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Case Method As Means Of Forming Intercultural Competence In Teaching Foreign Languages

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The purpose of this paper is to study the conditions of successful implementing the "case study" method in the process of teaching a foreign language. The analysis of theoretical base of this research, particularly, works on theory and methodology of Russian and foreign scientists, is given. Complex description of distinctive features of the "case study" method, the history of its development and the scope of its application are suggested in the article. Experimental part of the study demonstrates the stages of implementing and the factors of effective case for forming intercultural competence of the student. The results of the research showed that it is necessary to carry out thorough preparation in order to compile an effective case. Preparation includes highlighting the problem, collecting the appropriate material, adapting the material to the language level of students. The content of the case should be authentic; it should reflect modern realities and encourage students to analyse and to compare different cultures, to communicate with each other and to develop the ability to make joint decisions. It is necessary to have preliminary language training with students for more effective application of this method. This process demands introducing basic terminology, clichés and linguistic structures for work in a certain thematic area. Keywords: Intercultural communication interactive technologies communicative competence vocational-oriented learning

Introduction

Intercultural communication is actively become integrated as one of the leading disciplines of humanitarian directions in modern educational system. In connection with this scientists and methodologists are actively searching for ways of forming and monitoring intercultural competence. Foreign and Russian scientists identify a number of universal approaches and methods for the formation of various aspects of intercultural competence. Such universal means include questionnaires, the method of intercultural assimilator, as well as various types of interactive exercises ( Safina, & Amurskaja, 2017 ).

The most effective interactive method for the formation of intercultural communication is “the case method”. The advantage of this procedure is that it provides students’ independent foreign language activity under artificially created professional conditions. The application of this particular method assumes active interaction of students during the process of studying foreign language and solving professional problems.

It is to be emphasized that this method should be used to comprehend, critically to analyze certain situations and to solve specific problems. It is a kind of tool that provides a basis for imitating real life in the classroom. This procedure is readily adaptable to real situations. Cases are usually prepared in written form and are based on real facts ( Lozovskaya, 2015 ).

Turning to the history of the development of this technology, it is necessary to mention that the case method was used for the first time in the USA at the Harvard Business School in 1921. The method was most successful when applied to administrative disciplines, particularly, to the precedents of legal and business practice. Along with the classical Harvard school, there is the Manchester West European Case Study School, which, unlike the former, seeks to find not only the correct solution, but suggests the multitudinous solution of the problem.

The method considered is concerned with modern education in foreign countries. We illustrate the case method by considering its active use in business education, in teaching medicine, law, economics and management, as one of the most effective ways of teaching skills for solving standard professional problems.

Attention should be given to introducing this method in teaching foreign languages. A fundamental advantage of this procedure is that the content aspect and professional orientation of teaching cause greater interest and motivation for studying foreign language and culture. We discuss the case-study technology which can be applied to the domestic and socio-cultural sphere in standard situations of business communication and educational and professional activities.

Case-method contributes to the solution of a number of important tasks, creating the necessary language environment and motivating students to use a foreign language for real communication. This methodology promotes the effective development of the skills of all types of speech activity, helps to form the skills of business communication, as well as a number of analytical, creative and social skills ( Drutsko, 2014 ).

Ryndina highlights a potential advantage of this procedure. It lies in the fact that “the emphasis is not on communicating ready-made knowledge, but on encouraging students to think, to independently search for information, to make independent conclusions and messages, as well as “to ransfer to oneself” that is an appeal to life and speech experience of students” ( Ryndina, 2013 ).

Pakhtusova notes that this approach is oriented towards the formation of the ability to learn, the paradigm shift of thinking, the ability to process huge amounts of information, and the ability to systematically and effectively perform when some crises occur ( Pakhtusova, 2014 ).

The method is found to be successful on a wide range of the formation of intercultural competence of students, since this competence presupposes the ability to orient oneself in a foreign culture, the ability to adapt to other people's norms and rules of conduct. Among the most important conditions and factors for successful formation of intercultural competence, Maksimova singles out the use of materials that contain the cultural and socio-cultural aspects of the language being studied. It is also important to develop students’ ability to compare the cultural realities of their native country and the country of the language they study; to motivate independent students’ work with the material relating to those cultures and languages ( Maksimova, 2015, p.133 ).

The principles of compilation and stages of implementation of case technology in foreign language classes are described in the works of a number of scientists. The method to be described here involves important and significant information for students; clear and understandable instructions from a teacher; the necessary sources of information; clearly planned time-table for solving different problems (Zolotova, & Demina, 2015).

The procedure is most simply and successfully followed for the case of careful reading the terms of the method; highlighting its key points; searching for the necessary information missing in the text of the case itself; distributing the functions and roles of the participants; developing a unified position of the group and presenting results in a comprehensive manner ( Aikina, 2013 ).

At present methodologists distinguish different types of training cases. According to the volume and complexity of the tasks there exist: 1) full cases for work in a team during several days and 2) incomplete mini cases. When we deal with structured cases, situations are briefly described with a small amount of digital data. But when we deal with unstructured cases, a large amount of material and statistics is presented. The main purpose of such cases is the ability to distinguish the main things from the secondary ones and to assess the situation for a certain period of time ( Ovchinnikova, & Kulgavyuk, 2014 ).

A review of theoretical literature has shown advantages and disadvantages of the case study strategy in various areas of vocational education. The essential idea behind this approach in teaching a foreign language is that as an effective means it increases students’ motivation, improves their communicative, cognitive and strategic competencies during the process of studying foreign languages.

Problem Statement

The most widely accepted modern theories of teaching a foreign language suggest that students must acquire not only communicative skills, but also be capable of effective professional activities in a foreign environment, which requires the formation of various aspects of intercultural competence, development of the ability to analyze and compare the characteristics of different cultures, be able to make decisions in standard situations and when things are coming to a crisis.

The task of this study is to identify factors for successful appliance of the case study method during the process of studying and teaching a foreign language. By this method it will be possible to develop strategic skills, to work in a team, to determine the role of the teacher and the role of students in organizing an effective process of studying and teaching a foreign language.

Research Questions

scope, varieties and target settings of the case method;

the main stages and principles of preparing the case during the process of teaching foreign languages;

the conditions for the formation of intercultural competence.

Purpose of the Study

The main objective of this study is to identify basic principles for successful appliance of the case-study method during the process of studying and teaching a foreign language; to create intercultural competence of students.

Following these studies, experiments concerning the case method named “The magistrates in Germany” were carried out. Experiments investigated and showed that there are different stages of the case-study procedure; the method is applicable to a group of students. From the results of the experiments it is found that communicative skills, understanding of intercultural differences, personal experience may be obtained by means of case method.

Research Methods

Theoretical base of this research are works on theory and methodology of such scientists Ryndina ( 2013 ), Pakhtusova ( 2014 ), Aikina ( 2013 ), Lozovskaya ( 2015 ) and others. A corresponding analysis of works on theory and methodology relating to the use of the case method during the process of teaching a foreign language has been supplemented by empirical research methods, such as questionnaires, testing, discussions and interactive exercises.

Let us consider an experiment in which the 4 year students of philology department took part. The case study “The magistrates in Germany” was suggested. It was drawn as close as possible to the real educational and professional life.

In the course of experimental work, it was sometimes necessary to refer to the methodological principles developed by Aikina ( 2013 ). The scientist assumes that the following stages of work do exist: getting to know the case, analyzing information, finding a solution, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each solution, evaluating alternative solutions, presenting results, assessing students’ work and summarizing the whole work ( Aikina, 2013 ).

The case “The magistrates in Germany” consists of several consecutive stages. It combines an individual work of each student with general search tasks of the group and vice versa group discussion of the problem and proposals prepared by each member of the team are assumed. The full set of tasks was worked out for 5 academic hours. General linguistic and country study information was introduced beforehand. Lexical skills concerning the topic “Education system in Germany” were practiced during the preliminary lessons of practice of foreign language.

The goal of the case was formulated as follows: “Imagine that you have received a grant for a study tour to Germany. The purpose of the tour is to get acquainted with the education system in Germany and to choose the university in which you would like to obtain a Master’s degree. Your task is to develop a trip route, to work out a plan for visiting German universities and to present the university you study at to your German colleagues”.

As an official document, students received a fictitious invitation from the German Academic Exchange Service, executed according to all standards of such documents. The invitation included specific dates, names of students and the total amount of money allocated for organizing the trip. In addition, the list of universities, in which there are Master’s programs having the direction of “Germanic philology”, was attached to the invitation. The task of the students at the first stage was to determine the overall plan of the working trip: which cities and when they intend to visit during a two-week trip. As a result of individual research work and a joint discussion during the lesson, five cities and universities were defined. They aroused the greatest interest. The result of the first lesson was writing the working plan of the trip.

The students were divided into 5 groups during the second lesson. Every group was to prepare a presentation about the city it has chosen. Then every group was to review the structure and curriculum of the university that was planned to attend. After the presentations a discussion was organized. The theme “Higher education in Germany and Russia” was suggested. The students highlighted common and distinctive features of the structure of education and peculiarities of content of the curriculum of universities both in Germany and Russia.

The third stage of work had a practical trend. It assumed a solution of such problem as allocating funds of the grant to organizing the study tour. It was necessary to choose the most profitable type of transport for a trip to Germany and to choose the most appropriate transport links between German cities.

The next task of organizing the trip was search of hotels and hostels. Every mini group offered various options for living in the cities assigned to them. They actively discussed actual prices for various vehicles. At last, thanks to joint discussion of the opportunities optimum accommodation and transfer options for all groups were selected.

The next task was connected with planning meetings with German professors and students, preparing questions about Master’s curriculum and student life, creating a presentation about the Kazan federal university. The task was carried out in groups. Positive and negative sides were pointed out in each presentation. At the end of the lesson the most successful presentation was mentioned depending on its’ content and design. Then the results were summed up.

At the last lesson the students were offered to speak out on the topic “Positive and negative aspects of the Bologna process in the higher education system”. The students exchanged their views. They discussed such points as changes in education systems of universities of Russia and Germany, attraction of Master’s curriculum in Russia and Germany. They gave their positive and negative arguments and shared their plans for the future.

As a final task, students were asked to fill in a questionnaire. They had to analyze how their perception of higher education in Germany had changed, to assess the improvement of their language skills and to point out the positive aspects they had found out for themselves by carrying out the tasks of this case.

