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Course profile

TESOL Curriculum & Pedagogy: Classroom Strategies (EDUC7031)

Study period
Sem 2 2024
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person

Course overview

Study period
Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
Study level
Postgraduate Coursework
Location
St Lucia
Attendance mode
In Person
Units
2
Administrative campus
St Lucia
Coordinating unit
Education School

This course provides tools and critical perspectives for the analysis, development and use of curriculum materials in second language classrooms. It provides students with an overview of dominant and emergent approaches to the teaching of TESOL, hands-on review of instructional materials, and classroom instructional techniques and strategies.



This course may not be offered in person if the enrolment is less than 10 students.

Thisᅠcourse uses applied principles of second language acquisition (SLA), with specific reference to practical classroom strategies for the learning and teaching of English to Speakers of other languages (TESOL). It provides a meta-language for discussing SLA and focuses on pedagogical strategies which teachers can use in a range of educational settings. The pedagogy of language teaching is approached via understandings about communicative competence and more recent concepts that refer to the kind of language ability that is needed for communication in a globalised world. Language teaching is explored through the macro planning of curriculum design and at the micro level of the classroom lesson. The development of the macro-skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing are surveyed as embedded within the social context of language learning.ᅠ Reflection on context and previous experience is emphasised. Students should take away from this course ideas that work in classrooms and ‘theories’ about why this is the case. Learning achievement in the course is assessed by curriculum design, micro teaching and critical reflection as students of teaching.ᅠ

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students are expected to bring experiences as a TESOL/TEFL/ESL/FL teacher (or a language or another subject teacher) to the course. As the course builds on prior teaching experience and reflection on that experience, the course is not suitable for students whoᅠhave not previously taught language or any other subject area in a formal or informal context. Students needing initial training and practice should consider enroling in an intensiveᅠcertificate program like CELTA available from ICTEᅠ http://www.icte.uq.edu.au/teachertraining/ᅠ.

Restrictions

Entry to the Master of Educational Studies, Graduate Certificate in Applied Linguistics and Master of Applied Linguistics programs.
Quota: Minimum 10 student enrolments for internal offering

Jointly taught details

This course is jointly-taught with:

  • Another instance of the same course

EDUC7031 external. Lectures are timetabled concurrently.

Course contact

Course staff

Lecturer

Tutor

Dr Tiare Gonzalez vidal
Mr Md Rabiul Alam
Ms Lanting Wang
Hang Mai

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

This course is being offered in internal and external modes concurrently. Each week, there is a one-hour hybrid (face-to-face and zoom) lecture for both groups of students. Then, there is a 2-hour tutorial each week on a different day from the lecture. The tutorial is face-to-face for internal students and online (zoom) for external students. Each week there will be 1 student presenting in class and 2-3 students will record and upload their presentations. Number of recorded presentations will depend on class size. Students are expected to attend the interactive tutorials and the presentations, as these provide valuable learning opportunities and experiences.  


Aims and outcomes

The course aims to enrich studentsメ repertoire of classroom techniques and strategies for teaching and learning of English to speakers of other languages by enhancing their understanding of how second languages are learned on the one hand and engaging them in the design, evaluation and reflection of classroom instruction andᅠinstructional materials in the light of contemporary L2 pedagogy on the other.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

LO1.

select, adopt and create materials and resources relevant for your teaching context

LO2.

critically evaluate your readings and other material presented

LO3.

review, analyse and critique materials related to TESOL curriculum and instruction

LO4.

engage in reflective practice related to your own teaching and that of others

LO5.

apply your understanding of how second languages are learned to language program design and instruction

Assessment

Assessment summary

Category Assessment task Weight Due date
Presentation Teaching presentation 30%

26/08/2024 - 21/10/2024

Project Curriculum Design 40% 3,000 words

30/09/2024 2:00 pm

Reflection Critical reflection 30% 1500 to 1800 words

4/11/2024 2:00 pm

Assessment details

Teaching presentation

Mode
Activity/ Performance
Category
Presentation
Weight
30%
Due date

26/08/2024 - 21/10/2024

Task description

Students will do a micro teaching presentation on some aspects of the weekly topic assigned by the tutor. This assessment task is natural, as teaching will be the main responsibility of students in the post-study TESOL career. Students will also have a great opportunity to learn from their peers’ presentations.

The presentation will focus on only small aspects of the topic for the week. For example, related to the weekly topic of Reading, student presentations may prioritise techniques and strategies of reading or stages of reading, or how to deal with new words while reading, or reading on paper or on screen, or goals of reading etc.

Each presentation will be 20 minutes. Some students will present in their tutorial group in real time, whether in the face-to-face classroom or on zoom, while other students will video record and upload it to the blackboard. The video recording must show the presenter as well as power point slides or any other materials that may be used.

