Browsing by Author "Ibrahim-Ali, Amina"
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Item Defying established practice in the EFL classroom: The development of a theoretical framework for teaching and testing SE periphrastic verbs(2015-11-03) Ibrahim-Ali, AminaThe English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Unit at the Centre for Language Learning (CLL) at The University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine Campus is strategic to the institution's goal of global reach and impact in its provision of EFL to international corporations and students; in particular to those who matriculate into the university. Its policies match established standards in the field, its courses are delivered by qualified staff, and its involvement in the postgraduate TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Diploma predisposes it to reflective practice. This study at the CLL investigated the ways in which EFL learners (n=26) processed and retrieved SE periphrastic verbs in the communicative language classroom where, based on an understanding of SLA (second language acquisition) as a complex (Larsen-Freeman, 1991) and dynamic system (De Bot, Wander and Verspoor, 2007), errors signal language development. Using a grounded action research methodology (Wi?niewska, 2011), formal and informal written assessments were examined. Results showed that learners do not conceptualize periphrastic verb forms as single forms set to be mapped onto functions but, instead, they systematically process how these are to be compiled. This challenged mainstream resources, which appeared to be uninformed by learner language and existing theoretical constructs on interlanguage development, which prioritize form-function mapping and deny that the stage prior to this is systematic. In 2012 these findings inspired the development and application of a pedagogical scheme that reaped results superior to those recorded when mainstream resources were relied upon for teaching and testing.Item English for medical purposes(2022) Ibrahim-Ali, Amina; Marshall, ShelleyIn 2009 the University of the West Indies (UWI) Centre for Language Learning (CLL) was contracted by the Ministry of Health to provide an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course for a newly-arrived cohort of Cuban healthcare professionals. By the end of a sixty-hour course in a two-week period, these doctors and nurses were to assume duty at local hospitals and health centres throughout Trinidad & Tobago. Readiness of the Cuban medical staff for the local context implied their familiarity with local cultural norms and their ability to decipher the local standard language and creole; and to make themselves understood.Item Helping or hindering language growth? A snapshot of Hispanic ‘in-transit’ learners in Trinidad(2019-02-19) Ibrahim-Ali, Amina; Guedez-Fernandez, RomuloItem Preparing for the ‘Next Normal’ (How ready is the remote synchronous classroom?)(The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago, 2022-03-10) Ibrahim-Ali, AminaItem Telecollaboration in Spanish as a Foreign Language Learning in Trinidad(Ikala, 2010-04) Neva, Carolina; Landa Buil, Maria; Carter, Beverly-Anne; Ibrahim-Ali, AminaObjective: To study how participation in tandem partnership influences the motivation towards the target language and culture and the autonomy of learners of Spanish as a foreign language in Trinidad and Tobago. Method: An action research project was conducted with 33 learners of Spanish in Trinidad and 33 learners of English in Colombia, who engaged in a seven week telecollaboration during which they used email and Web 2.0 technologies to communicate. Data were collected through questionnaires and a weekly journal. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out. Results: The objectives of the project were all met. Conclusions: The project was a rich source of learning for all the participants and stresses the need of a deeper understanding of learners' language learning, an analysis of the sociocultural, psycholinguistic, and linguistic dimensions of intercultural competence in a specific context, and the critical assessment of the role of Web 2.0 technologies in fostering autonomy. Link to article