School of Education

MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Introduction to Teaching English for Academic Purposes

Module Code X14001

MODULE GUIDE
Spring Semester 2012

School of Education, Dearing Building, University of Nottingham Jubilee Campus, Wollaton Road, Nottingham NG8 1BB

Contents
This guide contains an outline of the module programme, together with details of the module aims, methods of assessment and a bibliography.

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MODULE INFORMATION Sessions Learning circles Tutorial support for assignments MODULE PROGRAMME Contact numbers and e-mail addresses for the module team MODULE AIMS, OBJECTIVES & TRANSFERABLE SKILLS 3.1 Aim 3.2 Objectives 3.3 Transferable skills MODULE CONTENT, ACTIVITIES AND OUTCOMES 4.1 Content 4.2 Learning activities 4.3 Learning outcomes ASSESSMENT 5.1 Deadline for submission of assignments 5.2 Procedures 5.3 Marking criteria 5.4 Submission of written work 5.5 Suggested topics for assignment 5.6 Negotiating an alternative title 5.7 Academic Offences BIBLIOGRAPHY PROPOSAL FORM FOR ASSIGNMENT TOPIC

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This information is provided by the University Staff for the help of prospective or present participants. To the best of our knowledge it is accurate but no legal liability is accepted for any of the statements in this booklet and nothing in this document constitutes a contract between the University and a participant.

1. Module Information
Welcome to the MA TESOL
Module: Module Tutors: Dates: Duration: Venue: X14001 Introduction to Teaching English for Academic Purposes Martha Jones, Julie King Fridays 3 February 6 April, from 10.00 11.30am 10 weeks B85 Dearing Building You will also be expected to take part in a weekly small-group Learning Circle (see below) at a time to suit your group. Please note: You will be asked to contribute to a summative evaluation at the end of the taught sessions. Sessions: The sessions (1.5 hours) will take the form of interactive lectures with input from the tutor and a variety of reflective, analytical and evaluative tasks. The students will, at times, be divided into smaller groups in class in order to facilitate active involvement in practical tasks, discussion and the sharing of ideas and experience related to the weeks topic. Between-session tasks, normally based on readings and/or data analysis, will be set each week, and students will be asked to discuss these in small-group Learning Circles. Learning Circles: Discussion with fellow students outside class time is one of the means through which you can extend your knowledge and clarify and further develop your understanding of course content. Learning Circles (which will be explained in further detail in the first session of the module) are not only an attempt to provide a forum for out-of-class interaction and the development of reflection and critical thinking but also an opportunity for the sharing of experience, and a basis for continuing cooperation and support. As part of the course, you will join a Learning Circle which will meet each week in order to discuss/reflect on the weeks topic and, and/or prepare for further discussion in class.

Tutorial support for assignments: For this module there will be one assignment of 3,000 words. You will have a 45-minute group tutorial towards the end of the module to help prepare you for the assignment, and individual tutorials totalling 30 minutes to help you progress with your assignment. You can make an appointment with your tutor for individual tutorials by e-mailing them. You should submit part of your draft writing for this assignment for your tutor to give you feedback on in the individual tutorial. Further tutorials can be arranged, if necessary, and if time permits.

You are expected to make good use of the opportunity for tutorial advice. Students who have neglected to keep in contact with their tutor have, in the past, often produced unsatisfactory work. Please Note: Every face-to-face tutorial will be recorded on a special form and a copy placed in your individual file in the Postgraduate Office. All written exchanges with your tutor will also be copied and put in your file so that your use of tutorial provision can be monitored.

