined effects of repeated processing of language chunks and the categorization of their varying parts (p. 37). This processing always takes place in a social and meaningful context, and grammar forms are deeply linked to the semantics of the chunk and its constituents: "The main determinant of co-occurrence is of course meaning: units that are semantically relevant to one another tend to occur adjacent to one another in discourse" (p. 136). The lexical influences on morphosyntactic form explain many of what traditional grammarians called 'exceptions to the rule': "If analogy rather than symbolic rules are postulated for general patterns, exceptions from various sources are to be expected, because, for instance, particular items of high frequency may resist analogical change, or competing patterns can arise from specific instances" (p. 73).

This paper focuses on analyzing the importance of using new digital media in teaching English and finding the best ways how to take advantages from the technologies covering a variety of positive and negative impacts of cases from Indonesian perspectives. New digital media technologies in education with their reorganization of social networks and web 2.0 software tools offer opportunities for people to challenge previous centralized models of learning by connecting, sharing and discussing ideas outside of the class room and at great distance from each other. Through digital technologies, young people get more new information from the technology they use outside of school than they do from their teacher in the classroom. It is clear that learning in an online environment helps to improve the target language, encourages learner independence, and has great potential for the development of intercultural and communicative skills. Our failure to provide language learning material resources must partly be due to teachers and parents who either do not appreciate or do not understand the power of social media. The new digital media are a frontier that is rich with opportunities and risks, particularly for young people. The use of new media and social networks (e.g. Second Life, Facebook, Twitter) has implications for language education, society, culture, distance learning, socio-psychological effects of the web, and access to information. In this paper, I try to explore the importance of using new digital media in teaching English that frequently avoided by teachers of English in Indonesia and that teaching methods often repress essential aspects of social learning in relation to media and privileging teacher knowledge over young people's own experience. Finally, this paper also suggest a new focus for research that will encompass these neglected learning areas, teaching material and methods using the approach of new digital media technologies.

The present ethnographic action research study examines the construction and negotiation of English learners’ agency and identity situated in the development of vocational English (VE) materials in which both teachers and students were involved in design processes: planning, enacting, and evaluating. The present study looks
specifically at (1) to what extent teacher-learner driven ESP materials development helps students construct and negotiate their agency and identity and (2) in what ways the students respond to negotiated and participatory learning as the outcome of the school-level ESP materials development project. Findings shed some lights
on students’ agency exercise and identity enactment as the students participated in the development processes. From agency and identity perspectives, ESP materials development is a socially complex, multi-layered, and fluid process, representing students’ interests and roles. The contribution of the present study is to provide
empirical evidence regarding how student capacity and social roles contribute to teacher-student driven ESP materials development. Further ethnographic action research is needed to investigate how both teachers’ and students’ agencies and identities are constructed and negotiated in language curriculum development in general and in language materials development in particular.

While the inclusion of moral education (character education) in English language teaching (ELT) globally receives considerable attention, evaluating ELT textbooks as a moral/character agent remains under-examined since such textbooks are assumed to be value-free (Gebregeorgis MY. Afr Educ Rev 13:119–140, 2016a; Gray J. Appl Linguist 31:714–733, 2010). Informed by critical systemic functional linguistics (Fairclough N, Discourse and social change. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, 1992; Halliday MAK. Language as social semiotic. Edward Arnold, London, 1978; Kress G, van Leeuwen T. Reading images: the grammar of visual design (2nd edn). New York, Routledge, 2006), I contend that language textbooks should be viewed as sociocultural artifacts that feature particular moral values or character virtues. To fill this need, this critical micro-semiotic discourse study examines in what ways values are portrayed in one Indonesian Ministry of National Education-approved secondary school English textbook, which deploys various lexico-grammatical and discursive resources. This critical analysis reveals that visual artifacts and verbal texts with different genres in the textbook represent a myriad of values of which both teachers and students need to become aware. The implication of this study suggests that both teachers and students need to equip with skills in critical thinking and reading as well as in critical language awareness analysis. Both teachers and students should have the opportunity to engage critically with textbooks as a value agent, for instance.

