Over the last twenty-five years, there have been major changes to the theory and practice of second language teaching and learning. These changes have been driven by changes in educational theory, changes in the way we think about language and learning, and the development of an active research agenda which has provided important insights and ideas for classroom practitioners. The purpose of this introductory course is to provide an overview of the field of second language teaching and learning, to identify major trends and issues, and to show where they have come from, to illustrate, in practical ways, how you can incorporate these emerging ideas into their own teaching practice, and to provide you with the basic skills and knowledge that will enable you to benefit fully from the rest of the course.
- Professor: Vivian Bussinguer-Khavari
This course introduces students to key grammatical terms and concepts, as well as to techniques and procedures for describing and analyzing texts from a grammatical perspective. It also introduces practical techniques for teaching grammar.
The focus of the course will be on techniques for teaching grammar from a functional perspective. This approach shows language learners how to use the grammar that they are learning to communicate effectively. Students will be involved in collecting samples of spoken and written discourse, and using these to develop classroom exercises.
- Professor: Alessandro Benati
This is an introductory course in second language acquisition. Topics covered in the course include the scope of SLA research, the description and explanation of interlanguage development, the linguistic environment for SLA, instructed second language acquisition, and applications of SLA to pedagogy. The course provides an opportunity for participants to undertake an analysis of learner language.
- Professor: Alessandro Benati
The main aims of this course are:
1. To review research which has investigated individual differences in second language learning.
2. To familiarize students with some of the instruments used to collect data on factors contributing to individual differences and the psychology of the learner.
3. To provide an opportunity for students to design and carry out a small empirical study of learner differences in second language learning.
4. To provide an opportunity for students to consider practical applications for accommodating what we know about individual differences and the psychology of language learning.
- Professor: Shoshannah Hernandez
This course focuses on central issues and concerns relating to the effective management of teaching and learning processes in second and foreign language classrooms. In this course management does not mean the creation of budgets and the creation of timelines, but the creation of a positive pedagogical environment which facilitates learning.
The focus of the course is on the professional decisions that teachers must make in order to ensure that learning takes place effectively. Content will include lesson planning; teacher talk, including the effective use of questions, the provision of explanations and the use of feedback; classroom dynamics; instructional groups, small group work, dealing with large classes, one-to-one teaching, and learner-teacher roles; affective issues in the language classroom; and classroom monitoring and evaluation.
This course is intended to familiarize students with the issues and procedures involved in developing a language curriculum and to enable them to design their own curriculum for a specific group of learners.
- Professor: Vivian Bussinguer-Khavari
- Professor: Alessandro Benati
Course Description
EDU 600 functions as an exit course for the MA in TESOL. The core of the course is the preparation of a research portfolio, the nature of which is described below. Key elements of the portfolio are a research plan and a revised research report.
Students will take 2 terms to complete the necessary requirements of the Research Portfolio project.
Learning Objectives
- Practitioner research in TESOL
- The literature review
- Writing research questions
- Writing the method section
- Presenting and discussing results in quantitative research
- Writing as a research process
- Writing the conclusion section
- Researcher reflexivity
The thesis culminates the degree. It provides students with an opportunity to identify an issue or problem arising out of their prior coursework or their own professional experience. They then design and carry out an original piece of empirical research, and present the results in a substantial piece of writing.