The Inaugural Summer Institute on Language Teaching

19-23 January 2009, Mathews Building, UNSW

Course Summaries

Developing and using language assessments

Course Title: Developing and using language assessments

Course Leader: Prof. Adrian Palmer

Course Time: 9:00 – 12:00 AM

Course Description: This course aims to provide the student with an opportunity to increase their competence in the development and use of language assessments. The approach used in the course is based on four fundamental principles. First, the developers and users of language assessments need to be able to justify to stakeholders the uses (decisions, consequences) that are made of assessments. Second, an assessment use argument (AUA) needs to be coherent and clearly articulated, linking assessment performance to interpretations and to intended uses. Third, there needs to be evidence that the statements in the AUA are supported. Lastly, all stakeholders need to collaborate during the process of assessment development and use. The course will take the students through the process of designing, developing, and justifying the use of a specific high-stakes test. The following topics will be addressed: assessment justification, overview of assessment development and use and initial planning, creating design statements, developing assessment tasks, and creating blueprints, responsible assessment use.

Required Text: Bachman, L. F. and Palmer, A. S. (pre-publication version). Language Assessment in the Real World: Developing Language Assessments and Justifying their Use. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Brief Biography of Course Leader: Adrian Palmer is an Associate Professor of Linguistics at the University of Utah, where he teaches a variety of courses in applied linguistics. His areas of specialization include language testing, teacher training and professional development, and language teaching methodology. He is the author or co-author of eleven published tests, over 40 articles, and nine books. A language testing publication, Language Testing in Practice: Designing and Developing Useful Language Tests (with Lyle Bachman), published by Oxford University Press, won the Kenneth W. Mildenberger Prize for an outstanding research publication in the field of teaching foreign languages and literature. Adrian is a co-founder of the Language Testing Research Colloquium.

Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers

Course Title: Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers

Course Leader: Prof. Brian Paltridge

Course Time: 9:00 – 12:00 AM

Course Description: The course aims to focus on the analysis of both spoken and written discourse. It will aim to show how discourse analysis can reveal important insights for both understanding the use of language and for the purposes of language teaching and learning. Participants will examine spoken and written discourse from a range of different sources. Background theories will be covered which will then be considered in the light of broader views of what it means to be a successful user of a second or foreign language. Examples will be given of how a focus on discourse from each of the perspectives covered in the course can be taken up in the language learning classroom. This course considers social, rhetorical and linguistic perspectives on discourse analysis and what these mean for the language learning classroom. Topics covered will include discourse and pragmatics, discourse and genre, discourse and conversation, and critical discourse analysis. Implications for professional practice will also be discussed.

Required Text: Paltridge, B. (2006). Discourse Analysis: An Introduction. London: Continuum.

Brief Biography of Course Leader: Brian Paltridge is Professor of TESOL at the University of Sydney. Brian has taught English as a second and foreign language in Australia, New Zealand, and Italy. He is author of Genre, Frames and Writing in Research Settings (1997), Making Sense of Discourse Analysis (2000), Genre and the Language Learning Classroom (2001), Discourse Analysis (2006), Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language (with Sue Starfield, 2007), and with his TESOL colleagues at the University of Sydney, Teaching Academic Writing (2008). With Sue Starfield, he co-edits the journal English for Specific Purposes.

Technology in language education

Course Title: Technology in language education

Course Leader: Prof. Denise Murray

Course Time: 9:00 – 12:00 AM

Course Description: This course aims to explain the features and uses of new technologies, and describe the new forms of literacy involved in information technology. Participants will evaluate the use of computers in education, including online learning, computer-assisted learning, distance education, and assessment, and discuss various approaches to studying technology: deterministic, instrumental, critical. The course will use an outcomes-based approach to course design and help participants apply course design skills to include the use of information technology. It will also allow participants to reflect on their own technology learning. This course takes the view that technology can be both tool and tutor in language education. The role of technology in language education is examined as an aspect of curriculum design, that is, the starting point is needs analysis and the resulting curriculum, rather than technology. This course will also describe the characteristics of various applications such as email, computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and webpages. It will help participants evaluate the role of information technology in language teaching and learning. Participants will explore the use of technology in different educational settings, and how to integrate it in course design. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to use the open source learning management system, Moodle, for classroom instruction.

Required Text: A collection of readings will be issued to the participants upon registration.

Brief Biography of Course Leader: Denise Murray is Professor Emeritus at Macquarie University and at San José State University, California. She was Executive Director of the AMEP Research Centre and of the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) at Macquarie University from 2000 to 2006. Prior to her appointment at Macquarie, she was founding Chair of the Department of Linguistics and Language Development at San José State University for 9 years. For 7 years, she served on the Board of Directors of TESOL, the international professional association for educators in the field of second language learning and teaching. She was President of TESOL in 1996-7. Denise is a language educator whose research interests centre around computer-assisted language learning; cross-cultural literacy; use of L1 in the second language classroom; intersection of language, society and technology; settlement of adult immigrants; language education policy; and leadership in language education.

