MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Module Learning Outcomes: The students will gain an understanding of principles and implementation of classroom procedures, activities, and techniques. They will be introduced to key issues in lesson planning and preparation. They will be able to improve their evaluation skills, and evaluate and reflect on their own as well as their peers’ teaching practice sessions.

Module Content: This module will enable the students to gain practical skills in real classroom situations as well as in a peer-peer teaching environment.  Areas covered will include: learning a language, teaching grammar, deductive vs inductive approaches to teaching, classroom skills, teaching listening skills, teaching reading skills, teaching speaking skills, teaching writing skills, teaching vocabulary.

Method of Learning and Teaching

Theoretical component
Input sessions in the form of 8 two-hour workshops
Microteaching in TP1
Teaching Practice in TP2
Research Project presentations

Each participant will be required to produce a lesson plan for each lesson that they teach. Each participant will also be required to observe peers’ lessons and be encouraged to reflect on own as well as peers’ lessons during post-observation feedback sessions led by a tutor. There will be guided sessions and group work to prepare lessons and lesson material. Feedback on teaching practice will be held as a group and individually where appropriate.

Method of Assessment: 75 % of the assessment involves evaluation of teaching practice (one out of two microteaching sessions formally assessed in TP1 and all the four teaching practice sessions formally assessed in TP2). 25 % of the assessment will involve an oral presentation. This will be in the form of a research project, with the focus to be agreed by the tutor.

Essential Reading

Hall, G. (March 2011. Exploring ELT: Language in Action. Routledge.

Scrivener, J. 2011. Learning Teaching. Heinemann.

Thornbury, S. 1997. About Language: Tasks for Teachers of English. Cambridge University Press

Module Learning Outcomes: Students will be introduced to key research relating to second language acquisition, and principles relating to classroom procedures, activities, and techniques. They will develop their understanding of teacher talk and the analysis of classroom data.

Module Content: The following topics will be discussed:

Methodology and the Classroom
Communication in the classroom
Teaching and learning grammar and vocabulary
Teaching and learning language skills
Correction and assessment

Method of Learning and Teaching: There will be lectures and seminars for 2 hours a week over one 12-week teaching period. There will also be guided individual and pair/group tasks and presentations, as well as study and discussion of printed and video materials.

Method of Assessment: There are three assessment tasks for this module:

1. Presentation (25%) (1,000 words equivalent). Presentation on an aspect of classroom pedagogy.

2. Summary writing (25%) (1,000 words equivalent). Summaries, in candidate’s own words, of 4 relevant research articles/chapters.

3. Project (50%) (2,000 words equivalent). A critical evaluation of an area of language teaching pedagogy.

Essential Reading

Richards, J. and Renandya, W. 2002. Methodology in Language Teaching. CUP
Scrivener, J. 2005. Learning Teaching.  Macmillan

Number of credits: 20

Module content: This module covers two key areas of TESOL: materials evaluation, adaptation and development and syllabus design and evaluation.  

The module covers the following topics:

• course design;

• holistic approaches to syllabus design;

• lexical approaches to syllabus design;

• needs analysis, objectives and course evaluation;

• approaches to materials analysis;

• syllabus and course book materials;

• authenticity and natural language;

• electronic materials;

• the management of change.

Assessment: Assessment is via two written assignments of 2,000 words each.

Assignment 1 (50%) students prepare a set of materials for a particular class and write up the rationale for their materials.  (to be submitted on the Friday of week 20)

Assignment 2 (50%) students evaluate an existing course or a strand of a syllabus with reference to the relevant literature (to be submitted on the Wednesday of week 25).

Essential Reading

Graves, K. 1997 Teachers as Course Developers  CUP.

McGrath, I. 2002. Materials Evaluation and Design for Language Teaching. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Nation, I.S.P. and Macalister, J. 2010. Language Curriculum Design. Abingdon: Routledge

Richards J. 2000. Curriculum Development in Language Teaching Cambridge: CUP.

Tomlinson, B. (ed). 2011. Materials Development in Language Teaching. 2^nd edition  Cambridge:  CUP.

Module content: This module aims to introduce students to context-based understanding of written and spoken discourse. It will provide students with a grounding in the major theories and methodologies of discourse analysis, and provide practical experience of their application. It will enable students to make informed methodological choices when conducting their own analyses.

The module will provide students with an introduction to the fundamentals of text analysis, beginning with a consideration of the nature of ‘text’ and ‘discourse’, and of differences between written and spoken text. We will then look at some of the key traditions and approaches to discourse analysis, such as genre and register, systemic functional grammar, pragmatics, conversation analysis and critical discourse analysis. These approaches will be applied to the analysis of spoken and written discourse in a variety of contexts such as classroom interaction, cross-cultural communication and media discourse.

Method of Assessment: Research project of 4000 words, chosen by the student from a selection of set topics. (100%)

Indicative Reading:
Caldas-Coulthard, C. and Coulthard, M. (eds) (1996) Texts and Practices: Readings in Critical Discourse Analysis. London: Routledge.

Carter, R., Goddard, A., Reah, D., Sanger. K, & Bowring, M. (2008). Working with Texts: A Core Introduction to Language Analysis. London: Routledge

Coulthard, M. (ed). (1994) Advances in Written Text Analysis. London: Routledge.

Grundy, P. (2008 edn) Doing Pragmatics. London: Hodder Education

The module extends students’ knowledge of English grammar and lexis as applied to speech and writing. In considering written grammar, extensive reference will be made to functional grammar. In considering spoken grammar, extensive reference will be made to Carter and McCarthy’s Cambridge Grammar of English.

Specifically the module introduces grammatical terms and definitions (what is a ‘word’, within and beyond the word - morphology and beyond the level of the segment, through to phrase and clause level and the notion of the ‘sentence’).

The module explores the relationship between lexicosyntax and semantics, (ideology, metaphor, loanwords, lexical variations, variations in lexis variations in grammar, global English, gender, language variety, dialect, ethnicity); explores beyond the sentence (discourse analysis) and explores grammar and applications (lexicography, pedagogy, translation).

Method of Assessment:  

Assessment is in the form of 2 written assignments of 2000 words (excluding appendices).

Assignment one (50%) is due on Friday week 11

Assignment two (50%) is due Friday week 18.

Students will demonstrate their ability to design, conduct and report the results of a research project in the subject domain relevant to their Master programme. They will work independently, under the guidance of a supervisor. Preparing a Masters dissertation is a complex exercise which will strengthen and test various subject-specific and transferable research skills, including research methodology and academic writing.

Method of Assessment: Master Dissertation of 15,000 words to be submitted on completion of the programme (usually 30 September).