LG540-7-AU-CO:
Teaching Younger Learners
2024/25
Language and Linguistics
Colchester Campus
Autumn
Postgraduate: Level 7
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 13 December 2024
15
22 March 2022
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
MA QX1312 Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL),
MA QX13JS Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
This module will introduce students to the fundamentals of TEYL (Teaching English to Young Learners). By 'young learners', we refer to children and adolescents. Students will become familiar with theories surrounding language acquisition among children and the different aspects of their psychology in instructed classroom settings. The module will also focus on how different language skills and sub-skills could best be taught to young learners, and how teachers could evaluate existing textbooks for young learners and design their own materials that are suitable for TEYL classrooms. The module will also consider how young learners' language skills could be assessed and tested.
• To introduce students to the fundamentals of TEYL classrooms.
• To familiarise students with how young learners (i.e. children and adolescents) learn.
• To raise awareness of how young learners’ psychologies impact upon their learning.
• To become familiar with methods of teaching speaking, listening, reading and writing, as well as vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation, to young learners.
• To better understand how materials for young learners could be evaluated and designed.
• To familiarise students with how young learners could be assessed and tested.
By the end of the module:
A. Students will have become familiar with the techniques and principles of TEYL.
B. Students will have become familiar with theories of how young learners learn and how they feel in actual classrooms.
C. Students will have become familiar with how language skills and sub-skills could be taught to young learners.
D. Students will have become familiar with how materials for TEYL could be evaluated and designed.
E. Students will have become familiar with methods for assessing and testing young learners.
1. Introduction to the fundamentals of TEYL
2. How young learners learn 1
3. How young learners learn 2
4. The psychology of children and adolescents and its impact on learning
5. TEYL: Speaking and listening
6. TEYL: Reading and writing
7. TEYL: Vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation
8. Materials evaluation for TEYL
9. Materials design for TEYL
10. Assessing and testing young learners
10 x 2-hour sessions, combining input from the lecturers and in-class practical activities and discussions. Materials will be made available on Moodle ahead of each week's lecture.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
Assigment |
|
|
Additional coursework information
N/A
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Christina Gkonou, email: cgkono@essex.ac.uk.
Christina Gkonou & Neophytos Mitsigkas
4.119; cgkono@essex.ac.uk
Yes
No
Yes
Dr Troy McConachy
University of Warwick
Associate Professor
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.