Second Language Acquisition

Course Title: Second Language Acquisition

Course Leader: Prof. David Nunan

Course Time: 9:00 – 12:00 AM

Course Description: This course is intended as an introduction to second language acquisition (SLA) theory and research. As such, it assumes no prior knowledge of the subject. Participants will be introduced to theoretical perspectives on second language acquisition as well as to key research studies in the field. SLA will be looked at from cognitive, socio-cultural and critical perspective. The workshops will consist of a mixture of input, small group discussions and the analysis of learner data.

Required Text: Ellis, R. (1997). Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Brief Biography of Course Leader: David Nunan is Emeritus Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Hong Kong and Vice-President for Student Affairs at Anaheim University. He is also Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Universities of Stockholm, Sweden, and Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. He has written over 100 books and articles in the areas of classroom based research, curriculum development and discourse analysis. Recent books include What Is This Thing Called Language? (Palgrave/Macmillan) and, with Kathi Bailey, Exploring Second Language Classroom Research (Heinle).

Teacher language awareness and grammar pedagogy

Course Title: Teacher language awareness and grammar pedagogy

Course Leader: Prof. Stephen Andrews

Course Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Course Description:This course will focus on second language teachers' knowledge and understanding of the way language works (their 'teacher language awareness', or TLA) and the potential impact of their TLA on their effectiveness as teachers of a second or foreign language. The major focus of the course will be on TLA as it relates to grammar. Examples will be taken from the teaching of English as a Foreign Language, mainly in the Hong Kong secondary school context, but the issues discussed will be relevant to the teaching of any language, in any context and at any level. Sessions will explore a range of topics relating to TLA, and will combine presentations, discussions and awareness-raising tasks. Topics will include the following: the nature of TLA; TLA and pedagogical practice; TLA and grammar pedagogy; the TLA of native-speaker and non-native-speaker L2 teachers; the TLA of expert and novice teachers; and TLA and professional development.

Required Text: Andrews, S. (2007). Teacher language awareness. Cambridge University Press.

Brief Biography of Course Leader: Stephen Andrews is Associate Professor in English Language Education and Head of the Language and Literature Division in Hong Kong University's Faculty of Education, where he has worked since 1990. He was previously Head of the TEFL Unit at the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (now Cambridge Assessment). Before that, he worked at the University of Reading, led educational development projects in Thailand and Sudan, and taught EFL in Egypt, Mexico, Switzerland, Germany and France. His research and publications mainly concern second language education, particularly the language awareness of L2 teachers, and the impact of assessment on teaching and learning. He is the author of the 2007 Cambridge University Press book Teacher Language Awareness.

Controversies in academic writing

Course Title: Controversies in academic writing

Course Leader: Dr. Sue Starfield

Course Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Course Description: The course will enable participants to examine and reflect on a number of key and current debates in the field of teaching and researching second language writing. Through a focus on key, current debates in the field of teaching and researching academic writing, this course enables participants to explore significant issues in new ways. The controversial issues that will be examined include beliefs about writing, the relationships of writing and culture, what we can learn from the research into writing development and assessment, the role of social interaction in written academic texts, questions about the political nature of academic writing and pedagogy, and the extent to which writing in a second language differs from first language writing. The implications of these themes for participants’ professional practice will be considered throughout the course. Course sessions will be highly interactive and enable participants to critically reflect on their own beliefs and practices as they engage with the issues under discussion.

Required Text: Casanave, C. P. (2003). Controversies in Second Language Writing: Dilemmas and Decisions in Research and Instruction. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Brief Biography of Course Leader: Sue Starfield is Director of The Learning Centre at the University of New South Wales and a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Linguistics. She is co-author with Brian Paltridge of Thesis and Dissertation Writing in a Second Language: A Handbook for Supervisors (Routledge 2007). She is a recipient (with Brian Paltridge and Louise Ravelli) of an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant 2008-2010 on Writing in the Academy: The Practice-based Thesis as an Evolving Genre. She is a 2008 recipient of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council citation for an outstanding contribution to student learning through the development of a research-led innovative curriculum to support postgraduate research students' writing with significant impact on the field of postgraduate writing.