Deaf students have different abilities from students who have the ability to hear a lesson at school. Barriers to hear experienced by students with hearing impairment can affect the language, academic, and social skills of deaf students. Deaf students can still obtain information from other senses that are still functioning, such as the senses of sight, touch, taste and smell or of residual hearing that still exist. In the world of education, one way to overcome this obstacle is by making multimedia based learning materials which consider the principles of learning for learners with hearing impairment; a series of development of the elements of audio, visual, and digital technology to facilitate the learning activities of deaf students so that the passion, quality, and achievement of deaf students can be improved.

This study aims at understanding forms of fostering (multi)literacies in pedagogical activities in the XXI century learning materials for the teaching of English in high schools; how to promote digital literacies in printed materials; and how to provide opportunities for the co-construction of learning through network participation using multisemiotic literacies rooted on and through the voices of those marginalized for building a more humane society that defies an only perspective and way of thinking.
The goal for searching such understandings is to contribute to finding ways to create opportunities for the development of desired sociodiscursive competences for action upon the world and social transformation. Hence, it relies on the production of a pedagogic unit which targets the promotion of (multi)literacies though the choice of relevant themes, authentic multimodal texts, and authentic tasks related to them as well as to the socio-historical-cultural reality that we live in our contemporary society, problematizing some issues related to forms of discrimination. This is a qualitive interpretive research that is affiliated to a sociointeractional view of language, thinking and learning and to the (multi)literacies theory, besides principles from critical discourse analysis. The results show that there are technologies that allow for placing hyperlinks to videos on the pages of a book through QR codes, which work similarly to bar codes, for visualization to be read by cellphones or webcams; as well as showing in printed media memes shared on the web and work on its genre so as to promote (multi)literacies including the digital one in printed learning materials. It was also possible to challenge an only perspective and way of thinking by showing at least two different points of view on the same topic in texts with opposing ideologies and design tasks which help develop a sociocultural awareness of language as discourse for the social participation in the public debate related to currently relevant issues such as the construction of identities and the paths for a more humane society.

Communication is an activity which is active and spontaneous which gives opportunities to students to develop their skills by speaking. According to , "With the globalization, calls have been made for graduates to be proficient in oral communication skills so that they can function effectively in the academic and professional setting. He explains that communication is a dynamic interactive process that involves the effective transmission of facts, ideas, thoughts, feelings and values. There are several elements of oral communication of which one needs to be aware in order to learn how to use them to his advantage. Apart from the language used for communication, there are several others elements which the speaker should learn to communicate effectively. Mojibur (2010) mention those skills as , "The Skills are eye contact, body language, style, understanding the audience, adapting to the audience, active and reflexive listening, politeness, precision, conciseness, etc.". Rationale: -The focus is on oral presentation skills specifically as it comes under the umbrella of oral communication skills which is also being highlighted by Mojibur who said that, "Oral communication covers a wide area, ranging from formal presentations to participation in teams and meetings". It clearly says that formal presentations or participation in any meetings in an official or academic setting requires effective communication skills which highlights the importance of language. The language is the most important tool for communication, but more important is knowing how to use the language effectively. The materials for oral presentation skills focus mainly on the language for introduction, transitional language and language for conclusion which will make clear for the students to know "how" to use the language language, personal habits, friendliness, and optimism that mark people to varying degrees. Mintzberg (1973) proposed ten managerial roles, five of which clearly represent communication capabilities: liaison, monitor, disseminator, spokesperson and negotiator.

The integration of curricular content and language learning, usually known as CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) has brought about new possibilities to the learning of an L2, in this case English, by building bridges with the school curriculum. While the CLIL literature is rich in positive experiences, there are also reports about the lack of context-responsive CLIL materials in the market. The purpose of this viewpoint article is to argue that instead of employing commercially produced coursebooks only, teachers can become materials developers for CLIL in secondary education. A review of the literature on CLIL materials development is offered with the aim of providing teachers with frameworks for developing or adapting their own materials to suit the needs of their local contexts. The frameworks, sources of input, and activities described and discussed draw on sociocultural theory and cognitivism. Through CLIL materials development, teachers can revisit and reflect on their own teaching principles and pedagogical approaches which guide learning and teaching. It is hoped that both pre-service and in-service teacher courses allocate more training opportunities for developing materials based on a framework which establishes a powerful link between theory and practice in CLIL education.

Background: Multicultural diversities get integrated through unified education and objectives . International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL), Himachal Pradesh University, India, already conscious of these diversities, unifies them with its intellectually and carefully crafted Self Learning Material (SLM) meant for distance learners. But as of now, the university has not posted these SLMs as Open Educational Resources (OERs) (such as opensource/online text books). These lessons are published by a press and then sent through the post to the learner's address. It is a point worth mentioning here that there is no mechanism or policy in India which directs these universities to work collectively for quality course generation and student-centric framework.

