In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to... more In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students' learning. Apart from applications (apps) specifically designed for language educational purposes, such as Duolingo, there are also instant messaging apps that are not specifically designed for education purposes, but that can be useful in supporting learners. These include instant messaging apps such as, WhatsApp and WeChat. Instead of relegating phone app use to merely a source of entertainment and distraction, teachers increasingly use them as a vital form of communication to enhance education, including language learning. Apps have thus shifted from a tangential position to the forefront of the learning space. For the purposes of this research project, WeChat was used as the messaging app. This article focuses on the initial findings of a pilot study and concentrates on the perceived purposes for the participants' posts as they relate to the use of the app as a tool for collaboration, peer‐support, and knowledge sharing. Data was gathered through an online survey, semi‐structured interviews, and an analysis of the WeChat posts. Analysis of the posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers, and, at times, served as a social platform underlying the key educational purposes of the programme.
He Puna Korero: Journal of Maori and Pacific Development, Feb 1, 2007
ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, research in the area of discourse analysis has expanded rapid... more ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, research in the area of discourse analysis has expanded rapidly and has yielded insights that could usefully inform the teaching and learning of languages. In this paper, we report on the results of a comparative study of a number of commercially available textbooks designed for learners of English and learners of te reo Māori at intermediate level in terms of the extent to which they can be shown to have been influenced by specific aspects of discourse analysis research. In the textbooks designed for learners of English, there is some evidence that the writers are aware of, and have been influenced by some aspects of discourse analysis research, particularly in the teaching of writing skills. In the textbooks designed for learners of te reo Māori, however, there is almost no sign of influence of research of this type. In view of the importance of the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in relation to the maintenance of the language, and in view of the fact that many young people in New Zealand now learn a range of academic subjects through the medium of te reo Māori, this raises issues that we believe need to be addressed.
In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to... more In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students' learning. Apart from applications (apps) specifically designed for language educational purposes, such as Duolingo, there are also instant messaging apps that are not specifically designed for education purposes, but that can be useful in supporting learners. These include instant messaging apps such as, WhatsApp and WeChat. Instead of relegating phone app use to merely a source of entertainment and distraction, teachers increasingly use them as a vital form of communication to enhance education, including language learning. Apps have thus shifted from a tangential position to the forefront of the learning space. For the purposes of this research project, WeChat was used as the messaging app. This article focuses on the initial findings of a pilot study and concentrates on the perceived purposes for the participants' posts as they relate to the use of the app as a tool for collaboration, peer‐support, and knowledge sharing. Data was gathered through an online survey, semi‐structured interviews, and an analysis of the WeChat posts. Analysis of the posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers, and, at times, served as a social platform underlying the key educational purposes of the programme.
I had the pleasure of writing an article that was published in the MET journal (Fester, 2020) in ... more I had the pleasure of writing an article that was published in the MET journal (Fester, 2020) in January this year titled Critical thinking, EAP and supplementary resources. In the article I suggested a three-stage framework that I had used to further develop my learners’ critical thinking ability in an English for Academic Purposes environment. Essentially, the article provided a description of the three stages, the supplementary resources and the key tasks I used to ensure that the sessions were student-centred. In this follow-up article I will describe the assessment design approach I used to evaluate the students’ critical thinking development (in relation to the framework, while simultaneously aligning with the learning outcomes for the course)
I was invited by the Bay Of Plenty TESOL Committee to do a workshop on curriculum and syllabus de... more I was invited by the Bay Of Plenty TESOL Committee to do a workshop on curriculum and syllabus design for English language programmes. My PhD thesis as well as my teaching at the university included this topic
Review(s) of: A scholar's guide to getting published in English, by Curry, M. J., and Lillis,... more Review(s) of: A scholar's guide to getting published in English, by Curry, M. J., and Lillis, T. (2013), Bristol: Multilingual Matters. ISBN: 978-1-78309-059-4. 174pp.
