Module LANG41715: English Language Teaching Management

Department: Durham Centre for Academic Development

LANG41715: English Language Teaching Management

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• at the end of the module students willl:
• understand the various roles and challenges faced by ELT managers (considering both operational vs strategic management and transformational vs transactional leadership)
• know how to deal with various practical issues facing ELT managers
• understand how change can be managed in different ways in an organisation
• have a toolkit (ie awareness of relevant resources) for further development after the course
• be able to decide whether ELT (educational) managerial positions might be of interest to them personally in the immediate or longer term future, with or without teaching experience

Content

• this course covers areas which are specifically relevant to someone in an ELT school or department with a managerial role (eg a head of department within a high school, a Director of Studies or a departmental coordinator). There is an emphasis on basic administrative and educational systems, on managing change (through teacher training and education) and on implementing effective evaluation systems. There is also recognition within the programme that many managers will need to support business English and Young Learners teaching since these are major areas of growth in ELT and/or are most relevant to high school teachers becoming managers.

Learning Outcomes

• differences between strategic and operational management
• differences between transformational and transactional leadership
• innovation theory, including a step-by-step process for implementing and evaluating change positively

• strategic planning so as to optimise organisational functionng and role fulfilment
• administrative tasks which are usually carried out by or overseen by ELT managers (eg timetabling, course enrolment, student records)
• ways of facilitating information flow and liaison
• syllabus design, testing and evaluation within a specific (imagined) future work scenario
• where to find resources to develop curricula and staff in general and also in new areas (specifically Teaching Young Learners and Business English) - ELT materials (formally published and OER), and teacher education
• teacher education and support for optimal use of human resources
• customer care

• ability to read and understand primary texts in language pedagogy, management and ELT management specifically
• strategic planning to optimise resources within any ELT context
• planning for effective innovation
• effective troubleshooting on a day-to-day basis, whatever the problem

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

• lectures will introduce the principles of management in general and ELT contexts and give students an opportunity to explore and discuss key issues, opportunities and managerial skills (relating to both strategic and operational management and considering both transformational and transactional managerial styles)
• the seminar will provide an informal setting for exploring ideas for lessons or approaches to testing etc, to be described and discussed in assignments

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Students are required to submit a 500-page draft of a late section of their summative assignment, showing how they are applying theory to an anticipated managerial context in an LTO (language teaching operation, e.g. school).

■ 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