Improving University Subjects to Enhance Students Teachers Skills in English Language Department at the University of Benghazi Al.Marj Faculty of Arts and Sciences: Course Description Analysis of Introduction to Applied Linguistics E501

Prepared by the researche : Najla Ali Hamad Suweekar – Libya – Lecturer – University of Benghazi – Al.Marj Faculty of Arts and Sciences – Department of English Language and Linguistics

Democratic Arabic Center

Journal of cultural linguistic and artistic studies : Thirty-third Issue – September 2024

A Periodical International Journal published by the “Democratic Arab Center” Germany – Berlin

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Abstract

The level of English language teaching in Libyan universities is getting very low and no longer of the responsibilities and priorities of the successive ministries of higher education to solve such rooted issues. From this standpoint, the researcher insists that there must be new attempts to increase the effectiveness of English language teaching programs by developing curriculum, syllabus and instruction. This study investigates the characterization of the course description of a university subject that had been taught in the English department at Al.Marj Faculty of Arts and Sciences in the University of Benghazi/ Libya. The subject named Introduction to Applied Linguistics (E501) was analyzed by using qualitative content analysis and two adopted models of learning objectives to determine the type of syllabus and instruction, to classify two types of objectives and to what extent they agreed with outcomes and to prove the impact of this course on students’ future skills. It was found that there is a lack of agreement between the objectives, the activities and the intended skills that mentioned in the course description what makes it inadequate to support students’ future performance with needed professional skills. It was also noticed that in this language teaching program language learning objectives are totally ignored. It was suggested that improving the content and teaching methods play a significant role in solidifying the meaning of becoming English language teachers among students and enhancing their teaching skills. It was recommended that language learning objectives need to be more focused on from the very beginning, and practical classes must be essential in the advanced levels to serve as pre-service development programs.

1. Introduction

It is known that language teaching is a social and institutional activity that brings theories of language and language learning into contact with practical constraints (Cook and Seidlhofer,1995). That is, Applied Linguistics connects tightly to education in terms of initiating practical, applicable, and credible solutions to situations and problems related to language teaching and learning, the reason why some specialists mean language pedagogy by Applied Linguistics (Sarosdy et al. (2006).

English language departments’ main goals are to make students acquire the target language and to learn how to teach, therefore, planning for language programs has a marked influence on curricula and outcomes. According to Lenz et al. (2004, p.81) “planning a course begins with establishing the course goals”. Van ek (1975) asserted that the aim of learning always is to give the learner the ability to do something that he could not do before the learning process took place. Learning objectives should be clear in the course description of each subject, as well as language learning objectives. In this vein, Krahnke, (1987) stated that “All methods of language teaching involve the use of the target language concerning the subject matter and linguistic matter” (p.3). According to Lightbown and Spada, (2006) “the language that teachers use for teaching is not selected solely to teach a specific feature of the language, but also to make sure learners have the language they need to interact in a variety of contexts” (p.110).

Broadly speaking, within the context of language teaching, “the curriculum is a theoretical document that deals with the program of studies in an educational system or institution” (Siqueira and Rocha, 2019, p.48-49), While “a syllabus is simply a framework within which activities can be carried out: a teaching device to facilitate learning”  (Widdowson, 1984, p. 26) (Cited in Nunan, 1988, p.6).

• Statement of the Problem:

Despite the English departments scattered all over the country and the large numbers of graduates, the outcomes of English Language Teaching ELT lack the basics and updates of teaching English language. Teachers and student teachers need to renew their knowledge of teaching English during their university studies as well as in the field of work. They lack the actual practice of what they learned as students, and as teachers; the lack of in-service development programs negatively affects their performance. Some teachers try to enhance their skills by experimenting with different techniques, applications, and strategies inside language classrooms. And on the contrary, other teachers seem to be satisfied with what they gained during their university educational semesters. In my M.A. thesis (Author, 2013, p.3) under the heading of  “Statement of the Problem” I wrote :

“This research problem deals with teachers’ perception and practice of communicative language teaching (CLT). Although some teachers had attended training courses…… and others had been taught CLT principles in college courses,……. Libyan ELT teachers still misperceive CLT and incorrectly practice it”.

Although almost ten years had passed since this thesis was submitted, no solutions were offered at that duration except  changing the curriculum several times, and English teachers and students still struggle with these types of complicated situations and problems. Poor syllabuses in higher education institutions resulted in poor teaching and learning skills. The researcher suggests that the solution can be centered around the concentration on academic years and semesters spent by students in universities, through improving the plan of the entire program that includes curriculum design concerning learning objectives, syllabus, instruction and outcomes. Then, monitor how these modifications are translated into action.

