English Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics

Module code: 7SSEE005
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Assessment:  coursework 
Two assignments of 3,500 words each. 

The aim of this course is to examine in detail specific areas of linguistic analysis relevant to language teaching. The course will provide students with an overview of key concepts, terms and models in the following areas, and relate these to syllabus, methodology, materials and other aspects of the second language curriculum. The course consists of an in-depth study of lexis, morphology, syntax, discourse analysis, and phonology.

Module code: 7SSEE009
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Assessment:  coursework 
1 essay of 3,500 words

This course looks at principles and theories which develop from and underpin the practice of language teaching. Its aims are to provide students with an advanced level understanding of how key theories of language (such as communicative competence) and key theories of learning (such as the behaviourist theory of learning) are related to approaches to language teaching; provide students with a critical overview of different approaches and methods in the field of language teaching, and conceptual frameworks for analysing, comparing and evaluating approaches and methods; provide students with a theoretically-informed understanding of the concept of a language education curriculum and how it relates to language teaching in different contexts; enable students to critically evaluate the following dimensions of the curriculum with reference to established perspectives: Syllabus Design, Learning Activities, Materials Design, Classroom Management, Roles of teachers and learners Curriculum development and renewal processes.
It will also enable students to use current theoretical frameworks to critically analyse their own professional practice, and identify areas and directions for development.

Module code: 7SSEE010
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  Semester 2 (spring) 
Assessment:  coursework 
1 essay of 3,500 words

Psycholinguistics is the study of the psychological, cognitive and neurobiological factors that affect the ability (or inability) to acquire, learn, use and understand language in humans and other animals. Whereas people acquire their first language quite effortlessly and unconsciously, the acquisition of a second language tend to be a conscious effort and thus psycholinguistic knowledge can have a real impact in both the learning and teaching of foreign languages. In addition, we will also look at language disorders, such as autism and Williams' syndrome, focussing on how studies of disorders can inform on language in general. The course also includes a practical session in a computer lab where students are familiarised with experimental design and learn to operate various software programmes and hardware used in psycholinguistic experiments.

Module code: 7SSMM603
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Assessment:  coursework 

Research methodology; quantitative techniques of econometric modelling of financial management data; questionnaire survey and interview methods of data collection and analysis; content analysis and financial statement analysis; research ethics.

Module code: 7SSEE011
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  Semester 2 (spring) 
Assessment:  coursework;  presentation/s; 
One essay of 2,000 words (60% of the assessment) and one 10 minute oral presentation (40% of the assessment) 

This course will explore the nature of both the individual and social processes involved in the development and use of a second language. Participants will be provided with an overview of SLA theory and research that has developed over the past 40 years, with a view to identifying key trends and principles relevant to classroom-based and informal pedagogies. On this course SLA is framed within a bi/multilingual development perspective.

Module code: 7SSEE002
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  summer session 1 
Assessment:  coursework 
1 essay of 3,500 words

All students need to be able to meet the linguistic demands of a course of study and this need is critical if they are studying in a second or foreign language. This course focuses on the central problem of written communication in academic contexts, and gives participants an opportunity to develop an understanding of the language and teaching issues that are central to EAP programmes. The course draws on a range of important theoretical and descriptive frameworks in building an account of how best we can help EAP students in particular functional systemic linguistics, genre analysis, and corpus linguistics. It also give practical insights into how to use this understanding in preparing practical courses for students studying in English. Apart from this focus on teaching writing, this course gives students the chance to focus on important issues in EAP in particular: preparing for the IELTS test, study skills, needs analysis and the management of EAP courses.

Module code: 7SSEE003
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  summer session 1 
Assessment:  coursework 
1 essay of 3,500 words

This module scrutinises the 'standard' principles and theories of language teaching against the backdrop of the socio-political context of ESOL/ESL in the UK, and other English dominant settings such as the USA, Canada and Australia. It places the teaching of migrants in the broader contexts of globalisation, 'superdiversity' and public policy, with particular reference to the backgrounds of adult migrants and ESOL/ESL teachers. We will explore some key social theories, eg theories of identity, Bourdieu's theory of capital, which have been applied to English language teaching and learning in English dominant settings.

Module code: 7SSEE015
Credit level: 7

This module aims to provide an understanding of the way digital technology can be integrated with different approaches to the language teaching curriculum, and the theoretical principles and research evidence that underpins this use of digital technology. Students will develop skills in evaluating, selecting, adapting, designing and using computer based and online materials and activities.

Teaching staff: Dr Jane Jones
Module code: 7SSEM022
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Assessment:  coursework 
One 6,000 word assignment.

This module aims to extend students' understanding of the key concepts of foreign/second language learning and acquisition theory including innatism, behaviourism and social constructivist approaches. We also explore the communicative language teaching approach, motivation, the increasingly important topic of learning/learner strategies, content-based language learning, and the linguistic and cultural representations modelled through film in the classroom. The module then examines how these concepts are applied in language teaching practices. MA students examine a range of teaching and learning approaches and the underlying theoretical precepts and relate this broad understanding to their own cultural and educational contexts. The module is interactive, being based on active learning methods and very student-focused. The session formats are varied and involve both personal reflection and collaborative learning. The module draws on a variety of key texts and draws on a wide range of international research to explore the key issues in language teaching and learning. Students choose to focus on one of the topics in greater depth for their end-of-module essay which will be agreed by the module tutor.

Teaching staff: Prof Ben Rampton
Module code: 7SSEM023
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 2 (spring) 
Assessment:  coursework 
One 6,000 word assignment.

