FACULTY OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies

BEd(TESOL)/Second Language Education (SLE) Programme

Language Teaching Methodology

ALIN 201-2014-T1
(20 points)
TRIMESTER 1 2014

Important dates
Trimester dates: 3 March to 2 July 2014
Teaching dates: 3 March to 6 June 2014
Easter/Mid-trimester break: 18 April to 4 May 2014
Study week: 9 13 June 2014
Examination/Assessment Period: 13 June to 2 July 2014
Note: students who enrol in courses with examinations must be able to attend an examination at
the University at any time during the scheduled examination period.
Withdrawal dates: Refer to www.victoria.ac.nz/students/study/withdrawals-refunds. If you cannot
complete an assignment or sit a test or examination, refer to
www.victoria.ac.nz/students/study/exams/aegrotats.

Class times and locations

Lectures
Day

Time

Room

Wednesday

12:00 12:50

Hugh Mackenzie HMLT001

Friday

12:00 12:50

Hugh Mackenzie HMLT001

Workshops (2 hrs.)
Monday

3:10-5:00 p.m.

Murphy MY631

Wednesday 1:10-3:00 p.m.

Fairlie Terrace FT77/306

Enrol in your workshop stream on-line. Follow the link in Blackboard. Workshops start in Week 2 of
the trimester.
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ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

Names and contact details

Dr Jonathan Newton
Course Coordinator and lecturer
VZ 418
(04)463-5622
Office hours: as posted on door
jonathan.newton@vuw.ac.nz

Dr John Macalister
Lecturer
VZ 211
(04)463-5609
Office hours: as posted on door
John.macalister@vuw.ac.nz

ALIN 201 Course Administrator

Dayna Taramai
VZ210
(04)463-5255
dayna.taramai@vuw.ac.nz

LALS main office

VZ210, 2nd floor Von Zedlitz Building, Kelburn Parade, Ph. 463-5600

Communication of additional information

Any changes to the organization of the course, or its requirements, will be communicated to you
via e-mail and/or on the ALIN 201 Blackboard site.

Prescription
This course applies principles of language teaching and learning to curriculum planning, teaching
listening, speaking, reading and writing, and assessment and evaluation. Course members will
develop materials and units of work, solve teaching problems, and participate in and reflect on
classroom practice.

Course content
This course provides a broad introduction to the practice of second/foreign language teaching. The
course focuses primarily on English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL) although the
fundamental ideas have common currency across languages. After two introductory lectures
providing an overview of the field and a brief history of language teaching methods, the course is

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

then divided into two modules: (1) Listening and Speaking; and (2) Reading and Writing1. In each
of these modules we critically examine core principles of language teaching and learning and
explore how these are represented in materials and teaching approaches. The first module also
provides an introduction to a selection of general issues in language teaching such as teaching
vocabulary and grammar. These topics are dealt with in more detail in 300 level ALIN courses.

MODULE 1: LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Lecture Date

Lecture topic

Reading

Week 1: Introduction & overview

1

Wednesday
5 March

Introduction to the course

The broad picture: Global perspectives on
language teaching and learning

Friday
7 March

Historical context: Language teaching methods

over the past 100 years

Adamson (2006)
Waters (2012)

Week 2: The four strands in a programme

3

Wednesday
12 March

Weaving class: Language teaching across the

four strands

TLS Chapter 1

Friday
14 March

Hear, hear: Language learning through

listening

TLS Chapter 2 & 3

(pp. 47-58) Palmer
(1982)

Week 3: Learning through meaning-focused listening and speaking

5

Wednesday
19 March

Inside the black box: Developing listening subskills

TLS Chapter 3 (pp.

