Sarah Rich

Revisiting English Language Learning among Malaysian Children

Asian Social Science, Jan 27, 2014

Despite learning English language for six years at elementary and five years at secondary levels,... more Despite learning English language for six years at elementary and five years at secondary levels, Malaysian students' English language competency has always been the obstacle in securing success at university level as well as in job opportunities. Hence, various interventions have been taken in the teaching and learning process as well as changes in language policy. This paper calls for a revisit on Malaysia's policy on teaching English English at primary schools. It discusses the findings of English language acquisition as experienced by Azlan, Hazwan and Aida's (pseudonyms), aged six, and explored through an ethnographic case study. The children's, their mother's and teacher's voices were gathered through interviews. The children's behaviours in and outside of school and at home were also captured through observations. A grounded theory data analysis approach was employed in analysing the data. Findings illuminated that for these children, the second language was acquired through play and use; and that developing children's confidence should be the starting point. The implication of this finding is discussed in the light of the English language policy for teaching English to Malaysian primary school children.

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English Language Academics’ Professional Development in Saudi Arabia; a Literature Review

EDULEARN14 Proceedings, 2014

Teaching English to Young Learners

Conclusion: The Added Value of International Perspectives on TEYL

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2014

The purpose of this final chapter is to reflect on what sorts of insights the various research ac... more The purpose of this final chapter is to reflect on what sorts of insights the various research accounts included in this volume provide into how to build an effective and appropriate TEYL pedagogy and research agendas to further this project. As will be demonstrated, their contribution is not inconsequential, pointing to the very real potential of locally grounded accounts to stimulate global debates about TEYL. With this in mind, the chapter ends by arguing for the importance of continuing to build and sustain a global dialogue on TEYL and some of the ways in which we might approach this.

Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Student's Perceptions of Successful Classroom Practice in a UK Graduate Program

Across the Disciplines, 2005

In this paper, I present the findings of a longitudinal study into the perceptions of linguistica... more In this paper, I present the findings of a longitudinal study into the perceptions of linguistically and culturally diverse practicing teachers in a graduate program in the United Kingdom (UK) with regard to pedagogic practices deemed successful in helping them negotiate access to an academic community of practice. It is argued that an approach which seeks out these students' views, and the ways these change over time, enables new, more comprehensive, and more critical understandings of the relationship between notions of cultural and linguistic diversity, learning, and pedagogy which can inform both practice and theory for the WAC movement. In the UK, as in many countries, while linguistic and cultural diversity have been commonplace in higher educational settings for a considerable time, the pedagogical implications for this have only recently started to be debated. In large part this been prompted by the dramatic and exponential growth of international student numbers, particularly from South East Asia (UKCOSA, n.d.). This has meant that linguistically and culturally diverse students have a more visible presence in many classes and may even, in some programs, be a majority of the student body (McNamara and Harris, 1997). As Singh and Doherty (2004) note, in particular, the increasing internationalization of classrooms in higher education has begun to raise concerns among educators as to how to cope with the needs and demands of these disparate student bodies.

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Plugging the Gap: Supporting Primary School Teachers to Materials

Springer eBooks, 2019

This chapter reports on an innovative approach to the lack of culturally appropriate materials to... more This chapter reports on an innovative approach to the lack of culturally appropriate materials to support the development of shared reading, an important component of effective early years’ literacy instruction, with Grade 1 and 2 primary English language learners in the Sultanate of Oman. Specifically, we describe a workshop undertaken with Senior primary school teachers to emphasise the importance of shared reading and to produce culturally appropriate ‘big books’ needed to promote shared reading, which were in short supply. 26 of the ‘big books’ were subsequently shared with teachers across the country. The chapter draws upon interview data from workshop attendees and teachers who have made use of the big books produced. The innovation is shown to have had a positive impact, both in addressing the need for more ‘big books’ that reflect children’s local cultural norms and values, and in the reception of these materials by teachers, many of whom reported a greater enthusiasm for and interest in shared reading than was previously the case. The chapter concludes with reflections on the innovation’s success and the lessons learned.

Early language learning teacher education

Routledge eBooks, Oct 10, 2018

Taking Stock: Where Are We Now with TEYL?