The students were motivated to analyze and discuss a large amount of information related to the education system in Germany and Russia. They were able to think over and discuss possible solutions of such practical issues as transport, accommodation, prices of different services and other issues associated with staying in a foreign country. The participants of this case discussed indirect difficulties and contradictions that Russian students may face when studying in Germany.

The questionnaire survey showed a high level of satisfaction with the search and analytical work done: the students demonstrated expansion of their information resources about Germany in general and about the education system in particular. Their motivation to learn the language and improve language skills increased. In addition, four of the fifteen students expressed their desire to hold the Master’s degree in Germany and they made their choice concerning a particular institute.

The main difficulties in managing the tasks were: inability to convince the interlocutors, to argue their own position and to allocate the time and responsibilities among the participants within the team. Also there were positive moments of work and managing the tasks of the case: finding out new information, dynamics, and the ability to share and discuss different points of view, practical value of new information.

The studies clearly demonstrate high efficiency and wide possibilities of the case method. It is obvious that the method is aimed at creating intercultural competence of students. On the one hand, case technology promotes the realization of such educational tasks as gaining new knowledge about foreign culture, acquiring the skills of analysis of intercultural differences, on the other hand, this technique contributes to the development of independent critical thinking, the ability to argue and convince the interlocutor, to improve the skills of strategic performing and decision-making.

As the main advantages of the case method, it is important to note that such qualities as dynamism, teamwork, increasing motivation to learn a foreign language were realized during the work. In addition, country study material is absorbed more deeply due to independent search for the solution of the situational task. This method allows students to become keen on the work having different language levels. It contributes to collective creative thinking, motivates students to profound penetration into lingua-cultural and mental features of the foreign language and culture. It is worth remarking that the use of case studies method during intercultural communication classes is of great value.

  • Aikina, T. Y. (2013). Case-study in forming of communicative competence of students. Bulletin of Tomsk State Pedagogical University, 1(129), 58-60.
  • Drutsko, N. A. (2014). Case Technology and project teaching as an instrument of intercultural competence Development for university students. Society: sociology, psychology, pedagogy, 1, 79-83.
  • Grosse, U. (1988). The case study Approach to teaching business English. English for Specific Purposes, 7, 131-132.
  • Lozovskaya, T. V. (2015). The Methodology of cases selection for the teaching foreign speech to the students of non-linguistic specialties. Crimean Scientific Bulletin, 5, 63-68
  • Maksimova, E. V. (2015). Conditions for forming of intercultural competence of non-linguistic university students in the process of foreign languages teaching​. Socio-economic and technical systems: research, design, optimization, 3(66), 129-138.
  • Ovchinnikova, V. B, & Kulgavyuk V.V. (2014). Case study method as an integral part of vocational training for students in foreign-language communication. Development of education, pedagogy and psychology in the modern world, 91-94.
  • Pakhtusova, E. E. (2014). Case method in teaching a foreign language in a university. Young scientist, 7, 532-534.
  • Ryndina, Y. V. (2013). Individual-differentiated approach in teaching foreign language to students of non-linguistic specialties. Young Scientist, 10(57), 610-612.
  • Safina, R., & Amurskaja, O. (2017). The Technology of Development of Intercultural Competence at Russian and Foreign Universities. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 31, 727-734Zolotova, M. V., & Demina, O. A. (2015). Concerning some aspects of using the case-study method in teaching a foreign language. Theory and practice of social development, 4, 133-136.

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05 September 2018

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https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2018.09.106

978-1-80296-044-0

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Safina, R. A., & Salieva, R. N. (2018). Case Method As Means Of Forming Intercultural Competence In Teaching Foreign Languages. In R. Valeeva (Ed.), Teacher Education - IFTE 2018, vol 45. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 909-915). Future Academy. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2018.09.106

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A systematic review of the eclectic approach application in language teaching

Saudi Journal of Language Studies

ISSN : 2634-243X

Article publication date: 3 March 2022

Issue publication date: 9 March 2022

This study aimed at providing a systematic review of the research conducted on the application of the eclectic approach in language teaching since 2016.

Design/methodology/approach

The articles have been selected from seven renowned databases (i.e. EBSCO, Online Library, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Sage Journal Online, Education Resources Information Center, and Web of Science). The number of total articles identified in the initial research was 432, out of this number, only 47 articles were selected for the review using predefined inclusion criteria. The selected articles have been analyzed and coded into different categories: research design, location, context, level of education, learning outcomes and pedagogical implications.

The review analysis showed the major trends and outcomes in the eclectic approach topic. It also provided useful information for stakeholders regarding the application of the eclectic approach in language teaching.

Originality/value

The study contributes to some unaddressed points identified in the selected articles, and it recommends some points to be considered in future research.

  • Systematic review
  • The eclectic approach
  • Language teaching

Al-Khasawneh, F. (2022), "A systematic review of the eclectic approach application in language teaching", Saudi Journal of Language Studies , Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 17-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/SJLS-11-2021-0022

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Fadi Al-Khasawneh

Published in Saudi Journal of Language Studies . Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

Introduction

The theories of English language teaching keep developing to serve the best education for learners and cater to their needs. The history of English language teaching witnessed many attempts to find the most effective approaches for teaching language. Richard and Rodgers (2014) pointed out that language teaching has become a profession on its own in the twentieth century. This profession continues to scout about new issues and the effectiveness of various teaching methods and approaches to overcome those issues. The Grammar-Translation Method was first introduced to be formalized in the classroom. Nonetheless, it receives criticism because of its bilingual strategy to teaching, while language teaching and learning is spontaneous, and learners can use the target language as a medium of instruction.

The criticism on the Grammar-Translation Method has led to developing the Direct Method as a monolingual approach for language teaching. During the 1950s, the Audiolingual Method has been introduced to train military personnel to use oral language. This method became popular in schools, but it was criticized because of its focus on repetitive drills and memorization. Subsequently, the Cognitive Method has emerged, and it mainly focuses on generative grammar and cognitive psychology. This method received much attention among language learners and teachers because it considers learners as active participants regardless of the errors they might commit ( Mei, 2018 ). This method is limited to teaching a language out of the context instead of in-context, thus it has been viewed as a weak teaching approach.

The Situational Teaching Method has been developed and it focuses on teaching and practicing a language in situations. The emergence of this teaching method was seen as a major development in the field of language teaching Gao (2019) . However, this method was criticized as it predicts what and how language is used in a specific situation when in fact, language use cannot be predicted ( Mwanza, 2020 ). As a result, the communicative language teaching method evolved in the 1980s. This method received extra attention at that time because it concentrates on language use, regardless of the situation or context. This method is seen as prescriptive and outdated in some contexts because the decisions and methods of language teaching cannot be prescribed. The teaching environment should be dynamic where teachers are encouraged to operate ( Mwanza, 2016 ).

All the developed teaching methods had their strengths and limitations. There was no real and dynamic language teaching method in the classroom setting. This led to the emergence of the eclectic teaching approach which is claimed to be the suitable approach for language teaching. Brown (2002) argues that eclectic approach allows teachers to select the materials that work well in their classrooms within their dynamic contexts. Gilliand et al. (1994) pointed out that the reason for adopting eclecticism is because it does not rely on a single teaching method or approach. The eclectic approach has a broad theoretical basis and has a flexible set of activities. The previous literature on language teaching methods emphasized the importance of investigating the role of eclectic approach in language teaching. However, there is a lack of systematic reviews that shed light on studies investigating the use of the eclectic approach in language teaching. Consequently, this study aims at reporting the different studies that investigated the use of eclecticism as an approach for language teaching. It also aims at studying the different trends of the research done in the last few years.

Research questions

What are the major methodologies identified?

What are the learning outcomes identified?

What are the contexts used for language teaching?

What are the major similarities and differences in the obtained results?

What are the identified gaps in the reviewed studies?

Theoretical background

The eclectic approach is a teaching style used in teaching a second or a foreign language. This approach combines the principles of various methods and approaches of teaching a language depending on the lesson objectives and individual differences of students ( Iscan, 2017 ). According to Kumar (2013) , the eclectic theory of language teaching has emerged in the 1990s as an additional theory of language teaching. The eclectic approach becomes popular because it contributes to achieving the learning objectives without much pressure on both teachers and learners. The eclectic approach helps in having a clearer vision for learners of what they are learning. Teaching with this approach includes but is not limited to using multiple tasks, lively learning and high interaction between students and teachers. Larsen-Freeman (2000) emphasized the importance of the eclectic approach in teaching. In her point of view, the eclectic approach is pluralistic, consistent and entails diverse learning activities that match with learners’ needs.

According to Gao (2011) , the principles of eclectic approach would challenge instructors to ensure that decisions about classroom instruction and activities are based on a holistic and comprehensive understanding of all teaching theories and pedagogies, in terms of the goal and situation of language teaching and learning, learners’ needs, the available materials and how language is learned. Gao (2011) viewed eclecticism as a teaching method that combines all language skills (e.g. listening, speaking, reading and writing) and encompasses some practice in the classroom. He also advises teachers to integrate and take advantage of all other teaching methods and to avoid their disadvantages. Wali (2009) stated that principled eclecticism should not serve methods but learners. Thus, it is up to the teachers’ discretion to choose procedures and techniques inside the classroom. Each one of the language teaching methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, and there is no concrete or ideal approach in language teaching. The eclectic teaching approach is characterized by keen flexibility since teachers can choose whatever works to achieve learning objectives ( Wali, 2009 ).

Teachers are free to select various types of teaching techniques in the classroom with reference to the lesson objectives.

Teachers could choose any method or aspect that suits teaching inside the classroom.

Learners will see different teaching aids that make lessons more stimulating and interesting.

Teachers and learners would be in a better situation to overcome difficulties that may arise from the textbook materials.

The eclectic approach saves much time and effort in the presentation of language activities.

The eclectic approach is subjective since it is constructed by teachers according to the learning context.

Eclecticism makes teaching more enjoyable and innovative.

It enhances the active interaction between students and teachers.

Caters to the individual needs of learners.

Enhances practical teaching as it facilitates retention and builds self-confidence.

Eclecticism enables instructors to achieve the learning objectives easily.

It is a problem-based approach to teaching languages that solves the problems encountered by the students in class.

Testing is not a separate element but a part of this approach.

Learners would have a clear vision of what they are learning.

This approach includes various tasks such as higher interaction, lively learning, correlative learning and fast results.

Eclecticism connects life experiences of learners to the ideas presented in language learning.

