The purpose of this course is to introduce approaches to teaching a foreign language (L2) and their theoretical backgrounds. This course will help successful participants you develop an understanding of underlying principles of learning and teaching, as well as practical skills to use in everyday L2 teaching. It will also help you to develop a critical understanding of the professional debates and career opportunities that relate to language teaching in the United States. We will discuss topics such as
-teaching L2 speaking, listening, reading and writing,
-communicative L2 teaching and learning,
-the role(s) of grammar in a communicative L2 classroom,
-teaching L2 pragmatics
-vocabulary acquisition
-traditional and alternative ways of language assessment,
-ways of teaching culture, including intercultural competence and cultural analysis,
-the role of technology and online-teaching materials in L2 pedagogy,
-professional debates and controversies regarding the teaching of foreign languages at American universities,
-career opportunities for foreign language educators.
Course Structure:
The course is structured in three phases:
Phase 1: During the summer, participants will work with eight modules of the website “Foreign Language Teaching Methods” (http://tltc.la.utexas.edu/methods/) that introduces learners to the following topics: Speaking, Writing, Listening, Reading, Vocabulary, Grammar, Pragmatics, Assessment.
Phase 2: During the pre-semester orientation, students will further discuss the content of the eight modules and design and critic teaching materials the articulate the principles introduced.
Phase 3: During the fall semester, the class will meet every two weeks for 3 hours to develop a critical understanding of the professional debates and career opportunities that relate to language teaching in the United States. Students will prepare for the meets by reading articles, reports, and chapters. In addition, students will work towards a teaching portfolio that will articulate ideas and content from all three phases.
Requirements:
In order to get the most out of this course, it is essential that learners complete the online modules, prepare for each class meeting by reading the texts carefully, and participate actively during in-class discussions. My role in the classroom is limited to that of a moderator and facilitator. I neither can nor want to dominate the classroom by assuming an expert status. My goal is to foster a group dynamic where we collectively construct insights based on the readings, on our personal experiences as teachers and learners, and on our critical thinking skills. You will quickly realize that like most of my colleagues in the humanities I am intrigued by open-ended reflective questions that we as a group can debate. In contrast, I often remain unsatisfied by quick consensuses, final answers, and cookie-cutter solutions to pedagogical problems.
TEXTS
(1) “Foreign Language Teaching Methods” (http://tltc.la.utexas.edu/methods/)
(2) Articles and chapters are identified on the syllabus and will be made available throughout the semester.
GRADING
- 40% Informed and active class participation
- 20% Quiz
- 10% Group presentations, facilitation of class discussions, and discussion questions
- 30% Teaching portfolio (teaching materials & philosophy of teaching statement)
Informed and active class participation (40%)
Attendance in German 398T is mandatory. In a graduate course much of the information is contributed by the students themselves and generated through interaction of the course participants. Please come prepared each day to discuss the material from the textbook, apply the information to your own teaching and share with your peers what works in the classroom and what does not. You are expected to have read the assigned material prior to coming to class; while you do not have to turn in written assignments, take careful notes on the tasks listed in the syllabus to facilitate a meaningful in-class discussion.
Quiz (20%)
On the first day of the orientation (Phase 2), students will take a quiz that relates to the content of the online materials.
Group presentations, facilitation of class discussions, and discussion questions (10%)
At the beginning of most class periods, you will present in groups the essence of the readings and facilitate the class discussion. To this end, you will generate discussion questions and/or a “Thesenpapier” (statements the stimulate discussions). It is not necessary the purpose of the discussion to generate final answers to these questions, but they will help us to approach the issues at stake. Groups have to electronically hand in their discussion questions and/or the “Thesenpapier” the night before the class meeting.
Teaching portfolio (40%) (Final project)
The teaching portfolio consists of materials that serve practical purposes. The components of the portfolio are 1) teaching materials, 2) a philosophy of teaching statement. By submitting these items, you will get feedback from me and you will develop the skills necessary for reflective teaching. The materials (both teaching and assessment) you include must be tasks that you yourself design, try out in class and can describe in a reflective paragraph on why it worked or did not work. In the long run, having a complete teaching portfolio -- which you will have to revise and over the span of your teaching career -- serves a practical purpose: such portfolios are not only commonly asked of job candidates, they also help faculty at many institutions to document their teaching excellence for tenure and promotion.
Teaching materials
You have to design activities (activity sets) that teach reading, writing, speaking, listening, pragmatics, grammar and culture (one activity for each skill/area). You need to include all relevant materials, such as handouts, warm-up and review activities, etc. and a reflective paragraph describing the choices you made in your design (e.g., explain WHY you designed the activity that you did – refer to theories we discuss or you read in the chapters or give rationales you learned from the modules).
Statement of Teaching Philosophy
In 1-2 pages (max.) describe your beliefs about language learning and teaching, about your roles as instructor, about your views on teaching culture, the four skills, authentic materials, etc. (you do not have to mention all of these items, just what you consider important). Hint: If you only have 1-2 pages to “make a case for yourself” (persuade the hiring department that they should choose you), what do you really want them to read?
There are no ‘incompletes’ given in this course, unless in the case of documented medical emergencies.
