2008

Wai Meng Chan, Kwee Nyet Chin, Masanori Nagami and Titima Suthiwan

"Processes and Process- Orientation in Foreign Language Teaching and Learning ".

Abstract:

There can be no products without processes. This statement may seem to be no more than an overused generalisation but it does encapsulate the undoubted importance of processes and process-oriented approaches in language teaching and learning. In foreign language education, there has been much evidence in recent decades that researchers and practitioners alike are increasingly focusing their attention on:
1) the learner as the active subject of learning as well as the internal processes that constitute his/her learning and lead to the development of communicative competence;
2) teaching approaches, curricula and materials that reflect this view of language learning; and
3) other factors that may influence these internal processes, such as the sociocultural context, social interactions and discourse, and individual learner characteristics and differences. The theme of this book reflects this paradigm shift, and the papers included here from the disciplines of foreign language education and second language acquisition provide vital insights into processes in curriculum planning, instructional design, teaching methodology, teacher education and professional development, language acquisition, language discourse, classroom instruction and interactions, the development of language skills and learning strategies, and language learning motivation.