Carol Griffiths
Girne Amerikan Universitesi, English Language Teaching, Faculty Member
- Carol Griffiths has been a teacher, manager and teacher trainer of ELT for many years. She has taught in many places ... moreCarol Griffiths has been a teacher, manager and teacher trainer of ELT for many years. She has taught in many places around the world, including New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, China, North Korea, Turkey and UK. She is currently working as Professor of ELT at Girne American University in North Cyprus. She has also presented at numerous conferences and published widely.edit
Although the importance of strategies used by learners to regulate their own language learning is widely accepted, the lack of longitudinal studies in the language learning strategy field has long been recognised. This article reports on... more
Although the importance of strategies used by learners to regulate their own language learning is widely accepted, the lack of longitudinal studies in the language learning strategy field has long been recognised. This article reports on a study conducted in a private English language school for international students in Auckland, New Zealand, which aimed to investigate how progress in language learning related to changes in reported frequency of language learning strategy use over a period of time. Using a questionnaire known as the English Language Learning Strategy Inventory, or ELLSI (Griffiths 2003b), students were surveyed on entry to the school. Thirty students were surveyed again three months later. The results suggested that, in general, the students who progressed most rapidly were those who reported the greatest increase in frequency of language learning strategy use over the three-month period of the study, especially strategies related to the use of resources, to the ma...
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Zealand). This thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: • Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only,... more
Zealand). This thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: • Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. • Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of this thesis, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate. • You will obtain the author's permission before publishing any material from their thesis. To request permissions please use the Feedback form on our webpage.
This special issue includes 11 articles by various authors which describe and discuss the influence of Jack’s work on their own professional careers.
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This article reports on an investigation into the development of teacher autonomy in helping students overcome academic reading challenges. The study followed a three-stage design using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It... more
This article reports on an investigation into the development of teacher autonomy in helping students overcome academic reading challenges. The study followed a three-stage design using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. It commenced with exploring the scope of the academic reading challenges students experienced through an open-ended survey, the results of which were then used to construct a Likert-type questionnaire which asked them to rate the challenges and also to suggest strategies they used to deal with the challenges. In the second stage, the teacher initiated an intervention by arranging a focus-group discussion during which the students discussed the questionnaire findings and considered how they applied to themselves. The third stage involved a follow-up written reflection in which the students evaluated the insights from previous stages and considered ongoing action to address their challenges. As a result of the study, the teacher developed autonomy by gaining insight into students' academic processes and strategy deployment, which informed ongoing decision-making and helped to more accurately target the assistance they needed. An added benefit was that the students also gained insight into their challenges and were able to develop their own autonomy by considering effective strategies for dealing with them. Suggestions are made for ongoing research.
This article reports on a study conducted at a university in North Cyprus which aimed to gather empirical evidence regarding both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning as experienced... more
This article reports on a study conducted at a university in North Cyprus which aimed to gather empirical evidence regarding both teachers’ and students’ perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of online learning as experienced during the COVID pandemic. The study discovered that both teachers and students were aware of both advantages and disadvantages of the system which had been thrust upon them. Overall, most of the teachers favoured the development of some kind of blended/hybrid methodology, while a majority of the students favoured a return to in-class learning. Both teachers and students recognized a need to focus on physical and mental health, on assessment issues, and on issues of technology and connectivity. A major conclusion from the study is the urgent need for teacher education, both pre-service and in-service, to help teachers develop the digital knowledge and skills required for a successful blended/hybrid learning/teaching environment.
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As I have discovered, a special issue covering the work of Jack Richards is a mammoth task. In the years that he has worked in language development, he has covered so many different aspects of the field, it is difficult to know where to... more
As I have discovered, a special issue covering the work of Jack Richards is a mammoth task. In the years that he has worked in language development, he has covered so many different aspects of the field, it is difficult to know where to start...
