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It is generally acknowledged that the college/university foundation programme, often instituted as a one-year course of instruction, plays a crucial role in preparing students for graduation to their various academic departments, which are usually located within the same educational institution. Foundation studies programmes in Oman are delivered to cater for the disciplinary, and almost invariably the closely related academic English language needs of the academic departments in addition to the requisite basic computer literacy and mathematical skills. The present study sought to evaluate two sets of teaching-learning ELT materials at a higher education college in Oman on a post-/in-use basis by the teachers of three general to intermediate level English language courses vis-à-vis the first set of Linguaphone courses forming the core, and of an IELTS Preparation course using the second set, respectively. All the courses were instituted in the General Foundation Programme (GFP). The main research instrument was the Checklist for ELT Materials Evaluation, adapted from Mukundan et al, 2011, that comprised 55 close-ended items and two open-ended items. It was discovered that 16 evaluative items relating to the use of Linguaphone course materials in the main were rated as “Good” (as expected, in the interest of target language/speaker authenticity), 29 items as “Adequate”, and 10 items as “Weak”, cf. cultural sensitivity). On the other hand, 43 items relating to the use of the IELTS Preparation course book were evaluated “Good/Excellent”, with the remaining 12 items being evaluated as only “Adequate/Weak”. The teachers also highlighted aspects of both sets of materials that worked well with their respective classes of students, as well as areas of their use that required improvement. While it was rather tempting to follow up the respective separate evaluation of the two sets of materials with a comparative one of the corresponding merits, or demerits as the case may be, it was determined that this would not be fair given the different levels, teaching-learning objectives, and content make-up of the courses, among other factors. On the global level, however, it was concluded that both sets of materials needed supplementary materials and/or adaptation work on the part of the teachers, with the Linguaphone courses requiring more resourcefulness on the part of the teachers as they endeavoured to meet the teaching-learning outcomes of the courses of instruction concerned.
Unpacking the challenges and accommodation strategies of Omani English-Major students on IELTS academic reading tests
Unpacking the Challenges and Accommodation Strategies of Omani English-Major Students on IELTS Academic Reading TestsIELTS is used as a screening gatekeeper and plays a crucial role in Omani students to meet job requirements. This paper reports on Omani English-major undergraduate students' reflections on their experience of the reading section of Academic IELTS. The main aim of the study was to elucidate their difficulties and coping strategies to inform EFL/ESL teachers and IELTS examiners and researchers. An IELTS mock reading test, under exam conditions, was administered to 45 Omani students majoring in English, and the participants were asked to write a reflective essay in response to the following prompts: "What were the difficulties that you encountered in your IELTS Academic Reading test, and how did you handle those challenges?" Their answers touched upon their experience and challenges with the test (e.g. difficulties pertaining to cognition, content area knowledge, and the lack of familiarity with the test reading genres) as well as their strategies to address the challenges. The data were coded and analysed thematically and inductively. The findings showed that students reported a range of cognitive and metacognitive challenges and numerous coping strategies. This paper unravels some of the pedagogical implications and ideas that surfaced through the analysis of the students' responses.
2020 •
IELTS is used as a screening gatekeeper and plays a crucial role in Omani students to meet job requirements. This paper reports on Omani English-major undergraduate students' reflections on their experience of the reading section of Academic IELTS. The main aim of the study was to elucidate their difficulties and coping strategies to inform EFL/ESL teachers and IELTS examiners and researchers. An IELTS mock reading test, under exam conditions, was administered to 45 Omani students majoring in English, and the participants were asked to write a reflective essay in response to the following prompts: "What were the difficulties that you encountered in your IELTS Academic Reading test, and how did you handle those challenges?" Their answers touched upon their experience and challenges with the test (e.g. difficulties pertaining to cognition, content area knowledge, and the lack of familiarity with the test reading genres) as well as their strategies to address the challenges. The data were coded and analysed thematically and inductively. The findings showed that students reported a range of cognitive and metacognitive challenges and numerous coping strategies. This paper unravels some of the pedagogical implications and ideas that surfaced through the analysis of the students' responses.
Educational Research for Policy and Practice
English language teaching reform in Sultanate of Oman: The case of theory and practice disparity2012 •
Knowledge of English to the non-native speaker English teachers (NNSET) is crucial and fundamental, and its importance has been highlighted by various writers over the past few decades. This research paper, therefore, examines from an ideological perspective the importance of English language knowledge to the NNEST and the implications it has for English as a second language (ESL) education design, teacher education and policy implementation in the Sultanate of Oman. The paper triangulates data from the Philosophy and Guidelines for the Omani English Language School Curriculum document, which I will herewith refer to as the National English Language Policy/Plan (NELP) (Nunan, Tyacke & Walton, 1987), some other relevant policy texts, semi-structured interviews conducted with different agents involved in the Omani language education system and the pertinent literature. The paper draws conclusions about the powerful impact of the linguistically incompetent English teacher, as produced ...
