Descripción y contextualización de la asignatura

Goals



This course aims to present the fundamental concepts of syllabus design and language teaching, specifically as they apply to second / foreign language teaching and learning. The main objectives of the classes will be the following:



(i) To present the main approaches to syllabus design and methodology;

(ii) To present and analyze the main teaching methods in second / foreign language teaching;

(iii) To examine current trends in classroom research and how they can inform the syllabus design practice.



For the practical component of the course, you will be required to do classroom / homework assignments, as well as an oral presentation (in pairs or individually) consisting on the design of an instructional sequence in a teaching unit framed within one of the approaches (at your choice) that will be presented in class. Guidelines on the presentation will be provided in due course. Homework will be assigned throughout the course and will be returned the following week with the necessary comments.



Class material



The material for the course will be available in Moodle (http://moodle6.ehu.es). You will find a copy of complementary materials and worksheets in the photocopy shop (ground floor).

Convocatoria ordinaria: orientaciones y renuncia

Attendance policy



This is a graduate course and it is assumed that you are here to learn as much as possible. Therefore, class attendance is compulsory. You are not permitted to be absent without a very good reason and you should let me know of any planned absences in advance.





Final evaluation



Final evaluation will be based on the oral presentation (30%), class participation and classroom / homework assignments (30%), and a final exam (40%), which will be based on key concepts presented during class discussion and seminar readings. The percentage corresponding to the oral presentation, class participation and homework assignments will be considered if and only if the final exam has been passed.





Requirements for written work



1. All written homework must be done by computer, double-spaced.

2. Assignments of more than one page must be stapled together.

3. Assignments must be handed in prior to the beginning of the class period that they are due.

4. Late assignments will receive no credit.

Convocatoria extraordinaria: orientaciones y renuncia

Students who fail any of the evaluation tasks will resit them in the second and/or subsequent calls. Grades obtained in the grading tasks (if 5 or above) will be kept for subsequent calls.

Temario

Goals



This course aims to present the fundamental concepts of syllabus design and language teaching, specifically as they apply to second / foreign language teaching and learning. The main objectives of the classes will be the following:



(i) To present the main approaches to syllabus design and methodology;

(ii) To present and analyze the main teaching methods in second / foreign language teaching;

(iii) To examine current trends in classroom research and how they can inform the syllabus design practice.



For the practical component of the course, you will be required to do classroom / homework assignments, as well as an oral presentation (in pairs or individually) consisting on the design of an instructional sequence in a teaching unit framed within one of the approaches (at your choice) that will be presented in class. Guidelines on the presentation will be provided in due course. Homework will be assigned throughout the course and will be returned the following week with the necessary comments.



Class material



The material for the course will be available in Moodle (http://moodle6.ehu.es). You will find a copy of complementary materials and worksheets in the photocopy shop (ground floor).



Attendance policy



This is a graduate course and it is assumed that you are here to learn as much as possible. Therefore, class attendance is compulsory. You are not permitted to be absent without a very good reason and you should let me know of any planned absences in advance.





Final evaluation



Final evaluation will be based on the oral presentation (30%), class participation and classroom / homework assignments (30%), and a final exam (40%), which will be based on key concepts presented during class discussion and seminar readings. The percentage corresponding to the oral presentation, class participation and homework assignments will be considered if and only if the final exam has been passed.





Requirements for written work



1. All written homework must be done by computer, double-spaced.

2. Assignments of more than one page must be stapled together.

3. Assignments must be handed in prior to the beginning of the class period that they are due.

4. Late assignments will receive no credit.









Course program





Unit 1. Curriculum and syllabus design



1.1 Some preliminary questions

1.2 Defining basic concepts: Curriculum, syllabus, methodology, method, curriculum development, syllabus design, course design.

1.3 Curriculum theory: main approaches



Seminar readings



Clark, J.L. (1987). Curriculum Renewal in School Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.



Finney, D. (2002). The ELT curriculum: A flexible model for a changing world. In J. Richards & W.A. Renandya (eds.), Methodology in Language Teaching. An Anthology of Current Practice (pp. 69-79). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.