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Given that I have been a teacher of one kind or another for practically all of my working life, starting as a high school English teacher before moving into TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), I would like to suggest... more
Given that I have been a teacher of one kind or another for practically all of my working life, starting as a high school English teacher before moving into TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages), I would like to suggest (in all modesty, of course!) that I am in a good position to understand the stresses of the job. In this position paper, I would like to try to explain the background to the issues of teacher stress, to identify contemporary problem areas, to suggest some possible ways to address the problems, and also to explain why tackling teacher stress is so important – both for teachers themselves, and also for the other stakeholders, especially the learners. Although this article draws essentially on the experience of language teachers and related literature, many of the issues described could apply to teachers of any subject at any level anywhere, a point that will be taken up again when suggesting areas for further research.
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In her seminal article Rubin (1975, p. 42), suggested that “if we knew more about what the ‘successful learners ’ did, we might be able to teach these strategies to poorer learners to enhance their success record.” Aptitude, motivation,... more
In her seminal article Rubin (1975, p. 42), suggested that “if we knew more about what the ‘successful learners ’ did, we might be able to teach these strategies to poorer learners to enhance their success record.” Aptitude, motivation, and opportunity, she argued, are essential charac-teristics of good language learners who either have or can develop these characteristics. Rubin constructed a list of strategies typical of good lan-guage learners, who, according to her observations, are willing and able to use clues (for instance non-verbal, word association, and general knowledge) in order to guess meaning; use a variety of techniques (such as circumlocution, paraphrase, or gestures) in order to communicate or learn from communication; manage inhibitions (such as the fear of appearing foolish or of making mistakes); attend to form (for instance by analyzing, categorizing, and synthesizing); practice the language they are trying to learn (for instance by seeking out native speakers ...
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This article describes a study into the multiple interacting factors which are involved in the successful learning of Turkish, the demand for which has been steadily increasing given the geo-political realities of the region at this time.... more
This article describes a study into the multiple interacting factors which are involved in the successful learning of Turkish, the demand for which has been steadily increasing given the geo-political realities of the region at this time. The participants were 250 students of Turkish learning Turkish as a target language. A 12-item questionnaire was used which examined motivation, investment, beliefs, autonomy and strategy use on a rating scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The highest ratings were for motivation and the belief that Turkish is a good language to learn (median rating=5). None of the biographical variables (gender, age, nationality, length of study or length of time in Turkey) was found to be significantly related to the test score. The findings, which would seem to suggest that all of these multiple factors contribute to successful course outcomes, are discussed and compared with existing literature. Possibilities for further research are also sugge...
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为探讨低温储藏过程中1-甲基环丙烯（1-MCP）处理对猕猴桃果实品质的影响,分析了果实中抗坏血酸含量和相关品质、生理指标的相关性。以＂秦美＂猕猴桃果实为试材,在（0±1）℃贮藏下,用1.0μL/L 1-MCP处理,每隔15... more
为探讨低温储藏过程中1-甲基环丙烯（1-MCP）处理对猕猴桃果实品质的影响,分析了果实中抗坏血酸含量和相关品质、生理指标的相关性。以＂秦美＂猕猴桃果实为试材,在（0±1）℃贮藏下,用1.0μL/L 1-MCP处理,每隔15 d取样,进行相关指标分析。结果显示,1-MCP处理显著抑制了抗坏血酸含量的下降;对品质指标--叶绿素和可滴定酸含量的下降具有显著抑制作用,可保持较高的果实硬度和可溶性固形物含量;对生理指标--果实的呼吸强度和MDA的上升速度具有抑制作用,降低了乙烯释放的峰值;对超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶的活性具有一定的抑制作用。分析表明对照组中还原型抗坏血酸和抗坏血酸分别与MDA含量、O2-·含量、pH、Chlb含量呈极显著相关;处理组中还原型抗坏血酸和抗坏血酸均与MDA含量、O2-·含量、硬度呈极显著相关。
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The number of international students in Turkey has steadily increased in recent years. As they come from different geographical locations, their successful adaptation to a medium-sized country in-between three continents is of great... more
The number of international students in Turkey has steadily increased in recent years. As they come from different geographical locations, their successful adaptation to a medium-sized country in-between three continents is of great interest. This study was conducted to investigate international students’ perceptions of their Turkish experience. After an interview with 9 international students, a 46-item questionnaire was developed and given to 421 students; of these, 319 students from 61 countries returned complete forms. Responses were generally positive, although some difficulties according to gender, religion or age were reported. Another 12 students’ written comments were compared with quantitative data. Implications are suggested as well as directions for further research.