The teacher should carefully select the materials to suit the learning context and make the teaching process more motivating and interesting. Widemann (2001) affirmed that good teachers spend much time in collecting attractive and interesting teaching materials to gladden their teaching. Teachers should not spare a thought in developing materials for the learners. In eclectic approach, teachers can use computers, pictures, maps, music, film, radio, newspapers, magazines, textbooks, research articles, chats and realia in their teaching ( Ledema, 2003 ).

Jewitt (2005) pointed out that more teaching materials have significantly entered the classroom in the twenty-first century, such as sound, image and movement. Duncum (2004) stated that teaching can be meaningful in the classroom through the interaction of spoken voice, sound effects, music and pictures. This implicates using a variety of resources appropriate to the learning objectives, and not be limited to speech. Therefore, eclectic teachers should be creative in using materials and objects, for example, teachers can use pictures and movements to teach English verb tenses.

Like any other teaching method, the eclectic teaching approach has advantages and disadvantages. The eclectic approach is live, motivating, participatory, context-sensitive, learner-centered and includes using a variety of classroom tasks and activities. In addition, the eclectic approach is flexible to the needs of the classroom during the lesson, it is correlative and objective since it addresses the learners’ needs of diverse backgrounds ( Kumar, 2013 ). The eclectic approach is said to have disadvantages that include (1) discouraging teachers to reflect upon their teaching; (2) The adoption of the eclectic approach could be unsafe due to the methodological baggage that comes with it. Nonetheless, the eclectic approach is more advantageous than disadvantageous; most of the limitations of this approach are justifiable when teachers are poorly prepared for the classroom ( Widemann, 2001 ).

Methodology

The data of this study have been collected through searching in electronic journals and databases. The selected databases for this systematic review include EBSCO, Wiley Online Library, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SAGE Journal Online, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and Web of Science. The searched terms used for this review include “the eclectic approach,” “eclecticism,” “the eclectic approach and language teaching” and “eclecticism in language teaching.” The previous input would allow the databases to look for any kind of combination between the eclectic approach and language teaching.

Inclusion criteria

The article must be an empirical study.

The article has explicitly investigated the eclectic approach in language teaching.

The article must have been published in conference proceedings or journals between 2016 and 2021. This time frame was specified to review the most recent research of the topic under investigation.

The articles must be written in the English language.

The articles must contain an abstract. This is very important to select relevant research manuscripts.

The present review concentrates on the use of the eclectic approach in teaching the English language; thus, any article that investigates the use of the eclectic approach in teaching other subjects will be excluded.

The selected articles

The total number of selected articles for this review was 432. This number has considerably been reduced after the inclusion and exclusion criteria to 47 articles ( Table 1 ).

The table above shows that most of the articles selected after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria were from ERIC database 15 (31.91%), followed by EBSCO database 9 (19.14%), Wiley Online Library 7 (14.89%), Scopus 6 (12.76%), SAGE Journal Online 5 (10.63%), ScienceDirect 4 (8.51%) and Web of Science 1 (2.12%). All the articles that did not meet the criteria were excluded and the main reason for elimination is that they are not empirical studies or written in other languages.

Data analysis

Research design: how was the article designed to address the research questions.

Location: this includes the country where the study was conducted.

Context: this explains the context of investigation in the classroom, out of the classroom, both in the classroom and out of the classroom.

Level: this involves the educational level of the selected participants for each article.

Learning outcomes: this code shows the impact/effect of the eclectic approach in language teaching.

Pedagogical implications: to determine the pedagogical activities in which the eclectic approach could be used to support language teaching.

Results and discussion

This section presents the research design used in the selected articles. As shown in Table 2 , the most used research design was quasi-experimental 14 articles (29.79%), followed by mixed methods 12 articles (25.54%), survey 9 articles (19.15%) and both qualitative and experimental used in 6 articles each (12.76%).

Table 3 shows that most of the studies have been conducted in India with 11 studies (23.40%), followed by Saudi Arabia 8 (17.04%), Indonesia 7 (14.89%), Malaysia 6 (12.76), Kenya 3 (6.41%), 2 studies conducted in Zambia, Pakistan and Palestine (4.26%) for each country, and only 1 study conducted in Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Libya, Sweden and Ecuador (2.12%) for each country.

Article context

The information in Table 4 shows that most of the studies have been conducted in the classroom with 24 studies (51.07%), followed by the studies conducted in the classroom and out of the classroom with 16 studies (34.04%) and studies conducted out of the classroom with only 7 studies (14.89%).

Level of education

The data obtained in this study show that 21 articles involved participants enrolled in secondary schools 21 (44.68%), followed by participants enrolled in higher education 19 (40.43%) and participants enrolled in primary education 7 (14.89%) (see Table 5 ).

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes obtained from the selected articles have been coded and grouped into six different categories: (1) Positive effect on achievement and retention (AR), (2) acquisition of language skills (ALS), (3) increase learners’ motivation (LM), (4) active participation (AP), (5) build confidence (BC) and (6) positive learning emotions (PLE). Table 6 shows the frequency of learning outcomes mentioned in the selected articles.

Positive effect on achievement and retention (AR)

… the findings revealed that the eclectic learning approach has a positive effect on students’ academic achievement and retention in English at the elementary level.
… the use of EM enhances effective learning of English as more knowledge/information is retained for a long time.

Acquisition of language skills (ALS)

… it integrates all the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
… considering the students’ needs, teaching and introducing contextual grammar and vocabulary, and integrating all language skills.

Increase learners’ motivation (LM)

… the use of ECLC, creates an enjoyable learning atmosphere, without boredom and the interest and motivation level of the student rises as a result.
… it increases the motivation of students to learn foreign languages.

Active participation (AP)

… while doing the task, it made active participation of the individual learners.
… the use of eclectic approach increases the participation of learners and their involvement in learning tasks.

Build confidence (BC)

… this Method was very effective and helped to develop confidence in the learners to speak in a target language.

Positive learning emotions (PLE)

… the students will be motivated to express their emotions and share their experiences without any inhibitions.

Pedagogical implications

The pedagogical implications found in the selected articles concentrated on three major points: (1) Adoption of the eclectic approach for teaching (AEAT), (2) Explicit training for teachers (ETT) and (3) Adoption of learner-centered curriculum (ALCC). Table 7 shows the frequency of pedagogical implications mentioned in the selected articles.

Adoption of the eclectic approach for teaching (AEAT)

… it is strongly recommended that elementary school teachers should adopt the eclectic learning approach for teaching English as it is more effective, flexible, and useful.
… the adoption of the eclectic approach serves the learning purpose and encourages the students to learn the language systematically.
… it is indispensable to choose an efficacious method like the Eclectic Method to teach English effectively in an EFL classroom.

Explicit training for teachers (ETT)

… there is a need for language teachers to be taken for in-service training courses regularly to improve the teacher’s method of class instruction.
… the problem could be solved through qualified training for teachers, especially in undergraduate and graduate programs.

Adoption of learner-centered curriculum (ALCC)

… the results of this empirical study, recommend a learner-centered curriculum to enhance language learning in the classroom.

The similarities and differences in the selected articles

The systematic review of the eclectic approach in language teaching shows some similarities and differences between the selected articles. It is obvious that most of the articles used quasi-experimental and mixed methods as a research design. Other articles used surveys, qualitative, or experimental research designs. Most of the studies have been conducted in Asia (38) articles, followed by Africa with 7 studies, South America with 1 study and Europe with 1 study. Most of the studies have been conducted in classroom (24) studies followed by studies conducted in and out of classroom (16) studies and out of classroom (7) studies.

Most of the participants in the selected articles were from secondary schools (21) studies, followed by participants from higher education (19) studies and participants from primary education (7) studies. The selected articles studied the eclectic approach in language teaching from different perspectives. However, all the studies come to a consensus that the use of the eclectic approach has a positive impact on enhancing the learning of a second or foreign language. The studies emphasized on combining different techniques and activities in the learning process. They viewed the eclectic approach as collaborative learning and they all agreed that learning in groups would be beneficial for the students, creating a more enjoyable and motivating environment.

Most of the studies recommend the adoption of the eclectic approach due to its importance to avoid boredom in the class and accurately address the learning objectives. These studies recommended engaging teachers in explicit training to adopt the eclectic approach successfully. Only two studies recommended shifting to a learner-centered curriculum in which students will be responsible for their learning and teachers’ role is limited to guidance and direction.

What are the gaps not addressed in the reviewed studies?

The current review has explored the research conducted on the eclectic approach in language teaching. It was apparent that the studies conducted in South America and Europe have been minimal. Consequently, there is a persistent need to conduct more studies in these regions to get clearer insights into the impact of the eclectic approach on language teaching. Most of the reviewed studies have been conducted on students from secondary and tertiary levels. Very few studies have focused on students from the elementary level.

The reviewed studies have mainly focused on the use/impact of the eclectic approach on the teaching of the English language in general. However, it is very important to investigate the applications of the eclectic approach in the teaching of specific language components such as grammar, reading, writing, listening or speaking. It will be very useful to explore how teachers apply this approach to teach specific language components.

Most of the studies have focused on examining the impact of applying the eclectic approach in teaching particular topics and/or lessons. Hence, it would be a very good idea to investigate and observe teachers in a long-time span to check whether or not, teachers are eclectic in every lesson. There is also a need to conduct comparative studies between public and private schools in the use and impact of the eclectic approach on students’ performance. These comparative studies could also include students’ level as a variable when studying the impact of the eclectic approach on language teaching. All the aforementioned points could bridge the gaps on this topic and provide more insights and clearer pictures for students, teachers, curriculum and policymakers.

This review study sheds light on the research on the use of the eclectic approach in language teaching which is mainly representative and up to date. This systematic review was very useful to determine the major trends and outcomes of the use of the eclectic approach in language teaching. All the selected articles have been coded carefully to detect their research design, location, context, level of education, learning outcomes and pedagogical implications. The similarities and differences between the selected articles have been synthesized along with the gaps not addressed on this topic. The area of the eclectic approach is very rich and worthy to be further investigated. Future studies can be useful to explain in detail the impact of applying the eclectic approach on teaching language components. The pedagogical implications of the future studies would enhance the performance of students and bridge the underrepresented language learning.

The number of selected articles before and after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria

Research design used in the selected articles

The location where the selected articles have been conducted

The context of the selected articles

The level of education investigated in the selected articles

The learning outcomes obtained from the selected articles

Pedagogical implications of using the eclectic approach

Ali , A.M. ( 1981 ), Teaching English to Arab Students , Al-Falah House , Jordan .

