COURSE SYLLABUS
SCOPE OF COURSE SYLLABUS
Intended for students enrolling in T.E.S.O.L. Methodology and Strategy, this syllabus contains information specific to the course. It is a definitive record of the course's primary characteristics and the learning outcomes that a typical student can reasonably be expected to achieve if they take full advantage of the available learning opportunities. This document also serves as a reference for academic and support staff, internal and external examiners, and for future course monitoring and review.
COURSE AT A GLANCE
Course Title
T.E.S.O.L. Methodology and Strategy
Subject Area
Teaching English as a Foreign Language
Course Code
TEFL 70021
Course Level
Graduate
Credits
4.0
Prerequisites
None
Methods of Delivery
Face-to-face
Online
Expected Length
5.0 Weeks
Class Meetings
Dependent on the choice made during enrollment
Faculty
Michael Griffin
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Computer Software: Any computer software that aids learning.
TEXT(S)
Text 1: ULT
Title: Understanding Language Teaching: From Method to Postmethod
Author(s): Bala Kumaravadivelu
Edition:
ISBN: 9780805856767
Text 2: BM
Title: Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language Teaching
Author(s): Bala Kumaravadivelu
Edition:
ISBN: 9780300095739
Text 3: AMLT
Title: Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching
Author(s): Jack C. Richards and Theodore S. Rodgers
Edition: 2nd
ISBN: 9780511667305
Text 4: MD
Title: Materials Development for TESOL
Author(s): Freda Mishan and Ivor Timmis
Edition:
ISBN: 9780748691371
SYNOPSIS
A good approach to teaching English in one situation may be disastrous in another. Effective language teaching depends on many variables, including but not limited to student interests, needs, and backgrounds; access to teaching materials; teacher experience and personality; and institutional requirements. Thus, teachers must be prepared to adjust and adapt their methods accordingly. This course studies the topics of T.E.S.O.L. methods and materials development from the perspective that there is no singular “best” method for teaching English. Although there is no perfect T.E.S.O.L. method, exploring the historical evolution of the T.E.S.O.L. methodology can provide insight into the various methods employed in T.E.S.O.L., aiding the practice of the metacognitive reflection essential for determining the methods to be used in the future classrooms. In this course, we will organize and participate in regular workshops and familiarize ourselves with diverse hands-on activities, pedagogical approaches, and teaching philosophies. We will develop flexible and broadly applicable macro strategies for language teaching that help us better select the appropriate micro strategies required for any specific teaching moment.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon completion of the course, students are expected to be able to:
Demonstrate familiarity with theories, methodologies, and strategies for T.E.S.O.L.
Demonstrate a thorough and critical understanding of particular approaches or methods' strengths and potential shortcomings.
Demonstrate familiarity with programs for T.E.S.O.L.
Identify and use resources, including books, technology, professional organizations, and human resources, and select/create appropriate material for English language learners (E.L.L.s) instruction.
Demonstrate awareness of the socioeconomic, cultural, and political factors related to the instruction of E.L.L.s.
Thoughtfully discuss experiences teaching languages and reflect on the significance of these experiences for future language teaching practices.
Connect theory to practice through clinical experiences and written reflections.
WEEK 1
Module 1
Language, Learning, and Teaching
Reference(s): ULT Ch1-3
Module 2
Conceptual Issues in Language Teaching Methods
Reference(s): ULT Ch4-7
Module 3
Trends in 20th Language Teaching Methods
Reference(s): AMLT Ch1-3
WEEK 2
Module 4
Alternative Approaches and Methods
Reference(s): AMLT Ch3-13
Module 5
Current Communicative Approaches
Reference(s): AMLT Ch14-18
Module 6
Postmethod Condition, Pedagogy, and Predicament
Reference(s): ULT Ch8-10
WEEK 3
Module 7
Macrostrategies for Language Teaching I
Reference(s): BM Ch1-4
Module 8
Macrostrategies for Language Teaching II
Reference(s): BM Ch5-7
Module 9
Macrostrategies for Language Teaching III
Reference(s): BM Ch8-12
WEEK 4
Module 10
Principles of Materials Development I
Reference(s): MD Ch1-2
Module 11
Principles of Materials Development II
Reference(s): MD Ch3
Module 12
Principles of Materials Development III
Reference(s): MD Ch4-5
WEEK 5
Module 13
Materials Development: Reading and Listening Skills
Reference(s): MD Ch6
Module 14
Materials Development: Speaking and Writing Skills
Reference(s): MD Ch7
Module 15
Materials Development: Vocabulary and Grammar
Reference(s): MD Ch8
PROFESSIONALISM
WEIGHT: 10.0%
DEADLINE: Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 6
All students are expected to participate actively in discussions, class exercises, activities, simulations and group work. Regular attendance, preparation and participation in class discussions (online and in discussion forums) are required. Good attendance results in more opportunities to engage in quality participation and earn a higher participation grade.