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ABSTRACT This article provides an introduction to the state of the art of language learning strategies in the twenty-first century – a panoramic view of the international landscape of strategies. In the landscape are eight key areas of... more
ABSTRACT This article provides an introduction to the state of the art of language learning strategies in the twenty-first century – a panoramic view of the international landscape of strategies. In the landscape are eight key areas of controversy and discussion: strategy definitions, strategies and proficiency, theoretical underpinnings, categorization, context, teachability, research methodology, and analysis. In addition, this article presents a synopsis of the rest of the articles in this special issue and explains the methodology guiding the three articles in the unique “Multiple-Researcher Perspectives” section of this special issue. The article concludes with a statement about global reach and a roadmap for the future.
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Although issues related to learner variables have received considerable attention over the years, issues related to teachers have not been researched as thoroughly. This study aimed to investigate the point of intersection of... more
Although issues related to learner variables have received considerable attention over the years, issues related to teachers have not been researched as thoroughly. This study aimed to investigate the point of intersection of teachers' and learners' perceptions regarding language learning strategies. Using an original questionnaire developed in a classroom situation and based on student input, this study examined reported frequency of strategy use by international students and teacher perceptions regarding the importance of strategy use. Although students' and teachers' perceptions were not perfectly matched, results indicated that teachers regard strategy use as highly important, and there was a high level of accord (71 per cent) between strategies which students reported using highly frequently and those which teachers reported regarding as highly important, an encouraging finding somewhat at variance with the results of some previous studies. Implications of these results for the teaching/learning situation are discussed.
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This study, conducted in a private language school in Auckland, New Zealand, investigated the relationship between course level and reported frequency of language learning strategy use by speakers of other languages. Employing the... more
This study, conducted in a private language school in Auckland, New Zealand, investigated the relationship between course level and reported frequency of language learning strategy use by speakers of other languages. Employing the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning ...
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This paper begins by providing and explaining a definition of language learning strategies as activities chosen by learners for the purpose of learning language. The relationship of language learning strategies to successful learning is... more
This paper begins by providing and explaining a definition of language learning strategies as activities chosen by learners for the purpose of learning language. The relationship of language learning strategies to successful learning is discussed and the results of a study which discovered significant differences in rates of progress according to language learning strategy use are reported. Details are given of previous research into strategy instruction, followed by a discussion of how strategy instruction should be provided and what should be included in a strategy instruction programme. Caution is advised regarding the attribution of cause and effect, and the Tornado Hypothesis is suggested as a way of conceptualizing the spiral relationship between strategies and successful learning. The content of teacher education programmes is discussed and directions for ongoing research are suggested.
On first acquaintance, the language learning style concept is intuitively appealing. Understanding it has the potential to greatly enhance learning and to make learning more enjoyable and successful. It is a concept that acknowledges... more
On first acquaintance, the language learning style concept is intuitively appealing. Understanding it has the potential to greatly enhance learning and to make learning more enjoyable and successful. It is a concept that acknowledges individual differences, rather than seeing all learners as similar. For teachers, it presents an opportunity to offer students methodologies and materials appropriate to their own learning style preferences. For learners, it allows them the freedom to learn in ways which are enjoyable and can help them to become the best that they are capable of.