1.2. Aims of the study

This study aims to :

• analyze the subject Introduction to Applied Linguistics E501 that had been taught in English language department at Al.Marj faculty of Arts and Sciences, in order to determine the type of syllabus and instruction.
• examine the match between objectives and intended outcomes.
• examine the existence of learning objectives and language learning objectives.
• examine the effectiveness of university subjects in enhancing students teachers’ skills.

2. Literature Review

2.1. The Importance of Developing the Subject Introduction to Applied Linguistics in English Language Departments

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] (2009) pointed out that the development of the teaching profession before teachers’ initial engagement can serve several objectives :

• updating individuals’ knowledge, skills, attitudes, and approaches in light of the development of new teaching techniques and objectives, new circumstances, and new educational research.
• enabling individuals to apply changes made to curricula or other aspects of teaching practice.
• enabling schools to develop and apply new strategies concerning the curriculum and other aspects of teaching practice.
• exchanging information and expertise among teachers and others, e.g. academics, industrialists.

Applied linguistics importance is reflected in its broad view of theories and practices for the investigation of language-related problems. The stress is put not only on those of education such as first, second, and foreign language learning and teaching but also on the problems of bilingualism and individual learner, multilingualism and society, discourse analysis, translation and interpreting, language policy and language planning, research methodology, language testing, stylistics, literature, rhetoric, lexicography, literacy, forensic linguistics, critical linguistics, clinical linguistics ( Harris, 2001). Speech therapy, the design of writing systems, and various facets of communication research (Kablan,1981). “It should be said that this list is by no means exhaustive” (Harris, 2001, p.103). There are other interests in Applied Linguistics “artificial intelligence systems, computer simulations of linguistic processes, voice typewriters, automatic readers, sophisticated editing, and printing devices that exceed the present conjuring powers of language specialists” (Kablan,1981, p.15).

A full vision with a detailed discussion of all Applied Linguistics areas is impossible to attain here in the present study. As it is worth noting that this science has got many interpretations. Applied linguistics has been defined in many wordings, its working definition by Brumfit (1995) is “the theoretical and empirical investigation of real-world problems in which language is a central issue” (p. 27). Brumfit’s definition highlights five basic issues about Applied Linguistics including, the research and investigation nature, the practical perspective, the problem-solving feature, the realistic character, and language centrality. This definition was criticized by Kostoulas (2018) in his post “What is applied linguistics?” he states that “With all due respect to Brumfit, I am not so keen on the use of the word ‘problem’ in his definition. In my view, linguistics can be applied to a lot of situations in the real world, not all of which are really problematic”.

In Applied Linguistics areas answers are available to questions and inquiries raised by experts in different professions. The following are examples of questions asked by Davies and Elder (2004) and the answers were generated by the researcher :

• How can we improve the training of translators and interpreters?

( Translation and interpretation )

• How can we write a valid examination?

( Language Testing and Assessment )

• How can we evaluate a school bilingual program?

( First and Second Language Acquisition )

• How can we determine the literacy levels of the whole population?

( Language Policy )

• How can we helpfully discuss the language of a text?

( Stylistics )

• What advice can we offer the Ministry of Education on a proposal to introduce a new medium of instruction?

( Language Planning )

• How can we compare the acquisition of a European and an Asian language?

( Research Methodology )

• What advice should we give a defense lawyer on the authenticity of a police transcript of an interview with a suspect?

( Language and the Law )

2.2. The Subject Introduction to Applied Linguistics in some Libyan Universities

Introduction to Applied Linguistics is a main course that is responsible for opening other courses, this subject introduces language teaching, learning, acquisition, and testing in detail concerning all conditions that affect these processes, including teachers’ implementations, learners’ characteristics, learning settings, integrating technology and the variety of assessment tools. These subjects are presented within a theoretical framework, which makes them difficult to comprehend and complicated to be implemented. In some English departments (e.g. Faculty of Education / Al.Marj, Faculty of Languages / Shahat) the branches of Applied Linguistics are merged with other areas such as grammar, literature, and language skills without indicating their relation to the main course, so students wouldn’t become acquainted with the various areas of Applied Linguistics. In other faculties, Applied Linguistics is introduced as an independent introductory course that is followed by other courses related to its branches. In this sense, students are exposed to language teaching in a systematic order which allows them to understand some important stages in learning, teaching, and assessing the language.

2.3. Curriculum Design

The question arises here is that how to convert the raw knowledge of Applied Linguistics and its areas into learnable university subjects? According to Anderson et al. (2001) there could be confusion between the content knowledge of an academic discipline and its content as material used to convey messages to students. Thus, content knowledge refers to the historical subject matter, and content material indicates the syllabus packaged to promote learning.