This module addresses a number of perspectives on the relationship between language and power. It sets up a dialogue between theories and methods from social theory, critical discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics and linguistic anthropology. It examines the dynamics of language and power in, for example, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, education, informal, institutional & mass-mediated discourse, and global and local interaction. The module also helps students to conduct their own analyses.

 

By the end of this module, participants will have an understanding of relations of language and power in a wide range of domains and communicative settings, and an understanding of how relevant research approaches might be practically applied.

Module code: 7SSEE004
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  summer session 1 
Assessment:  coursework 
One 3,500 word assignment

This module aims to consolidate and build on the theoretical and experiential knowledge of language testing and assessment that module participants have acquired in their previous academic studies and professional practice. It aims to offer an up-to-date account of current developments and thinking in the field of language testing and assessment, with particular reference to English Language Teaching in different world locations. Discussions on theory and practice will be explicitly referenced to the two established paradigms in language assessment: psychometrically oriented language testing and classroom-based teacher language assessment.

Module code: 7SSEM024
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Assessment:  coursework 
6,000 word assignment

This course is designed for teachers, lecturers and others who are interested in examining some of the societal and individual linguistic consequences of the encounters between peoples and languages. The course will include the analysis of concepts such as bilingualism, multilingualism and the formation and function of languages like Caribbean Creoles and the Black Englishes of the United States and the UK.

Teaching staff: Prof Constant Leung
Module code: 7SSEM006
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 30
Semester:  Semester 2 (spring) 
Assessment:  coursework 
One 6,000 word assignment.

This module is designed for those who are involved in the education of language minority students in the primary, secondary and FE sectors in the UK and other similar societies where there is a high degree of ethnic and linguistic diversity. Students will gain an understanding of:

 

policy, theory and practice in the teaching and learning of English as a Second/Additional Language (ESL/EAL) in school/college settings principles and practice of integrating language and content teachingassessment of ESL/EAL development.

Module code: 7SSEE006
Credit level: 7

Education professionals are regularly involved in the introduction, management and evaluation of innovations, from the micro (e.g. selecting a new course book, designing a syllabus for a group of students) through to the macro ( e.g. commissioning a new IT system, renewing a national curriculum). This course is premised on three working assumptions. The first is that innovations in education are best implemented through the systematic use of project methodologies. The second is that projects are in themselves the expressions of theories of change- if I do x, and z conditions are fulfilled, then y will occur. The last assumption is that evaluation is a theory testing activity. This option is relevant to students who are interested in how we deal with change and innovation in English language teaching. Participants do not have to have previous management experience to benefit from the course, but those who have management experience will be encouraged to apply lessons learned during the course to their working situations.

Module code: 7SSEE007
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  summer session 1 
Assessment:  coursework 
1 essay of 3,500 words

This course will give participants a better idea of the role of materials within the ELT curriculum, and provide them with tools to investigate learners' needs, plan courses for ESP and General English classes, and analyse, design and adapt tasks and materials for their students. The course builds on work already done in all the previous courses, especially on task-based instruction and SLA, descriptions of English, curriculum design and pedagogy. Participants will have the opportunity to apply theory and principles from these earlier courses and put them to practical use.
This is a theory-informed practice oriented course and quite a large part of class time will be used for workshops where participants will work together in pairs and groups, evaluating, adapting and designing materials, and planning courses based on the needs of their students, with the help of the tutors. Some of the outputs from these workshops may be included in participants' assignments. Participants will be expected to find time between sessions to do further work on materials development tasks that they start in the workshop sessions, in addition to reading the key texts. It is also recommended that during the course participants spend some time looking carefully at published materials as a source of ideas on content, topics, task types, layout and design, methodology and syllabus. The assignment for this course can be in the form of a piece of professional work in materials design or materials evaluation, rather than a traditional academic essay.

Module code: 7SSEE008
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  Semester 1 (autumn) 
Assessment:  coursework 
1 essay of 3,500 words

Students will be required to draw on their experience reflexively in order to relate ideas from the course and from their reading to the practice of CLT in the various contexts that they are familiar with. Research on the nature of the skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking in a second/foreign language, will be critically examined together with research into the processes and strategies involved in acquiring these skills. Students will have the opportunity to relate current issues in teaching the language skills to their own contexts, through discussions and tasks in class as well as through the assessed coursework essays. Students will be able to choose an assignment title which focuses on one or more of the key topics covered, or they can negotiate their own title relating principles to practice in a specific context.

Module code: 7SSEE013
Credit level: 7
Credit value: 15
Semester:  summer session 1 
Assessment:  coursework 
1 essay of 3,500 words

For teachers who have little or no experience of teacher training, this course will provide a thorough overview of the field and introduce participants to the key issues. For those who are already teacher educators or responsible for teacher development in a managerial role the objective will be to extend and deepen knowledge and understanding of the central issues in teacher training, education and continued professional development in English language pedagogy. The course will familiarize participants with the relevant literature and encourage critical evaluation of this in the light of individual experience in order to develop awareness of the key choices available to a teacher educator in terms of approaches, methods and materials. This will involve the development of teacher training skills through collaborative workshops and through simulated teacher supervision and evaluation.
In addition to discussion of teacher education literature, there will be consideration of recent developments in applied linguistics. This will involve reflection on the implication of these with regard to the nature of curricula in existing teacher education programmes, and in relation to the planning and implementation of training/education/development initiatives in different teaching contexts.