Vol. 30 No. 2 (July / December 2023) by HOW Journal
How Journal, 2023
Editorial
How Journal, 2023
As an undergraduate student, I learned of ASOCOPI, the Colombian Association of Teachers of Engli... more As an undergraduate student, I learned of ASOCOPI, the Colombian Association of Teachers of English. I saw this association as something big and full of learning possibilities. I also saw it as a community of practice that should be cherished, nurtured, and deeply valued as a treasure. Some years ago, I got actively involved in ASOCOPI, thinking about how relevant it would be for me to be part of this community and show all the English language teachers in Colombia and the world that together, we can do important actions for the education of our communities. The English language is an excuse to get together and share our dreams of a more equitable world. Those dreams, this English language teacher has, are part of a task that ASOCOPI can endure, although such a task can be difficult. Today, when I am writing this letter, I want to invite our readers, teachers, educators, and researchers to become actively involved in an association that is going to be 60 years old in 2025; an association that needs the strength, efforts, and synergy of all generations of the English language community who believe and work for ASOCOPI.
How Journal, 2023
This paper reports the results of a narrative inquiry study on exchange programs, intercultural a... more This paper reports the results of a narrative inquiry study on exchange programs, intercultural awareness, and professional development in eight former participants of the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant -FLTA- program. This study used written narratives to collect data from eight participants of the FLTA scholarship program who belonged to the cohort 2017-2018. The results of this study showed that after being a FLTA, participants improved their English language skills; they became more aware of their teaching practices by implementing and adapting different teaching methodologies, they experienced cross-cultural interaction, and understood better cultural differences which really fostered their personal and professional development as English language teachers in their home countries.
How Journal, 2023
Gender studies have become relevant for English language teaching and initial teacher education. ... more Gender studies have become relevant for English language teaching and initial teacher education. This study uses a narrative inquiry approach to inspect two language teachers’ life stories in an initial teacher education program. We document how their femininities and identities are embodied through their language pedagogy since it is a praxis that allows resistance and resurgence against paradigms that limit their identities. Findings reveal that femininities provide a broader spectrum of individual gender realities and constructions. Teachers’ femininities are embodied in teachers’ practices. This is why some traits of these embodiments can be related to hegemonic aspects of gender, without this necessarily meaning that there is no resistance in the pedagogical field. On the contrary, it shows the capacity to redefine these attitudes that, from the pedagogical perspective, resist the hegemony of teacher gender identity.
How Journal, 2023
Language assessment literacy has gained recent attention in the field of language testing, partic... more Language assessment literacy has gained recent attention in the field of language testing, particularly on teachers’ profile. However, the literature on LAL is limited regarding teachers’ perceptions of language assessment courses. In this paper, we used a case study method to characterize the perceptions of eighteen English language teachers into three components of an online assessment course: contents, activities, and impact on their professional development. For data collection, we used a questionnaire and a focus group interview. Findings indicate that the teachers perceived course contents as organized, relevant, and useful; they also considered test analysis and collaborative tasks as valuable. Regarding professional development, the teachers explained that test-analysis tasks made them aware of their mistakes in assessment. Finally, the teachers suggested that the course raised their awareness of what language assessment is and does. Based on these results, we provide recommendations for LAL courses elsewhere.
How Journal, 2023
Emotions are ubiquitous and permeate all aspects of human life, including language learning. Howe... more Emotions are ubiquitous and permeate all aspects of human life, including language learning. However, little attention has been paid to emotions in the ELT curriculum, let alone in the design and implementation of conversations clubs. In this article, we share the qualitative results of a mixed-method study on students’ emotions while participating in a conversation club at a public university in Colombia. Findings show an ample range of students’ emotions, factors commonly associated with these emotions such as academic load and personal life, and the connections of emotions with students’ language learning processes. This study identifies how emotions can facilitate or interfere with language learning, highlights the importance of emotions in the development of oral skills in the context of conversation clubs, and contributes to the understanding of the language learner from a holistic perspective in the field of Applied Linguistics.
