Lärarutbildningen
Kultur, språk och medier
Examensarbete15 högskolepoäng
Current Affairs and English TeachingNyheter och engelskundervisning
Maria Kehlmeier
Pernilla Svensson
Lärarexamen 270hpHandledare: Ange handledare
Engelska och lärande
2009-06-03 / Examinator: Björn Sundmark
Handledare: Bo Lundahl
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Abstract
This degree project investigates how and why current affairs materials are incorporated in English language learning at two Swedish upper secondary schools. The question of what current affairs learning materials are is also answered. We look at current affairs materials from the viewpoint of two teachers and 7 students. We investigate how and why the teachers use current affairs in the ELT classroom through the use of qualitative interviews. Using the same method, we also investigate the students’ experiences of working with current affairs materials in the ELT classroom.
We found that both the teachers and the students are positive towards working with current affairs materials in their ELT classrooms. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore the importance of selecting the appropriate materials. The materials should be authentic, connect to the students’ experiences and also match the teacher’s interests and personality. If fulfilling these criteria, current affairs materials function as a suitable learning material for language learning.
Keywords: current affairs materials, English, learning materials, ELT classroom, authentic texts.
Table of contents
1 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………7
1.1 Background…………………………………………………………………………..7
1.2 Purpose and research questions….…………….…………………………………….8
1.3 Key concepts……..…………………………………………………………………..9
Definition of current affairs……………………………………………………………….9
Authenticity…………………………………………………………………………….....9
Media…………………………………………………………………………………….10
Learning materials……………………………………………………………………….10
Texts………………………...…………………………………………………………...11
EFL and ELT…....……………………………………………………………………….11
2 LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………………………..12
2.1 Current affairs and institutionalised settings.…………….…………………………12
2.2 Students’ benefits from current affairs teaching……………………………………14
2.3 Concluding remarks………………………………………………………………...15
3 METHODOLOGY………………………………………………………….16
3.1 Method……….……………………………………………………………………..16
3.2 Sampling……………………………………………………………………………17
3.3 Procedures….……………………………………………………………………….17
3.4 Ethical aspects..……………………………………………………………………..19
4 INTERVIEW RESULTS…………………………………………………...20
4.1 Teacher interviews…………………………………………………………………..20
Description of the teachers……..……………………………………………………..20
Learning materials……………………………………………………………...……..21
How to teach current affairs in the ELT classroom…………………………………...22
Results and outcomes………………………………………………………………….24
4.2 Student interviews…………………………………………………………………...25
Description of the students…………………………………………………………….26
Students’ views on current affairs as a learning material……..……..………………...27
Learning materials in Mr Andrews’ teaching…………………………………………28
Learning materials in Mr Daniels’ teaching…………………………………………..28
5 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION…..……...………….……………………30
6 CONCLUSION…………………………………………….……………….36
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………..37
APPENDICES………………...………………………………………………39
1 Introduction
1.1Background
Since the goals presented for English at a non-compulsory school level are fairly open to interpretation, the subject has great advantages when it comes to deciding what should be discussed or brought up in the language classroom. There are in fact no set rules concerning contents, ways of working or materials. Thanks to the availability of international media, such as television programmes, news programmes and radio shows, it is easy for the teacher to integrate current affairs in the ELT classroom.
As for what the students of English should learn, there are goals to attain described for each course. For instance, the syllabus for English at a non-compulsory school level states that the students should work towards attaining “knowledge about the national minorities’ cultures, languages, religions and history, knowledge about international co-operation and global interrelationships and assess events from Swedish, Nordic, European and global perspectives” (Curriculum for the Non-Compulsory School System - Lpf 94). This quote from the syllabus for English does not in any way say that current affairs must be used in order to achieve the goal. However, since current affairs materials most often deal with issues regarding religions, cultures and significant events from all over the world, we believe that the incorporation of current affairs is an efficient way of reaching some of the goals for English.
There are various reasons for including current affairs materials in the ELT classroom. Firstly, by bringing in current affairs, the students may recognize and have previous knowledge about what is being brought up and discussed in the classroom. Secondly, in today’s society we can find all different types of people with backgrounds poles apart from one another. This may be perceived as something very positive but it can also complicate matters. Differences related to cultural backgrounds and experiences can make it hard to find a common ground where everyone feels included. By incorporating news in the EFL classroom, a common platform can be established. This is best explained by saying that the incorporation of current affairs as an attempt to bring in the outside world into the classroom is likely to have an effect on most students, irrespective of the person’s background, depending, obviously, on what type of current affairs teachers choose to engage the students in.
As teachers of English, we have a personal interest in what is in the news and are curious about finding out more about what current affairs materials teachers choose to introduce in their classrooms. Furthermore, we wish to see what teaching methods are applied when teachers work with current affairs materials in the ELT classroom. Students’ attitudes towards working with current affairs are also worth investigating to see how the teacher’s perspective functions in relation to the students’ interests and expectations. The connection between teaching that includes current affairs, the syllabus for English and the English National tests is also worth looking at.
