Module LANG40130: LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS AND PRACTICE

Department: Language Centre

LANG40130: LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODS AND PRACTICE

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• At the end of the module, students will:
• demonstrate a facility with a variety of teaching methodologies;
• evaluate their own teaching, developing self-awareness of their own teaching style;
• know how to analyse and appraise the needs of students whilst having the capacity to formulate and be able to respond to such needs in the classroom;
• be able to prepare lesson plans and deliver lessons appropriate to the needs of the students;
• teach classes using familiar and unfamiliar methodologies;
• be able to design and implement appropriate lesson sequences.

Content

• This module includes lectures on issues in the practice, methods and planning of language teaching, and the construction of related curricula as well as the syllabi through which they are realised. It will also serve as an interface between the more theoretical components of the course and the student's future practice, showing their relevance to the classroom. It will examine the learner and learning styles, individualised responses, classroom management and lesson planning based on existing pedagogical literature, planning from lesson to lesson, and the syllabus design options currently available to those involved in curriculum planning. Students are expected to design and deliver four lessons over the course of the module. Emphasis is placed on retrospective evaluation of the lessons in terms of delivery and teaching method and students are encouraged to develop their own unique teaching style. Methods will be proposed to help them explore their own creativity.

Learning Outcomes

• Understanding of the scope of language teaching techniques and methodologies currently available.
• Understanding of issues of and techniques for classroom management.
• Knowledge of lesson plan design based on the range of current techniques in language pedagogy.

• Ability to critically appraise the language teaching techniques and methodologies currently available.
• Ability to critically evaluate teaching techniques.
• Development of pedagogical creativity.
• Ability to apply appropriate techniques for classroom management.
• The teaching of language in an authentic setting.
• Ability to design and implement lesson plans that fully reflect a critical mastery of the techniques now available.

• Ability to read and understand primary texts in language pedagogy.
• Ability to understand critically evaluate ones's own performance and that of others.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures will provide background in language teaching, the learner and learning styles, classroom management and lesson preparation, whilst showing the historical origins and development of the techniques to be employed. This input will provide the basis for writing the essays that form a component of the assessment.
• Teaching Practicals provide students with the opportunity to deliver lessons that they have prepared. This will be done prior to assessment and as part of assessment.
• Tutorials provide an informal setting for creating lessons and discussion difficulties that arise in teaching.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Lesson plans, teaching practice, evaluation, rationale.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University