37-46) & 4

Friday
21 March

Taking the plunge: Learning through speaking

TLS Chapters 6 & 7

Week 4: Language focused learning

7

Wednesday
26 March

Fiddling with the engine: Language teaching

and grammar

Friday
28 March

Away with words: Language teaching and

vocabulary

TLS Chapter 8
Ellis (1999)
Joe, Nation &
Newton (1996)

Week 5: Pronunciation and fluency (unlikely bedfellows)

9

Wednesday
2 April

Tongue time: Pronunciation teaching

TLS Chapter 5

10

Friday
4 April

Speed bumps: Developing fluency

TLS Chapter 9

Week 6: Future directions

11

Wednesday
9 April

Task-based language teaching

Reading TBA

The division of course content into these four skill areas is, to some extent, an artificial division for the sake of course
organization. In reality, overlaps between, and integration of, these four skill areas is typical of most second/foreign
language classrooms.
3

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

12

Gazing into the crystal ball: Technology,

innovation and future directions in language
teaching and learning

Friday
11 April

On-line links to be
provided

MODULE 2: READING AND WRITING

WEEK 7
13

Wednesday
16 April

What is reading?
The 3 abilities

Nuttall (1996) (Ch. 3)

Mid-trimester break 18 April 4 May

WEEK 8
14

Wednesday
6 May

Intensive reading

Macalister (2011)

15

Friday
9 May

Reading faster

Millett (2008)

16

Wednesday
13 May

Extensive reading

Renandya (2007); Day &

Bamford (2002); Green
(2005)

17

Friday
16 May

Assessing and monitoring

reading

Alderson (1996)

WEEK 9

WEEK 10
18

Wednesday
20 May

What is writing?
Approaches to writing

Cullen (2008)

19

Friday
23 May

The writing process

Miller (2001)

20

Wednesday
27 May

The role of feedback

Lee (2005); Hansen & Liu

(2005); Casanave (2004)
(Ch. 5); Hoelker (2002)

21

Friday
30 May

Assessing writing

TBA

22

Wednesday
4 June

Reading, writing & technology

TBA

23

Friday
6 June

Discussion class on reading and

writing; exam overview

N/A

WEEK 11

WEEK 12

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

Course learning objectives (CLOs)

This course aims to introduce students to:
a.
fundamental principles of language teaching methodology;
b.
a range of approaches to language teaching and learning designed to assist language
development across the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing;
c.
examples of the ways that language teaching is carried out in various contexts;
d.
the professional literature in applied linguistics and TESOL.
Learning objectives
Students passing the course should be able to:
a.
understand and apply the four strands approach to a language programme (including the
learning conditions that correspond to each strand);
b.
use these principles to identify and critically evaluate the language learning opportunities
afforded by classroom activities;
c.
design, select and adapt simple learning activities to meet various learning goals;
d.
suggest principled solutions to teaching and learning problems frequently encountered in
the teaching of a foreign/second language.

Teaching format
The course is delivered face-to-face via two lectures and one two-hour workshop each week.
You are expected to attend all lectures and workshops. The lectures will provide a combination of
lecture-style content and opportunities to participate in discussions and problem-solving tasks. In
the two-hour workshops you will have opportunities to:
a. understand key concepts;
b. experience and analyse language teaching materials and techniques;
c. explore solutions to teaching problems;
d. respond to and apply ideas from set readings;
e. discuss assignments.
To get the most out of this course, it is important that you complete set readings and short tasks
you are set in advance of the lectures or workshops that they relate to.
Group work for the micro-teaching assignment
As part of your work on the micro-teaching assignment you will work in small groups outside of
class time. In these groups you will each present a short segment of a lesson that you have
designed and each take the role of language students for other group members when they present
their lessons. Group work is not assessed but full participation is a mandatory course requirement
(see below.)

Mandatory course requirements

Because of the practical focus in this course, your participation in workshops is essential for
developing your experiential understanding of the teaching practices being examined in the course.
Your presence and participation also helps maintain the learning community of your workshop
group. For these reasons, your attendance and participation at ALL workshops is expected and will
be recorded. You should also attend all lectures unless prevented from doing so by illness or other
unexpected events. In addition to achieving an overall pass mark of 50%, students must:
a.
Complete all four pieces of assessment
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ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

b.