An Introduction to Language and the Brain

Course Title: An Introduction to Language and the Brain

Course Leader: Prof. MaryAnn Christison

Course Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Course Description: The course aims to provide the students with tools to increase their understanding of how language is structured in the human brain and to use this information in instructional design and implementation. The first part of the course focuses on the structure of the human brain by synthesizing the following ideas from cognitive science, neuroscience, and linguistics: (1) The basics of brain biology, including neuronal structure and function, (2) the results of modern neuroimaging studies, particularly of bilingual brains in children and adult subjects, and (3) classical aphasia research. The course will take students through an overview of the research in the areas outlined above, as well as a discussion of the neuroethical considerations of this research (i.e., why it is important for language teachers to know about the research so that the research is not misinterpreted). The last half of the course will focus on pedagogical implications in the form of brain compatible principles. The course leader will demonstrate how teachers can design classroom strategies and tasks that are consistent with these principles.

Required Text: Ahlsen, E. (2006). An Introduction to Neurolinguistics. Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing.

Background of course leader: MaryAnn Christison is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Utah, USA where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses for MA and PhD students. She received two MA degrees from Utah State University, including an MATESL degree, and a PhD in English/Linguistics from the University of Utah. Her areas of specialization are second language acquisition, neurolinguistics, content-based instruction, L2 methodology, L2 teacher education, and leadership. She is the author of over 90 articles (refereed and invited), 20 chapters in edited volumes, and 16 books including Seeking the Heart of Teaching (co-authored with A. Palmer), Multiple Intelligences and Language Learning, and Leadership in English Language Education (co-edited with D. Murray). Christison served on the TESOL Board of Directors from 1993-2000 and was a president of the association 1997-98. She is currently on the Board of Trustees for The International Research Foundation (TIRF) for English language education.

Assessment for Learning: From Theory to Practice

Course Title: Assessment for Learning: From Theory to Practice

Course Leader: Prof. Chris Davison

Course Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Course Description: The course aims to identify, describe and critically evaluate the key assumptions underlying assessment for learning in second language teaching internationally; demonstrate a sound understanding of key theoretical, practical and sociocultural problems and approaches in the assessment for learning, in particular debates around trustworthiness and consistency; and apply their knowledge and understanding of assessment for learning processes to the evaluation and improvement of “real-life” second language assessment situations in their own context. Assessment for learning (AfL)occurs when assessment is conceptualized and implemented as an integral component of learning and teaching, and involves extensive teachers designing and implementing their own classroom-based assessment tasks, actively engaging learners in self and peer assessment and incorporating critical but constructive feedback into the assessment cycle. As a concept, AfL has been explored much more widely in general education than in second language teaching, with Black & Wiliam (1998) convincingly demonstrating the learning gains that can be achieved through well-focused teacher-based formative assessment, claiming no other strategy has such potential for enhancing student learning across age levels and in different contexts. However, there are a number of challenges and complexities within the classroom practice of AfL which challenge teachers and students. This course explores the underlying philosophy and rationale for assessment for learning, and the key approaches and problems in the implementation of such classroom-based assessment, including the implications for the role of the teacher-as-assessor, the nature of effective feedback, how to involve students in self and peer assessment, and the dilemmas of introducing such assessment systems into a traditional examination-dominated educational community.

Required Text: A collection of readings will be issued to the participants upon registration.

Brief Biography of Course Leader: Chris Davison is the new Head of School and Professor of Education at the University of New South Wales. She has worked for many years in English language teacher education in the Asian-Pacific region, and has published widely in the area of curriculum and assessment in English as a second language contexts. Her most recent books are on ESL in the mainstream (Longman Pearson, 2001), English language teaching in China (Continuum Press, 2007, with Xinmin Zheng) and English language teaching internationally (Springer, 2007, with Jim Cummins). With colleagues at the University of Hong Kong, she has been developing and researching a range of oral school-based assessment initiatives for the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority and the Hong Kong Education Bureau, and is also advising the Ministry of Education in Singapore on the development of assessment for learning. She has conducted many in-service programs and consultancies with educational systems in the Asian region, including Singapore, Laos, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and China.

Digital-Critical Literacies for the 21st Century

Course Title: Digital-Critical Literacies for the 21st Century

Course Leader: Dr. Matthew Clarke

Course Time: 2:00 – 5:00 PM

Course Description. This course will explore recent shifts in our understanding of what literacy and being literate means in the twenty first century and how these changes extend and complexify traditional understandings of literacy. In particular, the course will examine the enriched possibilities for powerful and engaged learning offered by developments in digital technology and critical theory, and will consider the implications of these developments for pedagogic practice in the language classroom. The workshops will consist of a mixture of input and hands-on activity designed to give students theoretical and practical knowledge of digital and critical lliteracies for the twenty first century.

Required text. A collection of readings will be issued to the participants upon registration.

Brief biography of course leader. Matthew Clarke currently teaches in the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. He has worked for many years in language education and language teacher education, and his research and publications focus on teacher identity formation and critical and digital literacies in language education. His recent book, Language Teacher Identities: Co-constructing Discourse and Community, was published by Multilingual Matters.

Top of Document | Return to Start of Content