Class participation and discussion indicate that students have read the assigned readings. Grades will not be based on the number of posts submitted or comments made in a class, but rather the overall contribution to the discussion. Students are encouraged to exchange contact information and provide support to one another if a class is missed. They must contact the course instructor if concerned about attendance or in need of additional information on any assignment. If a student is unable to attend 3 or more classes, then they may be asked to complete additional assignments in order to complete a course.
LANGUAGE TEACHING AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WEIGHT: 10.0%
DEADLINE: Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 2
General Information
This must be two to four pages (approximately five hundred to one thousand words) not including references, title page, and appendix. The purpose of this assessment is to show how well you can discuss your experiences teaching and reflect on the significance of the experiences for your future teaching. It’s also a chance to raise and consider questions related to language teaching methods and different learning contexts. The deadline to submit this assessment is Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 2. The grade is stored in the online grade book. As only one attempt per piece of coursework is allowed, it is highly recommended that students review all course materials and thoroughly edit their work before attempting the graded assessment.
Description
Teachers are theorizers who practice and write from their positionalities and experiences. In this assessment, which supports connections between teachers’ experiences and teachers’ intellectual theorizing, students are asked to write about their language teaching experiences.
Reflect on some or all of the following questions:
How did you learn to teach?
Were you taught specific “methods”?
What role did methods play in your teaching? Provide specific examples.
How have social circumstances impacted your teaching?
What did you like about your language teaching experiences?
What did you dislike?
How would you teach differently in retrospect?
What sources of knowledge did you draw upon in your past teaching (e.g., mentors, language learning experiences, supervisors, institutionally prescribed methods)?
In light of your past experiences, what do you need to know about TESOL methods that will support your intellectual skills in analyzing new situations and will equip you to teach in them?
Use language which makes sense to you as you describe the evolution of your ideas. You only need to use TESOL terminology if it is cohesive with your voice. This paper should be a reflective narrative piece rooted in your personal experience.
Evaluation Criteria
(25.0%) Thoughtfully discuss your experiences teaching languages.
(25.0%) Reflect upon the significance of your experiences for your future language teaching practice.
(25.0%) Raise questions about language teaching methods and contexts of learning.
(25.0%) Share a thoughtful, interesting 2-minute précis (summary) of your narrative with your classmates.
TEACHING METHOD DEMONSTRATIONS
WEIGHT: 20.0%
DEADLINE: Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 3
General Information
Each student will lead a 10-to-12-minute demonstration for one of the English language teaching methods or approaches as delineated in the AMLT book. The deadline to submit this assessment is on Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 3. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the level of comprehension and mastery of the material covered, focusing on the practical aspects of the course. The deadline to submit this assessment is on Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 3. The grade is stored in the online grade book. As only one attempt per piece of coursework is allowed, it is highly recommended that students review all course materials and complete practice and preparation tasks before attempting the graded assessment.
Description
To help each other to visualize the various methods that contribute to the historical terrain of our field, each class member will lead a 10-to-12-minute demonstration for one of the English language teaching methods or approaches as delineated in the AMLT book.
Evaluation Criteria
(20.0%) Include a brief 1-2 minute discussion of the history, main principles, and language learning theories underlying the method/approach and a critical evaluation. Explain in what situations this method might still be considered useful or appropriate. Feel free to use our readings in ULT as a resource for this.
(60.0%) Demonstrate the method or approach by teaching one activity (about 5 minutes) that exemplifies what you understand to be its main pedagogical tenets. Because some of us will be online, this may require more creativity and compromise.
(10.0%) Be sure to include a brief Q&A about the method or approach at the end of the presentation. Be prepared to discuss the questions: How much scope is there to use this method to explore language as a system? As a discourse? As ideology? and How might this method reflect and/or impact the social circumstances of a language learning environment?