This paper seeks to explain the usefulness of parallel translation as a language learning tool and the reasons for its efficacy in the light of the comprehensible input hypothesis and data from polyglottery. A classification of bilingual text types (vertical, horizontal, interlinear and incorporated) is suggested and sample learning materials for several languages (including rare ones) are provided. The paper also mentions the titles of some particular textbooks based on this method and considers the factors affecting its applicability.

This study attempts to identify the extent of using authentic materials in the new series of secondary English textbooks (Flying High for Saudi Arabia) used currently in Saudi schools. Therefore, a content analysis instrument has been designed to analyze the first secondary English textbook. The instrument has been distributed on 112 EFL female teachers who work in public Secondary schools in Riyadh city. The findings show that the selected textbook focuses to a moderate extent on using material authenticity. The provided materials promote genuine communication among EFL learners, prepare learners for the future uses of the target language and present authentic language in its actual contexts. However, the findings reveal that the used materials are beyond the learners' level and the reading comprehension activities present real life texts at a poor range. These findings suggest to adjust the given materials to fulfill the learners' needs and match their proficiency level.

While there is a growing body of scholarship on the neoliberal content of global English textbooks, the ways in which these commercial materials come to life in teaching and learning practices are still under researched. Drawing on a critical ethnographic account of two English courses for unemployed students in a private language school in Serbia, this paper examines the beliefs and actions of teachers and students in regard to English language education and the global textbooks they use. The results suggest that many views about the English language courses and their textbooks in this case study are deeply shaped by the broader socioeconomic context of neoliberalism. Furthermore, the neoliberalism featured in the textbook motivates students to learn English and to transform themselves into suitable citizens and workers for the current economic order. In this way, the global textbook becomes one of the many tools that neoliberalism uses to reproduce itself. This paper argues that the present state of affairs is not an inevitable and desirable one and calls for implementing alternative approaches to the dominant neoliberal conception of English language education.

This article explores the academic writing difficulties of Bachelor of Technology (B-Tech) students with a focus on academic genres. Though B-Tech students should demonstrate the ability to “communicate effectively both orally and in writing with a variety of audiences, and be able to read and retrieve the essential information from a variety of sources” (FEBE Handbook 2013), B-Techs in the South African context often fail to produce texts of an academic standard. This appears to be the case despite the Communication 1A, Communication 1B and Fundamental Research Practice modules taught to the 1st and 2nd year National Diploma (NDip) students in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE). This paper focuses not on remedial measures aimed at addressing the insufficiencies of the NDip programme, but on the difficulties experienced by B-Tech students in relation to academic writing. The data, which was analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis, included observation records of writing consultations and the students’ responses to a survey. The results pointed to challenges such as reading and understanding journal articles, the writing of scientific research reports as well as academic writing skills such as summarising, paraphrasing and referencing. It is important to explore the academic writing challenges of B-Tech students in order to better orientate the collaborative work between writing centres and the disciplines in science and engineering.