Attend all 11 workshops unless alternative arrangements have been made in advance (an
attendance register is kept in workshops). Absences due to illness or other unexpected
problems should be discussed with the course coordinator. You will be asked to complete a
catch-up class for any workshop you miss.

c.

Participate in all of your groups micro-teaching sessions and lead one micro-teaching lesson
in one of these sessions.

Workload
Course members are expected to spend around 15 hours a week on ALIN 201 during the 12
teaching weeks as well as additional time studying for the course during the trimester break and
exam period. In total you are expected to spend around 200 hours on the course. Course members
are encouraged to study cooperatively by forming study and discussion groups and sharing ideas
and resources with one another. Course members are expected to prepare for classes by
completing set readings in advance of the classes.

Assessment
This following table summarizes the assessment requirements for ALIN 201. See the following
pages for more details. Additional information will be provided in class.
Component

Objectives

Value

Word
limits

Due date

1. Materials
analysis

Applying the four

strands to a
programme

20%

800

4.00 p.m.
Friday
21 March

2. Module 1 short
answer test (via
Blackboard)

Review of module 1

a, b, c

10%

600

TBA
between
14-16 April

3. Micro-teaching
assignment

Designing materials,
micro-teaching and
reflection

a, b, c, d

40%

1500

4.00 p.m.
Friday
6 June

4. Final exam
(2 hours)

Reviewing and
applying main ideas
and key principles
from the course

a, b, c

(Commentar
y)

30%

2 hours

Exam
period:
13 June
2 July

Details of assessment
1. Materials analysis: Applying the four strands to a programme (20%)
Due date: Friday 21 March
Word limit: 800 words
Drawing on Chapter 1 of Nation and Newton (2009), evaluate how well the four strands are
covered in a text book unit of work that you will be provided with.
You may use bullet points, diagrams and tables in your writing.

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

2. Module 1 short answer test (via Blackboard) (10%)

Due date: TBA between 14-16 April
This is a short answer test covering content from Module 1. You will complete the test in
electronic form via Blackboard.
3. Micro-teaching assignment: Designing materials, micro-teaching and reflection (40%)
Due date: Friday 6 June
Word limit: 1500 words (commentary)
Design a short unit of work for a language classroom. Use an activity from the resource to
teach in a micro-teaching session. Write a reflective commentary on the resource and the
micro-teaching experience.
a.

Develop a teaching resource

Make a short unit of work for use in a language classroom, using techniques, task
types and procedures encountered in the course. Model units will be provided in class.

b.

Participate in micro-teaching sessions

Take part in a series of self-managed micro-teaching sessions in groups of five
students. You will each teach one of these sessions using a classroom activity from the
unit you have prepared. You will also act as pseudo-language learners when other
group members teach their sessions. These sessions will be scheduled during May.

c.

Write a reflective commentary

Write a reflective commentary which discusses the principles behind the design of the
resource and the experience of teaching and participating in micro-teaching sessions.
Word limit for commentary: 1500 words.

Further details about these sessions will be provided during the trimester.
4. The final exam (two hours) (30%)
The final exam will be comprised of two sections:
1.
A series of short answer questions on key principles of second language teaching and
material from set readings. Answer all questions.
2.
Two or three essay type questions from which you chose one to answer. Each question
will require you to discuss options to solve a problem or address an issue commonly
encountered in second language classrooms.
A sample exam paper will be provided during the course.

Submission and return of work

Submitting assignments
All assignments must be submitted in hard copy form to the assignment mailbox at the LALS office
(VZ210). Assignments must also be submitted electronically in the submit assignments area on
the ALIN 201 Blackboard site. Turnitin will be used on this course (see below). Assignments will be
returned in class. We aim to return assignments within two weeks of the submission date.
Length of Assignments
The required length applies to the body of the assignment (excluding references and any
appendices). Provide a word count of the assignment body on each assignment.