2. Module Programme
MJ = Martha Jones Week 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The EAP Context The EAP Student Profile Teaching Academic Reading Teaching Academic Listening Teaching Academic Writing Teaching Academic Speaking Teaching Academic Grammar and Vocabulary Evaluating, Selecting and Exploiting EAP materials Introduction to Testing / Assessment Teacher Development JK = Julie King Topic Tutor MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK MJ / JK

Contact information for the module team

For academic matters Martha Jones (Module Convenor) Room C44 Dearing Bldg., Jubilee Campus Tel. 0115 951 4402 martha.jones@nottingham.ac.uk Room C30 Julie King (teaching) Dearing Bldg., Jubilee Campus Tel: 0115 9514494 julie.king@nottingham.ac.uk

For administrative matters Nina Sohal Taught Courses Administrative Assistant Room A73 Dearing Building, Jubilee Campus Tel: +44(0)115 951 4456 nina.sohal@nottingham.ac.uk

Postal address The School of Education, University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus, Wollaton Road, Nottingham NG8 1BB

IMPORTANT: Students are expected to attend all taught sessions. If, for any reason, you are unable to attend, please let Nina Sohal, Administrative Assistant, know in advance if possible (0115 951 4415 or nina.sohal@nottingham.ac.uk).

3. Module Aims, Objectives and Transferable Skills

3.1 Aims

This module aims to:

To equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for teaching English for Academic Purposes

3.2

Objectives

This module will focus on: enhance participants understanding of the needs of EAP students and their learning environment enhance participants knowledge of EAP teaching approaches promote reflective and evaluative teaching practice enable participants to evaluate, select and exploit EAP teaching materials promote teacher development and enhance participants career development

3.3

Transferable skills

A student who completes this module successfully will be able to: plan and prioritise by planning a lesson think creatively by evaluating, exploiting and designing teaching materials to arouse student interest and promote learning anticipate potential problems during lesson planning and prepare appropriate solutions

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4.1

Module Content, Activities and Outcomes

Content
focus on: The EAP context Student profile: needs analysis Teaching academic writing, reading, listening and speaking skills Academic grammar and vocabulary Evaluating, selecting and exploiting EAP materials Teacher development

This module will

4.2

Learning activities

Interactive lectures, workshop sessions, teaching observations, based on key readings, group discussion, independent reading, library research. NOTE: Participants will be expected to contribute actively to the sessions.

4.3

Learning Circles

As part of the module, you will join a Learning Circle which will meet each week in order to discuss/reflect on the content introduced in the previous session, and prepare for an activity to take place at the beginning of the next session. The aim of these Learning Circles is to help you to: clarify and further develop your understanding of course content; develop your ability to reflect and think critically; share experience with classmates (especially with those from different backgrounds); learn in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Specific tasks will be suggested for discussion in the Learning Circles. Each group will be asked to submit a written report and feedback will be provided.

4.4

Learning Outcomes

a. Knowledge and understanding A student who completes this module successfully will have: An awareness of language needs of students of English for Academic Purposes An understanding of the appropriate teaching approaches and techniques needed for teaching different types of EAP students An understanding of the basic terminology used in describing EAP issues An understanding of the theory behind different approaches to teaching EAP b. Intellectual skills A student who completes this module successfully will be able to link EAP theory to classroom practice.

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5.1

ASSESSMENT
Deadline for submission of assignment

Assessment of this module will be based on one written assignment of 3,000 words on a topic of your choice related to the content of this module. The deadline for submitting this assignment is 25th May 2012. Note It is not usual to grant extensions beyond the specified submission date unless there is written evidence of exceptional circumstances. Students who do not meet a submission deadline will incur a loss of 5 marks per working day unless they have been granted an extension. Similarly, students who do not meet an extension deadline incur a loss of 5 marks per working day. This is a University-wide regulation. An extension may only be given if you can demonstrate where your academic work is affected by a serious condition e.g. long-term illness or disability, bereavement, major life crisis. Full details of how to apply are contained in your Assessment Handbook, or you can discuss this with Faith Hewitt Postgraduate Administrator.