Education in Indonesia is declared to be in an emergency state, whereas a lot of innovative policies have been offered, mainly since the availability of education reform and autonomy in 2003. This situation illustrates the world of education in Indonesia are still many weaknesses and needs to be revised thoroughly. The education process, however, should be fun, child-centered, and that new curriculum policies have to be rooted in the people and exempted from short-term political interests. The writer argues that the national education system can be improved through developing character-based curriculum and textbooks by fulfilling four criteria, those are: the adoption of a broader conception of curriculum; participatory curriculum decision making; a critical analysis of characteristic values in textbooks; and developing character education by integrating good values into the textbooks and in other activities either planned or in those forming the hidden curriculum. Empirical findings from primary research and observation on the implementation of the 1994 Curriculum, Competency-Based and School-Based Curriculum (2006), and 2013 Curriculum, which are analyzed in lights of curriculum and textbook theories and practices from around the world, form the argumentative strengths of this article. The character education program has to be integrated in the curriculum revision and preparation of textbooks. KEY WORD: Indonesian education, formal curriculum, hidden curriculum, textbooks, character values, integrating good values, and character education. RESUME: " Pengembangan Kurikulum dan Buku Teks Berbasis Karakter di Indonesia: Sebuah Tinjauan Kritis ". Pendidikan di Indonesia disinyalir mengalami keadaan gawat-darurat, padahal berbagai kebijakan inovatif telah dilaksanakan, terutama sejak bergulirnya reformasi dan otonomi pendidikan sejak tahun 2003. Keadaan ini menggambarkan dunia pendidikan di Indonesia masih banyak kelemahan dan perlu dibenahi secara menyeluruh. Proses pendidikan, walau bagaimanapun, hendaknya menyenangkan, berpusat pada peserta didik, dan kebijakan kurikulum baru harus berakar di masyarakat serta dibebaskan dari kepentingan politik sesaat. Penulis berargumen bahwa sistem pendidikan nasional akan dapat dibenahi melalui pengembangan kurikulum dan buku teks berbasis karakter, dimana penataan tersebut harus memenuhi empat persyaratan fundamental, yaitu: pengadopsian konsepsi kurikulum secara luas; pembuatan keputusan kurikulum secara partisipatif; penelaahan kritis nilai-nilai karakter didalam buku teks; dan pengembangan pendidikan karakter dengan pengintegrasian nilai-nilai karakter kedalam buku teks dan kegiatan-kegiatan lainnya, baik yang terencana maupun yang merupakan bagian dari kurikulum tersembunyi. Temuan empirik dari penelitian primer dan pengamatan tentang penerapan Kurikulum 1994, KBK-KTSP atau Kurikulum Berbasis Kompetensi – Kurikulum Tingkat Satuan Pendidikan (2006), dan Kurikulum 2013, yang ditelaah secara kritis berdasarkan teori dan praktek kurikulum dan buku teks dari berbagai belahan dunia, membentuk kekuatan argumentasi tulisan ini. Program pendidikan karakter harus diintegrasikan dalam revisi kurikulum dan persiapan buku teks. KATA KUNCI: Pendidikan Indonesia, kurikulum formal, kurikulum tersembunyi, buku teks, nilai karakter, integrasi nilai-nilai baik, dan pendidikan karakter.

Integrating concepts and techniques from ethnomethodology and sociomaterialism, this article investigates the observable material processes involving human action and place-based contexts of language use enabled by locative media. The focal pedagogical intervention utilized mobile augmented reality (AR) activities, the development of which was inspired by research on learning 'in the wild.' Applying the principle of reverse engineering, we introduce a pedagogical approach termed 'rewilding' for its emphasis on designing supportive conditions for goal-directed interaction outside of classrooms. Three instances of AR materials use are presented from an out-of-class activity associated with university-level language courses involving a quest-type AR game called ChronoOps. Video data of 3-player groups were transcribed using conventions from multimodal conversation analysis. The empirical investigation illustrates meaning making through visible embodied displays, the performance of new actions through incorporation of public semiotic resources, and the contributions of the material surround as actants in the flow of interaction. Analysis illustrates that mobile AR activities enable languaging events among assemblages of environments, mobile devices, and embodied experience. We conclude by outlining the affordances of mobile AR activities as one example of rewilding approaches to creating material conditions for language use and learning.

Within the framework of critical pedagogy theory and using critical discourse analysis, the purpose of this article is to examine how tourism discourse is constructed and what ideological forces are manifested in foreign language textbooks. To that end, six series of Catalan language textbooks are critically examined through an analysis based on main themes, genres and perspectives. Findings indicate the relevance of tourism discourse in textbooks, which occurs mainly through autobiographical narratives, promotional texts and commercial-oriented genres. Further, this paper argues that four main perspectives are embedded in tourism discourse in the textbooks examined: (a) consumerism; (b) superficial cosmopolitanism; (c) a dominant rationality related to the neoliberal capitalist economy; and (d) culture as a commodity. The article ends with a call to language teaching professionals to be more aware of the ideological underpinning of textbooks.

Content Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) represents a distinct approach to language education which advocates use of foreign language to facilitate content teaching instruction. CLIL methodology has become increasingly prominent within European education systems over the past 25 years and the fact that it permits students to use language in an authentic context is claimed to heighten learner motivation, permitting students to learn, use and retain the second language in a natural way. Its increasing popularity has seen it embraced by many European schools, including in Spain and the Canarian Islands.
Having been employed in the state system for many years and observing CLIL implementation, my impression has been of a paucity of suitable materials available to support teachers’ transition towards adopting this methodology. However, absence of a comprehensive framework to facilitate evaluation and development of effective CLIL materials remains a barrier to continuous improvement.
This article draws on available literature to provide a framework to assist in an objective assessment of CLIL materials and tests it using current existing materials.