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2014

The teaching of English as an additional language to young learners (hereafter referred to as TEY... more The teaching of English as an additional language to young learners (hereafter referred to as TEYL) has grown in the last two decades to become a truly global phenomenon. It is increasingly prioritized by governments worldwide and is possibly currently one of the world’s largest educational policy developments (Johnstone 2009). This phenomenon, as Cameron (2003) has observed, is one that needs to be taken seriously by all of those involved in TESOL, since lowering the age at which English is introduced into school systems has important implications for English language educators at secondary level and beyond. Not least this is because increasingly older learners will be those who have already encountered formal second and foreign language learning as children and will carry the impact of this, whether positive or negative, into their further studies.

Learning to live interculturally : an exploration of experience and learning among a group of international students at a university in the UK

In the past 30 years there has been a rapid and exponential growth in the numbers of people elect... more In the past 30 years there has been a rapid and exponential growth in the numbers of people electing to complete all or part of their studies outside of their country of origin. This phenomenon has attracted considerable research attention, not least from those who are interested to describe the benefits seen to accrue from the opportunity this provides for an extended encounter with linguistic and cultural diversity. Notably, the widespread assumption that this can generate a new form of learning, commonly referred to as intercultural learning, which is understood to comprise

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Insights into the strategic ways in which two bilingual children in the early years seek to negotiate the competing demands on their identity in their home and school worlds

International Journal of Early Years Education, Mar 1, 2007

... at pains to point out to the interviewer 'I was born in the UK' and in another inte... more ... at pains to point out to the interviewer 'I was born in the UK' and in another interview said that he was from Africa and that he had to learn Arabic: 'I'm from Africa ... First, that the findings highlight a need for educators to be sensitive to the fact that even when children appear on ...

Early language learning teacher education

The Routledge Handbook of Teaching English to Young Learners, 2018

Plugging the Gap: Supporting Primary School Teachers to Create Culturally Appropriate English Language Teaching (ELT) Materials

This chapter reports on an innovative approach to the lack of culturally appropriate materials to... more This chapter reports on an innovative approach to the lack of culturally appropriate materials to support the development of shared reading, an important component of effective early years’ literacy instruction, with Grade 1 and 2 primary English language learners in the Sultanate of Oman. Specifically, we describe a workshop undertaken with Senior primary school teachers to emphasise the importance of shared reading and to produce culturally appropriate ‘big books’ needed to promote shared reading, which were in short supply. 26 of the ‘big books’ were subsequently shared with teachers across the country. The chapter draws upon interview data from workshop attendees and teachers who have made use of the big books produced. The innovation is shown to have had a positive impact, both in addressing the need for more ‘big books’ that reflect children’s local cultural norms and values, and in the reception of these materials by teachers, many of whom reported a greater enthusiasm for an...

Exploring critical thinking and negotiation of meaning in game-based language learning

Research Institute of Education Science, Jeju National University, 2019

Distance Learning

Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets, 2017

Distance learning is the thing without which it is impossible to learn in the future. System of d... more Distance learning is the thing without which it is impossible to learn in the future. System of distance learning has to have modern studying materials and interesting resources, where student can interact with everything which is there. Below I will give some examples of why it is worth investing and developing this system. It's very convenient. You can go to the site and start studying in any time. And if person has health problems or if the weather is not good and you don't have possible to get to the university, you can not worry about his studies, then this is the best and only alternative. In case the student does not understand something at the lecture, he can always take the lesson again on the page of subject, It is very convenient for the teacher to control his students, as everything is in electronic form and everything can be easily checked: how a student read lectures, how he take laboratory and practical exercises. An important part of this system is FORUM. This is a multifunctional platform for students and teachers, which expands the opportunities for learning at home beyond recognition. Using the forum, you can create discussions in which not only a couple of students will take part, but if possible the whole stream or even the whole course. A student can easily contact the teacher, ask questions, take laboratory and practical work done using e-mail or forum. Students can also freely communicate and exchange necessary information, which also facilitates learning. For a university, this is a very convenient system, since it does not require large capital investments, such as heating the audience during the winter training period, paying bills for electricity etc. This system of education will provide an opportunity for training for those people who previously could not afford it. Since in the future this system can be developed to such a scale that a student can without qualifying from home receive a quality education with small financial investments. As this system is not ideal, it has drawbacks and several requirements without which this training will not work: students and teachers should have a high-quality high-speed Internet connection, as well as a desire to learn and teach. Drawing a conclusion, at this system has great potential, and it also has a great opportunity to turn the education system, and in a few years and at all to replace the standard training.