5.2

Marking criteria

The criteria used for marking your written work is outlined in the Assessment Handbook. The following provides additional information relating to this module. Whichever title you use, you will be expected to do all of the following: write 3,000 words, not including the appendices, quotations and bibliography: show a good understanding of a wide range of relevant literature; organise your assignment in a way that is clear, logical and coherent (numbered subheadings should be used and you should link each section to the next); provide a balance between theory and practice (i.e., reflective literature review and practical applications to your own teaching context); relate theory to practice - usually by applying it to a language teaching context which you are familiar with (i.e., relate the topic to English language teaching and your context. State the age and language level of the students when describing your teaching context); support your arguments with evidence (e.g., by reference to relevant research, or to your own experience - though in the latter case you must beware of becoming too anecdotal); discuss alternatives and critically evaluate any supporting evidence; write with a reasonable degree of accuracy (this means carefully editing your work before handing it in, checking grammar, punctuation and spelling, etc); follow the normal conventions of academic writing with regard to presentation, style, layout, bibliography, and reference to sources, as laid down in your course handbook.

(Note: Journal articles provide a useful model, since they generally meet most of the criteria above) NB: presentation, referencing, etc is important, as well as content. See this website http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/~ttzim/waw/academicwriting for advice on various aspects of academic writing. 8

5.3

Submission of written work

Assignments will be submitted electronically through WebCT. Please see the Assessment Handbook section Submission of Written Work for definitive guidance on the presentation and submission of written work.

5.4

Suggested topics for assignment

Information on essay titles will be available in the first session.

5.5

Academic offences

It is an academic offence to commit any act whereby a person seeks to obtain for him/herself, or for another, an unpermitted advantage with a view to achieving a higher mark or grade than his/her abilities would otherwise secure. The following are examples of such an academic offence. (i) Plagiarism The substantial use of other people's work and the submission of it as though it were one's own (i.e. without acknowledgement) is regarded as plagiarism. Within the School of Education the concept of plagiarism also applies to the use in an assignment or thesis of material which has previously been submitted as part of an earlier assignment without acknowledgement, even when that work is the student's own. While reference to or summary of earlier work is permissible if acknowledged, wholesale reproduction of paragraphs or passages is unacceptable. (ii) Fabrication of results It is an academic offence for a candidate to claim either to have carried out experiments, observations, interviews or any form of research which he/she has not in fact carried out or to claim to have obtained results which have not in fact been obtained. You will be asked to sign a document to ensure that you understand the definition of plagiarism and this document will be kept on your file.

6. Bibliography
Below you will find a very comprehensive list of useful reading for the module, some of which will be given out in the module sessions. You are not expected to read everything, but you are expected to use the list to explore issues in which you are interested. Materials that are particularly recommended are listed in bold. Alexander, O., Argent, S. and Spencer J. (2008) EAP Essentials: A teachers guide to principles and practice. Reading: Garnet Publishing. Badger, R. & White, G. (2000) A process genre approach to teaching writing, ELT Journal 54/2: 153 160. Badger, R., White, G., Sutherland, P., & Haggis, T. (2001) Note perfect: an investigation of how students view taking notes in lectures, System, Vol. 29, pp. 405 - 417. Banerjee, J., & Wall, D. (2006) Assessing and reporting performances on presessional EAP courses: Developing a final assessment checklist and investigating its validity, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, Vol. 5, Issue 1, pp. 50 - 69. Basturkmen, H. (1999) Discourse in MBA Seminars: Towards a Description for Pedagogical Purposes, English for Specific Purposes 18 (1): 63 80. Basturkmen, H. (2002) Negotiating meaning in seminar-type discussion and EAP, English for Specific Purposes 21: 233 242. Brown, G. (2008) Selective Listening, System, Vol. 36, Issue 1, pp. 110 21. Carrell, P. & Carson, J. (1997) Extensive and intensive reading in an EAP setting, English for Specific Purposes, Vol. 16, no. 1., pp. 47 - 60. Charles, M. (2003) This mystery: a corpus-based study of the use of nouns to construct stance in theses from two contrasting disciplines, Journal of English for Academic Purposes 2, pp. 313 326. Clapham, C. (2000) Assessment for academic purposes: where next?, System, Vol. 28, Issue 4, pp. 511 - 521. Clennell, C. (1999) Promoting pragmatic awareness and spoken discourse skills with EAP classes, ELT Journal 53 (2): 83 91. Cotterall, S. & Cohen, R. (2003) Scaffolding for second language writers: producing an academic essay, ELT Journal Vol. 57/2: 158 166. Coxhead, A. & Nation, P. (2001) The specialised vocabulary of English for academic purposes. In J. Flowerdew & M. Peacock (eds.) Research Perspectives on English for Academic Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: pp. 252 267. Flowerdew, J. (1994) Academic Listening. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Flowerdew, J. & Peacock, M. (2001). Issues in EAP: A preliminary perspective. In J. Flowerdew & M. Peacock Research Perspectives on English for Academic Purposes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 8 24.

