Postgraduate Course: Language Awareness for Second Language Teachers (EDUA11283)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Education |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The main aims of this course are to develop students¿ awareness of aspects of language that are most relevant to second language instruction, and to enable students to critically evaluate the presentation and coverage of language in pedagogical descriptions, textbooks, and forms of language assessment. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2012/13 Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Learn enabled: No |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| No Classes have been defined for this Course |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
|
| Delivery period: 2012/13 Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS2)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| No Classes have been defined for this Course |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Apply an up-to-date knowledge of findings from research on language description which are relevant to second language instruction;
2. Use a meta-language of linguistic terms to describe language with precision;
3. Analyse and evaluate the interaction between micro and macro aspects of language;
4. Critically appraise the degree to which pedagogical descriptions, textbooks, and forms of language assessment, cover a full range of language elements.
5. Evaluate the linguistic needs of learners in different language learning contexts. |
Assessment Information
4,000 word assignment
(a) Students will be given a choice of textbook units (these will cover a variety of possible learning contexts so that students can choose one relevant to their own future teaching context). They will choose one unit and provide a detailed critical analysis of its coverage of three of the areas of language focused on during the course.
(b) In consultation with their tutor, students will suggest and design three substantial changes to their chosen textbook unit. They will be expected to provide a detailed explanation and rationale for these changes. Students will be expected to relate their recommendations to a critical reading of theory and research on language.
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Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
1. Course Overview + The Language Continuum
The focus will be on the range of elements which constitute language from micro elements (e.g., phonemes and lexemes) to macro elements (e.g., discourse-level phenomena and the interaction between language and culture).
2. Grammar: Form, Meaning and Use
The focus will be on the importance of language instruction covering all aspects of grammatical elements: form (syntax); meaning (semantics) and function (pragmatics and discourse).
3. Lexis: From Lexemes to Formulaic Language
The focus will be on developing students¿ awareness of the role of formulaic language in learners¿ vocabularies. Focus will also be given to the view that lexis and grammar form a continuum as opposed to clearly defined categories of language. Findings from corpus analysis and research on construction grammar will be presented to students.
4. Grammar and Lexis: Written Language vs. Spoken Language
The focus will be on developing students¿ awareness of the differences between spoken and written grammar and vocabulary which have mainly been discovered through analysis of large corpora over the past few decades.
5. Pronunciation: Segmentals and Supra-segmentals
The focus will be on developing students¿ awareness of the importance of covering both segmentals and supra-segmentals in second language instruction. Particular focus will be given to the role of understanding supra-segmentals (elision, linking, assimilation, etc.) in developing effective listening skills.
6. Pragmatics: Pragmatic Competence vs. Grammatical Competence
The focus will be on developing students¿ awareness of the importance of pragmatic competence in effective communication. The issue of whether pragmatic competence can be taught will be covered as well as research which has compared the relative importance of pragmatic and grammatical competence in successful communication.
7. Discourse: Spoken and Written Discourse
The focus will be on developing students¿ awareness of features of language at the discourse level. Focus will be given to both spoken discourse (IRF sequences; overlapping; interrupting, etc.) and written discourse (cohesion, coherence and contrastive rhetoric,etc.).
8. Language and Culture: World Englishes; English as a Lingua Franca
The focus will be on the issues of: what version(s) of English should be taught to learners?; the development of world Englishes (e.g., Singlish); and intercultural communication.
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| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Core Text:
English Language: Description, Variation and Context
Edited by Jonathan Culpeper, Francis Katamba, Paul Kerswill, Ruth Wodak and Tony McEnery
Palgrave Macmillan, 2009
Recommended Readings:
Carter, R., & McCarthy, M. (2006). Cambridge grammar of English: A comprehensive guide ¿ spoken and written English grammar and usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1998). The grammar book: An ESL/EFL Teacher¿s Course. (2nd Ed.). Boston: Heinle & Heinle.
Celce-Murcia, M., & Olshtain, E. (2000).
Discourse and context in language teaching: A guide for language teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Cutting, J. (2008). Pragmatics and discourse: A resource book for students. (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Kasper, G., & Rose, K.R. (2002). Pragmatic development in a second language. Oxford: Blackwell.
Kelly, G. (2000). How to teach pronunciation. London: Longman.
Kramsch, C. (1993). Context and culture in language teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Nation, I.S.P. (2001). Learning vocabulary in another language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wray, A. (2002). Formulaic language and the lexicon. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Yule, G. (2010). The study of language (4th ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Second language |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | Mrs Moira Ross
Tel: (0131 6)51 6206
Email: Moira.G.Ross@ed.ac.uk |
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