English Language Teaching (Distance Learning)MA

Issues in Language Learning: An Intercultural Approach

This module focuses on key issues in language learning and teaching that are relevant to contemporary classroom practice. It explores how pedagogical thinking has developed in different cultural contexts and how this influences language teaching and learning in particular.

This module aims to extend your knowledge of cultural differences in the creation of methodologies and approaches in language teaching and learning; the different cultural status of teachers; the role of the learner and their languages in their learning process; and more specific considerations of curriculum, syllabus and teaching materials in the teaching of global languages in local classrooms.

The module also promotes the problematisation of key concepts in language teaching and learning, such as ‘culture’, ‘language’, and ‘identity’ and you will be encouraged to reflect on your own experiences as learner and/or teacher in order to evaluate your own knowledge and expertise and develop an analytical, critical and global perspective to the teaching of languages that is essential for your professional development.

In this module, you will:

• explore the relationship between language and culture in the teaching of global languages
• examine how language teaching methodologies are influenced by different understandings of language, culture, and learning
• reflect on the role that culture plays in communication, particularly in multicultural contexts
• study how language teaching curricula, methodologies, and materials can impact the identity construction of language learners

Language Testing and Assessment

This module examines the core concepts and main theoretical approaches to language testing and assessment. The module will encourage you to evaluate your own language testing and assessment practices in a reflective manner and to examine the most widely used standardised tests from a critical perspective. You will discuss the common debates in the field of language testing and assessment and will analyse English language tests in terms of their practicality, reliability, validity and authenticity.

Evaluating and examining local and international language tests will allow you to become familiar with the different types, purposes and objectives of language tests. You will also have the opportunities to design and develop English language tests that can be potentially useful in your future teaching practice.

In this module you will
1) analyse and evaluate the main theoretical issues and current debates on matters of testing English as a second/foreign language

2) relate current theories and debates to your own national/professional language testing context and every-day practices

3) critically analyse language tests and their application in local and global contexts, including your own

4) develop language tests that are appropriate, relevant and suitable for your teaching and assessment context

Linguistics and Language Teaching: The Description of Language and its Pedagogic Applications

This module is intended to familiarise – or refamiliarise – you with key areas of linguistic analysis such as typology, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics and corpus linguistics. The areas are introduced contrastively, and you are invited to compare with equivalent phenomena in your or your students’ languages, including cultural differences in realising speech acts. The module makes reference to different language teaching approaches and their very different stances on the usefulness (or lack thereof) of explicit teacher and student knowledge of linguistics. You will develop an in-depth understanding of how knowledge of the different make-ups of languages allows you to predict problems encountered by your students in learning English. You will have the opportunity to develop learning and teaching resources which will address particular problems of your students that derive from contrasts between your students’ first or main language(s) and English. You will also be invited to reflect critically on the language teaching choices in your particular institutional context, on the expectations of your students, and on your journey as a language teacher.

In this module, you will:

• raise your language awareness
• deepen your understanding of the make-up of English
• contrast English with your and/or your students’ first or main language(s)
• develop tools to investigate the make-up of languages
• reflect on your language teaching approaches and develop learning and teaching materials that address selected problems caused by the structure of your students’ first or main language(s)
• reflect on the extent to which knowledge of linguistics can help language teachers to gain a better understanding of their students’ learning and to help them in their teaching

Patterns in Global Sociolinguistics

This module is designed to equip students with a critical and informed understanding of the complex ways in which language and languages are configured in societies around the world. The module will encourage students to think critically about the sociolinguistic patterns of your own context and speech community, and to reflect upon the influence of historical, ideological, and political factors in the development of these patterns. The module will also help students develop the necessary skills to become active sociolinguistic observers and researchers in order to identify, explore, and discuss patterns and principles which underlie language use, language choice, language planning, language attitudes and language policy. By doing so, students will also familiarise themselves with the core terminology and theoretical frameworks of sociolinguistics. Finally, students will be expected to take a critical and informed view of issues surrounding the use and teaching of English worldwide and investigate matters of language and language education in a number of contexts in order to develop responses to current language-related problems.

In this module, you will:

• Explore the relationship between language and society and its influence on English language teaching theory and practice
• Examine the role that the spread and distribution of English has in educational and governmental language planning and policy
• Develop a critical understanding of the ideological underpinnings of the spread of English
• Evaluate the extent to which different theoretical and applied aspects of sociolinguistics can influence English language curricula and teaching practices

Teaching Languages Dissertation

The module explores a wide range of approaches, methods and traditions in research in Applied Linguistics. You will explore competing and complementary research paradigms found in the field and their corresponding approaches to research design. You will examine the opportunities and challenges that quantitative approaches offer as well as issues of validity, reliability, and sampling. Similarly, you will be introduced to a wide range of qualitative approaches to research in language and language teaching as well as approaches that combine quantitative and qualitative methods.

