CAPÍTULO V: PERFILADO PSICOLÓGICO CRIMINAL
2. Componentes esenciales para elaborar un perfil psicológico
This study investigated the extent to which the English teacher education
programme could be improved based on the pre-service teachers’ perspectives (RQ3). The findings reveal the pre-service teachers’ perceived need for an English-medium teacher education programme. The implementation of EMI in the English teacher education programme is regarded as a suitable preparation for using EMI for teaching English, as discussed earlier in Section 6.4.2. This section presents the discussion of the findings of the participants’ wishes include implementation of EMI and/or CLIL pedagogy in the teacher education programme (Section 6.6.1) and the perceived benefits of English-medium teacher education programme (Section 6.6.2).
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6.6.1.
The Implementation of EMI in English Teacher
Education Programme
In the present study, ten participants requested an English-medium teacher education programme. The findings of the participants’ request for this regard reveal their feeling of the insufficient exposure to English during learning in the English teacher education programme. The findings are consistent with those of Hayes (2010) who proposed that most courses of the English teacher education programme investigated in his study were taught in Thai.
The present study reveals two possible ways of implementing EMI in the programme. Firstly, EMI was recommended by four participants (Baifern, Kris, Peranee, and Urassaya) for all courses of the English teacher education programme. Secondly, EMI was recommended by Hun, Nadech and Pat for major (English) subjects only. The findings of English as the only language of instruction indicate the participants’ desire for the exposure to English and are consistent with those of Ma (2012) who reported that communication in L1 in the classrooms caused less opportunity to practise English.
However, Pichaya perceived that Thai as a medium of instruction is sometimes required to bridge the gap in understanding the lessons. This perception lends support Scott and de la Fuente’s (2008) study in which the use of L1 (English) facilitates L2 (French/Spanish) learning (n=12, N=24) during the interaction and contribution to the speaking task relating to a specific grammar structure. The perceived need of L1 in this study also supports Moore (2002) who states that the use of L1 ensures the interaction and engagement in the L2 classroom and this enhances learners’ ability to learn and use L2. The perceived need of L1 (Thai) in this study also support Prapaisit de Segovia and Hardison (2009) who point out that English should be spoken and translated into Thai for making students understand what is spoken or taught.
In line with Pichaya, Mint perceived that English as the only instructional
language is inappropriate to topics relating to educational subjects because the topics contain complex and complicated contents. The perception held by Pichaya and Mint indicates the perceived necessity of using L1 and its role in facilitating EFL learners’ learning. The findings of the two participants’
perceptions appear to support those of students in Ma’s (2012) study which reported that L1 in the classrooms enhance the effectiveness in communication
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between students and teachers. The findings of the present study also support those of Forman (2008) in which the mixed used of Thai and English provided Thai university students majoring in English with more accurate meaning than the exclusive use of English. The findings of the implementation of EMI and/or in this study confirmed by the previous studies (Ma, 2012; Scott and de la Fuente, 2008; Moore, 2002; Prapaisit de Segovia and Hardison, 2009), who support my argument that a careful plan is required either to implement only L2 only or mixed use of L1 and L2 in the English teacher education programme.
6.6.2.
Benefits of English-Medium Teacher Education
Programme
Six participants in this study perceived English-medium teacher education programme beneficial to improve English proficiency, promote active learning and engaging in the experience of learning/teaching English through English. Firstly, they felt that an English-medium teacher education programme would help improve their English speaking, English listening and English
pronunciation. Similar results appeared in Chapple and Curtis’ (2000) study which found that university students in Hong Kong felt the improvement in their English listening and speaking after learning through English. The perceived benefit of EMI to improve learners’ English in this study also lends to support those of Dobson, Murillo and Johnstone (2010) who report that the Spanish students have improved their English pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary when learning through English. In addition, this finding is confirmed by
Suwanarak’s (2013) findings in which classroom observations indicate that learning through English has enhanced Thai students’ English communication skill. Suwanarak (2013) points out that an English-medium class enables the students to retell a story being told by using their own words and speak English with correct intonation. The findings of this study are confirmed by the above empirical studies and allow the conclusion that the participants may be right in assuming that the great use of EMI has a beneficial effect on English
proficiency of EFL and ESL pre-service teachers in Thailand.
Secondly, the current study found that EMI has promoted active learning. In this study, Patchata is of the opinion that EMI would facilitate students to think in English which enhances their ability to share their opinions in English. This
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finding is confirmed by Suwanarak (2003) who points out that the Thai students in an English-medium classroom engaged in lessons through asking questions. The perceptions that EMI benefits active learning are also consistent with Owen’s (2002) findings of EMI through CBI facilitating Thai university students to become aware of their language problems and set their own personal goal to overcome their problems. The perception of EMI as beneficial to promote an active learning in this present study support Suwanarak (2003) and Owen’s (2002) conclusion that Thai students are more active when learning in an EMI classroom. However, this study adds to those findings in both general context and the context of this study, which were associated with the results of the implementation of EMI i.e. ability to ask questions, the awareness of English problems and solutions of English problems, by demonstrating that EMI reinforces thinking (in English) skills which seems to initiate active learning. Finally, the current study found that an exposure to EMI would offer the pre- service teachers an opportunity to learn how to teach English through English. In this study, Anut perceived that engaging in EMI classrooms as a learner would enable him to learn how to teach English through English from seeing his teachers’ teaching. The finding appears to support that of Dang, Nguyen and Le (2013) in which the teacher education programme, using EMI, encouraged and facilitated Vietnamese pre-service teachers majoring in English to teach content and language in English. The findings of the present study and those of Dang, Nguyen and Le (2013) support the conclusion that self-experiencing EMI in the classroom as a learner and, observing teaching English through English helps pre-service teachers develop skills of teaching English through English.
Based on this, I conclude that teaching content and language through English is a specific skill which is not developed solely through training in English and training in teaching English which they have received from their English teacher education programme. In order to develop the skill of teaching English through English, the pre-service teachers need to learn about teaching approaches for bilingual education (Section 6.4.1), developing English oracy skill and
interacting with NESTs or other near-native speakers of English (Section 6.4.2) and situating themselves in EMI classrooms. The arguments are all supported by literature discussed earlier in this section.
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