Communities of Practice: Fostering ELT Research in a Development Context

Keuk, Chan Narith; Kimura, Kelly

doi:10.5746/leia/15/v6/i2/a1/keuk_kimura

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…It found that Cambodian ELT academics could not agree on ‘what counts as research’ and they struggled to engage with research whether it be simply accessing relevant literature or undertaking viable small‐scale research projects. Keuk (2015) provides a more recent and in‐depth study of the present article's research site. He suggests the creation of a community of practice within the workplace that could sustain the interest of returning academics from overseas study but also encourage younger, novice academics to join as apprentices.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, the ‘Cambodianization’ of the bachelor degree program meant the withdrawal of expatriate staff, so the capacity for research support also disappeared. Arguably, it was only with the creation of CamTESOL in 2005 (in which the author played an advisory role) and its annual conference series that a Cambodian‐based research forum began to nourish an ongoing need for Cambodian researchers to contribute locally based ‘research.’ (Almost all of the Cambodian contributions fell far short of international research standards, but they were a good point of departure for budding novice researchers; Keuk, 2015). By 2010, the ELT research landscape at the university had settled into a familiar pattern of individual lecturers, sometimes in collaboration with a colleague, presenting research at CamTESOL's annual conference.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Research leadership of returned overseas TESOL scholars in Cambodia

Moore

2021

World Englishes

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Among the key concerns in developmental world Englishes is that of educational collaboration and cooperation. This article reports a recent study that investigated the research roles and activities of Cambodian applied linguistics (English Language Teachers (ELT) or Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)) scholars who completed a thesis in English outside their own country at an Englishmedium higher education institution. In particular, it explores what happens to these scholars when they return to their home institutions in Cambodia with a Master's or PhD degree. Given their overseas training is widely perceived to be superior to that offered by local master's and doctoral programs, it is important to know to what extent these scholars are sharing their knowledge and skills, making an impact through taking on significant leadership roles, and occupying positions of influence within university settings.The research site is a leading public university in Cambodia. INTRODUCTIONAs argued in the developmental world Englishes research agenda put forward by Bolton, Graddol and Meierkord (2011, p. 473), there is a need 'for accounts of the sociolinguistic realities of particular contexts from the points of view of the grass roots players themselves.' This article seeks to address precisely this issue by providing insights on ELT research in Cambodia from key academic leaders and other academic staff who have benefited from and improved their research skills through overseas study at master's or doctoral level. Leadership in research is critical and it is becoming a defining characteristic of universities in 'developing' countries that seek to grow their reputations both domestically and internationally.Cambodia remains one of the least developed countries receiving aid, as noted by the OECD's most recent Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list (OECD, 2020). Yet despite this disadvantaged context, Cambodian ELT 292

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Research leadership of returned overseas TESOL scholars in Cambodia

Moore

2021

World Englishes

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Creating a Sustainable Community of Practice for TESOL Professionals in the Lower Mekong Region

Brinton¹,

Chilmonik²,

Andrea³

2019

The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching

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A community of practice (CoP) consists of individuals who ally with one another to pursue topics or goals of common interest. The goal of CoP membership is to deepen one's knowledge and gain additional expertise from the community's more experienced members. In English language teaching, CoPs have typically been implemented with classroom learners. Alternatively, they may also be implemented with teachers for the purpose of ongoing professional development. This entry concerns the latter case, initiated in the five countries in the Lower Mekong region of Southeast Asia as part of a larger US government project. The goal of this project, the Professional Communication Skills for Leaders (PCSL) CoP, was to create transnational alliances among teachers in the region and better prepare them to teach English for professional purposes to local experts in environment, health, infrastructure, energy development, and agriculture. The entry provides information on the implementation of the project and how it is being sustained.

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