We consider it to be the teacher’s responsibility to offer students a learner-friendly environment where every student is exposed to good, relevant and well-structured learning materials, a classroom where students feel they are supported but also challenged in their learning. In light of the previous research used for this degree project regarding current affairs and the syllabus for English (Lpf -94), we believe that the incorporation of current affairs in language learning has a positive impact on learners provided that the materials are current, relevant and close to the students’ own experiences.
1.2 Purpose and research questions
The purpose of this degree project is to see how two different teachers of English from two upper secondary schools in the south of Sweden incorporate and work with current affairs in their EFL classrooms. Furthermore, students’ experiences of and attitudes towards working with current affairs are also investigated.
Our study aims at answering the following research questions:
- How do two teachers of English at two different upper secondary schools in the south of Sweden use current affairs materials in their EFL classroom?
- What reasons do the teachers have for incorporating current affairs materials in their EFL teaching?
- What are the students’ experiences of and attitudes towards working with current affairs in English?
The first two questions are formulated in order to gain an understanding of the teachers’ working methods as well as their reasons for incorporating current affairs materials in their teaching. Furthermore, we investigate the students’ experiences and opinions concerning using current affairs materials in the English classroom.
1.3 Key concepts
Current affairs
In the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2003), current affairs are explained to be everything that involves “news, containing important political events or other events in society that are happening now” (p. 384). This means that current affairs can be anything from an article taken from the newspaper The Independent to listening to and viewing a news broadcast. These are only two examples of learning materials that can be used when working with current affairs.
Authenticity
As the term authentic is a very broad and complex one, including many different aspects, we have decidedto use a definition that places authenticity in relation to current affairsin English teaching. The following quote from An A-Z of ELT provides Thornbury’s explanation of authenticity:
A classroom text is authentic if it was originally written for a non-classroom audience. A newspaper article or a pop song are thus considered authentic, whereas a coursebook drill or dialogue are not. The notion of authenticity was originally introduced to distinguish between artificially simplified texts and unmodified ‘real’ texts. With the advent of the communicative approach, inauthentic texts were felt to be inadequate, either as models for language use, or as preparation for real-life reading and listening. […] Accordingly, authentic texts and semi-authentic texts (that is texts that look like authentic texts but which have been adapted in some way) started finding their way into ELT materials. (Thornbury, 2006, p. 21)
This means that by bringing in authentic texts as for example newspaper articles, television and radio broadcasts, documentaries and fictional films into the English classroom, the connection between the school, being an institutional setting, and students’ real life becomes more evident. From this perspective, authentic texts are more relevant for students in comparison to non-authentic texts, but teachers need to make the connection between the school and the outside world visible in order for the students to see the meaning of the tasks set at hand.
Mishan (2005) emphasises the importance of texts being utilized in language learning conveying a message to its audience. He quotes Morrow in Designing authenticity into language learning materials, saying that “authentic text is a stretch of real language, produced by a real speaker or writer for a real audience and designed to convey a real message of some sort’ (Morrow, 1977, p.13). Morrow here uses real as an antonym to imaginary. In other words, an authentic text is one written for the purpose of communicating information (Mishan, 2005).
Media
Media is a tool for communication and a channel for conveying information and entertainment. Media is often associated with mass media such as books, newspapers, radio, television and the Internet. These different media forms convey information and entertainment to a big audience. Nevertheless some media, like the computer for instance, can also be used between smaller audiences. An example is when two people communicate over the Internet (Nationalencyklopedin, 2008).
Learning materials
The report Läromedlens roll i undervisningen, (Skolverket, 2006) explores the use of learning materials in Swedish secondary schools, and also considers perceptions and ideas of what learning materials are. The report states that the selection of learning materials is vastly connected to the teachers’ own basic pedagogical views. Furthermore, the report provides a definition of learning materials. It states that it not only refers to textbooks or other written materials such as newspaper articles, dictionaries or literature, but also includes for example the Internet and computer programmes, films and art work, the natural world (e.g. animals and plants) and educational visits (p. 15).
According to the report, the most frequently utilized learning materials in Swedish schools are published textbooks (83%), speech on cassettes or CD (56%) and dictionaries (44%) (Skolverket, 2006, p. 43). However, the report also stresses that teachers must not forget about learning materials such as the Internet, films, computer programmes. An additional important learning material is the newspaper, from where one can find materials not only for language learning purposes but also to attain information from a global perspective that may enhance students’ knowledge about the world.
Texts
In English teaching, one can use a variety of texts, especially when working with current affairs. What the term text refers to is debatable, and people’s perceptions on the matter vary. Lundahl (2009) let a group of ninth graders explain what they meant by the word text. Some of the answers he received were “a piece of writing from where you can learn something”, “for example a book, a newspaper article or a poem” and “something you read or write” (p. 55). These examples of students’ reflections on the word text emphasize the general perception of what the word means: a written word. However, the term text in fact signifies all “paper-based or electronic (audio or visual) data which can be in graphic, audio or print form and includes video, DVD, television, computer-generated or recorded data” (Mishan, 2005, p. 14).
