Master of Arts (Applied Linguistics)

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https://hdl.handle.net/10497/9

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Examining the construction of a Singapore identity from 'self' and 'other' positioning in online forums
(National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NIE NTU), Singapore, 2024)
Teo, Bernadette Shu Wen
From a corpus of comments in online forums, this exploratory study investigates the underlying ideologies and language ideologies that surround the issue of Singaporean online commentators navigating their professed national identity amidst the changing linguistic landscape caused by flows of people of other nationalities. Two questions that guided my analysis through this research are:
1) How do forum participants position Chinese nationals or Singaporean Chinese regarding national or ethnic identity? and 2) What language ideologies underpin online commentators’ English, Singlish and Mandarin language use and comments on language use in Singapore?
I primarily used a theoretical framework assemblage of positioning theory and othering as I identified the language ideologies underpinning the commentators’ posts. In their posts, they not only position themselves as subjects but Chinese nationals as the relative ‘other’. Online Singaporean commentators were seen to take up positions such as ‘locals in Singapore should have more power compared to Chinese nationals who are expected to plug gaps in the job market and pander to the needs of Singaporeans’.
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Chinese university EAL teachers' attitudes towards Global Englishes (GE): Inspired feedback pedagogy
(National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NIE NTU), Singapore, 2024)
Xiao, Caiwang
The status of English as a global language has led to calls for a paradigm shift in English Language Teaching (ELT) towards more inclusive pedagogical approaches. Despite the growing body of literature on Global English Language Teaching (GELT), written feedback practices remain anchored in “correctness” according to native speaker norms. Addressing this issue, Lee (2023) proposed feedback pedagogy aligned with Global Englishes (GE) principles. However, the feasibility and compatibility of such pedagogical innovations hinge on the attitudes of key stakeholders like teachers, an area yet unexplored in the literature. As such, the present study will address this gap by investigating Chinese university English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers’ attitudes towards GE-inspired feedback pedagogy. Drawing on Oskamp and Schultz’s (2005) ABC model of attitude, the present study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. Initial quantitative data were collected through an online questionnaire survey (n=258) to explore cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of the participants’ attitudes. This was complemented by semi-structured interviews (n=13) to unpack the reasons behind the participants’ attitudinal landscape. The findings revealed ambivalent attitudes characterized by cognitive dissonance, affective tension, and behavioral hesitancy. Key factors influencing attitudes included limited understanding of GE principles, washback effects of high stakes exams, personal educational experiences, and lack of guidelines and challenges in translating theoretical principles into practice. This study contributes to the existing body of research on stakeholders’ attitudes towards GELT innovations, particularly within the context of writing curriculum reforms in China informed by GE principles. The findings have important implications for teacher education programs, GELT curriculum reform initiatives, and assessment practices in Chinese EAL contexts. By illuminating the complex attitudinal landscape and identifying key challenges and opportunities, this research provides a foundation for developing targeted strategies to bridge the gap between GE principles and pedagogical practice in written feedback. Future research could extend to exploring attitudes of other stakeholders, including students and teachers from various educational levels, and investigating the long-term impacts of implementing GE-inspired feedback pedagogy in diverse educational contexts.