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

Assignment cover sheets

A cover page for each assignment is available on the ALIN 201 Blackboard site. You must attach a
filled-in copy of this to the front of your assignment.
Assignment layout requirement
Please follow the following guidelines for presentation of your assignment:

Set left & right margins to no less than 3cm

Set line spacing to 1.5

Set font size to 11 or 12 point

Include page numbers

Pages can be printed on both sides

Provide a word count at the end of the assignment (not including the Reference section)

Staple pages together (i.e., dont use a paper clip)

Avoid presenting assignments in bulky folders or sleeves unless necessary

Avoid inserting individual pages in clear file sleeves.

Criteria for assessing assignments
The assignments will be graded with the following criteria in mind:
understanding of the content of the course;
application to a teaching context;
development of teaching material;
integration of experience, reflection, and input from ALIN 201, including wide reading of
relevant literature;
insights, critical analysis and originality;
presentation and readability.
Writing an assignment
We recommend the following steps for doing an assignment.
1. Identify the important parts of the assignment, label these parts, and weight their importance.
2. Brainstorm your initial thoughts on the topic (using techniques such as mind-maps and free
writing on the topic).
3. Read a number of articles that report and discuss the type of topic you are interested in.
The purpose of these steps is to help you develop a strategy for doing assignments or writing
articles. Now plan the stages of your preparation for the assignment giving careful thought to how
you will divide the assignment into sections and how much space and time you will give to each of
the parts. Discuss your plan with at least one other course member doing this topic and then
together in a group with other people doing the same type of topic discuss the plan with your tutor.
Look carefully at the formal features (use of subheadings, references etc.) of one of the articles
you looked at as a model. Plan the format of your assignment.

Extensions and penalties

Extensions
If you require an extension for good reasons, ask the course coordinator ahead of the due date for
handing in the assignment for an extension, providing reasons for the request.

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

Penalties
In line with School (LALS) policy, assignments handed in after the due date without an extension
will receive one grade less (5%) per working day and comments may not be provided. After one
week, no grade will be given, but the assignment can still count for mandatory course requirements
if submitted by the end of the teaching period for the trimester. Note that if no work is submitted for
assessment before the last three weeks of teaching, there will be nothing on which to base an
aegrotat consideration.
Please take careful note of the length requirement for each assignment. If an assignment exceeds
the word limit, the lecturer reserves the right to consider only the first part of the assignment, from
the beginning up to the word limit, for assessment purposes. It is important both academically and
professionally that you are able to explain your ideas concisely and coherently.

Set texts
You will need to purchase the following two sets of course notes from Vicbooks:
ALIN 201 Lecture and workshop notes for Module 1: Speaking and Listening
ALIN 201 Course readings for Module 2: Reading & Writing
Course notes must be purchased from VicBooks.
You will also need to purchase the following textbook for module 1:
Nation, I.S.P. and Newton, J. (2009) Teaching ESL/EFL Listening and Speaking. New
York: Routledge. 205 pages. ISBN 978-0-415-98970-1. $60.00. approx.
This book can be purchased through in on-line book retailer such as Book Depository or Amazon.
It can also be purchased in person or online at vicbooks: www.vicbooks.co.nz.
You will also be required to read a small number of additional readings which will be made
available electronically via links to the relevant journals on the ALIN 201 Blackboard site.

Recommended reading
A huge number of books and journals are published on topics relating to applied linguistics,
language teaching and learning/TESOL. Here are just a few of these books, published in the last
ten years that you will find on the library shelves. Because the field is dynamic and evolving, we
recommend that you give priority to more recently published texts.
Brown, H.D. (2006). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching (5th ed.), White Plains, NY:
Pearson ESL.
Celce-Murcia, M., D. Brinton & M. Snow. (2013). Teaching English as a Second or Foreign
Language. (4th ed.) Boston: Heinle ELT.
Gordon, T. (2007). Teaching Young Children a Second Language. Westport, Conn: Praeger
Publishers.
Harmer, J. (2007). The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th ed.). London: Longman.