You will discuss issues surrounding the use of questionnaires as research tools and the uses of interviewing and observations. You will also investigate current approaches, issues, and debates in classroom research, with a particular focus on Action Research.
In this module, you will also be encouraged to explore issues and current approaches to collecting and analysing naturalistic language data as well as, more broadly, communication research.

The ultimate aim of this module is to prepare you for the dissertation project that follows by giving you a solid grounding in both current research methodology in language teaching and Applied Linguistics and the theoretical paradigms from which they arise so as to understand, identify and evaluate different research methodologies.
The module involves a supervised but independent research study leading to a 12,000 word dissertation. You will have the chance to explore a disciplinary topic of your particular interest or relevance to your context. You will be able to conduct classroom research on aspects of English language teaching and learning in combination with, but not limited to, other relevant themes such as sociolinguistics, linguistics, language testing, or intercultural communication, among others. You will be encouraged to draw on different data collection methodologies and follow informed procedures in analysing your data.

The module will enable you to explore areas of personal and/or professional interest and relevance within a supportive framework. This approach aims at stretching your expectations of what you can achieve, and develop your disciplinary knowledge and understanding, as well as your confidence in working with disciplinary theory.

In this module, you will:

• pursue an area of personal disciplinary interest in a way that demands rigorous analytical and critical thinking, and encourages you to push your own personal and professional boundaries
• formulate relevant and original questions, undertake research that addresses them, and provide persuasive and academically sustainable arguments to support them
• develop your ability to critically review and make use of an extensive and appropriate bibliography in your own work
• expand your own understanding of the relationship between research, theory, practice and ‘real world’ problems
• develop your independence as a self-directed and self-motivated professional in problem-posing and problem-solving through designing, undertaking and writing about their research.

The Multilingual Classroom

This module provides students with an overview of current issues in multilingualism with a specific focus on its impact on classroom teaching and learning. It aims to develop a critical understanding of key theoretical frameworks, while inviting students to reflect on their own personal experiences to consider the practical implications of linguistic diversity in educational contexts. Students will increase their awareness of learning environments where learners and/or educators do not have full and equal access to the language(s) of instruction, allowing them a deeper understanding of their future multilingual pupils.

The two-part assessment will provide an opportunity for students to use their creativity, alongside newly developed theoretical understandings, to design a subject-specific lesson plan for an hour-long class in a multilingual setting. The plan will be put into action through a 15-minute micro teaching session focused on one specific activity. Students will teach their classes synchronously (live and virtually) to a group of other students in the cohort, determined by time zones. Fellow classmates will become the ‘students,’ providing peer evaluations to strengthen their skills in critical evaluation of classroom activities in multilingual environments. In doing so, students will deepen and develop their own teaching practices.

The module is targeted at students working or planning to work in multilingual, educational contexts and will be particularly attractive to those interested in teaching languages. However, the increasing prevalence of linguistic diversity in the majority of educational contexts means educators with any specialisation will benefit from being prepared to work with multilingual students and learning to value and draw on their diversity of knowledge and experiences.

Module Aims:

• You will reflect on and experience teaching and learning in contexts where students and/or teachers do not have full and equal access to the language(s) of instruction
• You will explore different perspectives on multilingualism and their implications for teaching and learning
• You will integrate practical theories of multilingualism into the planning, design, and implementation of subject-specific lessons in multilingual contexts
• You will broaden your understanding of the concept of multilingualism through an interdisciplinary consideration of current debates, discussions, and developments

Understanding the Language Classroom

This module offers an investigation into the language classroom and into learner and teacher roles and interactions. It develops themes relating to how languages are learned, what motivates people to learn other languages, and how best to support and develop learning in the classroom. The module draws on students' own experiences of language learning and/or teaching and encourages them to reflect on theoretical and practical aspects of language learning while developing their own practice as language teachers.

Through language classroom observations, students will become familiar with common practices in language teaching and learning and have the opportunity to develop a teacher-researcher perspective. The module introduces a range of theoretical considerations and practical implications of recent developments regarding the language classroom, including theoretical debates that widen students’ understanding of language learning and teaching processes. The practical implications of these debates on classroom teaching and learning will be considered. In doing so, the students are provided with an opportunity to evaluate and analyse learners and learning through exploring classroom solutions and incorporating lived experiences with academic literature.

Importantly, students are required to find an institution where they can observe at least 4 hours of English language tuition at any level.

Module Aims:

• You will become familiar with common practices in language teaching and learning and investigate how different cultural, social, and psychological factors influence learning
• You will undertake research on teaching and learning
• You will critically analyse recent theoretical developments in language teaching
• You will consider the practical classroom implications of these theories
• You will analyse learners' needs and identify classroom solutions while observing students in a classroom setting
• You will identify a range of techniques for promoting learning in the classroom