The presentations will start from Week 6. Students will be notified the presentation schedule by Week 4. The additional tutorial hour in the first four weeks of the course will prepare students for the presentation and other assessment tasks.

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Extensions will be allowed only in unavoidable circumstances. Talk to your tutor if you have any such circumstance.

Late submission

A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.

Curriculum Design

Mode
Written
Category
Project
Weight
40% 3,000 words
Due date

30/09/2024 2:00 pm

Task description

This curriculum design project entails the preparation of a unit of work, or mini curriculum, applying the curriculum design model, proposed by Macalister and Nation (2020). In this project you will design, develop, teach (imagine) and justify a segment of a TESOL program or syllabus for a group of students for whom you are or might be responsible. Your unit design should consist of at least 4 lessons but should not exceed 6 lessons in total.  Programs may be based on classes you have taught recently or classes that could be taught in EFL contexts, ELICOS, Migrant Education, schools (Pre, Primary, Secondary), or classes you’d like to teach, etc. either in Australia or overseas.

In designing your curriculum, you should address the following:

Part A.

  1. The environment for your course, considering the nature of the learners, the teachers and the teaching situation
  2. The learner group and their specific language learning needs.
  3. The principles of language teaching and learning used to guide your design.

Part B.

  1. The goals of your unit
  2. Summary content and sequencing of a series of lessons
  3. Materials used for learning
  4. Assessment of learning, both formative and summative

Part C

  1. Reflective justification of your design, drawing clear connections between part A and Part B. In this section you should argue the relevance of your curriculum design for the teaching situation and the needs of the learner group. The choices that you make in relation to goals, content, materials and assessment processes should be clearly justified in relation to research-informed theories of language teaching and learning. You should draw on course readings and current relevant literature to support your justification.

Note that your curriculum design project should not be based on an existing English language course book.  APA referencing must be used. 

Submission guidelines

Submitting your work via Turnitin

Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial. The module can be found at: https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity

In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university. In some cases, resubmission may be part of the requirements for the course assessment.

When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin you should receive a confirmation page as a digital receipt. You will receive this information via your student e-mail account. If you do not receive a submission ID you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Late submission

A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.

Critical reflection

Mode
Written
Category
Reflection
Weight
30% 1500 to 1800 words
Due date

4/11/2024 2:00 pm

Task description

Kumaravadivelu (2001), in reviewing the role of the teacher proposed three possibilities: teacher as passive technician, teacher as reflective practitioner and teacher as transformative intellectual. How do you now see your role as a teacher of English? 


Drawing on your engagement with this course across the semester, you will review the content you have engaged with and critically reflect on your professional development as a teacher of English as a second or additional language. In writing your critical reflection you should:


  • contextualise your own learning journey as a TESOL teacher, including the role of English in your own life, as a learner and as teacher
  • draw on a selection of readings (at least 5), other materials and activities from the course, and the two major assessment tasks to analyse the ways in which these have contributed to your consideration of yourself as a teacher of English and the development of your disciplinary skills
  • discuss how you see your future role as a teacher of English, incorporating both challenges and aspirations for your future careers.


This assignment is a personal critical reflection of your own learning journey across the semester and as such, it is appropriate that it be written in first person, to enable you to incorporate your own voice in the text. We strongly encourage you to regularly and briefly document your learning each week during the semester, noting your ongoing experiences as a learner. These notes will form a strong basis for this assignment.

Submission guidelines

Submitting your work via Turnitin

Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial. The module can be found at: https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity

In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university. In some cases, resubmission may be part of the requirements for the course assessment.

When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin you should receive a confirmation page as a digital receipt. You will receive this information via your student e-mail account. If you do not receive a submission ID you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Late submission

A penalty of 1 grade for each 24 hour period from time submission is due will apply for up to 7 days. After 7 days you will receive a mark of 0.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Grade Description
1 (Low Fail)

Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.

Course grade description: Fails to provide materials of any substance or the materials provided are not suitable to the course requirements.

2 (Fail)

Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes.

Course grade description: Fails to provide evidence of the understanding of or ability to apply teaching and learning principles and strategies from the course. No evaluative comment.

3 (Marginal Fail)

Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes

Course grade description: Superficial understanding of language teaching and learning principles; limited ability to apply these principles; little or no critical evaluation; resources and tasks are unconvincing or inappropriate; or quality of written or oral communication is poor.

4 (Pass)

Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes.

Course grade description: Adequate understanding of language teaching and learning principles; limited critical evaluation; sequencing is sometimes inappropriate or inconsistent; written communication is largely free of errors that effect readability.