How Journal, 2023
EFL teachers’ professional development in Colombia has been characterized by top-down policies th... more EFL teachers’ professional development in Colombia has been characterized by top-down policies that neglect the regions in terms of contextualized professional development programs and resources. This article is an effort to make EFL teachers’ needs in the Eastern region of Antioquia, Colombia, visible for academic institutions and local authorities to propose coherent professional development programs. This report is based on a section of the findings of a larger study called “Diagnosis of the needs about plurilingualism in the regions of Antioquia”. Findings show that EFL teachers in the Eastern region claim for ongoing and contextualized professional development programs, differentiated for primary and secondary-school teachers, and focused on instructional material design and adaptation according to the resources available in the local communities. Conclusions from this study outline implications for educational institutions to support teachers in pursuing their professional development within their contexts, methodological limitations for researchers, and possibilities for further research for stakeholders in the territory.
How Journal, 2023
Teacher´s beliefs and conceptions of teaching English are an important area for the professional ... more Teacher´s beliefs and conceptions of teaching English are an important area for the professional development path of primary teachers. Giving primary teachers opportunities to grow professionally and support their learning belongs to the wide variety of practices that can be implemented to foster early education today. To do that, the Colombian government has implemented different initiatives; however, through the exploration of literature, primary public-school teachers need more professional development opportunities to fulfill the objectives stated by the Ministry of National Education. This is why, the present study aims to investigate the perceptions and attitudes of elementary rural teachers involved in the incorporation of English in their teaching practices. A total of ten teachers were selected to be involved during a semester that lasts the implementation of the project. Through qualitative research under the exploratory paradigm, we identified frustration, motivation, and lack of expertise as the main perceptions that interfere the teaching practices of the selected population. Findings suggest that professional development strategies should be incorporated as an eventual strategy to foster the teaching practices in the classroom.
How Journal, 2023
At the end of high school in Chile, it is expected that students achieve a B1 English language pr... more At the end of high school in Chile, it is expected that students achieve a B1 English language proficiency level. In the present article, we measure the level of readability of the texts used in the new EFL Chilean textbook and compare it with the readability level of the texts used in the Cambridge B1 preliminary exam to check its appropriacy. The results reveal that, even though the classic readability indices show a similar level of difficulty in the texts, the index RDL2, which is specific for second language learning, shows that there is a statistically significant difference. This finding indicates that the texts in the Chilean EFL textbook are more difficult to read than the ones students are supposed to read. Implications at a local and international level are then shared.
Vol. 30 No. 1 (January/June 2023) by HOW Journal
Vol. 30 No 1. , 2023
Editorial
This article describes the main findings of a Colombian case study in which an English language t... more This article describes the main findings of a Colombian case study in which an English language teacher, who was enrolled in a gender-based optional course, carries out small-scale research to understand gender in her ELT practices. The study aims at describing what and how English language teachers learn when they incorporate their gender consciousness in their teaching practices. The study focuses on Martha’s case who seeks to understand how her learning comes about when integrating the gender perspective in her educational practices and teaching context. The qualitative analysis indicates, among other things, that Martha becomes aware of how the dynamics of the hidden curriculum affect her students’ gender subjectivities. Through this learning process, Martha adopts discourses and practices to promote gender equity, eradicate differential treatments, and contribute positively to her students’ learning experience.
Vol. 30 No. 1, 2023
This article reports on a research conducted at a private university in Colombia, as part of an E... more This article reports on a research conducted at a private university in Colombia, as part of an English language course in which the topics of study addressed the culture and history of Colombia and Boyacá through art. Narratives from three female students were analyzed, from a decolonial perspective, to observe their processes of reconstruction as sociohistorical subjects taking into account their experiences in the contexts where they study, live in, and come from. The data for this research was gathered inside and outside the classroom through learners’ diaries and dialogical interviews held with the researcher. Narratives served the purpose of making visible elements of those processes and allowed to explore three of them: (1) The construction of particular relationships in and with the world; (2) a perception of unity of past, present, and future; and (3) a sense of their personal and spiritual growth in time. Nevertheless, the narrative of each participant had unique features and values. The results showed that each female had specific anecdotes constructing their experiences, relationships, and plans in their world. One conclusion of the study refers to how the relevance of family, context, childhood memories, and life expectations offer meaningful and memorable topics of discussion within English language lessons for undergraduate learners.