Understanding that language teaching and learning are dependent variables leads us to search for what they are based on.  They depend on who and how the curriculum of this course is designed, and to what extent the learning objectives would be achieved.  According to Nunan (1988) :

“Language curriculum specialists have tended to focus on only part of the total picture — some specializing in syllabus design, others in methodology, and yet others in assessment and evaluation. In recent years this rather fragmented approach has been criticized” (p.1).

He adds :

“A given language program syllabus will specify all or some of the following: grammatical structures, functions, notions, topics, themes, situations, activities, and tasks… the inclusion of each will be justified according to beliefs about the nature of language, the needs of the learner, or the nature of learning” (p.12).

In terms of the Libyan higher education context, it’s the teacher’s role to choose which content she\ he will deliver to students and what methods will be used. In this case, teachers are responsible for :

• preparing syllabuses content,
• determining the intended goals,
• and then evaluating their work.

Taking into account that the last two points are not common among teachers, the syllabus might not be appropriate. “In pre-service teaching experiences, teachers may not have had an opportunity to discuss course planning in teacher education programs” (Lenz et al. (2004,p.80). Planning including syllabus design (content, method, assignments, and grading criteria), addressing the overall purpose of the course and evaluation can formulate the starting point of developing any educational program.

2.4. Learning Objectives Layouts

Two types of objectives should be highlighted, learning objectives and language learning objectives. According to Sarosdy et al. (2006, p.112-113), a model plan of syllabus design should contain the following:

• The general aims and specific objectives of the course (in terms of student learning ).
• The organization of the course: the number of hours per week, the total number of lessons.
• Interrelationship with other course components.
• The outline of content – the topic headings covered weekly.
• The methodology used (general indication of balance of lecture/class activity, amount of student participation).
• Teaching materials : main course books followed, supplementary readings, worksheets, and audio-visual materials.
• Student assessment: requirements students are to meet. assignments and test papers during the course, end-of-the-course test or exam.
• Course evaluation: methods used to evaluate the success of the course against the aims and objectives, e.g. by obtaining student feedback, etc.

         Searching the objectives of language learning, we find previously published content entitled ” Threshold Level English “, which was first formulated by Van (1975), it refers to a particular level of language proficiency that is necessary for a learner to be able to communicate effectively in a foreign language in different contexts such as work, study, and social interaction. The Van’s model specifies the components of language learning objectives as follows :

• The situations in which the foreign language will be used, including the topics which will be dealt with.
• The language activities in which the learner will engage.
• The language functions that the learner will fulfill.
• What the learner will be able to do concerning each topic?
• The general notions that the learner will be able to handle.
• The specific (topic-related) notions that the learner will be able to handle.
• The language forms that the learner will be able to use.
• The degree of skill with which the learner will be able to perform. (Van (1975), p.8-9 ).

3. Methodology

3.1. Research Procedures

The researcher analyzed, discussed, and criticized the characterization of Introduction to Applied Linguistics (E501) course description by using qualitative content analysis, according to Dornyei (2007) “qualitative content analysis concerns a second-level, interpretive analysis of the underlying deeper meaning of the data (p.246). Two adopted models of learning objectives were utilized, the Van ek model (1975) of Language Learning Objectives and the model Plan of Syllabus Design adopted from Sarsody et al. (2006) in terms of general learning objectives. These models were applied on the course specification (E501) to determine the type of syllabus and instruction, to classify two types of objectives and to what extent they agreed with outcomes, and to prove the impact of this course on students’ future skills.

3.2. Data Analysis

3.2.1. Introduction to Applied Linguistics  E501 as Content-Based Syllabus

By analyzing the course description and content of the subject Introduction to Applied Linguistics, the researcher noticed that it is based on content-based syllabus. According to Rhalmi (2009), the main principles of content-based instruction are :

• Integration of language and content
• Focus on authentic materials
• Language as a tool
• Meaningful learning
• Learner-centered approach
• Language support
• Active learning
• Collaborative learning

In content-based instruction, the focus of a lesson is usually on the subject matter, such as history or mathematics, which students are learning through the medium of the second language. In these classes, the focus may occasionally be on the language itself, but the emphasis is on using the language rather than talking about it (Lightbown and Spada, 2006). “Content teaching is not organized around language teaching but vice-versa” (Krahnke,1987, p.12). To teach some information using the language (which the learners are also learning) is the main purpose of the instruction. In such courses, the student is responsible for developing the new language behavior as there is no prior analysis by the teacher (Krahnke,1987). Students make efforts to understand the language to comprehend the information and that puts them under stress. This situation resulted from using inappropriate teaching methods such as the grammar translation method which dominates the context of this study. “When teaching techniques are adjusted, so both content and language acquisition do occur” (Krashen,1985, p.81) Cited in (Krahnke,1987, p.66). “Stated simply, instructional activities, if chosen wisely and used probably, lead to the achievement of the stated objectives” (Anderson et al. (2001, p.17).

