Postgraduate Course: Teaching Languages to Young Learners (EDUA11347)
Course Outline
| School | Moray House School of Education |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course introduces students to the main theories, principles and practices involved in teaching languages to Young Learners. |
| Course description |
This course builds on a number of issues that have been covered in the TESOL and Language Teaching compulsory courses and reconsiders them in the light of what is known about teaching young learners and their learning. Course students will consider how learning languages fits into the overall learning experience of young learners, what insights research has given into the ways in which children's thinking develops, and the implications of this for learning and teaching languages. The course will consider different approaches to teaching, assessing and evaluating young learners, as well as issues related to policy, identity, interculturality and linguistic diversity in the Teaching of Languages to Young Learners classroom.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
| Course Start Date |
15/01/2018 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
196 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Summative
Students will be required to produce a 4000-word essay (100% weight) on one of the areas of TLYL introduced in the course. The essay will include 1) a review of the current debates and recent research findings in the chosen area, 2) the design of materials for a TLYL lesson for a specific group of young learners and 3) a theoretically informed discussion explaining the rationale underpinning the pedagogical decisions made in the essay. The essay will be marked in line with the common post-graduate marking scheme as detailed in the "Taught Masters Generic Handbook", which students receive at the start of their studies.
Formative
Students will also be asked to engage in an online task on LEARN in order to receive formative feedback from their tutor and peers. This formative assessment will not be marked.
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| Feedback |
Students will receive regular feedforward from their tutor and peers in addition to the tutor's feedback provided at the end of the course on the summative assessment. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the main theories, principles and concepts underpinning TLYL.
- Demonstrate extensive, detailed and critical knowledge and understanding of current issues in TLYL such as language policy, identity, interculturality or linguistic diversity.
- Identify, critically analyse and evaluate different approaches to TLYL such as task-based learning, the use of storytelling or technology.
- Apply critically and in a context-sensitive manner the main theoretical strands and concepts underpinning TLYL to their future professional practice and research.
- Develop original and creative sets of materials/lessons/assessment to Teach Languages to Young Learners based on key principles and theories as well as developments at the forefront of the field.
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Reading List
Indicative reading
Core texts
- Bland, J. 2015. Teaching English to Young Learners: Critical Issues in Language Teaching with 3 to 12 year olds. London: Bloomsbury
- Cameron, L. 2001. Teaching Languages To Young Learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Additional texts
- Cameron, L. 2003. Challenges for ELT from the expansion in teaching children. ELT Journal 57 (2): 105-112.
- Copland, F., Garton, S., Burns, A. 2014. Challenges in teaching English to young learners: Global perspectives and local realities. TESOL Quarterly 48 (4): 738-762.
- Copland, F. and Garton, S. 2014. Key themes and future directions in teaching English to young learners. English Language Teaching Journal 68 (3): 223-230.
- Donaldson, M. 1978. Children¿s Minds. London: Fontana.
- Enever, J. 2014. Primary English teacher education in Europe. English Language Teaching Journal 68 (3): 231-242.
- Gonzalez, V. 2009. Young Learners, Diverse Children: Celebrating Diversity in Early Childhood. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin.
- Garton, S., Copland, S. and Burns, A. 2011. Investigating Global Practices in Teaching English to Young Learners. ELT Research Papers 11-01. London: The British Council.
- Halliwell, S. 1992. Teaching English in the Primary Classroom. Harlow: Longman ¿
- Moon, J. and Nikolov, M. (Eds.). 2000. Research into Teaching English to Young Learners. Pecs, Hungary: University of Pecs Press.
- Murphy, V. 2014. Second Language Learning in the Early School Years: Trends and Contexts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Pinter, A. 2011. Children Learning Second Languages. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Pinter, A. 2006. Teaching Young Language Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Rich, S. 2015. International Perspectives on Teaching English to Young Learners. NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Siraj-Blatchford, I. and Clarke, P. 2000. Supporting Identity, Diversity and Language in the Early Years. Buckingham: Open University Press.
- Spolsky, B. and Moon, Y. 2012. Primary school English-language education in Asia: From policy to practice. Routledge.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
This course will contribute to the development of students' generic cognitive skills, communication skills, autonomy and ability to work with others in line with criteria 3 to 5 of the SCQF Level 11 descriptor. In particular, students will be able to critically reflect on and identify key issues related to the teaching of languages to young learners and propose creative responses to these issues. |
| Keywords | Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages,Young Learners,Language Teaching |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Florence Bonacina-Pugh
Tel: (0131 6)51 6359
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Moira Ross
Tel: (0131 6)51 6206
Email: |
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