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I am glad that our paper raises for Griffiths ‘a number of interesting questions’. Disappointingly, however, I feel that Griffiths has spectacularly misunderstood many of the arguments we are trying to make. Definition This did present us... more
I am glad that our paper raises for Griffiths ‘a number of interesting questions’. Disappointingly, however, I feel that Griffiths has spectacularly misunderstood many of the arguments we are trying to make. Definition This did present us with a dilemma. After considerable deliberation, we decided that our priority should be the ‘situated understanding ’ (Sakui 2004) of teachers, their perceptions of what the two termsmeant, and how they were interpreted in practice. So, instead of defining ‘communicative’ ourselves, thereby contributing to the ‘millions if not billions of words’ already written, many of which will be familiar to ELT Journal subscribers, we elected to refer readers to two CHC authors for their theoretical perspectives on the broad tenets of CLT (Hu 2002) and on the theoretical origins of the term (Hiep 2007), a survey, incidentally, which is rathermore comprehensive than the one Griffiths provides. We also had a fairly clear idea of what wemeant by ‘traditional ’ (s...
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Animation, which is basically a form of pictorial presentation, has become the most prominent feature of technology-based learning environments. It refers to simulated motion pictures showing movement of drawn objects. Recently,... more
Animation, which is basically a form of pictorial presentation, has become the most prominent feature of technology-based learning environments. It refers to simulated motion pictures showing movement of drawn objects. Recently, educational computer animation has turned out to be one of the most elegant tools for presenting multimedia materials for learners, and its significance in helping to understand and remember information has greatly increased since the advent of powerful graphics-oriented computers. In this book chapter we introduce and discuss the history of computer animation, its well-known fundamental principles and some educational applications. It is however still debatable if truly educational computer animations help in learning, as the research on whether animation aids learners' understanding of dynamic phenomena has come up with positive, negative and neutral results. We have tried to provide as much detailed information on computer animation as we could, and w...
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This chapter addresses a vital question to be considered after the main job of collecting and analysing the data is done: how to interpret it? Guidelines are given for this process and strategies for reporting the interpretations are... more
This chapter addresses a vital question to be considered after the main job of collecting and analysing the data is done: how to interpret it? Guidelines are given for this process and strategies for reporting the interpretations are suggested. In addition, teachers are guided to consider the limitations their study might have (there are always some, e.g. limited context, few participants), and to suggest how their study might be followed up, extended, or altered for ongoing research (either for their own reference or to provide stimulation for someone else). In addition, since action research is done to address a problem, puzzle, question, or issue of some kind, it is useful to examine the results of the study and to draw implications for the teaching–learning situation. The development of criticality which challenges existing assumptions and may lead to improvement or modifications in practices is also discussed.
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In recent years, context has come to be recognized as a key element which influences the outcomes of research studies and impacts on their significance. Two important aspects of context are the setting (where the study is taking place)... more
In recent years, context has come to be recognized as a key element which influences the outcomes of research studies and impacts on their significance. Two important aspects of context are the setting (where the study is taking place) and the participants (who is included in the study). It is critical that both of these aspects are adequately considered and explained so that meaningful conclusions can be drawn from the data. The role of the action-researcher as an active participant in the context also needs thought and explanation.
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This chapter deals with the important, but often neglected, issue of establishing research questions or hypotheses, whether this is done before or (in the “real world”) often after the study has been conducted. The point is made that, in... more
This chapter deals with the important, but often neglected, issue of establishing research questions or hypotheses, whether this is done before or (in the “real world”) often after the study has been conducted. The point is made that, in fact, research questions tend to be more common than hypotheses in action research, and guidelines are suggested for delineating such questions and deciding on appropriate question types according to the research purpose. Some example questions are provided to stimulate ideas, and an example action research study which will proceed in stages throughout the book is begun here.
This chapter goes on to look at various issues and options when it comes to choosing a suitable research methodology. Numerous research method types are suggested, including those from both quantitative and qualitative paradigms, and... more
This chapter goes on to look at various issues and options when it comes to choosing a suitable research methodology. Numerous research method types are suggested, including those from both quantitative and qualitative paradigms, and examples are given. Issues with cross-sectional versus longitudinal and experimental versus quasi-experimental designs are discussed and exemplified. Other important concepts such as triangulation and piloting are also defined and discussed.
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This book presents and discusses the practice of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) around the world