EFL and ELT
EFL refers to English as a foreign language and ELT means English language teaching. These abbreviations are used frequently in this degree project and it is therefore important to understand their meaning.
2 Literature review
2.1 Current affairs and institutionalised settings
In Aspects of Language Teaching (1990), H. G. Widdowson explains that teachers should make use of teaching materials and modify ideas in a principled way that suits them best and that key in with their own experience of teaching. Teaching materials should be looked upon as hypothetical constructs of abstract principles from which pedagogic activities might be developed in the light of certain classroom conditions (ibid., p. 30). Widdowson explains that if teachers want to utilize teaching materials such as textbooks, they can and preferably should modify them and try to make them into their own, so as to better suit their personality and working methods. Similar to Widdowson, we believe that teaching materials, in the form of textbooks, are effective and can bring about learning. However, Widdowson argues that teaching should not be restricted by the textbook. The teacher should exploit the materials so that different learners are exposed to the most appropriate activities for learning, that is, all depending on the type of students and teachers in specific classroom conditions (ibid., p. 31).
One way for the students to be exposed to appropriate activities for learning can be by introducing authentic language into the classroom, since everyday English knowledge is concrete and is built on the present, while the school’s knowledge more often is abstract and technical (Lundahl, 2009, p. 38). According to Lundahl, this is one reason why students often claim that they learn more English outside of school in comparison to the ELT classroom. If the teacher wishes to include learning materials other than textbooks, the inclusion of materials related to the outside world are proved to be beneficial for learning since the two varieties of knowledge can be combined and the gap between them bridged. However, as Lundahl further mentions, it can be difficult since teachers in this situation must leave their comfort zone e.g. when introducing a topic that they are not familiar with, experiencing that their students know more about it than they do. It is therefore important that teachers are familiar with the learning materials they select.
Widdowson, in agreement with Lundahl, states that authentic materials are not utilized without complications: “Authenticity of language in the classroom is bound to be, to some extent, an illusion” (ibid., p. 44). He explains this by saying that it does not really depend on the source and how the language is used in a specific text or where it is taken from, but on the learners’ engagement with it. In order to achieve engagement it is important that the teachers feel comfortable with what is being taught and bring in materials that the students are familiar with and find meaningful. Meanings are not contained and achieved in texts, but by human activity where meaning is negotiable (ibid., p. 45).
According to Jarman and McClune (2007), news is an immensely important media form and they explain how science can be taught through current affairs if the appropriate materials are utilized. Jarman and McClune mention how we can have access to news almost wherever we are: on television, on the radio while in the car, we can read the news in a newspaper while having a coffee, download it from the Internet, receive it on our mobile phones and as pod casts on our iPods. Adolescents in particular, are exposed to these media on a daily basis, which is why Jarman and McClune, in accordance with Widdowson, say that teachers should not ignore these media. Although Jarman and McClune provide examples of current affairs teaching methods in science, we believe the use of current affairs is applicable to all subjects, and especially in English language learning.
The core purpose of learning a new language is to be able to communicate with speakers of that language. In order for this to be possible, learners need to be exposed to and take part in communicative activities in the classroom. In brief, the language used in an institutionalised setting such as a classroom, should be authentic. A gap between the English spoken outside of school and the one spoken in the classroom should be prevented as school English may risk being perceived as inadequate and inappropriate to the students. Thornbury (2006) highlights the importance of bringing in authentic texts into the ELT classroom. He says that the connection between the institutionalised setting and students’ real life will be more evident if authentic texts are used. If the learners’ main purpose is to communicate, there should be no doubt that the best way to meet this need is by the teacher introducing authentic materials in the classroom. Examples of authentic texts can be current affairs materials such as newspaper articles and TV and radio broadcasts.
2.2 Benefits from using current affairs materials
In the article Linking home, school, and community with environmental texts(2000), Glasceta Honeyghan states that “students who are surrounded with print flourish in literacy development and are often successful in school” (p. 3). Honeyghan further states that educators should utilize materials that are important to the students’ immediate life experiences with relevance to their immediate needs. Mishan (2005) agrees with Honeyghan, stating that a student being involved and engaged in a text, distracts the learner from the basic objective: language acquisition. Thus it reduces the level of anxiety, lowers the affective filter and allows acquisition to take place.
Additionally, Honeyghan explains the importance of literacy events that occur at the students’ homes and how this can have an impact on students’ success in school. Parents who routinely read newspapers as well as other texts can rub off their reading behaviours onto their children. Honeyghan also claims that the best way to bridge the community with the school is by using the newspaper or any other current affairs material. Furthermore, she explains that when children see their parents reading the newspaper and discussing the information in it, they too will appreciate it as a text and realize that reading can be used as a way to relate the world around them and to entertain them. As a consequence, if the newspaper experience is extended to the classroom, similar results are likely to be reached. “Teachers may use the same newspaper […] for literacy development, providing opportunities for the students to connect the learning between the home, school and community” (ibid., p. 3).