This study aims to develop English for Specific Purpose (ESP) materials for mechanical engineering students, based on Resource-based Learning (RBL) theory. RBL theory is chosen for several grounds, namely: (1) The exponential growth of information and technology has dramatically changed the very nature of resource for learning which is no longer the same with that 25 years ago. (2) The concept of RBL offers teachers a way to cope with this astonishing volume of available resources around learners. (3) RBL suits adult learners at best as it increases their motivation, allows them to experience knowledge construction through a personal interpretation of knowledge rather than merely knowledge transmission, and develops their critical thinking. The research design is Research and Development. The subjects are 92 students of the third year at Mechanical Engineering Department, SV UGM (80 males, 12 females). The data are gathered through survey, semi-structured interview and document analysis. The survey and document analysis are analyzed quantitatively, while the interview transcript is examined qualitatively. The researcher adapts the research procedure by Gall, Gall and Borg (2003) and Sukmadinata (2013), which includes needs analysis, syllabus writing, developing preliminary materials, preliminary field testing (expert judgment and tryout), and final draft revision. The findings reveal five components of the effective resource-based learning materials for mechanical engineering students. Firstly, the curriculum fit means that the RBL materials should fit and in line with the predetermined syllabus. Secondly, the content requires each unit to be contextualized, realistic, authentic and consistent and thus they involve: Title, Relevant Introduction Picture, Unit Objectives, Tuning-in, Mechanical Practices, Meaningful Practices, Communicative Practices, Summary, Review, and Progress Checker. Thirdly, the instructional design must integrate four language skills meaningfully, involve different types of activities; develop students’ communicative competences; engage students’ attention; foster learning autonomy and suitable for a range of learning styles and levels; and most importantly they allow students to learn from various learning resources in controllable ways. Fourthly, the technical design calls for attractive and engaging layout; clear, appropriate and effective illustrations/visuals; appropriate fonts and size; logical, well-organized and consistent format; and suitable packaging for classroom or library collection.  Lastly, the learning resources aspect should include both static and dynamic materials, culturally and socially appropriate materials, resources that can be easily accessed, and resources which promote group interaction and interactive learning.

Keywords:  Resource-based Learning (RBL), materials development, English for Specific Purposes, mechanical engineering

Onomatopoeia are disproportionately high in number in infants' early words compared to adult language. Studies of infant language perception have proposed an iconic advantage for onomatopoeia, which may make them easier for infants to learn (Imai & Kita, 2014; Laing, 2017). This study presents a analyses infants' early word production to production account of early acquisition to show a phonological motivation for onomatopoeia in early acquisition. Cross-linguistic evidence from 16 infants demonstrates how these forms fit within a phonologically-systematic developing lexicon. We observe a predominance of consonant harmony and open CV syllables in infants' early wordsstructures that are typical of onomatopoeia across languages. Infants' acquisition of onomatopoeia is shown to be driven by a preference for structures that are easy to plan and produce. These data present an original perspective on onomatopoeia in early development, highlighting the role of production in language acquisition in general, and onomatopoeic words in particular.

In this article, we present a summary of recent research linking speech perception in infancy to later language development, as well as a new empirical study examining that linkage. Infant phonetic discrimination is initially language universal, but a decline in phonetic discrimination occurs for nonnative phonemes by the end of the 1st year. Exploiting this transition in phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months of age, we tested the hypothesis that the decline in nonnative phonetic discrimination is associated with native-language phonetic learning. Using a standard behavioral measure of speech discrimination in infants at 7 months and measures of their language abilities at 14, 18, 24, and 30 months, we show (a) a negative correlation between infants' early native and nonnative phonetic discrimination skills and (b) that native-and nonnative-phonetic discrimination skills at 7 months differentially predict future language ability. Better native-language discrimination at 7 months predicts accelerated later language abilities, whereas better nonnative-language discrimination at 7 months predicts reduced later language abilities. The discussion focuses on (a) the theoretical connection between speech perception and language development and (b) the implications of these findings for the putative "critical period" for phonetic learning.

