NNEST: Networking Solutions for Professional Development
Description
It is a fact that the majority of the English teachers are non-native speakers. With the increasing of international students in English speaking countries attending graduate programs in TESOL or applied linguistics, the demand of EFL instructors all over the world, and the increasing discussion of World Englishes, much research and discussion have been done on non-native speakers' identity and needs.
In 'NNEST-IS: Networking Solutions for Professional Development' session, we will look at past research and current issues facing Nonnative English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) (see http://nnest-evo2009.pbwiki.com/ ). We will be having asynchronous discussions using Yahoo! Groups, and weekly live voice/video conferences with leading experts in the field on various issues that are relevant to teacher professional development. Readings, presentation materials, and the discussion contents will be archived both on the Yahoo! Group and on the wiki. By the end of the session, participants will reflect on the outcome of this session, and how they could use the things they have learned in their teaching profession. This session will wrap up with a discussion of future directions for NNESTs.
Objectives
In this 6-week session (Jan 12-Feb 22, 2008) participants will:
- engage in asynchronous and weekly synchronous discussions with leaders and experts in the field on various topics- from becoming successful language educators to navigating professional challenges and growth.
- reflect on key issues involved in enhancing their professional development.
- use text/voice web tools for asynchronous discussions i.e. Yahoo! Group discussion list, voice/audio discussion forum
- use voice/video conference for weekly synchronous meetings with guest speakers
Target audience
Graduate students or professors in TESOL or Applied Linguistics, EFL/ESL instructors, and English language school administrators.
This session is open to any individual regardless of his/her language nativeness.
Interest Section
Non-Native English Speakers in TESOL Interest Section
Weekly Content
Week 1
Guest Speakers:
Katya Nemtchinova, Chair, NNEST Interest Section: Introducing NNEST-IS
Brock Brady, Chair Elect, NNEST IS: NNEST: What's in a name? Why are we here?
Participants should ideally read the short selection of readings for this week prior to beginning. This week’s session will consider the purpose and history of TESOL’s NNEST Caucus/(now) Interest Section and problems with the NNEST label, and then wrap up with a discussion of what the NNEST community can do for you now, and what we might like it to do in the future.
Part 1 - Introducing NNEST - IS
1. NNEST Caucus/IS History
2. NNEST Goals
3. NNEST trajectory: Where do we see ourselves in 5 years (initiatives, activities, research)?
Discussion Questions:
- What does NNEST mean to you? Why did you join it?
- A common topic in literature on NNEST issues is personal accounts of challenges and successes. What is your story?
- Recent job ads show that there is still some prejudice against NNEST. Have you had or have you heard of experiences similar to the ones described by G. Braine and A. Jeni? What do you think the IS could do to curb the professional discrimination of NNEST?
Part 2 - NNEST: What's in a name? Why are we here?
Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think that George Braine convened the panel (which led to the creation of the TESOL NNEST Caucus) that the 1996 TESOL Convention in Chicago? What might have been the issues, and why might they have come to a head at that time?
- What do you think were some of the reasons why the NNEST label was coined? What are some pros and cons with continuing to use the label today?
- What are some of the alternative labels that might be proposed for the kinds of education, advocacy, and research that NNEST entities and researchers have been involved in?
- Next week you will be considering more deeply the issues of NNEST research, but for now what role do NNEST organizations play in professional support and advocacy that that can help you today and can help you tomorrow?
Week 2
Discussion Topic: Non-Native English Speaking Teachers: History and Research
Guest speaker: Enric Llurda
Participants should ideally read Moussu & Llurda (2008) prior to the beginning of Week 2. A powerpoint presentation will also be provided to introduce the topic, followed by an online discussion, which will centre around the following questions, in addition to other topics that participants may decide to bring out:
Questions for Discussion:
- What is in your opinion the most relevant research conducted so far on NNESTs?
- What kind of research is still missing?
- What can we say to sceptics who might claim that research on NNEST is repetitively pursuing the same questions again and again?
- What new directions should research take in the future? Should it be ‘politically oriented’ (affirming status and identity) or ‘technically oriented’ (description of NNESTs characteristics)?
- What methods of research should be primed in future NNEST studies?
Week 3
Discussion on World Englishes (English varieties, ELT in Asia)
Guest speakers: Yi-lin Sun, Non-Native Speakers Navigating the System in North America.
Suresh Canagarajah, Globalization and English: Redesigning Pedagogies in ELT.
In the third week, participants will:
1. Listen to a presentation given by Yi-lin Sun and have a Q&A section (?).
2. Participate in online discussion with Suresh Canagarajah.
Non-Native Speakers Navigating the System in North America
This session will discuss challenges, successes as well as strategies that NNESTers have used in navigating different higher educational systems in North America. Case studies will also be used to engage interactive participation.
