Associate Professor Peter Crosthwaite
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Languages & Cultures School
This course provides an overview of second language development and use in formal and naturalistic settings. Key linguistic, cognitive and social factors that contribute to second learning are examined.
SLAT7805 takes students through the history of theories into Second Language Acquisition (SLA), from formal to functional, individual to social, cognitive to constructive and static to dynamic systems.ﾠWe see how the history of SLA theory mirrors the prevailing educational and social paradigms of the time, and see how SLA as a research field has developed over time into the state of the art of what we currently know about how second languages are learned.ﾠ We explore how SLA is both similar and different to acquiring first languages, while acknowledging the complexity involved in defining second language learning in light of research on bilingualism, third and heritage language learning. A live lecture is accompanied by a two-hour tutorialﾠwith practical activities that reinforce lecture content and prepare students to consider how SLA theory might impact professional practice (although this course is primarily about theories of learning, and not theories of teaching).
Course requirements
Assumed background
It is assumed that 32-unit MA Applied Linguistics students will have completed SLAT7001 Introduction to Second Language Learning and Teaching, SLAT7705 Structure of Language, and SLAT7706 Concepts in Applied Linguistics.ﾠ
Course staff
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course has the following goals:
- To foster an understanding of the principles and processes that govern second language learning and use.ﾠ
- To develop the ability to think critically about research findings in the field of SLA, and how the different theories of SLA contribute to our understanding of the field as a whole.
- To develop the analytical skills needed to apply knowledge of SLA/linguistic theoryﾠto the analysis of real-life examples of L2 data across different learning contexts and learners.
- To discover the effects and benefits of learning a second language in an increasingly multilingual world.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand current issues in the field of second language acquisition from an Australian and international perspective.
LO2.
Effectively analyse, organise and communicate the main theoretical concepts and methodological practice current in the field.
LO3.
Identify and address problems and come up with creative solutions to current issues in second language acquisition and use.
LO4.
Understand how the acquisition and use of second language(s)mediates knowledge of other cultures and societies.
LO5.
To create and evaluate student-built materials consolidating and sharing the knowledge gained from weekly lectures.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection |
Ripple: Material creation and evaluation
|
Pass/Fail |
26/05/2025 4:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique, Reflection |
In-semester essay
|
30% |
11/04/2025 4:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 7 |
| Presentation, Reflection |
Ripple: Reflection on own and other's materials
|
30% |
26/05/2025 4:00 pm
Monday, WEEK 13 |
| Essay/ Critique, Quiz, Reflection |
Take home summary questions and video reflection
|
40% |
13/06/2025 4:00 pm
Exam Week 1 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Ripple: Material creation and evaluation
- Hurdle
- Online
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution, Reflection
- Weight
- Pass/Fail
- Due date
26/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Student specific.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L05
Task description
RIPPLE is a technology developed through UQ that allows students to create learning materials, and have other students rate these materials for their effectiveness.
SLAT7805 will use of RIPPLE as a weekly ongoing assessment. This will work as an 'enhanced' version of a learning journal / weekly reflection of the type usually offered through Blackboard in other courses (i.e. SLAT7806).
Each week, students must create a set of learning materials based on a question posed by the course coordinator. These can be in the form of "worked examples" or "notes" and students will receive guidance, examples and training in the Week 1 tutorial about how to create these materials and upload them to the RIPPLE platform. Students should write the materials on their own (plagiarism will be referred to the SLC Integrity Officer for investigation), although students can supplement their materials with links to useful videos, journal articles, or other online resources. There is no minimum or maximum word limit on the submissions. The learning materials should be designed so as to be useful for MA-level students in understanding SLAT7805 course content. There are 12 weeks of content in SLAT7805, and students must complete at least 10 sets of learning materials to pass SLAT7805. RIPPLE tracks the number of materials students create. You have two weeks to complete each weeks' content from the Monday that week begins.
In addition, there is a short evaluation component for other students' learning materials. All SLAT7805 students should evaluate at least three other students' learning materials per week, for a minimum of 30 evaluations required to pass SLAT7805. Again, training on how to evaluate other's materials will be provided in the Week 1 tutorial. RIPPLE tracks the number of evaluations students complete.
Students' evaluations will leave a 'ranking' for the created learning materials, and students can use these materials to help them better understand weekly content in preparation for the in-semester essay and final take-home reflection assessments.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Al 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 Al 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 Al tools.
Hurdle requirements
10 materials and 30 evaluations must be completed to pass SLAT7805.Submission guidelines
Submission is via RIPPLE platform, link is available in Blackboard/Learn.UQ
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
No late submission permitted - a reminder e-mail will be sent to anyone who has not completed their resources/moderated others' resources in Week 12 to ensure completion.
In-semester essay
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Reflection
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
11/04/2025 4:00 pm
Friday, WEEK 7
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04
Task description
An argumentative essay of 1,250 words will be due for submission at the end of Week 7.
