Analysis of Research Articles on Effective Teaching in ESL/EFL Classrooms: Focusing on TESOL Quarterly

Abstract

Much research has not been conducted on how classroom-based research articles concerning teaching effectiveness in the ESL/EFL classroom have changed over time, in spite of deep interest in the field. Therefore, this study aims to examine the characteristics of research articles on effective teaching in the ESL/EFL classroom, focusing specifically on articles from TESOL Quarterly. For this purpose, this study searched articles using three key terms; effective teaching, ESL/EFL, and activity. Articles which included those terms were investigated, depending on research topic and publication year, and four key facts were found; the importance of teachers’ input (older articles), a focus on group or peer work (newer articles), teachers’ education, and the use of students’ native languages. While students preferred teachers’ reliable and explicit input in the past, modern articles tended to recommend more frequent interactions among peer groups in the English learning classroom. Limited resources in teaching contexts asked for additional qualifications from ESL/EFL teachers, thus emphasizing teacher education as an important factor for effective teaching. Lastly, the use of students’ native language had a positive influence on learning English. The findings of this study suggest some implications for how effective teaching in Korean context could be implemented.