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

Johnson, K. (2008). An introduction to foreign language learning and teaching (2nd ed.). New York:
Pearson.
Larsen-Freeman, D & M. Anderson. (2011). Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching (3rd
ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pinter, A. (2006). Teaching Young Learners. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Scrivener, J. (2005). Learning Teaching. Oxford: Macmillan ELT.
Spiro, J. (2013). Changing Methodologies in TESOL. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Journals are another important learning source for this course. A list of relevant journals is
provided at the end of this course outline

Class representative
The class representative provides a useful way to communicate feedback to the teaching staff
during the course. A class representative will be selected at the first lecture of the course. Students
may like to write the Class Reps name and details in this box:
Class Rep name and contact details:

Student feedback
Enhancements made to this course, based on the feedback of previous students, will be covered
during the course. Student feedback on University courses may be found at
www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/feedback/feedback_display.php.

Other important information

The information above is specific to this course. There is other important information that students
must familiarise themselves with, including:
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism: www.victoria.ac.nz/students/study/exams/integrityplagiarism
Aegrotats: www.victoria.ac.nz/students/study/exams/aegrotats
Academic Progress: www.victoria.ac.nz/students/study/progress/academic-progess
(including restrictions and non-engagement)
Dates and deadlines: www.victoria.ac.nz/students/study/dates
FHSS Student and Academic Services Office: www.victoria.ac.nz/fhss/student-admin
Grades: www.victoria.ac.nz/students/study/progress/grades
Resolving academic issues: www.victoria.ac.nz/about/governance/dvcacademic/publications
Special passes: www.victoria.ac.nz/about/governance/dvc-academic/publications
Statutes and policies including the Student Conduct Statute:
www.victoria.ac.nz/about/governance/strategy
Student support: www.victoria.ac.nz/students/support
Students with disabilities: www.victoria.ac.nz/st_services/disability
Student Charter: www.victoria.ac.nz/learning-teaching/learning-partnerships/student-charter
Student Contract: www.victoria.ac.nz/study/apply-enrol/terms-conditions/student-contract
Subject Librarians: http://library.victoria.ac.nz/library/resources/subjectcontacts.html
Turnitin: www.cad.vuw.ac.nz/wiki/index.php/Turnitin
University structure: www.victoria.ac.nz/about/governance/structure
VUWSA: www.vuwsa.org.nz

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ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology

Additional Resources
The Language Learning Centre is a rich source of materials for language learning see
www.victoria.ac.nz/llc/

Journals
A large number of journals are published on topics related to language teaching and in the broader
field of applied linguistics. A small selection of those that address practical issues of language
teaching follows. You can access most of these journals electronically via the VUW library (use the
Journal Finder link to find them)

English Language Teaching Journal (ELTJ)

Modern English Teacher (MET)
RELC Guidelines
Language Teaching Research (LTR)
System
TESOLANZ Journal

Internet resources
There are a huge number of internet sites providing resources and discussions in ESOL issues of
which the following is only a small sample.
British Council/BBC web resources for language
teachers

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/

One Stop English

A wide range of teaching resources and advice

http://www.onestopenglish.com/

TESOLANZ
The New Zealand Association of teachers of English
as another language

http://www.tesolanz.org.nz/

Language Learning & Technology

Free refereed journal for second and foreign
language educators.

http://llt.msu.edu/

TESOL
The International Association of TESOL teachers.
Similar associations exist for other languages.
Your Dictionary.Com
The Web of On-line Dictionaries is now a part of
yourDictionary.com. Includes language dictionaries,
multi-lingual dictionaries, specialty dictionaries, and
many other types of language resources.

http://www.tesol.org/

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www.yourdictionary.com/

ALIN 201 Language Teaching Methodology