Apart from traditional teaching methods, content-based instruction uses communicative techniques and tasks to deliver the content using the target language. In the case of these subject materials, the text of the content is to be supported with audio and video recordings and presentations to enhance the learning process. In addition, language learning is to be promoted by vocabulary and grammar instruction. (Rhalmi, 2009). To sum up, a content-based syllabus needs to be taught with content-based instruction strategies.

3.2.2. The match between Objectives, Topics and Instructional Activities

From Table (1) below, we can notice that there seems to be a match between the general aims of the course and its content topics. For instance, aim number one  ” To acquaint students with the idea that Applied Linguistics is an independent course with its branches, theories and practices “ is the general aim that is embedded in all topics. The other general aims are ordered according to groups of topics, e.g. aim number five covers more than one topic.

Table (1): The Course General Aims

Besides, table (2) below clarifies that each topic has its specific objective.

Table (2): Topics and their Objectives

The course coordinator tends to make a direct goal for each lecture, because as mentioned before, it’s a challenge to make a learnable framework using Applied Linguistics literature, topic two in the above table is a good example of this case, as the goal of the lesson is stated in a shape of a clear question that has its answer in the lesson directly. Topic five also has a direct objective to present the lesson content by making a list. A sequence of related objectives is reflected in lessons 5, 6 and 7, this could facilitate the transmission from one topic to another without confusion. The general idea is to shift the focus from Applied Linguistics concept to its branches and areas.

Table (3): A sequence of related objectives

Although this reasonable order, the table is criticized in terms of topics 9 and 10, which explain language arts and how to develop them using innovative software, these topics occur between two areas of Applied Linguistics Acquisition and Language Testing, this could negatively affect the process of comprehension. In addition, as shown in table (4) below, topics of lectures 9 and 10 reflect a practical nature according to their objectives, whereas these practical objectives have no related instructional activities.

Table (4): Objectives of Lessons 9 and 10

As with the rest of the lectures these two lessons are introduced to students by using the method of lecturing, in this course description some practical objectives are mentioned without indicating when and how to be achieved, and that is evident in the information in table (5) below where practical classes are ignored. Only theoretical content is delivered to students through almost 12 meetings per academic semester as shown in the time plan table.

Table (5): Time Plan for the Academic Semester

3.2.3. The Practicality of the Course Intended Outcomes

Table (6) below presents the knowledge and skills that students should be able to gain and apply by the end of the course.

Table (6): Intended Outcomes

This knowledge is divided into two types, theoretical knowledge and practical knowledge, each type introduces two phases :

Table (7): Types of Intended Knowledge and Skills

In table (6) above, notions of the first column are intended to be acquired by students theoretically, for instance, it is reflected in the verb used in each statement: specify, outline, have, inform, differentiate, and recognize. On the other hand, through the second column, the expected outcomes tend to be empirical in terms of the used verbs: shape, choose, search, solve, work, talk, and proceed. This procedure of analysis is adopted from (Anderson et al. 2001) and by which the statement of the objective is to be classified in terms of verb to determine the type of activity students will do.

Thus, the criticism of this description relies on the idea that how to acquire practical skills without doing, Race (2005) argues that “doing’ is one of the five pivotal factors underpinning successful learning” (Cited in Herrmann, 2013:175). That is, some information in the intended outcomes table are not relevant to information mentioned in the objectives and topics tables. For instance, professional and transferable skills need practical experience to be acquired or even improved, which is not mentioned in the time plan table that manages lectures with a clear ignorance of the practical part of the learning process. And vice versa, as shown in table (4) above, two topics (9-10) have practical objectives that lacked to be translated into action in order to achieve two general and transferrable skills (D2-D3).

3.2.4. Examining  the Existence of Two Types of Objectives Using Two Adopted Models

1. The application of the Van ek model (1975) of Language Learning Objectives

Procedure: To rate each one of the following criteria from 1 (low) to 5 (high) according to how well it corresponds to language learning objectives in the course description.

Table (8): The components of language learning objectives. The Van’s Model(1975)

         From the above table, in terms of language skills that the students should attain, it is clear that language learning objectives are neglected regarding the student’s role, for example, situations and topics in which the target language will be used, functions of language that students will fulfill, language forms that students will be able to use, all of these tasks will be done by the teacher. Zero rating goes to the degree of skill with which the learner will be able to perform, because, often at the end of the course students will not have the skill to perform using the target language.