(20.0%) Include a 1-page (approximately five hundred words) summary of the demonstration and share a digital copy with the class on the appropriate Academic Discussion Board and the Assignment Drop Box.
T.E.S.O.L. METHODOLOGY AND STRATEGY PROJECT
WEIGHT: 60.0%
DEADLINE: Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 6
General Information
This must be eight to twelve pages (approximately two to three thousand words) not including references, title page, and appendix. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the level of comprehension and mastery of the material covered over five weeks, focusing on the theoretical and practical aspects of the course. The deadline to submit this assessment is on Sunday at 23:59 (GMT+0) of Week 5. The grade is stored in the online grade book. As only one attempt per piece of coursework is allowed, it is highly recommended that students review all course materials and thoroughly edit their work before attempting the graded assessment.
Description
Presentation at the end of the course: An important aspect of this assignment will be a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation of your project to the class at the end of the quarter. Please include a 1-page handout and list of references.
The final project will explore some areas of T.E.S.O.L. methodology or strategy. It is recommended that students consult with the instructor as early as possible about their chosen topic. Students may approach their task in one of three ways: (1) You may write a theoretical research paper where you focus on a particular methodology, approach, or method-related issue, with an analysis of underlying assumptions and tensions; (2) you may develop a course plan and set of materials for a particular context with an extended rationale.
Whichever option is chosen, your paper must be more than a description of a set of materials or a particular methodology. Extensive analysis and connections must be made to the course readings as much as possible.
Option 1: Theoretical Research Paper
Students may investigate a particular methodology, approach, or method-related issue. They could: a) explore a current approach, such as Task-Based Language Teaching or Content-Based Language Teaching, or b) delve into a methods-related issue (such as TESOL standards).
Whichever of these they select, explain the approach or methods-related issue and include an analysis of its underlying assumptions. For example, what are its historical antecedents? How is the approach consistent (or not) with S.L.A. theories and research? What are its strengths? What potential problems might it present? In which situations might it be most successful? How might it need to be adapted to suit specific student demographics? What has research within T.E.S.O.L. demonstrated about the efficacy (or otherwise) of this approach/method?
This will be a theoretical paper, so you must read deeply and critically about the methodology or approach you select. Evaluation will depend on the extent of your reading beyond the course readings, how you synthesize your understandings, and demonstrate a thorough and critical understanding of the strengths and potential shortcomings of the approach or method. Please follow an academic A.P.A. style for writing this paper.
Option 2: Course Planning
Alternatively, students may develop a course plan with sample materials, including a rationale for a specific student population. Describe a pedagogical context that your course will address (e.g., teaching English to undocumented adult day workers in a community advocacy center, teaching academic writing in a linked history course, teaching academic English to (non) matriculated students). Be sure to provide detailed descriptions of the student populations and the course, along with a theoretical analysis and justification for your plan. The plan's theoretical analysis and justification must be grounded in the course readings.
The course plan should include a syllabus with the following elements: a course description, the overall goals and objectives of the course, a schedule of topics, and major assignments.
Additionally, provide a detailed plan for a single week or unit of activities.
This should include daily lesson plans, sample activities with teacher-student roles delineated, and homework assignments.
Furthermore, explain how and why all the materials developed will promote language learning among this student body.
Sample Topics
Blog-based ESL Writing Course
Course proposal for teaching grammar through popular music
Using immigrant women’s stories to develop literacy
Video serial course for teaching EFL to Swedish teens
Listening and Speaking Skill Development in Preliterate Refugees
The state of EFL in Taiwan
Specialized syllabi for adult English learners in Japan
Project-based teaching for large classes
Evaluation Criteria
(20.0%) Explore a topic that reflects the scope and content of the course.
(20.0%) Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the methodological tensions surrounding your topic. Include insightful reflection and personal theorizing.
(20.0%) Demonstrate appropriate lesson planning (Option 1) OR Demonstrate appropriate lesson planning (Option 2)
(10.0%) Write lucidly, support claims, and avoid redundancy.
(5.0%) Use APA style consistently, including an appropriately cited list of references.
(5.0%) Thoughtfully integrate class readings into your paper; reference at least 5 class readings.
(5.0%) Reference and demonstrate an understanding of at least five additional readings beyond class Readings.