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Insights into the strategic ways in which two bilingual children in the early years seek to negotiate the competing demands on their identity in their home and school worlds

International Journal of Early Years Education, 2007

... at pains to point out to the interviewer 'I was born in the UK' and in another inte... more ... at pains to point out to the interviewer 'I was born in the UK' and in another interview said that he was from Africa and that he had to learn Arabic: 'I'm from Africa ... First, that the findings highlight a need for educators to be sensitive to the fact that even when children appear on ...

Taking Stock: Where Are We Now with TEYL?

International Perspectives on Teaching English to Young Learners, 2014

The teaching of English as an additional language to young learners (hereafter referred to as TEY... more The teaching of English as an additional language to young learners (hereafter referred to as TEYL) has grown in the last two decades to become a truly global phenomenon. It is increasingly prioritized by governments worldwide and is possibly currently one of the world’s largest educational policy developments (Johnstone 2009). This phenomenon, as Cameron (2003) has observed, is one that needs to be taken seriously by all of those involved in TESOL, since lowering the age at which English is introduced into school systems has important implications for English language educators at secondary level and beyond. Not least this is because increasingly older learners will be those who have already encountered formal second and foreign language learning as children and will carry the impact of this, whether positive or negative, into their further studies.

Conclusion: The Added Value of International Perspectives on TEYL

International Perspectives on Teaching English to Young Learners, 2014

The purpose of this final chapter is to reflect on what sorts of insights the various research ac... more The purpose of this final chapter is to reflect on what sorts of insights the various research accounts included in this volume provide into how to build an effective and appropriate TEYL pedagogy and research agendas to further this project. As will be demonstrated, their contribution is not inconsequential, pointing to the very real potential of locally grounded accounts to stimulate global debates about TEYL. With this in mind, the chapter ends by arguing for the importance of continuing to build and sustain a global dialogue on TEYL and some of the ways in which we might approach this.

Hard Times: Arab TESOL Students' Experiences of Racialization and Othering in the United Kingdom

TESOL Quarterly, 2006

The fi eld of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) brings people from various ... more The fi eld of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) brings people from various racialized backgrounds together in teaching, learning, and research. The idea of race, racialization, and racism are inescapable topics that arise in the contact zones created by teaching English worldwide and thus are valid topics to explore in the fi eld. Nonetheless, unlike our peer fi elds such as anthropology, education, and sociology, the fi eld of TESOL has not suffi ciently addressed the idea of race and related concepts. This special topic issue is one of the fi rst attempts in our fi eld to fi ll the gap. This introductory article will survey key concepts and theories defi ned and debated in various fi elds, including race, ethnicity, culture, racialization, racism, critical race theory, and critical White studies, to provide a foundation for future explorations.

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International Perspectives on Teaching English to Young Learners

Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks, 2014

Edited by Sarah Rich, this book gives the reader a rich insight into a phenomenon that has appear... more Edited by Sarah Rich, this book gives the reader a rich insight into a phenomenon that has appeared in the 21 st century, the teaching of English to young learners (TEYL). Sarah Rich has worked in the field of TESOL for more than 30 years. She is an experienced teacher, who has taught worldwide and holds an honorary fellow position at the University of Exeter. She is currently employed as an educational advisor for the Ministry of Education of Oman, where she is responsible for the in-service training of primary and secondary school English teachers. Wendy Arnold is an experienced TESOL teacher, material writer and teacher educator. She holds an MA in Teaching English to Young Learners, a postgraduate certificate, and both the CELTA and the CELTYL. Among other things, she cooperates with the British Council and she was also part of the team that won the Middle East and North Africa Kids Read project. Janice Bland is a visiting professor at the University of Vechta, Lower Saxony. She has been both a primary and secondary school teacher, as well as an adult educator. She joined the English department of the University of Hildesheim in 2007. Her research interests include children's literature in education, drama and creative writing. Zehang Chen is an associate professor and the Chair of the English Department at Beijing Normal University in China. Her research interests cover teaching methodology, material development, e-learning, etc., and she has been involved in many projects. Alina Gamboa has a master's degree in International Political Economy and a PhD in Politics. Her work is linked to the development policy focused on

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