Brown , H. ( 2002 ), “ English language teaching in the ‘post-method’ era: toward better diagnosis, treatment, and assessment ”, in Richards , J. and Renandya , W. (Eds), Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current Practice , Cambridge Professional Learning, Cambridge University Press , Cambridge , pp.  9 - 18 , doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511667190.003 .

Duncum , P. ( 2004 ), “ Visual culture isn't just visual: multiliteracy, multimodality and meaning ”, Studies in Art Education , Vol.  45 No.  3 , pp.  252 - 264 , doi: 10.1080/00393541.2004.11651771 .

Gaao , L. ( 2019 ), “ Research on the role of situational teaching in second language teaching ”, Universe Scientific Publishing , Vol.  3 No.  2 , pp.  59 - 62 , available at: https://ojs.usp-pl.com/index.php/ADVANCES-IN-HIGHER-EDUCATION/article/view/1412/1277 .

Gao , L. ( 2011 ), “ Eclecticism or principled eclecticism ”, Creative Education , Vol.  2 No.  4 , pp.  363 - 369 , doi:  10.4236/ce.2011.24051 .

Gilliland , B.E. , James , R.K. and Bowman , J.T. ( 1994 ), “ Response to the lazarus and Beutler article ‘on technical eclecticism’ ”, Journal of Counseling and Development , Vol.  72 No.  5 , pp.  554 - 555 , doi: 10.1002/j.1556-6676.1994.tb00991.x .

Iscan , A. ( 2017 ), “ The use of eclectic method in teaching Turkish to foreign students ”, Journal of Education and Practice , Vol.  8 No.  7 , pp.  149 - 153 , available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1137580 .

Jewitt , C. ( 2005 ), “ Multimodality, ‘reading’, and ‘writing’ for the 21st century ”, Discourse, Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education , Vol.  26 No.  3 , pp.  315 - 331 , doi: 10.1080/01596300500200011 .

Kumar , C.P. ( 2013 ), “ The eclectic method-theory and its application to the learning of English ”, International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications , Vol.  3 No.  6 , pp.  1 - 4 , available at: http://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0613/ijsrp-p1844.pdf .

Larsen-Freeman , D. ( 2000 ), Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching , 2nd ed. , Oxford University Press , New York , available at: https://www.uobabylon.edu.iq/eprints/publication_3_8715_1861.pdf .

Ledema , R. ( 2003 ), “ Multimodality, resemiotization: extending the analysis of discourse as multi-semiotic practice ”, Visual Communication , Vol.  2 No.  1 , pp.  29 - 57 , doi: 10.1177/1470357203002001751 .

Mei , Y. ( 2018 ), “ Comments on the audiolingual method ”, International Journal of Arts and Commerce , Vol.  7 No.  4 , p. 90 , available at: https://www.ijac.org.uk/images/frontImages/gallery/Vol.7No.4/5.47-53.pdf .

Mwanza , D.S. ( 2016 ), “ A critical reflection on eclecticism in the teaching of english grammar at selected Zambian secondary schools ”, unpublished PhD thesis, University of Western Cape, available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/58915854.pdf .

Mwanza , D.S. ( 2020 ), “ An analysis of teachers classroom application of the eclectic method to English language teaching in multilingual Zambia ”, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science , Vol.  4 No.  2 , pp.  260 - 275 , available at: http://dspace.unza.zm/bitstream/handle/123456789/7145/Article%202.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y .

Parupalli , R.S. ( 2018 ), “ Eclectic approach in English language teaching: a comprehensive study ”, ACADEMICIA: An International Multidisciplinary Research Journal , Vol.  8 No.  10 , p. 40 , doi: 10.5958/2249-7137.2018.00055.1 .

Richards , J.C. and Rodgers , T.S. ( 2014 ), Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching , Cambridge University Press , available at: https://www.novaconcursos.com.br/blog/pdf/richards-jack-c.-&-rodgers.pdf .

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Weidemann , A. ( 2001 ), “ The old and the new: reconsidering eclecticism in language teaching ”, Per Linguam , Vol.  17 No.  1 , pp.  1 - 13 , doi: 10.5785/17-1-131 .

Acknowledgements

The author extends appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through General Research Project (No: GRP/4/43).

Corresponding author

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10 Case Study Advantages and Disadvantages

case study advantages and disadvantages, explained below

A case study in academic research is a detailed and in-depth examination of a specific instance or event, generally conducted through a qualitative approach to data.

The most common case study definition that I come across is is Robert K. Yin’s (2003, p. 13) quote provided below:

“An empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.”

Researchers conduct case studies for a number of reasons, such as to explore complex phenomena within their real-life context, to look at a particularly interesting instance of a situation, or to dig deeper into something of interest identified in a wider-scale project.

While case studies render extremely interesting data, they have many limitations and are not suitable for all studies. One key limitation is that a case study’s findings are not usually generalizable to broader populations because one instance cannot be used to infer trends across populations.

Case Study Advantages and Disadvantages

1. in-depth analysis of complex phenomena.

Case study design allows researchers to delve deeply into intricate issues and situations.

By focusing on a specific instance or event, researchers can uncover nuanced details and layers of understanding that might be missed with other research methods, especially large-scale survey studies.

As Lee and Saunders (2017) argue,

“It allows that particular event to be studies in detail so that its unique qualities may be identified.”

This depth of analysis can provide rich insights into the underlying factors and dynamics of the studied phenomenon.

2. Holistic Understanding

Building on the above point, case studies can help us to understand a topic holistically and from multiple angles.

This means the researcher isn’t restricted to just examining a topic by using a pre-determined set of questions, as with questionnaires. Instead, researchers can use qualitative methods to delve into the many different angles, perspectives, and contextual factors related to the case study.

We can turn to Lee and Saunders (2017) again, who notes that case study researchers “develop a deep, holistic understanding of a particular phenomenon” with the intent of deeply understanding the phenomenon.

3. Examination of rare and Unusual Phenomena

We need to use case study methods when we stumble upon “rare and unusual” (Lee & Saunders, 2017) phenomena that would tend to be seen as mere outliers in population studies.

Take, for example, a child genius. A population study of all children of that child’s age would merely see this child as an outlier in the dataset, and this child may even be removed in order to predict overall trends.

So, to truly come to an understanding of this child and get insights into the environmental conditions that led to this child’s remarkable cognitive development, we need to do an in-depth study of this child specifically – so, we’d use a case study.

4. Helps Reveal the Experiences of Marginalzied Groups

Just as rare and unsual cases can be overlooked in population studies, so too can the experiences, beliefs, and perspectives of marginalized groups.

As Lee and Saunders (2017) argue, “case studies are also extremely useful in helping the expression of the voices of people whose interests are often ignored.”

Take, for example, the experiences of minority populations as they navigate healthcare systems. This was for many years a “hidden” phenomenon, not examined by researchers. It took case study designs to truly reveal this phenomenon, which helped to raise practitioners’ awareness of the importance of cultural sensitivity in medicine.

5. Ideal in Situations where Researchers cannot Control the Variables

Experimental designs – where a study takes place in a lab or controlled environment – are excellent for determining cause and effect . But not all studies can take place in controlled environments (Tetnowski, 2015).

When we’re out in the field doing observational studies or similar fieldwork, we don’t have the freedom to isolate dependent and independent variables. We need to use alternate methods.

Case studies are ideal in such situations.

A case study design will allow researchers to deeply immerse themselves in a setting (potentially combining it with methods such as ethnography or researcher observation) in order to see how phenomena take place in real-life settings.

6. Supports the generation of new theories or hypotheses

While large-scale quantitative studies such as cross-sectional designs and population surveys are excellent at testing theories and hypotheses on a large scale, they need a hypothesis to start off with!

This is where case studies – in the form of grounded research – come in. Often, a case study doesn’t start with a hypothesis. Instead, it ends with a hypothesis based upon the findings within a singular setting.

The deep analysis allows for hypotheses to emerge, which can then be taken to larger-scale studies in order to conduct further, more generalizable, testing of the hypothesis or theory.

7. Reveals the Unexpected

When a largescale quantitative research project has a clear hypothesis that it will test, it often becomes very rigid and has tunnel-vision on just exploring the hypothesis.

Of course, a structured scientific examination of the effects of specific interventions targeted at specific variables is extermely valuable.

But narrowly-focused studies often fail to shine a spotlight on unexpected and emergent data. Here, case studies come in very useful. Oftentimes, researchers set their eyes on a phenomenon and, when examining it closely with case studies, identify data and come to conclusions that are unprecedented, unforeseen, and outright surprising.

As Lars Meier (2009, p. 975) marvels, “where else can we become a part of foreign social worlds and have the chance to become aware of the unexpected?”

Disadvantages

1. not usually generalizable.

Case studies are not generalizable because they tend not to look at a broad enough corpus of data to be able to infer that there is a trend across a population.

As Yang (2022) argues, “by definition, case studies can make no claims to be typical.”

Case studies focus on one specific instance of a phenomenon. They explore the context, nuances, and situational factors that have come to bear on the case study. This is really useful for bringing to light important, new, and surprising information, as I’ve already covered.

But , it’s not often useful for generating data that has validity beyond the specific case study being examined.

2. Subjectivity in interpretation

Case studies usually (but not always) use qualitative data which helps to get deep into a topic and explain it in human terms, finding insights unattainable by quantitative data.

But qualitative data in case studies relies heavily on researcher interpretation. While researchers can be trained and work hard to focus on minimizing subjectivity (through methods like triangulation), it often emerges – some might argue it’s innevitable in qualitative studies.

So, a criticism of case studies could be that they’re more prone to subjectivity – and researchers need to take strides to address this in their studies.

3. Difficulty in replicating results

Case study research is often non-replicable because the study takes place in complex real-world settings where variables are not controlled.

So, when returning to a setting to re-do or attempt to replicate a study, we often find that the variables have changed to such an extent that replication is difficult. Furthermore, new researchers (with new subjective eyes) may catch things that the other readers overlooked.

Replication is even harder when researchers attempt to replicate a case study design in a new setting or with different participants.

Comprehension Quiz for Students

Question 1: What benefit do case studies offer when exploring the experiences of marginalized groups?

a) They provide generalizable data. b) They help express the voices of often-ignored individuals. c) They control all variables for the study. d) They always start with a clear hypothesis.

Question 2: Why might case studies be considered ideal for situations where researchers cannot control all variables?

a) They provide a structured scientific examination. b) They allow for generalizability across populations. c) They focus on one specific instance of a phenomenon. d) They allow for deep immersion in real-life settings.

Question 3: What is a primary disadvantage of case studies in terms of data applicability?

a) They always focus on the unexpected. b) They are not usually generalizable. c) They support the generation of new theories. d) They provide a holistic understanding.