Robinson, P. (2009). Syllabus design. In M. H. Long & C. J. Doughty (eds.), The Handbook of Language Teaching (pp. 294-310). Oxford: Blackwell.



Skehan, P. (2010). Second and foreign language Learning and teaching. In M. Berns (ed.), Concise Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (pp. 350-357). Oxford: Elsevier Ltd.







Unit 2.Teaching methods in second / foreign language teaching



2.1 Historical overview of methods (from Grammar-Translation method to Notional-functional syllabus)

2.2 Current approaches









Seminar readings



Brown, H. D. (1994). A ¿methodical¿ history of language teaching. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (pp. 47-72). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Regents.



Brown, H. D. (1994). The present: An informed ¿approach¿. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy (pp. 47-72). Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Regents.







Unit 3. Approaches to curriculum and methodology



3.1 Structural syllabus

3.2 Task-based language teaching

3.3 Content and Language integrated learning

3.4 Project work



Seminar readings



Dalton-Puffer, C. (2011). Content-and-language integrated learning: From practice to principles? Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 31: 182-204.



Ellis, R. (1993). The structural syllabus and second language acquisition. TESOL Quarterly 27(1): 92-114.



Nunan, D. (2004). What is task-based language teaching? Task-based Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.



Nunan, D. (2004). A framework for task-based language teaching. Task-based Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.



Stoller, F. (2002) Project Work: A Means to Promote Language and Content. In J. Richards & W.A. Renandya (eds.), Methodology in Language Teaching. An Anthology of Current Practice (pp. 107-119). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.







Unit 4. Classroom research: current trends



4.1 Interactionist classroom research

4.2 The effect of instruction

4.2.1 The effect of different types of instruction

4.2.2 The effect of explicit vs. implicit instruction

4.3 Sociocultural classroom research

4.4 Action research



Seminar readings



De Graaff, R. & Housen, A. (2009). Investigating the effects and effectiveness of L2 instruction. In M. H. Long & C. J. Doughty (eds.), The Handbook of Language Teaching (pp. 726-755). Oxford: Blackwell.



Mitchel, R. (2009). Current trends in classroom research. In M. H. Long & C. J. Doughty (eds.), The Handbook of Language Teaching (pp. 675-705). Oxford: Blackwell.

Bibliografía

Bibliografía básica

Basic references





Clark, J.L. (1987) Curriculum Renewal in School Foreign Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.



Council of Europe (2001). Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (Versión española: (2002) Marco Común Europeo de Referencia para las lenguas: aprendizaje, enseñanza, evaluación. Madrid: M.E.C. y Anaya)



Coyle, D. (2007). Content and language integrated learning: Toward a connected research agenda for CLIL pedagogies. The International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 10: 543-562.



Decreto 97/2010 por el que se modifica el Decreto 175/2007 por el que se establece el currículo de la Educación Básica y se implanta en la CAPV.



Decreto 122/2010 por el que se modifica el Decreto 23/2009 por el que se establece el currículo del Bachillerato y se implanta en la CAPV



Lasagabaster, D. & Sierra, J. M. (2010). Immersion and CLIL in English: more differences than similarities. ELT Journal 64: 376-395.



Nunan, D. (1988). Syllabus Design. Oxford: Oxford University Press.



Nunan, D. (2004). Task-Based Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.



Ribé, R. & Vidal, N. (1993). Project Work. Step by Step. Oxford: Heinemann.



Richards, J. & Renandya, W. (2002). Methodology in Language Teaching. An Anthology of Current Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.



Sierra, J.M. (2001). Project Work and Language Awareness: Insights from the Classroom. In D. Lasagabaster y J.M. Sierra (eds.), Language Awareness in the Foreign Language Classroom (pp. 181-202)Zarautz: UPV/EHU.



Van den Branden, K., Bygate, M. & Norris, J. M. (Eds.) (2009). Task-based Language Teaching: A Reader. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.