Despite tremendous cross-linguistic and cross-cultural variation in linguistic input, early vocabularies are dominated by nouns. One explanation for this pattern appeals to the conceptual capacity of the learner—nouns predominate because the concepts to which they refer are somehow simpler or more accessible to young learners than the concepts to which verbs refer. Evidence for this viewpoint has come primarily from infants and toddlers. Another explanation appeals to the linguistic requirements underlying word learning—nouns predominate because their acquisition is well-supported by observation, while verbs often depend on additional linguistic information which early word learners are not yet able to utilize. Evidence for this viewpoint has thus far come primarily from adults in the Human Simulation Paradigm (HSP). To bridge this gap, we modified the HSP task to accommodate children. Although children's approach to this task differed markedly from that of adults, their patterns of performance were strikingly similar. Given observation alone, 7-year-olds—like adults—identified nouns more successfully than verbs. When observation was supplemented with linguistic information, 7-year-olds successfully recruited this information to identify verbs. This outcome represents the first empirical demonstration that young children's noun advantage may be attributable, at least in part, to the distinct linguistic requirements underlying the acquisition of nouns and verbs.

This paper aims to contribute to both  lexicogrammatical description and  language pedagogy. It examines  lexicogrammatical patterns of BE  interested in L1 and L2 speech and writing,  using the BNC, ICLE and LINDSEI, as well  as the relevant information in pedagogical  materials (grammars and dictionaries) for
intermediate and advanced learners. The  methodology combines quantitative and  qualitative analyses, and employs  automated and manual techniques. The  analysis involves multiple comparisons:  pedagogical information is critically  evaluated in light of L1 use, L2 use is  compared to L1 use, as well as to the  information in pedagogical materials, in  order to establish any correlations  between pedagogical input and learner  use. The results reveal that, even when  addressed at advanced learners,  pedagogical materials provide incomplete  information on the lexicogrammatical  patterns of BE interested. L1 use shows  distinct differences between speech and  writing, which are not mirrored in L2 use.  Overall, L2 use shows correlations with  pedagogical information rather than L1  use. The results also support the  inseparability of lexis and grammar.

The promotion of Uchinaaguchi within the
martial arts community would give Okinawan
instructors an opportunity to use their
language while offering valuable insights into
the practice of Okinawan karate and kobudo.
However, appropriate Uchinaaguchi teaching
materials first had to be developed. 54
interviews and165 survey responses
contributed to the collaborative design and
preliminary assessment of Uchinaaguchi
materials for karate and kobudo classes in
Okinawa and abroad.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the growing body of literature critically analysing the relation between neoliberalism and the global English Language Teaching (ELT) textbook with a new perspective. In this study, neoliberalism is regarded not only as an economic policy paradigm, but especially in a Foucauldian way, as a form of governmentality, with its emphasis on the responsibilisation of the self and the creation of a certain kind of subjectivity, related to the entrepreneurial-consumerist concept of society. The paper examines two best-selling global UK-produced English language textbooks. I develop a qualitative content analysis to explore in which way and to what extent these textbooks reflect, legitimate and reproduce neoliberal governmen-tality. The findings of the analysis suggest that the global ELT textbook not only presents a particular neoliberal worldview as common sense, but also encourages students to implement techniques of self-government to become entrepreneurial individuals and responsible consumers. In light of that, the paper concludes by arguing that the global ELT textbook may be regarded as a tool to extend and support the expansion of neoliberal governmentality in today's society.

This action research study reports on an intervention at a telesecundaria school in the East of Mexico to motivate thirty teenage learners of English. In order to do this, a low-cost interactive white board was constructed by the teacher/researcher. In addition, interactive activities were created to be used with this device. The intervention was carried out for a period of four weeks. To evaluate this action, data were collected using semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews and observation notes recorded by the teacher/researcher. Findings suggest that using this device along with the activities had a positive effect on some learners who barely participated in class. However, there were some learners who remained passive. For those on whom this action had a positive effect, the activities that seem to have had a greater impact where those of the game type. Other findings suggest that these activities not only entertained learners, but also promoted cooperation and more interaction among them. Possible conclusions are that the low-cost interactive white board does not guarantee per se that learners become motivated and engaged in the class. This depends also on the type of activities that involve learners to achieve goals such as winning in the games. Finally, other possible areas of research are suggested for future action research cycles.