Question 4: Why might case studies be considered more prone to subjectivity?

a) They always use quantitative data. b) They heavily rely on researcher interpretation, especially with qualitative data. c) They are always replicable. d) They look at a broad corpus of data.

Question 5: In what situations are experimental designs, such as those conducted in labs, most valuable?

a) When there’s a need to study rare and unusual phenomena. b) When a holistic understanding is required. c) When determining cause-and-effect relationships. d) When the study focuses on marginalized groups.

Question 6: Why is replication challenging in case study research?

a) Because they always use qualitative data. b) Because they tend to focus on a broad corpus of data. c) Due to the changing variables in complex real-world settings. d) Because they always start with a hypothesis.

Lee, B., & Saunders, M. N. K. (2017). Conducting Case Study Research for Business and Management Students. SAGE Publications.

Meir, L. (2009). Feasting on the Benefits of Case Study Research. In Mills, A. J., Wiebe, E., & Durepos, G. (Eds.). Encyclopedia of Case Study Research (Vol. 2). London: SAGE Publications.

Tetnowski, J. (2015). Qualitative case study research design.  Perspectives on fluency and fluency disorders ,  25 (1), 39-45. ( Source )

Yang, S. L. (2022). The War on Corruption in China: Local Reform and Innovation . Taylor & Francis.

Yin, R. (2003). Case Study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Brief research report article, advantages and disadvantages of distance teaching in foreign language education during covid-19.

advantages and disadvantages of case study method in teaching foreign language

  • Department of Foreign Languages, Law Institute, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia – RUDN University, Moscow, Russia

This article aimed to analyze the identified advantages and disadvantages of distance education in foreign language teaching in the transition to distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected through questionnaires and observations. A total of 298 university students participated in the research. The results of this research show that (1) the quality parameters of the changes and additions to the curriculum of foreign language teaching, (2) the final evaluation of the students in these subjects conducted in distance learning compared to the results shown in the offline form, (3) the satisfaction of the students with the electronic format of academic subjects, and (4) the formation of communicative competences under the changed learning conditions. The results are based not only on the final grades in the control sections in written and oral form but also on the emotional evaluation of the distance format teaching units in foreign languages. In addition, the results have shown that a complete transition to distance education is possible at COVID as a contingency measure. The research results will help to solve problematic issues related to the organization of the educational process and the need to comply with sanitary regulations.

Introduction

In the extreme conditions of the spread of coronavirus infection, secondary and higher educational institutions in Russia, following the recommendation of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, decided to switch to a distance learning format ( Kobysheva et al., 2021 ). Before the pandemic, this training format was used in isolated cases and mainly in the context of e-learning ( Todri et al., 2020 ). Since the Internet platform TEAMS was already successfully used at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) in educational programs, the forced transition to distance learning did not cause serious technical difficulties or problems. All students mastered the use of educational Internet resources on the specified platform and the format of communication with teaching staff via company mail ( Nevskaya and Kozhukhova, 2021 ).

The most important issues in solving the problems of an urgent transition to e-learning were the willingness of the teaching staff to provide the teaching materials and to develop the necessary competencies within the new educational format ( Junus et al., 2021 ). On the other hand, there is a problem with the technical equipment of each student and the ability to connect to Internet resources at home. An equally important component of the transition to a new format was the need to develop skills in future professionals to master the material through distance learning in a foreign language for professional purposes ( Grunis et al., 2020 ).

Together with the Department of Information Technology and Support specialists, the university administration has urgently organized and implemented all the necessary measures to support the teaching staff in managing the educational process under the new conditions. In consultation with the profile departments and methodological committees, recommendations were developed for adapting the curriculum to transition to distance education. One week before the start of the online training, the surveys on the availability of technical equipment were conducted in all student groups during the face-to-face sessions. Consultations were held on connecting to the classroom and the algorithm for taking a class in a new format. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many studies have addressed the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning in higher education. However, few studies address the views of Russian higher education students ( Masalimova et al., 2022 ). For this reason, this article aims to analyze the identified advantages and disadvantages of distance education in foreign language learning in the transition to distance education due to the pandemic COVID-19.

Literature review

Many researchers ( Puspitasari et al., 2018 ; Nariyati et al., 2020 ; Santos, 2020 ; Akhmadieva et al., 2021 ; Kuzembayeva et al., 2022 ; Sekyere-Asiedu et al., 2022 ) have pointed out that new effective teaching methods and strategies are the most important component of foreign language teaching under the changing conditions. Some studies ( Chigisheva et al., 2017 , 2021 ; Flack et al., 2020 ; Kitishat et al., 2020 ; Oyedotun, 2020 ; Prikhodko and Polyakova, 2020 ) have particularly addressed issues of overcoming the unpreparedness (both psychological and methodological-didactic) of a significant part of higher education teachers for teaching in a new format. In parallel, some studies ( Ferri et al., 2020 ; Jacques et al., 2020 ; Peters et al., 2020 ; Soltovets et al., 2021 ) have examined the technological, pedagogical, and social problems encountered in the transition to distance education. Poor Internet connections and failures (on the part of students), compounded by inadequate digital skills on the part of both teachers and students, contributed to the challenges. The situation was exacerbated by social problems related to limited space at home, as other family members also worked remotely ( Ferri et al., 2020 ). Thus, the need to navigate the new communication format evoked stress.

At the same time, many researchers have noted the positive aspects of teaching systems connected with the transition to extensive use of digital technologies. They assert that such changes heavily contributed to transforming the entire organizational component of the higher education system ( Rapanta et al., 2020 ; Soudien, 2020 ; Ivanova et al., 2022 ; Uzunboylu et al., 2022 ). The increased activity of students in the framework of videoconferences, information exchange in chat rooms, social networks, and podcasts is especially highlighted ( Sá and Serpa, 2020 ). Hodges et al. (2020) added a new concept named emergency remote teaching (ERT) to the literature. They identified that ERT as below:

“… emergency remote teaching (ERT) is a temporary shift of instructional delivery to an alternate delivery mode due to crisis circumstances. It involves using fully remote teaching solutions for instruction or education that would otherwise be delivered face-to-face or as blended or hybrid courses, which will return to that format once the crisis or emergency has abated .”

Later, Huertas-Abril et al. (2021) identified a new term, “Emergency Remote Language Teaching,” after the concept of ERT of Hodges et al. (2020) . This new concept emphasizes that teaching during emergencies and crises such as the pandemic caused by COVID-19 is neither remote teaching nor online teaching in the strict sense.

In previous studies, Sharma et al. (2020) examined college students’ satisfaction with online learning during the Coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19). Their results showed that more than half (53.5%) of the students were satisfied with online learning, while 29.7% were neutral. The results also revealed that all four domains were positively correlated with each other and with students’ overall satisfaction with learning. In multivariate analysis, female gender, WiFi as an Internet learning modality, and rating of learning dimensions were the most significant predictors of student satisfaction. In another research, Azizi et al. (2020) investigated and determined the factors influencing students’ intention to use blended learning. They found that performance expectancy (PE), effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), facilitating conditions (FC), hedonic motivation (HM), value for money (PV), and habit (HT) had a significant influence on students’ intention to use blended learning. In addition, the intention to use blended learning significantly impacted students’ actual use of blended learning. A study by Yılmaz İnce et al. (2020) investigated students’ knowledge and views about distance education in the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that participants’ ability to have computers and the Internet influenced their views about distance education. Elfirdoussi et al. (2020) studied distance learning in Morocco during the pandemic COVID-19. This study surveyed 3,037 students enrolled in various stages of higher education programs. The results showed that students indicated that online learning was not more interesting than regular learning.

Demuyakor (2020) sought to determine whether Ghanaian international students in China were satisfied with “mass” online learning in higher educational institutions in Beijing, China. The study’s results suggested that introducing online learning programs was very good, as most students surveyed supported the initiative. The study also found that students outside China spend as much money to buy Internet data for online learning because of COVID-19. Last but not least, the study found that the Internet connection for students in the dormitories of various universities in China is very slow. Bozavli (2021) examined the learning experiences of foreign language students who participated in a distance learning course during the pandemic and their beliefs about whether it is possible to learn a foreign language without school. The results showed that students believed they could not learn a foreign language without attending school. In addition, the results indicated that their digital literacy skills in distance learning are insufficient, and the students show low motivation to learn. In a recent study, studied the expectations of university students regarding the conversion of education to distance learning during the period of COVID-19. The results showed that the most important factors influencing students’ feelings and convincing them to switch from classroom teaching to teaching in the distance learning model are the feeling of pleasure in distance education and a sense of self-efficacy.

Masalimova et al. (2022) studied students’ attitudes toward distance education in COVID-19. They analyzed a total of 27 articles. Their analyses revealed that when asked to compare face-to-face and online learning techniques, students claim that online learning has the potential to compensate for any limitations caused by the pandemic. Student views and satisfaction vary widely, ranging from good to negative. Distance learning is beneficial because it allows learning anytime and from any location. Distance education is useful for both performance and learning. Distance learning contributes to many physical and mental health problems, including anxiety, anxiety, stress, and attention problems. The analysis of publications on the stated topic allowed the authors of the study to conclude that by now, the issues related to the significant difference in the organization of online learning of foreign languages and the use of educational technologies in the format of e-learning in universities during the period of restrictions due to the pandemic because of COVID-19. Issues such as the role of the professor/instructor and student groups in improving the quality of instruction in the distance learning format, synchronization problems of interaction and qualitative parameters of feedback, and the effectiveness of pedagogical technologies in collaborative activities require further development.

The determination of research purposes, data collection instruments, and analyses were based on the literature review conducted by the authors. To answer the research questions, we employed a quantitative research methodology in this research. For this aim, we used quantitative data collection methods (see Table 1 ). The authors used the methods of terminological analysis in the process of studying scientific works on the research problem. The authors applied system analysis methods to identify the problem area, determine its relevance, set goals, and generate solutions. Considering the findings of the research, the authors articulated the following hypotheses:

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Table 1. Survey results.

(1) Adjustments introduced to the educational process organization during the transition to the e-learning format enhance the role of the teacher and determine the choice of learning technologies to form communicative competencies in the changed academic conditions based on various methods of electronic content delivery and available communication tools in the context of electronic information–educational environment.