1. The application of the model plan of syllabus design adopted from Sarsody et al. (2006) in terms of general learning objectives

 Procedure: To rate each one of the following criteria from 1 (low) to 5 (high) according to how well it corresponds to items and learning objectives in the course description.

Table (9): Components of General Learning Objectives.  Sarsody et al. (2006)

High rating clarifies the match between the criteria and course description learning objectives which could be obtained, for example, students’ assessment in terms of assignments and test papers during the course, and end-of-the-course test or exam. Low rating refers to mismatching between criteria and learning objectives, for instance the expressions class activity / student participation are not included in the course description. The zero rating indicates the total absence criteria of course evaluation.

3.2.5. The Impact of Applied Linguistics and its Areas as University Subjects

One important feature of Applied Linguistics is its continuity, in terms of being undergraduate subject that continues with students even after graduation. The drawbacks of the course description under study reveal its insufficiency in supplying students teachers with practical experiences that they need to acquire professional skills. The analysis of course objectives, topics and intended outcomes in terms of agreement, existence and practicality leads to the result that these notions positively or negatively have great impact on improving students’ future skills.

4. Findings and Discussion

In a context where teachers are expected to design their syllabuses, it is found that practical classes are omitted from this subject, not to be related to advanced subjects, but to be ignored although they are mentioned in the time plan table. According to the teacher the templates of the course description were distributed and necessary to be submitted even though some sections were hard to be filled especially in terms of the intended practical skills. Therefore, teachers had to fill the gaps of each objective and outcome without preparing and apart from reality. This situation reflects the lack of knowledge in planning for language teaching programs, which makes it difficult for English departments to develop their criteria and gain better outcomes.

It was also found that Applied Linguistics subjects are content-based syllabus in terms of learning the subject matter through being exposed to the target language and vice versa. That means they must be taught using content-based instruction, which is the opposite of what is happening in this setting, as lecturing using the grammar translation method is the way teachers present the content.

It was also found that there is a match between the general and specific objectives in the description and topics of subject matter.  It was noticed that the learning objectives focused on solidifying the theoretical knowledge of the content material. Whereas the intended practical skills were mentioned without indicating the associated instructional activities and practices which could lead to their existence. In terms of language skills that the students should attain, considering that language learning objectives are related to practical skills, it is evident that theses skills are neglected regarding the type of instruction used, as at the end of the course students will not have the skill to perform using the target language.

It is concluded that the syllabus of the subject Introduction to Applied Linguistics E501 and its branches is insufficient in enhancing students’ teaching skills. Therefore, it is reasonable to improve it as a university subject in the shape of pre-service teaching program to enhance students teachers’ production strategies and improve their skills during active learning stages.

There seems to be a problem of mediation, as the different bodies related to this subject do not communicate to solve the problem of teaching English in Libyan higher education settings. University administrations, researchers, teaching staff members, and students, are parts of the solution, therefore there must be communication because as long as researchers, teachers, students, and moderators talk only to their own communities breakdowns in interaction are decreased (Cook and Seidlhofer, 1995).

5. Conclusion

The subject Introduction to Applied Linguistics with its branches are fundamental in terms of making ways for teaching and learning to take place. According to Davies and Elder (2004), Language teaching is a complex undertaking. It is an enterprise that is shaped by views of the nature of language, of teaching and learning a language specifically, and of teaching and learning in general. It’s concluded that language teaching is considered to be a continuous profession that needs to be improved and updated occasionally, in undergraduate settings (pre-service environments) as well as after graduation (in-service environments). Syllabus design (including content and method) plays a significant role in developing English language programs. Course goals describe ends, intended performances, results, and changes. Instructional activities, tasks, and techniques are the instruments by which objectives are achieved (Anderson et al. (2001).

6. Recommendations
7. It’s recommended to motivate teachers to improve their syllabus design skills, and training them to fill course description templates, to specify the content goals, and to match these goals to topics, instructional activities, and intended outcomes.
8. To achieve both types of objectives (learning objectives and language learning objectives), it is recommended to implement the appropriate teaching method which is in line with the type of curriculum. In this case, content-based instruction is highly recommended.
9. In areas such as teaching methodology, testing and assessment, language acquisition, and educational technology, practical sessions are important to achieve the aim of preparing future teachers with fully equipped personalities. Therefore, teaching workshops (from the traditional to the most innovative), seminars, research projects, and presentations must be basic parts of Applied Linguistics courses in Libyan universities.

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