Teaching strategies in motivating global English learners

During the period 2014-2020, I carried out seven studies to address a variety of problems English language learners and teachers face in post-communist European and Asian countries. While previous studies exist about this subject, undeniably, within the last decade, societies have become more complex, and identities, emotions and social spaces have been dramatically affected and re-negotiated by globalisation. This thesis, based on my seven articles published, addresses the need to consider global English learners, along with their specific and often unique circumstances, and the factors that inspire them to learn the language. My articles target attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language, motivation and demotivation, emotions in the classroom, learning style preferences, gender and identity. While many of these concepts were worthy of being investigated on their own, I chose to focus on their cross-thematic interaction. In fact, the findings indicate that human emotions and behaviour do not exist in a vacuum, but they influence each other and give direction to further behaviours and opinions. My examination of the articles’ synthesis and results also resulted in new knowledge relevant to the field. These new concepts include: 1) integrative motivation that focuses on non-territorial, professional or imagined communities that can be accessed through the English language; 2) new teaching strategies and materials that accommodate global English learners without being invasive in terms of culture and identity 3) the need to teach English language-related emotional intelligence factors in order to prevent inappropriate or ineffective communication styles and content 4) the need to consider gender-related differences in learning styles and emotions in the classroom. By building on the coherence and new knowledge in my articles’ findings, I developed a new framework. The culture-wise sensitive use of this framework provides an effective guideline for teachers and learners of any background. The framework’s principles recommend that learners should be directed towards a culturally less invasive, identity-safe and emotionally more accommodating learning environment. In such conditions they may become more engaged, autonomous and adaptive in their own learning processes, yet they can continually relate their needs, social spaces and motivations to the successful use of the target language.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Wales Trinity Saint David

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Komlosi-Ferdinand, Flora

• LB Theori ac arfer addysg

Dc Identifier Grantnumber

UWTSD

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.uwtsd.ac.uk:2334