(2) Changing needs for learning a foreign language for communicative and professional purposes in the context of a forced transition to the distance learning format presuppose greater self-discipline of students compared to the full-time format of gaining knowledge. This is because, in the process of classroom training, there are such additional motivating factors as mandatory face-to-face presence (lack of opportunity to study the material after the session by its video record) and an evaluating reaction not only from the teacher but also from fellow students to the activity degree in the educational process of the entire group.

(3) Changes in the conditions and communicative environment of learning a foreign language during a pandemic inevitably lead to a greater workload and emphasis on the student’s self-study since a written task does not tolerate inaccurate formulations and digression from the topic. It is more strictly assessed regarding literacy and knowledge of the material.

(4) The effectiveness of the teaching technologies applied in emergency transition to distance learning due to COVID-19 can be evaluated only after analyzing the final assessment results of students conducted in a distance format compared to the offline results regime.

It was necessary to maintain the stable motivation of students formed (in the course of teaching) by creating conditions for active engagement of each student and teacher in the educational process in the current emergency of conversion to e-learning. The authors focused on the formulation of foundations based on the personal and professional experience of the teachers of the department concerning methods of teaching foreign languages for communicative and professional purposes and new modern technologies of teaching in a distance format ( Lisitzina et al., 2015 ; Bennett, 2018 ; Lim et al., 2018 ; Aguilar et al., 2019 ; Privalova et al., 2019 ; Sockalingam et al., 2020 ; Atabekova, 2021 ). All types of activities previously conducted in the face-to-face teaching format, including the acquisition of new material, assessment of knowledge through evaluation and comments, preparation for midterm review and final examination, organization and management of translation practice, participation in project activities, scientific guidance in the preparation of articles, and oral presentations of students, preparation of the oral defense of theses for bachelor’s and master’s degrees in a foreign language had to be urgently transferred to the distance learning format.

A week before the transition to a distance learning format, the department held informative, practical sessions with teachers on the effective use of all the main functions of the Microsoft TEAMS program, which is part of the Outlook Office 365 facilities widely used in the RUDN University ( Lebedeva et al., 2018 ; Badiozaman et al., 2020 ; Code et al., 2020 ; Hilburg et al., 2020 ; Khan, 2020 ). The lesson plan was developed considering the teachers’ feedback. During the classes conducted by the Information Technology (IT) specialist, particular attention was paid to such issues as the formation of study groups, preparation of calendar of classes, use of chat room for communicating group or personal messages, placing various files with assignments, etc.

The algorithm for organizing joint work with the Windows Office applications package was specifically set up to allow all participants of the process to simultaneously work with Word documents, Excel tables, open PowerPoint presentations, and video files. Under a specialist’s guidance, the verification mode teachers practiced the screen functions, reminders, calls, invitations to class, and project activities. A special lesson was devoted to such opportunities of the educational platform as a division of work and tasks between groups of students (teams), use of applications, and joint work on a document since the express survey showed that such operations cause particular difficulties for most teachers.

During these lessons, the skills of working with the TEAMS platform were refreshed. Mobile groups of teachers were also formed, within which each participant could always receive the necessary assistance and technical support. This strengthened the confidence of the most pessimistic members. They did not have enough experience organizing the educational process for several years through the telecommunication educational and information system (TEIS RUDN).

A preliminary survey of study groups helped to reveal that only 34% have personal computers and tablets. As the TEAMS training platform can be easily downloaded to any electronic medium, the data obtained was not alarming. But the issue of Fast Internet availability across the country was on the agenda since many students announced their intention to leave Moscow and move to their permanent places of residence during the pandemic and e-learning. To provide all students with equal opportunities under the circumstances, the teacher’s mandatory recording of the lesson and open access to it for each student of the study group was established.

One of the department meetings was dedicated to many issues on the urgent transfer of foreign language classes within bachelor’s and master’s courses to a distance format. The meeting aimed to instruct students on the format and arrangement of their homework, including the correct file name (date, student’s name, group number, discipline, and teacher’s name), formulation of tasks, parameters for evaluating the work, deadlines for sending the work by the student and receiving the marked paper from the teacher, the format of students’ progress sheets and participating in a lesson in a distance format, etc.

Results and discussion

The positions listed above, worked out by the teaching staff of the department of foreign languages of the Law Institute of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, contributed to meeting the program requirements and maintaining the standards of teaching foreign languages to lawyers to be.

After 3 months of work, the team of authors surveyed students and teachers. Its purpose was to identify the level of qualitative assessment by students of the activities of the Law Institute administration and the department of foreign languages in overcoming the challenges of the emergency transition to the e-learning mode. The information obtained was checked for consistency and reliability at the analysis stage. The formulated questions for students reflect the key points related to the research statement. The data obtained in the study were statistically processed and analyzed, which formed the basis for formulating proposals for adjusting the program materials.

As the survey of teachers and students after 3 months of working in the distance format showed, the technical aspects worked out in advance. They voiced that the first organizational lessons dramatically contributed to maintaining the level of motivation formed during the face-to-face studies. The survey involved students taking the undergraduate and graduate programs at the Law Institute and those who study a foreign language for communicative and professional purposes. The answers to the questionnaire were received from 204 respondents.

In total, 93% of the respondents gave a positive answer to the first item of the questionnaire. In the comments on the positive and negative aspects of the distance learning format, the following main problems that students faced in the process of the emergency transition to a remote learning format have been highlighted:

(1) Loss of personal contact with the teacher–78%.

(2) Concentration difficulties during preparation for classes at home (distractions in the limited living space)–67%.

(3) Lower individual activity in class (interference of family members who are also in self-isolation)–58%.

(4) Many serious problems associated with the constant use of the Internet to connect to the TEAMS training platform: lack of Internet and interruptions in Internet connection (especially outside Moscow and Moscow region)–79%; unreasonably high time loss during classes for constant reconnection to the platform–63%; worse health conditions due to continuous sitting in front of monitors (more than 12 h a day)–81%.

(5) Stress (68%) leads to increased psychological frustration (54%) due to the need to periodically turn on the camera and microphone during the oral answer.

In the answers to the second question, most students (91%) positively assessed the efforts of the Law Institute administration and the entire team of the department of foreign languages in an efficient and thoughtfully organized format of the transition of the educational process to a remote mode. The transition process took only a week; the classes were held strictly according to the schedule approved at the beginning of the semester. 74% of respondents highly appreciated that all the necessary electronic links came by email in advance and with a 15-min reminder before the start of the lesson.

All files with carefully formulated assignments and specified deadlines were sent to students in advance; this contributed to a clear algorithm allowing them to receive the marked papers to better prepare for the forthcoming session (86%). Seventy-seven percentage of students positively assessed the efforts of the department of foreign languages to offer interesting project assignments and to involve students in professionally oriented research activities during a difficult period of emergency transition to the e-learning format.

All survey participants supported video recording the lessons as another chance to view and study the educational material.

At the same time, 14% of students’ answers concerning organizational shortcomings (third question in the Table) indicated cases of informing “at the last minute,”; that greatly hindered planning the workload and increased online learning. An important aspect noted by 45% of respondents was the academic schedule. Students criticized it for the uneven distribution of lectures and seminars throughout the week.

The following suggestions for adjustments to the format of online education of law students have been formulated:

(1) Preserving in a distance format the possibility of counseling with teachers according to the schedule approved at the beginning of the semester for classroom format (60%).

(2) Taking account of the students’ answers sent in the chat room in case of problems with the microphone during the lesson (36%).

The authors also conducted an express survey among the foreign languages teaching staff department. The obtained data revealed the problems that arose during the preparation and conduct of distance learning sessions. The majority (84%) noted the stressful situation of the need to move to a new teaching format and search for new solutions in the context of familiar teaching tasks. For older teachers (53%), difficulties were associated with mastering unfamiliar electronic platforms and using new technological methods of working in a digital environment to “keep in step with the times.” Ninety-three percentage of respondents expressed concerns about the organization and conduct of upcoming intermediate and final assessments of students in a distance format. They were connected not with designing control and assessment materials but primarily with the video support of the oral and written testing to exclude cheating and prompts.

The annual students’ conference “We speak legal English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Arabic” was held in a distance format engaging RUDN students and postgraduates from more than a dozen countries, as well as students from other universities in Moscow and across Russia. In preparation for the conference, individual work was carried out with each participant to comply with the requirements for article formatting according to American Psychological Association (APA) international standards. Particular attention was paid to the preparation of oral presentations using PowerPoint tools. The following points were positively noted in the responses of the conference participants:

(1) Comprehensive and timely assistance from the faculty of the department of foreign languages via the TEAMS platform.

(2) Timely receipt of an electronic link for connection, automatic notification of the beginning of the conference, and technical support in case of problems associated with various operating systems.

(3) Ability to automatically turn on subtitles during the conference broadcast.

(4) Ability to share the screen and presentation files in case of problems related to the Internet.

(5) Use of video conference recording.

When analyzing the final assessment results at the end of the semester, the authors of the study took into account the adequate response of the university to an external challenge and the complete transition to distance learning provoked by a coronavirus. We can assert that electronic content designed to solve the above difficulties did not allow within a short time to create a full-fledged “mobile interactive student-centered online environment” ( Azizi et al., 2020 ; Sharma et al., 2020 ). This triggered a high degree of caution in assessing the effectiveness of distance learning based on the results obtained during the forced experimental emergency transition to e-learning ( Adnan and Anwar, 2020 ; Watson et al., 2020 ; Cahyadi et al., 2021 ).

The comparative analysis of the results of the final exams for bachelor’s and master’s degrees for 2019 (before the pandemic) and 2020 (in the distance format) did not reveal important changes in the grades ( Tables 2 – 5 ).

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Table 2. Final exam results at bachelor level.

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Table 3. Final exam results at master level.

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Table 4. Results of defending the final qualifying work in the foreign languages at the bachelor level.

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Table 5. Results of defending the final qualifying work in the foreign languages at the master level.

The final scores obtained for the defense of the last qualifying works in the relevant foreign language (English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and Japanese) at bachelor’s and master’s levels allowed to conclude that the forced emergency transition to a distance learning format did not affect the quality of students’ answers.

In evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of distance learning for law students in a foreign language in the new educational reality created by COVID-19, the authors of the study have tried to take into account all circumstances that could affect the achievement of sound conclusions. In such a short period of time, it is impossible to completely exclude the influence of external factors on the experimental results, which reduces the significance of approaches that are identical in content but different in form. The authors considered the difference in control and assessment materials and the students’ final assessment conditions. The limited time frame did not allow the authors to fully analyze the experimentally formed samples for each technology in the distance learning model. In analyzing the parameters of distance learning effectiveness, the main focus was tracking the qualitative indicators of student performance compared to the results achieved in traditional face-to-face classes. The authors of this study were aware of the fact that the data obtained had to be more focused on the analysis of prerequisites, needs, and processes than on the evaluation of outcomes ( Hannila et al., 2019 ; Rentes et al., 2019 ; Beier et al., 2020 ; Schöbel et al., 2020 ). Accordingly, in this case, the efficiency level was defined as the ratio of outcomes to resources expended, considering the urgency of the tasks.