To prevent contract cheating, the topic of the essay will not be revealed until Friday Week 6. However, students can prepare by reading all course materials across Weeks 1-6 as the essay topic will require students to consider the relative merits and disadvantages of the SLA theories covered during these weeks' content.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This task has been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. Whilst students may use Al 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 Al 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 Al tools.
Submission guidelines
Submission via Turnitin
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
The maximum extension length ensures that assessors can provide timely feedback, supporting the progressive, sequential, and cumulative nature of language learning that underpins this course.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Ripple: Reflection on own and other's materials
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation, Reflection
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
26/05/2025 4:00 pm
Monday, WEEK 13
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L05
Task description
RIPPLE is a learner sourcing platform that allows students to create learning materials, and have other students rate these materials for their effectiveness.
In semester 1 2025, SLAT7805 will use RIPPLE as part of a weekly ongoing assessment. This will work as an 'enhanced' version of a learning journal / weekly reflection of the type usually offered through Blackboard in other courses (i.e. SLAT7806).
For the REFLECTION part of the assessment, students need to produce a VIDEO REFLECTION on the process and outcomes of creating their learning materials and evaluating the materials of others. Students should:
A) Comment specifically on ONE of their highest-ranked sets of learning materials and explain why/how these materials were chosen and how they might improve others' knowledge of SLAT7805 course content
B) Comment on TWO specific sets of learning materials supplied by others that the student ranked highly or found particularly useful, and how these improved the student's knowledge of SLAT7805 course content.
This video reflection should be approximately 5 minutes long. A link to upload the video will be given in the relevant 'assessment' folder in the course Blackboard site, with instructions also provided by your tutor prior to upload. A PPT is NOT permitted - you must simply talk to the camera showing your face in full screen mode.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submission via link to video upload in Blackboard/Learn.UQ
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 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Take home summary questions and video reflection
- Identity Verified
- Online
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique, Quiz, Reflection
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
13/06/2025 4:00 pm
Exam Week 1
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Take-home course summary questions to be released to students on Monday Week 13 and returned completed via Turnitin by 4pm on Friday of the first exam week. The assessment will be composed of 6 short-answer questions (between 200-250 words) worth a maximum 25 marks (total word count = 1,200-1,500). The questions will be based on key points of content across all weeks of SLAT7805.
In addition, a seventh question worth an additional 15 marks will ask students to reflect on how knowledge of SLA theory gained on SLAT7805 has changed their perception of how second languages are learned. Specific reference to SLAT7805 course materials should be included in the response. This final question should be answered in the form of a video reflection uploaded via a link in the relevant assessment folder in Blackboard. This video should be no more than 5 minutes long. You can present this any way you wish (i.e. your face talking to a screen, a recorded powerpoint with voiceover, etc.).
Submit electronic copy of written work to Turnitin on Blackboard, and upload Video separetely.
At the start of the video, you must show your UQ ID Card next to your face so that your identity is clear to your marker. No PPTs are allowed - you must simply talk to the camera showing your face in a full screen video. You will be asked to re-upload your video if you have not done this properly.
STATEMENT ON AI & MT
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct. However, the use of RIPPLE resources to assist with preparation for these questions is permitted (and does not need to be cited/referenced).
Submission guidelines
Submit written part via Turnitin.
Submit video via link in Blackboard/Learn.UQ.
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 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due 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 | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
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.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
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| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (24 Feb - 02 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Introduction to course, assessments, learning objectives, RIPPLE software Learning outcomes: L05 |
Week 2 (03 Mar - 09 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 2 Putting the S in SLA - how is the task of learning a first language different from learning a second language? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05 |
Week 3 (10 Mar - 16 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 3 Early theories in SLA: Behaviourism, Contrastive Analysis, Universal Grammar Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L05 |
Week 4 (17 Mar - 23 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 4 Its not what we know, its what we do that important: Functional approaches to SLA Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L05 |
Week 5 (24 Mar - 30 Mar) |
Lecture |
Week 5 The importance of input, interaction and output for SLA Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 6 (31 Mar - 06 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 6 The cognitive turn in SLA: Information/input processing, attention, priming, working memory, implicit/explicit knowledge, explicit learning Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 7 (07 Apr - 13 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 7 We learn more than we know: Implicit learning, usage-based and data-driven approaches to SLA Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 8 (14 Apr - 20 Apr) |
Lecture |
Week 8 The effect of other languages on SLA: The case of L1 transfer and what SLA theory has to say about it Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 9 (28 Apr - 04 May) |
Lecture |
Week 9 Social approaches to SLA Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 10 (05 May - 11 May) |
Lecture |
Week 10 Individual differences and trajectories in SLA Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 11 (12 May - 18 May) |
Lecture |
Week 11 Linear vs. Dynamic learning - Complex Adaptive Systems and SLA Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 12 (19 May - 25 May) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Do we still need "S" LA? What is the future of SLA theory in a multilingual, multicultural world? And where do language teachers fit in? Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Week 13 (26 May - 01 Jun) |
Lecture |
Week 13 Week 13 - Final assessment revision period, lecturer Q&A Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
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:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.