Journal of NELTA

Journal of NELTA Volume 12, Number 1 & 2 December 2007 Editor-in-Chief Prof. Jai Raj Awasthi, PhD Editors Anjana Bhattarai, PhD Prem Bahadur Phyak Founded in 1992, NELTA is rigorously working to give a forum to the English language teachers of Nepal. The vision of NELTA is to enhance quality of English language teaching and learning in Nepal and promote professionalism among the ELT professionals. To translate this vision into practice, we have mission to establish NELTA as a forum for enhancing the quality of English language teaching and learning through professional networking, supporting and collaboration. NELTA publishes the Journal of NELTA every year which incorporates articles from various issues of ELT. We welcome your research, experience and thought based articles for the Journal. Nepal English Language Teachers' Association (NELTA) GPO Box No. 11110, Kathmandu, Nepal Phone 977-1-4229299 Email: [email protected] Website: www.nelta.org.np NELTA Executive Members (2007-2009) Advisors Prof. Dr. Jai Raj Awasthi [email protected] Prof. Dr. Tirth Raj Khaniya [email protected] President Prof. Dr. Govinda Raj Bhattarai [email protected] Senior Vice President Mr. Ganga Ram Gautam [email protected] Vice President Mr. Laxman Gnawali [email protected] General Secretary Mr. Hemanta Raj Dahal [email protected] Secretary Mr. Kamal Poudel [email protected] Membership Secretary Mr. Lekhnath Sharma Pathak [email protected] Treasurer Dr. Bal Mukunda Bhandari [email protected] Members Dr. Krishna Chandra Sharma Dr. Lava Deo Awasthi [email protected] [email protected] Ms. Sarita Dewan Mr. Arjun Neupane [email protected] [email protected] Mr. Prem Bahadur Phyak Ms. Saraswati Dawadi [email protected] [email protected] Mr. Raju Dev Acharya Mr. Gopal Prasad Bashyal [email protected] [email protected] Mr. Ramji Hamal Mr. Jay Prakash Singh [email protected] [email protected] Special Thanks to Oxford University Press NELTA expresses its sincere appreciation and gratitude to Oxford University Press for their continuous support since NELTA was incepted. NELTA is particularly grateful to Oxford University Press for sponsoring the complete printing and publication of this issue of the Journal of NELTA. Oxford's contribution to the English Language Teaching in Nepal is incredible and praiseworthy. It has gone ahead in developing quality English language materials in partnership with the associates based in the country. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objectives of excellence in research, scholarship and education by publishing academic materials worldwide. It had its origins in the late fifteenth century with the first book printed in 1478, only two years after Caxton set up the first printing press in England. Today, Oxford University Press is the largest University Press in the world. The Press continues to provide intellectual richness through their scholarly works in all academic disciplines, school's and higher education textbooks, children's books, materials for teaching English as a foreign language, dictionaries, reference books and journals. Oxford University Press in India is a microcosm of the press's worldwide organization, serving the educational needs in the Indian subcontinent. It propagates the liberal objectives of the University to further education and learning through publication; doing so in a fashion that reflects the specific needs of the country that it serves. We wish the Press all the best in its future endeavours and sincerely hope that it continues to bring out quality materials reflecting its "tradition of excellence" that is synonymous with its name. NELTA thanks Oxford University Press once again and looks forward to many more years of lasting association with them. Editorial Across the globe, English Language Teaching (ELT) has grown as one of the valued professions. As English is one of the most widely used languages in the field of science and technology, information and entertainment, business, media and education, we are using it directly or indirectly. In addition, the English language has played an important role to enhance democracy and right to information since most of the world’s current events first release in English. Thus, teaching and learning of English has become mandatory for all. To make ELT profession more effective, technical, timely and dignified, the experts and practitioners in every country are striving hard. There is a growing trend of organizing seminars, workshops, conferences and publishing journals and newsletters at local, national and international levels for sharing issues emerging in this profession. These activities help to solve some of the issues but new ones crop up with the change in other spheres of life. Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA), with the noble vision of enhancing professionalism of English teachers in Nepal, is managing these activities for the last thirteen years. The publication of the Journal of NELTA is its regular feature. Its publication is quite exciting now compared to its initial phase when the number of contributors from home and abroad was limited. With change in time, the quantity and quality of the contributors have been encouraging. In addition, there has also been an increment in the readership. The journal has been a popular reference material for the young as well professional ELT researchers. The contributors’ of this volume have dealt with the ELT issues from different perspectives. They not only address the issues theoretically but also explore the existing ELT situation in practice. Whether it is an Indian underprivileged child’s difficulty in having education in English or the problem of having an appropriate and effective language policy in Africa, the issues are similar to ours. We hope that the present volume will equally be supportive to ELT researchers and practitioners as were the past volumes. Please, help us and yourselves by contributing, reading the journal and implementing the ideas incorporated in it. The innovative practitioners can be equally significant contributors. Let's try our hand not only in the classroom but also in strengthening our academic development through this esteemed publication, the only of its kind in the country. Finally, we express our thankfulness to the valued contributors and especially to Oxford University Press for sponsoring the publication of this issue of the journal. Journal of NELTA Volume 12, Number 1&2 1 An Investigation of Nepalese English Teachers’ Perception of CLT and its Implementation in Nepalese Secondary Schools Kalpana Adhikari 8 Classroom Sociology and language Learning Sushil Kumar Adhikari and Daya Ram Gaudel 13 Second Language Acquisition: Where We Are Heading to Jai Raj Awasthi 18 Role of English Language Education in Social and Economic Upliftment of Children of Labour Community: An Indian Case Papori Rani Barooah 24 Reflection and Critical Pedagogy Gopal Prasad Bashyal 27 Activities for Teaching Poetry Bal Mukunda Bhandari and Yadab Prasad Adhikari 32 The Proposed ELT Survey: Redefining the Status and Role of English in Nepal Govinda Raj Bhattarai and Ganga Ram Gautam 36 Fundamentals of Language Assessment Christine Coombe 47 Creative Writing: Pictures with Words Laura Copeland 52 “Hungry Tigers Talk to the Wall”: An Action Research on Reflective Teaching Practice Cycle Dhruba Babu Joshi 56 English Studies: Textual vs. Cultural Approaches Hem Raj Kafle 60 Current Trends in ELT around the Globe Sajan Kumar Karn 67 Teaching and Learning English: From Ideology to Empowerment Diane Larsen-Freeman 75 The Position of English in National Education Language Planning in Malawi Andwatch Mambo 80 Evaluation of English Language Textbooks: Some Important Issues for Consideration Jayakaran Mukundan 85 Teaching Short Stories with a Difference Madhu Neupane 90 Reflecting on a Classroom Research: Developing Professionalism in English Language Teaching Prem Bahadur Phyak 98 ESL Teacher in the Classroom: Some Considerations Bhesh Raj Pokhrel 102 Personal pronouns in English and Chhɨlɨng: A Constrastive Study Ichchha Purna Rai 108 I Don't Like Songs, I Like Stories Vishnu S Rai 113 Enhancing Structure and Written Expression among EFL Thai Students through Consciousness-Raising Instructions Amporn Sa-ngiamwibool 129 Reading of English Poetry Krishna Chandra Sharma 134 Plagiarism among University Students: Intentional or Accidental? Bal Krishna Sharma 142 ELT Classes and Instructional Management: An Observational Study Hari Maya Sharma 150 Using Deliberative Education in EFL Teaching Marcin Zaleski 156 Book Review Saraswati Dawadi 1 An Investigation of Nepalese English Teachers’ Perception of CLT and its Implementation in Nepalese Secondary Schools Kalpana Adhikari* Abstract Introduction The aim of this paper is to In the Western countries, the CLT approach has been in use for last demonstrate what Nepalese three decades and has developed in a number of ways. However, in many secondary school English teachers understand by Asian countries such as China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Nepal, CLT and what they think it is still seen as a relatively new EFL teaching approach, with a limited they are doing in order to impact on teaching practices in certain educational sectors (Li, 1998; teach the target language Michell & Lee, 2003; Sata & Kleinsasser, 1999). It is not surprising to effective employing the CLT learn that, in Nepal, CLT was only

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