The current study explores the challenges faced by English for specific purposes (ESP) program at University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Indonesia. As a part of their commitment to improvement, this university is working to better prepare students for employment so that they may function well in their workplaces. Currently, many English…

This study describes a change process of implementing role-plays in a course on workplace communication in English, and of engaging in retrospective reflection. Considering that English education for nursing students in Taiwan has focused on the development of medical terminology and that students' communicative competence is the main deficiency,…

In the research literature on interactional competence in talk among second language speakers and their coparticipants, this volume of "Pragmatics & Interaction" is the first to focus on interaction in Japanese. The chapters examine the use and development of interactional practices in a wide range of social settings, from everyday…

This mixed methods study adds to a growing international literature on the nature of language teachers' engagement with and in research by examining such engagement in the context of college English teaching in China. Questionnaire responses from 725 college English teachers and interviews with 20 of these teachers indicate that, although they…

This article reports on an in-depth case study of a novice middle school EFL teacher's cognition development during the process of learning to teach in the workplace. Data was collected mainly through classroom observations and interviews. Results indicate that the teacher exhibited a considerable amount of change in her classroom practices, which…

Workplace influences on Chinese Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) academics' development as researchers were examined in two Chinese higher education institutions in this qualitative collective case study. Data sources included research documentation and interviews with 12 Chinese TEFL academics. Both institutions were keen on research…

English has always occupied a key position in China's education. The quality of English education depends largely on the quality of the English teaching force. Improving the overall quality of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teachers entails advancing both their teaching and research competence. This study, with its focus on Chinese…

A survey of gay, Lesbian, and bisexual teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) concerning their roles as teachers, working conditions, and peer relationships is reported. Data were gathered from 17 written questionnaires and 13 telephone interviews. An introductory chapter gives a brief history of the organization of homosexual members of…