Course syllabus

LT 301 course outline 2018-3.pdf 

LANGTCHG 301

SEMESTER 1, 2018

15 points

 
Course Convenor: 

Rosemary Wette - r.wette@auckland.ac.nz

 Teacher:

Rosemary Wette - r.wette@auckland.ac.nz

Course delivery format:

E.g. - 1x 2 hour interactive lecture per week, plus 4x 1-hour tutorials (in Weeks 2, 5, 8 and 11) to assist with assignment and test preparation.

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services Online)

The subject of this course is the second language curriculum. “Curriculum” is a broad term that can include syllabus and materials selection, teaching strategies, assessment and evaluation. It can be examined at many levels: the national or societal curriculum, the curriculum that teachers plan, the one they implement, the curriculum that learners receive and the one that they take up and learn.

LANGTCHG 301 is divided into two main components. The first half of the course reviews the main types of second language curricula that have developed over the past 40 years, and focuses on the kinds of choices that teachers need to make. Included in this part of the course are product (“soft”) and process (“hard”) versions of communicative language approaches, and English for Specific/Academic Purposes courses. In the second half of the course, we examine some of the planning tasks and decisions that the teacher needs to carry out before and during the course. These include considering the social and teaching context and learners’ needs, setting goals and planning units and lessons. The final sessions of the LANGTCHG 301 course look at monitoring by the teacher of how learners are receiving the curriculum and how learning can be assessed.

Each session of LANGTCHG 301 will include explicit instruction from the lecturer, analysis of curriculum documents and opportunities for small-group and whole-class tasks and discussions. You will be assessed through two major assignments and one test in the final week of the semester. The two assignments will require you to demonstrate your understanding of theoretical concepts from the course as you complete practice-oriented curriculum tasks. Four tutorials will take place at regular intervals throughout the course to help you to prepare for assessments. All notes, practice tasks and materials for LANGTCHG 301 are available in a course text. Powerpoint slides will be posted after each lecture. Course readings can be located through Talis.

Course outcomes

The course introduces a range of options for organizing the content of the second language curriculum. It develops a practical understanding of key principles and processes used in planning and assessing courses of instruction. By the end of the course, students will be able to …

• select appropriate syllabus types and components for different types of courses and students
• plan a course for a particular group of students: from context analysis to assessment options
• evaluate the strengths and limitations of various types of course materials
• create formative and summative assessments of students’ learning

 Assessment Summary:

Weighting of assignments and due dates if available, eg:

35%: Assignment 1

35%: Assignment 2

10%: Participation

20% test in Week 12

Weekly Topics:

 See full course outline

Prescribed Texts:

You will be provided with a course text that has been specifically written for LT 301. It includes all the materials you need for this course (except for course readings, which can be found on Talis).

 Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. In extreme circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension may be penalised by loss of marks – check course information for details.