WoPaLP

It is great pleasure to launch the seventh volume of WoPaLP − Working Papers in Language Pedagogy. We are very happy to know that traditional online publishing is still in high demand among our readers. The term traditional online publishing seems to be an anachronism, but in our interpretation it is not. This past year oral and written reports have been abundant about online journals charging a processing fee and promising publication in just a few weeks. We feel that this approach might compromise the standards. Peer reviewing and editing are done pro bono at WoPaLP, we do not charge the authors, and the process takes a long time. We are grateful for the patience of our authors who wait for quite a few months before their work is finally published.

In this issue we hope to inspire our readers with six articles encompassing a broad spectrum of topics in language pedagogy. In the first article Mária Adorján examines research methods in the manual and computer automated analysis of lexical repetition. Her results forecast a bright future for an automated analysis of particular aspects of discourse structure – after further research in the area. The second study also represents discourse analysis: Natália Borza performs a register analysis of English language biology texts used in a bilingual secondary school. She reveals that these ESP texts are less complex in terms of grammar than general EFL texts that the students have to deal with. The next four articles explore professional experiences and personal reflections in connection with various aspects of language learning and teaching. Emese Bukor reports on a study on the impact of personal and professional experiences on the development of teacher identity. Her results imply that in order to reinforce their identity as educators, language teachers need integrated personal and professional development programs. In her article, Krisztina Nagy-Váci also investigates teachers: she looks at six EFL teachers’ competence building, i.e. their ways of learning teaching skills. The interviews she carried out with the participants throw light on how they learn or reject certain skills and competencies. And now for the other side, i.e. language learners and language users: Viktória Lázár’s interview study with ten experienced Hungarian adult language learners reports on these learners’ beliefs about their achievements in language learning, and on what or who they attribute their success or failure to. The article is of great help for teachers and course designers. Finally, Dávid Juhász explores how Hungarian truck drivers get along in their daily routine abroad with a very limited language competence. The drivers interviewed seem to be able to perform their tasks in foreign languages, and they can even use some basic compensation strategies to make up for their lack of language and intercultural proficiency. Still, the article implies that there is an urging need to improve language teaching in vocational and work settings.

This is now the third volume where we have included book reviews. The three reviews this time are about books on academic discourse, ELT theory and language teaching, and an EFL course book for advanced learners to explore the values of diversity, acceptance and social inclusion.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the members of the Advisory and Editorial Boards and to our external referees, who always offer their time and expertise so selflessly to evaluate and comment on the submitted manuscripts, whose work guarantees the standards of WoPaLP. Thanks go also to the authors of the articles; without their ideas, conscientious research and efforts in writing up the articles we could not offer these good reads to our readers. We hope you will enjoy this new volume of the journal.

The editors

(( ))(( ))(( ))(( ))

back to top

Articles

The articles are stored in .pdf format. Click on the author's name, and the article will appear in a new window. Depending on the settings of your browser, you may have to download the file before opening it.

Mária Adorján: Explorations in Lexical Repetition Analysis: The Outcomes of Manual vs. Computer Automated Research Methods

Natália Borza: Register Analysis of English Biology Texts: A Corpus-Based Exploratory Study of Grammar

Emese Bukor: The Impact of Personal and Professional Experiences: Holistic Exploration of Teacher Identity

Krisztina Nagy-Váci: Alternative Learning Plots: A Narrative Inquiry into Teachers’ Competence Building in the Classroom

Viktória Lázár: Achievements and Attributions in the Context of Acquiring English as a Foreign Language: Learner Beliefs

Dávid Juhász: Re-routing in Europe: The Key to Successful Communication as a Truck Driver with Limited Language Competence

back to top

Book Reviews

Andrea Thurmer: We are what we write: Academic discourse and personal identity

on: Hyland, Ken (2012). Disciplinary identities: Individuality and community in academic discourse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Krisztina Nagy-Váci:Language teaching and the postmethod era: A critical view of current ELT theory

on: Swan, Michael (2012). Thinking about language teaching: Selected articles 1982-2011. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Dorottya Holló: Educating through teaching

on: Jilly, Viktor (2012). “We shall overcome!” Civil rights movement in the United States – For advanced students of English – level C1. Budapest: Jilly-Tan Bt.

back to top

(( ))(( ))(( ))(( ))