Vol. 30 No. 1, 2023
This qualitative research project aims to determine the impact that Task-Based Instruction had on... more This qualitative research project aims to determine the impact that Task-Based Instruction had on fifteen Intermediate English language students´ writing skills in online classes at a private institute in Cartagena. A journal, a questionnaire, and a checklist were used as instruments to collect information during the diagnostic stage. During the action stage, six workshops were implemented, each with a different writing strategy: webbing, peer-editing, asking questions to revise writing, revising and editing, using templates, and reorganizing ideas. At this stage, the same instruments were used to measure the impact of the strategy and to achieve the research objectives. Results show that implementing six online workshops predicated on the task-based instruction helped the students to improve their writing, learning new vocabulary, use ICT tools, and writing strategies, thus having a positive impact on their English language learning process not only in writing but also in other skills. TBI was favorably accepted by learners and affected positively their writing skills.
Vol. 30 No. 1, 2023
The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way education was being taught. Due to school closures to preve... more The Covid-19 pandemic changed the way education was being taught. Due to school closures to prevent the spread of the disease, the education system resorted to distance learning as a way to grant students' learning process. This research article reports a mixed-method study on technological resources and their impact on motivation during online lessons. The study seeks to explore the students' perceptions regarding the implementation of some game-based learning platforms (Kahoot, Quizizz, and Quizalize) during their EFL virtual classes and to determine the impact of these platforms on students' motivation toward language learning. A convergent parallel design was implemented to gather quantitative and qualitative data from the twenty-seven participants of the study simultaneously. A four-point Likert scale questionnaire and a focus group were the instruments employed to collect this statistical and descriptive information. The results show that the students perceived Kahoot, Quizizz, and Quizalize as useful, entertaining, fun, and engaging tools. As a conclusion, the enjoyment factor of these tools increases learner motivation and level of attainment.
Vol. 30 No. 1, 2023
Remote learning replaced for almost a year the traditional face-to-face education to maintain and... more Remote learning replaced for almost a year the traditional face-to-face education to maintain and ensure the continuity of the teaching-learning process during the Covid-19 pandemic. This article reports the results of an exploratory and descriptive-transversal study that exposes primary and secondary school students’ perceptions about their experience with remote learning during 2020. Though the research study was also aimed at finding out potential teaching and learning issues inherent to remote education, we only focus on reporting the main findings on the determining factors that hindered or enhanced students' learning during their remote education experience. Data were collected through two different surveys addressed to 101 secondary and primary school students from Neiva and Pitalito, the two most populated towns in the state of Huila, Colombia. The findings showed that the students’ learning was both positively and negatively influenced by several factors affecting interaction inside and outside of the classroom setting.
Vol. 30 No. 1, 2023
This article reports the results of a study that was part of a master’s thesis. The research focu... more This article reports the results of a study that was part of a master’s thesis. The research focused on a private primary school in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico. It aimed to explore English language teachers’ cognition, specifically into the teaching practice and emotional responses reported when implementing the use of the iPad in their lessons. Four female English language teachers were selected to be part of the project. A grounded theory method was selected to carry out the study, and two instruments were chosen to collect and triangulate the data obtained. Those instruments were guided teachers’ narratives and individual interviews. Results show that teachers’ practices and emotional responses evolve during the process of the iPad implementation by following four main stages: initial reactions, sense of realization, change, and adaptation. Furthermore, similar emotional reactions and teaching practices were found in the four participants.
Vol. 30 No. 1, 2023
This article aims at sharing the preliminary literature review of the main developments related t... more This article aims at sharing the preliminary literature review of the main developments related to Intersectional Identities in Colombian English Language Teaching and general educational contexts worldwide. First, I trace the research work concerning the topic at both national and international levels through a bibliometric analysis in Scopus to see the main developments regarding intersectionality from a decolonial perspective. Then, I show through a complementary bibliometric study, 50 articles that were collected from different databases, and the trends found as representation of intersectional studies. The analysis indicates two core trends: (1) Intersectional studies in general educational contexts and (2) Intersectional studies in ELT contexts. Finally, I present how this profiling research study shows that the topic of Intersectional Identities in Colombia seems scarce within the field of ELT.