It was important to conclude the current emergency and, based on the obtained results, to organize consistent, systematic work to avoid deficits in future distance education ( Carballal et al., 2019 ; Golant, 2019 ; Puttinaovarat and Horkaew, 2020 ; Yulia, 2020 ; Kuso et al., 2021 ). At the same time, in the course of the study, the authors were able to find sufficient evidence that the transition to distance education at the Department of Foreign Languages of the Law Institute of RUDN College was made without excessive difficulties and on time due to the sufficient development of the IT infrastructure for technical support. The necessary competencies of the department’s teaching staff provided the basis for transferring the learning process to an online format to accomplish the tasks set.

The study identified the key transition phases that presented the greatest challenges for students and faculty. In this context, special attention was paid to the organizational mechanisms of the transition phase. The analysis of the problems encountered and their underlying reasons, as well as the data obtained on the effectiveness of the transition to the distance education format for foreign language teaching, contributed to the conclusion that the distance education format has become a reality in higher education. This fact makes it necessary to equip the college with modern means for e-learning and entrust IT professionals with the design of teaching materials, grade sheets, and student journals in electronic format. Retraining teaching staff and adapting educational programs to the latest innovations are no less important.

As practice has shown, the main advantage of distance learning of a foreign language is the formation of competencies in the field of information technologies among teachers and students; this provides great opportunities for access to modern electronic resources and various digital tools. Based on the obtained results, the study’s authors concluded that the period of enforced distance education did not negatively affect the quality of foreign language teaching for communicative and professional purposes for college students. This period helped to introduce the best practices to new realities ( Irvine and Dane, 2020 ; Hessburg et al., 2021 ; Reed et al., 2021 ; Rienda and Alves, 2021 ) and apply new high-tech educational methods under the new socioeconomic conditions created by the spread of coronavirus infection ( Javaid et al., 2020 ; Moss and Metcalf, 2020 ; Abdel-Basset et al., 2021 ; Antonopoulou et al., 2021 ).

The distance education format is a given reality without which 21st-century education and the future are unimaginable. However, it cannot completely replace traditional academic education at universities. The authors support the views of scholars who have described the function of the distance education format as supplementing, broadening, and deepening traditional college education ( Atabekova, 2020 ; Gallagher, 2020 ; Medela and Picon, 2020 ; Zakharova et al., 2020 ). Most students in the field of foreign languages believe that e-learning, despite its popularity and extensive use, cannot replace face-to-face interaction between teacher and student in the classroom, cannot create an atmosphere of the traditional academic environment, and cannot replace the circle of student communication.

Data availability statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics statement

Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. Written informed consent from the participants was not required to participate in this study in accordance with the national legislation and institutional requirements.

Author contributions

All authors have sufficiently contributed to the study, agreed with the results and conclusion, and approved the submitted version.

Acknowledgments

This manuscript has been prepared with the support of the RUDN Program “Priority 2030/Program for Comprehensive Development 2025.”

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher’s note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Keywords : COVID-19 pandemic, foreign language teaching, distance teaching, distance education, foreign language education policies

Citation: Kruse I, Lutskovskaia L and Stepanova VV (2022) Advantages and disadvantages of distance teaching in foreign language education during COVID-19. Front. Educ. 7:964135. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2022.964135

Received: 08 June 2022; Accepted: 16 August 2022; Published: 06 September 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Kruse, Lutskovskaia and Stepanova. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Irina Kruse, [email protected] , [email protected]

† ORCID: Irina Kruse, 0000-0001-5710-1855 ; Larisa Lutskovskaia, orcid/0000-0002-4806-6610 ; Valentina V. Stepanova, orcid/0000-0003-0495-0962

This article is part of the Research Topic

The Nature of Human Experience with Language and Education

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Using Translation in Language Teaching: Exploring Advantages and Disadvantages from Linguistic, Humanistic and Practical Perspectives

Profile image of International Journal of English Language  and Translation Studies

2019, International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies

The use of Translation in Language Teaching (TILT) has had many ups and downs during the history. While it was dominant during Grammar Translation Method (GTM), by the advent of the "Direct Method" and "Reform Movement", its use was completely prohibited in language classes based on the assumption that using L1 in foreign/second language classes can cause interference. However, recently some scholars have called for the revival of TILT as they believed that translation can facilitate the process of language learning and preserve learners" identity. The aim of this study was to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using TILT from linguistic, humanistic and practical perspectives. For so doing, a questionnaire was distributed among 122 Iranian EFL learners to examine their perceptions in this regard. The results indicated that Iranian EFL learners had a positive attitude toward the use of TILT which further substantiated the benefits of "judicious" use of students" L1 in language classes. The results were discussed and the recommendations were made.

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The challenging nature of translation of implicatures and the scarcity of research on this area of translation were amongst the rationales behind conducting the present study. The main purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of the translations of the conversational implicatures in novels Sense and Sensibility, and Emma; and to find out the translation strategies employed by the translators in the translation of the conversational implicatures. To this end, a three-dimensional framework was employed in this study. First, Grice's theory of conversational implicature was utilized for the pragmatic analysis of the conversational implicatures. Then, Rahimi's translation theory was employed to assess the level of translation quality of the implicatures. The results of the study illustrated that most of the translations of the conversational implicatures were completely effective. To be more precise, with respect to the translation of the conversational implicatures, Rezaee's translation of Emma was completely effective, whereas Karamifar's translation of Sense and Sensibility was effective. Moreover, the findings of the study depicted that literal translation, functional equivalent, expansion, shifts, reduction, and modulation are the most useful strategies used to translate conversational implicatures.

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Several scholars have argued that translation is not a useful tool when acquiring a second or foreign language; since it provides a simplistic one-to-one relationship between the native and the foreign language, it can cause interference between them, and it is an artificial exercise that has nothing to do in a communicative approach to language teaching. Recent studies, however, show that, far from being useless, translation can be a great aid to foreign language learning. The aim of the present paper is twofold: (1) to summarize and assess the arguments that encourage the use of translation in the foreign language classroom, supporting the integration of several forms of translating; and (2) to present the results of a survey that focused on students’ perceptions and responses towards translation tasks and their effectiveness in foreign language acquisition. Results show that students’ attitudes were surprisingly positive for several reasons: translation is one of their preferred language learning tasks, it is motivating, it facilitates a deeper understanding of the form and content of the source language text, it increases learners’ awareness of the differences between both linguistic systems, it allows them to re-express their thoughts faster and easier, and it helps them acquire linguistic and cultural knowledge. Keywords: Foreign language learning, Translation, TILT , Students’ attitudes, Spanish EFL Learners.

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20 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Foreign Language

20 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Foreign Language

posted on December 8, 2022

In this well researched article you would read top benefits of learning a second language as well as some drawbacks of learning a second language .

The world has indeed become a global village and there are currently 195 countries in the world. All of them with different cultures and languages. You never know that even one country has distinct languages for their regions. So there is a total of some 6909 languages as registered by the Ethnologue .

So you can well imagine the diversity of people living in the world-leading many different cultures. People are always enthralled to see new cultures and learn about them . All of this becomes only possible if there is a learning of a second language .

Anyone can only imagine of the possibilities that you can unlock when exposed to a new language . So here we are to elaborate to you the very Benefits and Drawbacks of learning a second language .

pros and cons of learning foreign language

Page Contents

10 Benefits of Learning a Second Language

1. meeting new people.

Foreign language means getting to communicate with others hence you are connecting with them. Count them into the social benefits of learning a second language that gives you the edge to bring a new horizon to your social circle.

For Korean as a foreign language, there have been observed that it increasing teachers and students interaction and it always does with foreign languages outside the culture.

2. More perspective in employment

Just imagine how many doors to employment would be open when your resume says that you are fluent in a foreign language.

Having to know another language means that you are able to communicate with other communities as well in this way your chances of getting your potential job might increase because your employer would want to expand his work by reaching clients and your skill will be of great use.

Corporations doing their businesses in other countries are in constant need of employees who have different language skills.

3. Essential globally

Those who are adherent to only one language are quite possibly to be left behind because such people have limited their skills. The more anyone is proficient in different languages their the chances of becoming part of the global economy are easier.

In anyways in today’s era, it is imperative to have skills that connect you to more people . In fact, languages are not limited to one field rather to several niches. The use of foreign language has reportedly helped in presenting oneself quite well with the use of language in social interaction and cross-cultural understanding .

4. Helps while traveling

There are more and more traveling destinations opening and choices for those fond of traveling are also becoming limitless. Learning a second language just eases the process of your movement in any other country. Plus it also pleases the locals to know that you have taken time and interest in learning their language.

You can also start learning the basics of any language when you plan your vacation because this would help in understanding and increase the chances of learning more foreign languages. A paper published ‘learning a foreign language through traveling’ argues that learning through traveling is a subconscious way of learning any foreign language.

This not only gives them a chance to polish their skills but also to learn about new cultures. This can also motivate people to manage their schedules to find time for traveling.

5. Acquisition of languages become easier

Learning a second language has so much to do with the working of your brain so you are getting psychological benefits of learning a second language . When you learn a language the most efficient way is to start by the structure of language.

This makes your brain’s neurons make certain connections hence you are cognitively building a language. In this way, you are not just getting your hands on one language but That is paving way for another one as well.

You have attuned your brain to learn any language now. Bilingualism alone can help children understand the language better and even its constructing elements .

6. It increases smartness

If we have a look at the process of learning a second language then it involves the elements from intelligence as well. Memory, attention span, concentration. All of these things are part of intelligence testing.

So when we are talking about the cognitive benefits of learning a second language then they include memorization and giving full attention to the process. So learning a new language is good for the brain as well since it works as an exercise by utilizing the elements of intelligence. So learning itself promotes human growth in different dimensions among which intelligence is one thing.

7. Harnessing intelligence

When a person is going through the process of learning his brain is actually making new neuronal connections. This promotes brain health. It is not only increasing brain activity but intelligence as well giving health benefits of learning a second language .