(10.0%) Give a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation of your project.
(5.0%) Provide a succinct 1-page, bulleted handout and a list of references to accompany the presentation (avoid writing out entire sentences and paragraphs).
PARTICIPATION POLICY
Please be sure to review the following important information about the University Policies and Procedures.
All students must participate in all classroom activities, attend classes regularly, and prepare before classes for classroom activities that require advance preparation. Students need to fully appreciate that good attendance results in more opportunities to engage in quality participation, which, in turn, results in a more thorough acquisition of subject knowledge and higher participation grades.
Participation in classroom discussions indicates that students have read the assigned readings. Grades will not be based on the number of posts submitted or comments made in the classroom but on the overall quality of contributions to discussions.
If a student is unable to attend 3 or more classes, he/she may be asked to complete additional assignments to complete the course.
Mode of Attendance
For the portion of the course that takes place over Microsoft Teams:
Students are required to arrive on time and engage appropriately with their fellow students, their teacher(s) and course materials. They must attend with a functional web camera and microphone, have the latest version of Microsoft Teams installed on their computers, avoid attending via a mobile phone or web browser, and have all necessary materials to hand. Also, their cameras must be always switched on, except for occasions when privacy becomes a necessity. In addition, they must be appropriately attired, attend in an environment that will not distract them, their fellow students or their teacher(s), especially avoiding attending while in a vehicle, whether moving or stationary.
For the on-campus portion of the course:
The mandatory on-campus session meets as per the AUS Campus schedule. Good attendance is required to earn credits and pass the course. Students cannot arrive late or leave early. Students traveling from afar must plan accordingly, giving themselves plenty of time to arrive by the start of class. No exceptions can be granted.
Classroom Expectations
Classes start and end on time, with late entry or reentry allowed only under exceptional circumstances. All phones and electronic devices must be turned off.
GRADING
The expectation is that students read assigned materials prior to class. Class discussions are based on their reading of these materials and their reflections on what they have learned and how these relate to their experiences. Assignments are intended to encourage students’ exploration, reflection on and synthesis of assigned topics and course discussions.
Assessments are listed in the course syllabus and are due by the stipulated deadlines.
No assessment will be accepted after the day following the day it is due. If an assessment submission is one day late late, it will receive an automatic reduction in grade of one letter, for example, from an A to a B. After that, no late work will be accepted, and the student will receive an F grade for the assessment.
Submission of late papers must be approved in advance. Late final papers will not be accepted.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
Students are responsible for understanding the University Policies and how to use sources responsibly. Violations of academic integrity are taken very seriously. Students are asked to visit the course RESM 50011: Fundamentals of Graduate Research Reading and Writing to review important information on academic citation and referencing rules.
ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES POLICY
The University is committed to providing an accessible academic community. The Disability Services (DS) is responsible for providing accommodations to students with disabilities. Students must request accommodations or adjustments through the DS. Instructors cannot grant accommodation requests without prior DS approval. It is imperative to be in touch with the DSS as soon as possible to avoid delays in the provision of an accommodation.
The University takes student privacy seriously. Any medical documentation should be provided directly to the DS if a substantial accommodation is required. If a student misses any classes due to a short-term illness, he/she should notify his/her instructor but to avoid the inclusion of a doctor's note. Course staff will not request, accept, or review doctor's notes or other medical documentation. For more information, email DS@TheAUS.us
PUBLISHING OR DISTRIBUTING COURSE MATERIALS POLICY
Students may not post, publish, sell, or otherwise publicly distribute course materials without the written permission of the course instructor. Such materials include, but are not limited to, the following: lecture notes, lecture slides, video, or audio recordings, assignments, problem sets, examinations, other students’ work, and answer keys. Students who sell, post, publish, or distribute course materials without written permission, whether for the purposes of soliciting answers or otherwise, may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including a requirement to withdraw. Furthermore, students may not make video or audio recordings of class sessions for their own use without written permission from the instructor.
ETHICS AND USE OF PRIOR MATERIALS
It is never appropriate to use materials prepared for previous courses by students or faculty. Students should not use previously completed case write-ups, or summaries of readings.
WEEKLY CLASS MEETING SCHEDULE
Additional information can be found on the course website.
Please note: the syllabus may be modified prior to and during a course, including updates to assignments and additional material.