Vol. 30 No. 1, 2023
This paper showcases a literature review in 13 Colombian refereed journals, covering the last dec... more This paper showcases a literature review in 13 Colombian refereed journals, covering the last decade, from 2011 to 2021. Data were collected from the virtual platforms where each journal hosts published issues. A thematic analysis was conducted with the sample of papers. The purpose of the review was twofold. On the one hand, it aimed at establishing the main research concerns of Colombian scholars regarding the place of culture in the context of Foreign Language Teacher Education programs. On the other hand, the review aimed at exploring the implications for curriculum design in Colombia that can be drawn from culture-related literature produced by scholars in the last decade. Results suggest that the treatment of culture-related issues in Foreign Language Teacher Education programs has gained currency, although scholarship in the last decade has mainly focused on a diagnostic stage.
Vol. 29 No. 2 (July/December 2022) by HOW Journal
Vol. 29 N° 2 (July/December), 2022
Project-based learning is a student-centered methodological approach that involves communication,... more Project-based learning is a student-centered methodological approach that involves communication, cooperation, and autonomy. Even though project-based learning has been largely explored in foreign language teaching, little is known about its implementation in second-language beginner levels. This action research study describes the use of project-based learning by a pre-service teacher in a group of EFL eighth-graders at a secondary state school in Cordoba, Colombia. Data sources include video classroom observations, students’ focus interviews and students’ diaries. Findings reveal the affordances that project-based learning have in the development of the students’ communicative competence, highlighting the strategies that they use to communicate and the way they construct confidence when planning and reporting their projects.
Uploads
Vol. 30 No. 2 (July / December 2023) by HOW Journal
Vol. 30 No. 1 (January/June 2023) by HOW Journal
Vol. 29 No. 2 (July/December 2022) by HOW Journal
The next part of the article deals with the theoretical tenets that have influenced my published works. One of those perspectives is the post-method pedagogy, which acknowledges the limitations of attempting to determine what the “best” language teaching method is for everyone, and proposes three parameters to guide language teaching and learning. The next perspective is the psychology of language learning, particularly positive psychology, which is a field that adds balance to the study of negative emotions in the classroom and can be the basis for interventions that aim at enhancing the language learning process. The final construct discussed in the article is metacognition, which refers to how language teachers adapt their mental processes and behaviors to the emerging demands of their context. The article concludes highlighting a number of topics that were relevant three decades ago and that will likely keep their relevance in the future: the complexity of education, the dynamic nature of context and meaning, and the examination of the role of context in the L2 teaching/learning processes, to name only three.
participants. The findings suggested that awareness raising on speech acts resulted in a better speaking ability as compared to the simply traditional teaching of speaking for Iranian intermediate and beginner EFL learners. Additionally, intermediate EFL learners’ achievement in speaking was not in line with the beginner EFL learners’ achievement in the corresponding group. Finally, it was found that gender does not interact with awareness raising on speech acts in such a way as to produce a statistically significant effect on the beginner and intermediate EFL learners’ speaking ability.
learning, evaluated assessment results, and engaged students in quantitative peer assessment. As for beliefs, data show that students’ success and failure in assessment were connected to past experiences, and that assessment was appropriate given a number of features. Participants’ answers about LAL show a complex and multifaceted
construct. Taken together, the findings serve as baseline data to further
professional development in language assessment.
Keywords: evaluation, language assessment, literacy, language teaching, teacher knowledge.
158 pages
ISBN-10: 1939755204
ISBN-13: 978-1939755209
Las universidades colombianas y algunas organizaciones profesionales han enfrentado retos para alcanzar visibilidad, principalmente a través de publicaciones acreditadas, cuya reputación depende de su presencia en prestigiosos ránquines. Este artículo contiene un análisis documental de la evolución de la revista HOW, los perfiles de sus autores, sus temas de interés y sus preocupaciones —tal como se evidencian en los artículos publicados hasta la fecha y en los registros de los procesos editoriales de los últimos diez años. De dicho análisis derivamos una serie de retos concernientes a las políticas y procesos editoriales, los cuales están íntimamente relacionados con las tendencias actuales en los sistemas de evaluación que rigen las clasificaciones de las revistas académicas.