International Journal of Innovative Research and Knowledge
EAP Needs within a Higher Education Teaching-Learning Framework2017 •
Non-native students of English studying in the language in institutions of higher learning, whether in Anglophone countries or in their own countries are expected to gain access to the discourses of the academia via competence in the language. The present paper reviews the theoretical and practical bases of EAP (English for Specific Purposes) needs analysis within the context of higher education teaching-learning of ESL/EFL as a set of analytical procedures for the identification of what the learner has to learn, and how it has to be learnt and how it is to be learnt, focusing essentially on aspects of language, pedagogy, and the learner's specific interests in terms of language use. The key issues concern how as a pragmatic, practitioner-oriented approach, EAP needs analysis has to come to grips with the subjectivity inherent in the concept of " need " , as well as the multifarious educational, pedagogical, political, and ideological considerations that impact upon its analysis in higher education. Based on the relevant literature in the area, the paper then reviews the mainstream framework EAP needs classification and analysis before it proposes a theoretical model for application in the field.
2017 •
The purpose of this volume is to promote the examination of applied and theoretical frames of reference that operate in the GCC and to probe the relevant aspects of scale, proportion, and the grounding of education in the gulf region. The contributions to this volume discuss different elements of policy and curriculum, teachers and teacher identity, students and student identity, and social conditions that affect teaching and learning in the 21st century in GCC states. Based on the assumption that education must support students in realizing their fullest potential as well as supporting the economic and development needs of a country, the papers included in this volume investigate the conditions of education in the GCC countries.
English language teaching (ELT) has been an important global activity and a large business and industry for the past five decades or so. This has been concurrent with the international role English language has been playing on the world arena in the postcolonial/neocolonial age dominated by USA. This paper, hence, triangulates data from different official texts and the pertinent literature. Its aim is to discuss three foci of the cultural and economic politics of ELT with a special reference to the Sultanate of Oman and to delineate the powerful ideological impact underlying them. These foci are 1) English in Oman, 2) ELT within the Omani education system, and 3) ELT outside the Omani education system. The discussion leads to the conclusion that Oman, as a developing Third World Arab country with a shortage in human and physical resources, is culturally and educationally dependant on North America (USA and Canada), Britain and Australia (NABA) for its progress and development.
Investigating TESOL Teachers' Awareness of Critical Pedagogy at Higher Education Institutions in Oman: Implications for Critical Professional Development
Investigating TESOL Teachers' Awareness of Critical Pedagogy at Higher Education Institutions in Oman: Implications for Critical Professional Development2018 •
Asian Journal of University Education
A Comparative Study of Engineering, Medical and Education Students’ Soft Skills Achievement in Malaysian Public Higher Education Institutions2012 •
2018 •
TESOL Arabia Perspectives Dubai, AE ISSN 1813-1913
“EAP Course Design for Science Students: A Case Study from Morocco2017 •
Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies
Perceptions of the selection criteria of Omani English language teachers: Implications for policy reconsideration2017 •
Education and Society in the Middle East and North Africa English, Citizenship and Peace Education
Perceptions of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) in Oman2020 •
Asian Journal of Social Sciences Humanities
Writing Problems and Strategies : An Investigative Study in the Omani School and University Context2014 •
2015 •
In Editors: Rahma Al-Mahrooqi (Sultan Qaboos University, Vijay Singh Thakur (Dhofar University, Oman) and Adrian Roscoe (Sultan Qaboos University) Methodologies for Effective Writing Instruction in EFL and ESL Classrooms. IGI Global Publishers
Pathways towards Success for Novice Academic Writers in a CLIL Setting: A Study in an Asian EFL Context.2014 •
International Journal of Applied Linguistics and English Literature
Meeting Students’ Expectations in an Arab ICLHE/EMI Context: Implications for ELT Education Policy and Practice2016 •
Researching the uses of the english language in the law job market in the sultanate of oman: implications for policy-practice improvement
Researching the uses of the english language in the law job market in the sultanate of oman: implications for policy-practice improvement2014 •
Academic writing difficulties of ESL learners
Academic Writing Difficulties2015 •
In: R. Al-Mahrooqi, & C. Denman (Eds.). Issues in education in the Arab world. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, p. 37-59.
Roche, T., Sinha, Y., K. & Denman, C. (2015). Unravelling failure: belief and performance in English for Academic Purposes programs in Oman. In: R. Al-Mahrooqi, & C. Denman (Eds.). Issues in education in the Arab world.The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly …
The Role of Portfolio Assessment and Reflection on Process Writing2011 •
Asian journal of social sciences and humanities
Some Reflections on Moodle-Based Learning in the English Foundation Programme of Sultan Qaboos University2013 •
International Journal of Education
The Role of Test Taking Strategies in Improving Omani Students’ Listening ComprehensionStudies in English Language Teaching
The Effect of Gender, Experience, and Training on Teachers’ Written Corrective Feedback Practices2017 •
Theory and Practice in Language Studies
Exploring English Academic Texts on Language Education and Pedagogy: Structural, Stylistic and Lexical Features2015 •
Helen Emery & Nick Moore (Eds.) (2014) Teaching, Learning & Researching Reading in EFL. (Dubai: TESOL Arabia)
Emery & Moore (eds.) Teaching, Learning and Researching Reading in EFL2014 •