5 (Credit)

Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes.

Course grade description: Understanding of language teaching and learning principles and awareness of their relevance; aspects of critical evaluation; some attempt to vary resources and strategies, and to sequence tasks, infrequent errors.

6 (Distinction)

Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes.

Course grade description: Frequent evidence of original thought, some critical thought and evaluation; some diversity of resources and strategies, logical sequencing of tasks, useable formats for learning and teaching.

7 (High Distinction)

Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes.

Course grade description: Consistent evidence of substantial thought, an ability to critique and evaluate; use of a diversity of resources and strategies, logical sequencing of tasks, engaging formats for teaching and learning, error free.

Additional course grading information

All three assignments in this course will be provided a grade out of 7. The final grade will be calculated using the weighting and the individual assignment grades as follows.

Example:

A student receives the following three grades

Assignmentᅠ 1 (A1) : grade of 6 at 30% weighting

Assignment 2 (A2): grade of 5 at 40% weighting

Assignment 3 (A3): grade of 6 at 30% weighting

The final grade for this student taking into account the weighting of each assignment would be:

ᅠᅠᅠ (A1)ᅠᅠᅠᅠ +ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ (A2)ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ +ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ (A3)ᅠᅠᅠᅠᅠ

(0.30ᅠx 6) + (0.40ᅠx 5) + (0.30ᅠx 6) = 1.6 + 2 + 1.6ᅠ= 5.2

The final grade would be rounded to the nearest whole number; in this case the grade would be 5.

The final grade may also be rounded up or down to the nearest whole number taking into account The University of Queensland grade descriptors outlined in section 5.2. If the student has demonstrated evidence across the course that best aligns with a specific grade descriptor, that grade will be allocated.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Additional assessment information

The following applies to all assessments in this course: 

Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the 'Assessment' folder in Blackboard for this course. 


Release of assessment item marks and feedback  

In addition to the grade awarded, feedback will be provided in a timely manner to enable students to apply the feedback to further tasks within the course or program and/or plan for supplementary assessment, requests for re-mark, or re-enrolment. However, as per UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Policy, results for the final assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released. Time frames for applications for assessment re-mark are indicated under the Assessment Procedure

 

Re-mark policy  

After each assessable item, students will be given the opportunity to view their assessment and so satisfy themselves that a marking or administrative error has not occurred. The formal process of querying a course result (requesting a remark on academic grounds) is set out in the UQ Policy and Procedures Library under the Assessment Procedure


Use of generative AI to support or inform assessment  

This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance. 

A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. 

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.  

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

A Blackboard site has been set up as part of the course and students are expected to visit the site at least weekly to monitor updates on readings, to read materials posted there, to visit web-links and to contribute to on-going ‘bulletin board’ sessions.ᅠ Please ensure that you monitor your UQ emails regularly asᅠall course communication occurs through Blackboard and announcements from Blackboard go out to your UQ email address. Students should take advantage of any additional materials and linksᅠ available through this mechanism. Students have automatic access to the Blackboard site logging in using their student computer ID and password. This site can be accessed from on campus, or externally. Lecture recordings, and any tutorial materials will be available there.ᅠ ᅠ

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

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Learning period Activity type Topic
Week 1

(22 Jul - 28 Jul)

Lecture

Week 1

Introduction and course overview

Week 2

(29 Jul - 04 Aug)

Lecture

Week 2

TESOL curriculum development, needs analysis and teaching approaches

Week 3

(05 Aug - 11 Aug)

Lecture

Week 3

Relating L2 learning, curriculum design and language teaching

Week 4

(12 Aug - 18 Aug)

Lecture

Week 4

TESOL curriculum, syllabus and assessment

Week 5

(19 Aug - 25 Aug)

Lecture

Week 5

TESOL curriculum and teaching materials: Scope and evaluation

Week 6

(26 Aug - 01 Sep)

Lecture

Week 6

Receptive macroskill: Teaching listening

Week 7

(02 Sep - 08 Sep)

Lecture

Week 7

Receptive macroskill: Teaching reading

Week 8

(09 Sep - 15 Sep)

Lecture

Week 8

Productive macroskill: Teaching speaking

Week 9

(16 Sep - 22 Sep)

Lecture

Week 9

Teaching vocabulary

Week 10

(30 Sep - 06 Oct)

Lecture

Week 10

Productive macroskill: Teaching writing

Week 11

(07 Oct - 13 Oct)

Lecture

Week 11

Multiliteracy in TESOL classroom

Week 12

(14 Oct - 20 Oct)

Lecture

Week 12

Errors, vareities and cultures

Week 13

(21 Oct - 27 Oct)

Lecture

Week 13

Translanguaging in the classroom

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.