Online Discussion with Suresh Canagarajah - Globalization and English: Redesigning Pedagogies in ELT
Participants will engage in an online discussion with Suresh Canagarajah about paradigm shift in language teaching. This session highlights the need to 'develop language awareness, sociolinguistic sensitivity, and strategies in learning, social negotiation, and discourse.'
See abstract at http://nnest-evo2009.pbwiki.com/Week-3
Week 4
Discussion on Teachers' Language Proficiency and students' perceptions
Guest Speaker: Ahmar Mahboob
In this session, we will consider what it means to be ‘proficient’ in a language. We will also explore the complex relationship between language proficiency and language teaching. To start off, l invite you to consider the following questions:
- What is language proficiency?
- Do you think that language proficiency impacts pedagogy and ? If yes, in what ways?
Week 5
NNESTs' Teacher Education/ Preparing teachers to become successful language educators/ Action Research
Guest Speakers: Lia Kamhi-Stein and Luciana C. de Oliveira
Summary:
During this week, participants will consider issues related to the professional preparation of NNES teachers. The presenters discuss 1. how NNES teachers’ self-perceptions regarding their NNES status and their English language proficiency affect their instructional practices and intersect with issues of professional and personal identity; 2. how NNES teachers can draw on their NNES status in the classroom and use strategies to continue to develop as professionals.
Discussion questions:
Kamhi-Stein: How do nonnative English-speaking (NNES) teachers’ self-perceptions regarding their NNES status and their English language proficiency affect their instructional practices? And how do issues of English language proficiency and NNES status intersect with issues of professional and personal identity?
de Oliveira: Discussion of Pasternak & Bailey (2004)
1. According to Pasternak and Bailey, how should the constructs of language proficiency and professional preparation be seen in language teacher education? Do you agree? What other considerations are important?
2. The authors claim: "Language teacher preparation programs can do a great deal to ensure that their students have the opportunities they need in order to feel more confident and prepared when they graduate" (p. 171). Based on your experiences as either pre-service or inservice teachers, what types of opportunities are important in language teacher preparation programs? What other opportunities are important in terms of professional development for inservice teachers?
Discussion of de Oliveira (in press)
1. From the strategies that de Oliveira describes, which ones do you think are most helpful?
2. The author discusses some strategies that she has used to continue to develop her own English skills and professional preparation. Have you used similar strategies? If so, please share them with the group and tell us how effective they have been for you.
Week 6
Reflections: NNEST-IS: Where do we go from here?
Guest Speaker: George Braine
Participants will have the opportunity to read George Braine's updated article "NNS and Invisible Barriers in ELT", and interact with the author in a week-long discussion about the 'invisible barriers' that many NNS teachers still face today and what lies ahead for these professionals. For the first five weeks, participants have learned about ideas and skills needed for professional development. For this week, participants will be able to establish a sense of what this whole NNEST-EVO session is about. With the given resources and network, the participants will feel empowered and ready to face these barriers head on. But where do we go from here? Join us this week to find out.
Session Wrap-up:
Ana Wu (NNEST blog editor)
Kyung-Hee Bae, NNEST Newsletter editor- Calling for contributions
Participants will be invited to jumpstart their professional development by contributing articles to the NNEST Newsletter. Kyung-Hee Bae will tell us more about the process of submitting articles. Ana Wu, on the other hand, will present the NNEST blog which showcases a list of NNEST professionals who have done examplary work. Their contributions to the field are constant reminders that we can make a difference.
Moderators
Aiden Yeh is a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, UK, and her research focus is on Taiwanese EFL teachers in After-school Programs (Buxibans) and their attitudes and perceptions toward professional development. She received her MSc in English Language Teaching Management from University of Surrey, UK. She has published journal articles and book chapters on the following topics: NNESTs' Teacher Professional Development using online technology, blended learning, and web 2.0 tools in teaching and learning EFL. She is a member of the Electronic Village Online Coordinating Team, CALL-IS Steering Committee, and the TESOL Technology Advisory Committee. She teaches in Taiwan.
Ana Wu (http://fog.ccsf.edu/awu) is currently teaching ESL at City College of San Francisco. Born and raised in Brazil, she discovered her love for education after teaching EFL in Japan and studying in China. Her current research interests are incorporating technology in the classroom and developing learning strategies for generation 1.5 writers. She holds a MA in TESOL and a Certificate in Teaching Composition from San Francisco State University, and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the Universidade de Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Communication tools to be used
Yahoogroup, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nnest_evo2009/
Wiki http://nnest-evo2009.pbwiki.com
Frappr, http://www.frappr.com/nnestevo2009session
Video Conference Site: Alado or Learning Times
Join this session
To join this group:
- Go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nnest_evo2009 Click on the blue button: (This is just an image). The real button is on the Yahoo Group. If you don´t have a Yahoo ID, you will be prompted to create one (it is free).
- Follow the instructions
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The Electronic Village Online is a project of TESOL's CALL Interest Section.
Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc.
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