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Exploring multimodal pedagogies through a pedagogical translanguaging perspective among primary school English language teachers in China
(National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NIE NTU), Singapore, 2024)
Xiang, Yu
This qualitative multiple-case study examines the multimodal pedagogies employed by two English language teachers in primary-level classrooms in Shanghai, Mainland China, in response to the recent updates in the Chinese Compulsory Education’s English Curriculum Standards. The updates to the Curriculum Standards incorporate the development of students’ multimodal literacy, particularly their viewing skills of multimodal texts, as an integral part of their English language education. English language education for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Mainland China is constantly evolving to keep up with these updates. Therefore, it is important to explore how language teachers in Mainland China are adapting by integrating multimodality into classrooms and developing students’ multimodal literacy. To understand this, we need to analyze the pedagogical approaches used by the teachers, specifically their pedagogical translanguaging practices, which are their instructional strategies that involve using two or more languages (Cenoz & Gorter, 2017), as well as other planned instructions that make full use of learners’ linguistic and semiotic repertoire (Cenoz & Gorter, 2021). While analyzing the pedagogies in language classroom with a focus on teachers’ pedagogical translanguaging practices, understanding how multimodal semiotic resources can be orchestrated in classrooms to make meanings are essential. Multimodal pedagogies involve teachers’ strategic employments of a range of multimodal resources in designing students’ learning experiences (Bezemer & Kress, 2016). The research methodology includes video-recorded classroom observations, researchers’ field notes, and teachers’ post-lesson reflections on their multimodal pedagogies during individual stimulated-recall semi-structured interviews. The study used the Lesson Microgenres framework and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyze lessons and teachers’ reflections. It investigates how the two teachers orchestrate multilingual and multimodal resources, such as students’ first language (L1), images, animations, emojis, and embodied teaching practices, to achieve diverse instructional and regulative purposes. The study provides pedagogical implications based on these findings on multimodal pedagogies. Furthermore, this study also provides theoretical insights into the field of research on translanguaging and multimodality by critically examining the relationship between the two concepts, aiming to gain a deeper understanding of multimodal pedagogies.
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An analysis of feedback given by a teacher on primary school students' writing: A case study based on the Singapore context
(National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NIE NTU), Singapore, 2024)
Wang, Zhiqi
The study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the types of feedback given by a teacher for Primary 5 in English Language composition writing as well as the influences on the feedback process based on the feedback provided on students’ writings. The study attempts to fill gaps in research by specifically examining the nature of feedback provided and the teacher’s perceptions of feedback. The study used a case study design with artefact analysis and a semi-structured interview as the data collection tools in answer to the research questions of the study. Hattie and Timperley’s (2007) model was used as the conceptual framework to determine what feedback was given to students and what influences a teacher’s feedback practices. The study found that task feedback was used most frequently, followed by self-regulated feedback, process feedback and self-feedback. The study found that the teacher’s feedback practices were influenced by a variety of factors including the teacher’s beliefs and knowledge, student ability and the context. In summary, this study is deemed to be significant because it provides a deeper understanding of the feedback a teacher gives as well as influences on the teacher’s feedback practices, contributing to existing research in this area. It is anticipated that the research findings will have implications on feedback practices related to writing in teaching and learning contexts involving primary schools.
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Linguistic landscape of Singapore Housing Development Board estates
(National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NIE NTU), Singapore, 2024)
Gou, Xinyao
This study attempts to investigate the linguistic landscape (LL) of the Public Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates of Singapore. Two HDB estates are selected as the research sites and a total of 486 signs are collected as data for analysis. This empirical study utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methods to reveal how the three mother tongue languages are represented in the LL of the housing areas, the difference between top-down and bottom-up signs, and lastly, to identify any disparities in language usage between the two selected HDB estates. The study draws on theoretical frameworks such as geosemiotics by Scollon & Scollon (2003), and Reh’s (2004) model for types of multilingual information to aid in analysis.
The study affirms prior research indicating that Singapore is an English-dominated society, a fact that is also reflected in the LL of the two HDB estates. English is the predominant language on signage, alongside the presence of the three mother tongue languages: Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, reflecting the nation’s multilingual identity. Chinese emerges as the second most prevalent language in these estates, while Malay and Tamil appear somewhat marginalized.
In both HDB estates, the LL exhibits a clear prevalence of English. The study also uncovers disparities in the LL between the two HDB estates, in terms of aspects like language combination patterns and appearance of traditional Chinese script, suggesting inconsistency across Singapore’s housing areas. This implies that the impact of the official language policy on signage may vary by region, emphasizing the dynamic nature of LL in different locales.
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