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Fry, H. & Ketteridge, S. (2003) Teaching portfolios, in Fry, H, Ketteridge, S. & Marshall, S. (eds.) A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. London: Routledge Falmer, pp. 242 252. Hamp-Lyons, L. (2001) English for academic purposes. In R. Carter & D. Nunan The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 126 130. Harwood, N. (2005) What do we want EAP teaching materials for?, Journal of English for Academic Purposes, Vol. 4, pp. 149 161. Harwood, N. (ed.) (2010) Materials in ELT: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hewings, A. and Hewings, M. (2005) Grammar and Context: an Advanced Resource Book. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Huang, S. (2006) Reading English for academic purposes what situational factors may motivate learners to read?, System, Vol. 34, Issue 3, pp. 371 - 383. Hyland, K. (2002) Options of identity in academic writing, ELT Journal 56/4: 351 358. Hyland, K. & Hamp-Lyons, L. (2002) EAP issues and directions, Journal of English for Academic Purposes 1: 1 12. Hyland, K. (2006) English for Academic Purposes: an advanced resource book. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. Jones, M. & Schmitt, N. (2010) Developing Materials for Discipline-Specific Vocabulary and Phrases in Academic Seminars. In Harwood, N. (ed.) Materials in ELT: Theory and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Jones, M. & Durrant, P. (2010) What can a corpus tell us about vocabulary teaching materials. In OKeeffe, A. and McCarthy, M. (eds.) The Routledge Handbook of Corpus Linguistics. Abingdon: Routledge. Jordan, R. (1997) English for Academic Purposes: A guide and resource book for teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. MacDonald, M., Badger, R., & White, G. (2000) The real thing?: Authenticity and academic listening, English for Specific Purposes, Vol. 19, pp. 253 - 267. Nunes, A. (2004) Portfolios in the EFL classroom: disclosing an informed practice, ELT Journal, Vol. 58/4. Richards, J.C. & Lockhart, C. (1996) Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Spector-Cohen, E., Kirschner, M., & Wexler, C. (2001) Designing EAP reading courses at the university level, English for Specific Purposes, Vol. 20, pp. 367 - 386. Turner, Y. (2006) Chinese students in a UK Business School: Hearing the student voice in reflective teaching and learning practice, Higher Education Quarterly, Vol. 60, no. 1, pp. 2751. Wallace, M. (1999) The Reflective Model Revisited, in Trappes-Lomax and McGrath, I. (eds.) Theory in Language Teacher Education. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education, pp. 179 189.

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7. Proposal Form for Assignment Topic

Note: the topic you propose will not have been approved until a signed copy of this form is returned to you.

Introduction to Teaching English for Academic Purposes

Name Proposed Title

Proposed Content (List)

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Your proposed title is approved without modification

Your proposed title is approved with the following modifications (see back of form)

Tutors name ........................................................... Date ............................................... Tutors signature .............................................................................................................

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