From the editor:

Spring is almost here and we are proud to present our first issue of the MEXTESOL Journal for 2015. This issue consists of three refereed articles, a vintage article, an interview and a book review. These contributions come from the United States, Iran, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

The first article is titled 'Teaching Academic Vocabulary in Graduate ESL Writing Courses: A Review of Literature and Pedagogical Suggestions' by Rui Ma (University of the Pacific, USA). This refereed article provides an extensive review of research carried out on academic vocabulary for non-native graduate students who take English writing classes. Pedagogical implications show that more attention needs to be paid to teaching academic vocabulary.

Our second article, 'A Comparison of EFL Teachers and Students' Beliefs about Language Learning', is refereed and is a contribution from Karim Sadeghi and Heidar Abdi, both from Urmia University, Iran. This article explores and compares the use of language learning beliefs of teachers and students using Horwitz's (1985) 'Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory' (BALLI) in Iran.

Maria Iliana Castilla (Texas A&M University, Kingsville) has submitted her article 'El Rol de las Experiencias fuera del Salón de Clases para los Estudiantes Internacionales en Programas Intensivos de Inglés como Segundo Idioma' ('The Role of Experiences outside of the Classroom of International Students in Intensive English as a Second Language Programs'). This refereed article looks at five international students and how their out-of-classroom experiences influenced their learning English as a second language. This research is of interest because it goes beyond the classroom and considers other experiences and contexts as well as providing recommendations for teachers.

Next we have the vintage article 'Editorial: In Defense of Non-Native Speaking Teacher' by JoAnn Miller in 1995 when she was Editor of the MEXTESOL Journal. This marks twenty years since it was published and we are revisiting the theme of non-native speaker teachers. We hope you enjoy reading this editorial and enjoy reflecting on this prevalent theme of our profession in Mexico and other parts of the world.

We have an interesting contribution titled 'Tips for Effective Online Learning' by Josefina Santana from the Universidad Panamericana. This contribution is an interview of Nicole Eustice, an expert on the theme of distance learning. In Eustice's view, there are different factors that make online learning effective. She mentions that providing clear instructions to students and ensuring students' interaction are two factors. This interview is presented in two parts and will be continued in the next issue. That is why we must not miss the second part coming soon!

Lastly we offer a book review of Teaching Materials and the Roles of EFL/ESL Teachers: Practice and Theory (Ian McGrath, 2013). This review is by Darí­o Luis Banegas (University of Warwick, UK). According to Banegas, McGrath offers an interesting view on the creation, evaluation and use of teaching materials and this is analyzed considering both theoretical and practical issues. Throughout his review, Banegas discusses how the book can be of great use to teacher educators since it could benefit future teachers' discussions on the use and creation of teaching materials. In his final note, however, Banegas warns his readers not to expect every teaching material to be covered by McGrath's book since the author basically focuses on course books.

Having finished this issue, we would like to invite people to think about how they can contribute to the MEXTESOL Journal with an article (refereed or non-refereed), book review, or a commentary article. Also it should be mentioned that the call for participation for the 42nd International MEXTESOL Convention will be open until May 15, 2015. The theme for this year's convention is 'Building the Future Today: English Language Teaching and Learning Breakthroughs' in Cancun. We hope to see you there from November 5-8th!
...   [+ read more]


    Vol. 39 No. 1, 2015



    Editor-in-Chief:
    M. Martha Lengeling,
    Universidad de Guanajuato


    Associate Editor for Refereed Articles:
    JoAnn Miller,
    Free Lance Consultant


    Associate Editor for Non-refereed Articles:
    Ma. Guadalupe Rodrí­guez Bulnes,
    Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León


    Past Editor-in-Chief:
    Ulrich Schrader,
    Free Lance Consultant


    Published: April, 2015

    ISSN: 2395-9908

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MEXTESOL Journal, vol 39, núm. 1, 2015, es una Publicación cuadrimestral editada por la Asociación Mexicana de Maestros de Inglés, MEXTESOL, A.C., Versalles 15, Int. 301, Col. Juárez, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico, Tel. (55) 55 66 87 49, journal@mextesol.org.mx. Editor responsable: M. Martha Lengeling. Reserva de Derechos al uso Exclusivo No. 04-2015-092112295900-203, ISSN: 2395-9908, ambos otorgados por el Instituto Nacional de Derecho del Autor. Responsable de la última actualización de este número: Asociación Mexicana de Maestros de Inglés, MEXTESOL, A.C. JoAnn Miller, Versalles 15, Int. 301, Col. Juárez, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06600 Mexico, D.F., Mexico. Fecha de última modificación: 31/08/2015. Las opiniones expresadas por los autores no necesariamente reflejan la postura del editor de la publicación. Se autoriza la reproducción total o parcial de los textos aquí­ publicados siempre y cuando se cite la fuente completa y la dirección electrónica de la publicación.

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