A study conducted on 648 patients on their onset of Dementia was observed between monolinguals and bilinguals and there was a delay in bilingualism in symptoms than the monolinguals. Bilingualism also enhances visuospatial and execution functions.

8. Enhances creativity

While learning second language you can create new phrases and sentences thus making you creative. Since we have already discussed that it contributes to executive functioning so it also enhances problem-solving. With learning a new language you will also see that you can find different solutions to a problem.

A study has shown mathematical creativity among bilingual children . Also, the differences among the bilinguals and monolinguals were prominent going in favor of the bilinguals.

It becomes evident when a person with a foreign language thinks about the appropriate words and his struggle is an exercise for the brain.

9. Builds up confidence.

Learning a second language sure is no easy task . So what if you have nailed it and that you have added on to your skills. That definitely is a confidence booster.

Going through the entire list of advantages this is coming at the end but actually, confidence is what will drive you through the course when you are either learning or looking for a job. Call it a psychological benefit of learning a second language that as soon as you go through the different stages successfully you will start to believe in yourself more.

A study conducted over the pupil learning Turkish as a foreign language revealed that students with higher confidence were successful in learning the language .  In the same way, Chinese learning English as a foreign language showed changes in self-identity namely increased confidence.

10 Disadvantages of Learning a Second Language

We have gone through some obvious benefits of learning a second language but every story has two sides. Learning a second language where brings advantages has also some disadvantages . Let’s have a look at them.

1. The cost

Learning a second language comes with a cost. This cost becomes problematic if there are other expenses as well. There are many computer software and programs but learning a second language only comes effective with practice and interacting with the same kind of people around .

Your proficiency’ can increase only if you practice it and this gets confirmed by an instructor. Computer-based programs actually help in cutting the cost of learning a second language.

2. Learning a new language is difficult

It is certainly difficult to learn a new language. A foreign language can be totally different than your native one. The alphabets, pronunciation, and grammar can be challenges in many languages.

It may not match your capacity and some may give up early. Learning a second language demands challenges and that can be hard to meet . This involves a positive emotional approach on part of the learner because it is actually an intense process.

3. Learning a Foreign language can be useless

Yes, despite many benefits of learning a second language can be futile. You can learn any language you want but this can only be good for you when you are using it. If you are not traveling neither are you working for any multinational company then it means you are never using that language.

So learning a second language is only useful if it is used in the best interest . Like: Knowing English alone can help you in many countries so this language seems to be enough .

4. Seeking better opportunities

There is a lot of time and energy being utilized in learning a second language . What if you have invested all your money but your language learning did not help. That will be a total waste of time.

So instead of utilizing all your time and energy into this you better surf them for something that will be useful. For this, you will have to plan everything ahead and look for all the pros and cons of the second language and then get into the task. It is not necessary that something that benefits the most will be good for everyone .

5. Not being yourself

Learning a new language means there is a long course to be taken and that includes flowing their vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure. This means when you are talking in a foreign language you cannot completely express yourself.

This is important when you are making a conversation that you have the right kind of words to express yourself. Initially, when you are a learner you are trying to adapt to not just a language but also the culture which can only bring confusion.

With English as a foreign language among Chinese students, sit was reported that students avoid speaking English because they felt anxiety in their classes with a fear of being negatively evaluated.

6. Damage to cultural identity

We have mentioned here several times that learning a foreign language involves getting to know their culture as well. For children to have exposure to a foreign language at a very young age would mean that they are getting to know another culture and it can rather be confusing .

These are the years when a child is developing their own language and when there is too much emphasis on a certain language then their own language development can be at risk and their own cultural identity can be in danger .

7. Stress while learning

It is not that in a day or two you can master a whole foreign language but actually it is a painstaking journey. When you are going through the process there are many times that you are making mistakes and what if that makes you look bad and naïve in front of people.

This can actually spoil your image and bring stress which is definitely not good for your mental health. The research found that foreign language anxiety exists equally among male and female students while measuring anxiety for foreign language.

8. Motivation and interest

For any kind of task, you need consistency and that can be attained by the interest you have in that thing. This interest becomes your motivation which gives the necessary energy along the way .

When you want to learn any top foreign languages just remember that it is a long process so anyone with a narrow interest and motivation cannot cope throughout.

So if you are losing interest along the way then certainly not able to learn better since attention and concentration are vital for building a memory.

9. It is not necessary

English is already a language that is spoken the world over and is a good means of communication. So if you are already speaking the English language then the need for having hands-on any other language seems futile.

This language is recognized in many countries and is included in the courses of children from the very beginning so giving time to a second or third foreign language seems unnecessary . In fact, while traveling the foreigner might prefer speaking in English with tourists.

As for the students, we can say that there are many translating tools which can help and the lectures can be preferably delivered in English.

Improve your English language skills with this step-by-step guide .

Everything has its own pros and cons so when a person has to make a decision he should keep in mind that either of the advantages or the disadvantages weigh more. If you feel that something will bring benefit to you then it is worth spending your time and energy on .

If you want to enroll in learning a second language then this means that you are packing your bag for a long journey which takes up as much time as you put a grasp onto the structure.

It involves all kinds of challenges that are only getting easier with your spirit. So before taking a decision it is always good to look into the requirement of it and estimating the cost and time needed . When you will have all the necessary information then the course will become easier for you.

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    advantages and disadvantages of case study method in teaching foreign language

  2. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Case Study

    advantages and disadvantages of case study method in teaching foreign language

  3. case study teaching method advantages and disadvantages

    advantages and disadvantages of case study method in teaching foreign language

  4. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Case Study Method Of Teaching

    advantages and disadvantages of case study method in teaching foreign language

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    advantages and disadvantages of case study method in teaching foreign language

  6. (PDF) EFFECTIVENESS OF CASE STUDY IN TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES

    advantages and disadvantages of case study method in teaching foreign language

VIDEO

  1. Case study method#notes #study #psychology

  2. Brief Update [ English ]

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  6. Recording #1475

COMMENTS

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  4. Review of effective methods of teaching a foreign language to

    The scientific novelty of the research is the study of foreign language teaching methods based on a competency-based approach within the framework of online distance learning and the relationship of all interested parties, in other words, teachers, students, and educational institutions. 1. Introduction

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    A review of theoretical literature has shown advantages and disadvantages of the case study strategy in various areas of vocational education. ... case study method during the process of studying and teaching a foreign language. By this method it will be possible to develop strategic skills, to work in a team, to determine the role of the ...

  6. PDF A Case Study on the Problems and Suggestions in Foreign Language ...

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  8. PDF The Efficacy of The Case Study Method in Teaching Foreign Languages to

    special subjects to be able to solve cases, the Case Study method has many advantages in teaching a foreign language for professional and business communication. The method allows: 1) To improve the language skills of the students/learners; 2) To take into account personal and professional needs of students/learners, their individual psychological

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    technological knowledge before using it in order to assist language teaching and learning. Despite the advantages and disadvantages that the use of technology may generate, EFL teachers should know that they need technology in order to serve digital natives in a more meaningful and comprehensive way (Merç, 2015). 3. Study 3.1.

  11. ERIC

    Writing and teaching case studies of problematic educational situations or events to undergraduate preservice teachers raises several practical issues relevant to the success of the method. These concerns include: knowledge of the undergirding rationale for using cases; knowledge of the advantages, disadvantages, and practical problems in case method teaching; and the availability and location ...

  12. 10 Case Study Advantages and Disadvantages (2024)

    1. In-depth analysis of complex phenomena Case study design allows researchers to delve deeply into intricate issues and situations. By focusing on a specific instance or event, researchers can uncover nuanced details and layers of understanding that might be missed with other research methods, especially large-scale survey studies.

  13. (PDF) Case-method teaching: advantages and disadvantages in

    Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce case-method teaching (CMT), its advantages and disadvantages for the process of organizational training within organizations, as well as...

  14. DOC Advantages of Case-study Method in Teaching Business English

    Being a complex and effective teaching method, the case method is universal and applies particularly well in conjunction with other methods of teaching foreign languages. Thus, the case-study method facilitates the development of the ability to analyze a situation, evaluate the alternatives, and choose the best option to make a plan for its ...

  15. Advantages and disadvantages of distance teaching in foreign language

    The results of this research show that (1) the quality parameters of the changes and additions to the curriculum of foreign language teaching, (2) the final evaluation of the students in these subjects conducted in distance learning compared to the results shown in the offline form, (3) the satisfaction of the students with the electronic format...

  16. Exploring pedagogical perspectives of EFL instructors: advantages

    This study explores the perceptions of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors regarding Blackboard for teaching English language skills. It also identifies the advantages and disadvantages of Blackboard compared to face-to-face (F2F) instruction.

  17. Using Translation in Language Teaching: Exploring Advantages and

    The use of Translation in Language Teaching (TILT) has had many ups and downs during the history. While it was dominant during Grammar Translation Method (GTM), by the advent of the "Direct Method" and "Reform Movement", its use was completely prohibited in language classes based on the assumption that using L1 in foreign/second language classes can cause interference.

  18. PDF Advantages and disadvantages of teaching english as a second language

    Advantages and disadvantages of teaching english as a second language in a spanish-speaking country: A case study at the coastal zone in Ecuador 74 • (Sudesh, 2015) says, "As we know very well that language learning is a great fasnated experience specially the learning of a foreign language or second language, but the influence of mother tongue

  19. PDF How to Use Task-based Language Teaching Method in Classroom

    ABSTRACT Task -based language teaching method is widely used today. In article we studied possible advantages and disadvantages of this method. We investigated linguists' researches according to this method. Benefits and challenges of task based language teaching are also given. This method is popular in second language teaching.

  20. (PDF) Communicative Language Teaching in Teaching ESL ...

    In particular, it summarises the advantages and disadvantages of CLT comparing with old teaching methods, current trends of CLT, obstacles in applying CLT in the university context.

  21. Case Study Design

    Learn about case study design and the advantages of case study, as well as its limitations. Understand the characteristics of case study through examples. Updated: 11/21/2023

  22. Case-method teaching: advantages and disadvantages in organizational

    Case-method teaching is able to bring dilemmas from the real world into training settings and helps organizations to identify the individual reactions before they make a decision, according to the review. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce case-method teaching (CMT), its advantages and disadvantages for the process of organizational training within organizations, as well as to ...

  23. 20 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Foreign Language

    20 Major Advantages and Disadvantages of Learning Foreign Language posted on December 8, 2022 In this well researched article you would read top benefits of learning a second language as well as some drawbacks of learning a second language. The world has indeed become a global village and there are currently 195 countries in the world.