2020/21 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EDUC2010 Education, Multilingualism and Social Justice

20 creditsClass Size: 60

Module manager: Dr Lou Harvey
Email: L.T.Harvey@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2020/21

This module is mutually exclusive with

EDUC1009

Education in a Multilingual World

Module replaces

EDUC1009 (to be withdrawn in 2018-19)and EDUC2090 (to be withdrawn in 2019-20). It replaces the first in terms of content, and the second as a core Level 2 module for the BA TESOL programmes.

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module is designed for students with an interest in the links between education, languages and social justice. Language is both the medium of education and also one of its subject areas. What happens in schools is therefore likely to have a major impact on how languages change, grow or contract in society and the world at large. We start from an assumption that being able to communicate in more than one language is a desirable human condition, with potential benefits for both the individual and society. Bilingualism or multilingualism is in fact the norm in many parts of the world, and the first sessions in the module will look at languages in the contemporary era of rapid globalisation, with a central focus on the historical spread of English as a foreign language and its manifestations. As education is perhaps the most significant means that governments have to influence language development, the next part of the module deals with various models and methods of language education in the UK and in international settings. The final part of the module looks at the implications of language practices and policies for social justice, and how social justice and equality are suppressed or promoted through government policy and local response. The module is deliberately wide-ranging in scope, but you will have the opportunity in the group presentation and the assignment to focus in more depth on one issue.

Objectives

The module aims to stimulate students' thinking about the role of languages in educational settings, particularly in relation to the promotion or inhibition of social justice and equality. It will take a socio-historical perspective on language change and spread, paying attention to the contemporary growth and dominance of English, patterns of movement and migration, and the effects of these on social and educational opportunity in the UK and globally. It also aims to enhance students' awareness of how government policies and educational practices can promote or inhibit multilingualism in young people, and promote or inhibit social justice.

Learning outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
- Offer clear definitions and critiques of key concepts in the fields of multilingualism and language education.
- Have a secure understanding of how language change in society is connected with global events, national policies and is played out in people's everyday lives.
- Have a secure understanding of the ways in which multilingualism relates to social justice, and describe the role of education within this.
- Express their ideas clearly, confidently and critically in oral and written form on an academic debate within the field of multilingualism and/or language education.

Syllabus

Indicative Content:

Part 1: Languages in the world
Our linguistic repertoires. Overview, history, and key concepts in multilingualism. Locating languages in the broader communicative landscape.

Part 2: Languages in education
Multilingualism and communication in educational contexts of mobility and diversity: mainstream education in UK schools, adult migrant language education, and higher education.

Part 3: Languages, education and social justice
Role of languages and communication in educational inclusion/exclusion and social justice, at individual and policy levels.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	11	1.00	11.00
Independent online learning hours			30.00
Private study hours			148.00
Total Contact hours			22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Students will use this time for assignment reading and preparation. They will also be given specific tasks to carry out between sessions. These will mainly omprise readings with questions/tasks but may also involve dependent research of issues through the internet or through gathering information from other students. Students will also be expected to contribute to discussions on the VLE.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored through:
- Monitoring (during teaching sessions) on student performance of weekly tasks
- Encouraging and observing the level of student participation in class discussions
- Monitoring the contributions of students to VLE discussion threads
- Providing feedback on a draft of the individual written essay

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 2000	70.00
Group Discussion	Contribution to VLE discussions	30.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 17/11/2020 14:17:30

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