2023/24 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

EDUC5981M Teaching Languages to Young Learners

30 creditsClass Size: 120

Module manager: Dr Taguhi Sahakyan
Email: T.Sahakyan@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is not approved as an Elective

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- explain how children can be taught oral and literacy skills in a foreign language;
- describe, analyse and evaluate a range of teaching techniques, activities, tasks and materials, in terms of their potential for developing children's foreign language skills;
- discuss the management implications of different types of activities and tasks;
- link classroom practice to current understandings of children's language learning;
- identify the assumptions and theoretical bases which underpin current approaches to teaching young learners;
- critically analyse how approaches are implemented through syllabus plans, methods and materials;
- explain the principles and processes involved in course design for young learners;
- evaluate teaching and assessment procedures and materials;
- relate ideas from the course to participant's own practice.

Syllabus

The course begins with an examination of how children's oral and literacy skills in a foreign language can be developed. Activities and materials are analysed in terms of underlying theories of learning and their contribution to the development of discourse skills, vocabulary and grammar. The development of literacy in English is reviewed. From a focus on activities and skills, the course broadens into a consideration of 'approaches' to teaching. We compare a range of holistic, e.g. story and theme-based courses, and atomistic approaches. Processes of the design of tasks, materials and syllabuses are experienced and analysed. Other topics include: learning to learn; assessment of young learners; language choice in the classroom and classroom management.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Seminar	11	2.00	22.00
Tutorial	1	1.00	1.00
Private study hours			277.00
Total Contact hours			23.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Private study

4 hours reading for each session = 48
preparation of materials and presentations for practical sessions = 50 hours
reading, preparation of portfolio and writing of assignments = 176 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress will be monitored from observation of the preparation for and contribution to the discussion in the sessions and presentations given by each student within the sessions.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Oral Presentation	15 min	50.00
Essay	2,000 words	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

A 2000 word written essay on an issue associated with the teaching of foreign languages to you learners in a familiar context. 15 minute oral poster presentation on either a lesson plan, piece of material, assessment tool, research plan related to the issue discussed in part one.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 18/09/2023

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