In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to... more In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students' learning. Apart from applications (apps) specifically designed for language educational purposes, such as Duolingo, there are also instant messaging apps that are not specifically designed for education purposes, but that can be useful in supporting learners. These include instant messaging apps such as, WhatsApp and WeChat. Instead of relegating phone app use to merely a source of entertainment and distraction, teachers increasingly use them as a vital form of communication to enhance education, including language learning. Apps have thus shifted from a tangential position to the forefront of the learning space. For the purposes of this research project, WeChat was used as the messaging app. This article focuses on the initial findings of a pilot study and concentrates on the perceived purposes for the participants' posts as they relate to the use of the app as a tool for collaboration, peer‐support, and knowledge sharing. Data was gathered through an online survey, semi‐structured interviews, and an analysis of the WeChat posts. Analysis of the posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers, and, at times, served as a social platform underlying the key educational purposes of the programme.
He Puna Korero: Journal of Maori and Pacific Development, Feb 1, 2007
ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, research in the area of discourse analysis has expanded rapid... more ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, research in the area of discourse analysis has expanded rapidly and has yielded insights that could usefully inform the teaching and learning of languages. In this paper, we report on the results of a comparative study of a number of commercially available textbooks designed for learners of English and learners of te reo Māori at intermediate level in terms of the extent to which they can be shown to have been influenced by specific aspects of discourse analysis research. In the textbooks designed for learners of English, there is some evidence that the writers are aware of, and have been influenced by some aspects of discourse analysis research, particularly in the teaching of writing skills. In the textbooks designed for learners of te reo Māori, however, there is almost no sign of influence of research of this type. In view of the importance of the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in relation to the maintenance of the language, and in view of the fact that many young people in New Zealand now learn a range of academic subjects through the medium of te reo Māori, this raises issues that we believe need to be addressed.
In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to... more In the last couple of decades, the increased use of technology in the education sector has led to smartphone use becoming more prevalent in supporting students' learning. Apart from applications (apps) specifically designed for language educational purposes, such as Duolingo, there are also instant messaging apps that are not specifically designed for education purposes, but that can be useful in supporting learners. These include instant messaging apps such as, WhatsApp and WeChat. Instead of relegating phone app use to merely a source of entertainment and distraction, teachers increasingly use them as a vital form of communication to enhance education, including language learning. Apps have thus shifted from a tangential position to the forefront of the learning space. For the purposes of this research project, WeChat was used as the messaging app. This article focuses on the initial findings of a pilot study and concentrates on the perceived purposes for the participants' posts as they relate to the use of the app as a tool for collaboration, peer‐support, and knowledge sharing. Data was gathered through an online survey, semi‐structured interviews, and an analysis of the WeChat posts. Analysis of the posts and comments made by students during the interviews suggest that the tool formed a vital link between them, their classmates and teachers, and, at times, served as a social platform underlying the key educational purposes of the programme.
I had the pleasure of writing an article that was published in the MET journal (Fester, 2020) in ... more I had the pleasure of writing an article that was published in the MET journal (Fester, 2020) in January this year titled Critical thinking, EAP and supplementary resources. In the article I suggested a three-stage framework that I had used to further develop my learners’ critical thinking ability in an English for Academic Purposes environment. Essentially, the article provided a description of the three stages, the supplementary resources and the key tasks I used to ensure that the sessions were student-centred. In this follow-up article I will describe the assessment design approach I used to evaluate the students’ critical thinking development (in relation to the framework, while simultaneously aligning with the learning outcomes for the course)
I was invited by the Bay Of Plenty TESOL Committee to do a workshop on curriculum and syllabus de... more I was invited by the Bay Of Plenty TESOL Committee to do a workshop on curriculum and syllabus design for English language programmes. My PhD thesis as well as my teaching at the university included this topic
Review(s) of: A scholar's guide to getting published in English, by Curry, M. J., and Lillis,... more Review(s) of: A scholar's guide to getting published in English, by Curry, M. J., and Lillis, T. (2013), Bristol: Multilingual Matters. ISBN: 978-1-78309-059-4. 174pp.
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