MA Educational Leadership

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
The Education of Language Teachers

Course unit fact file
Unit code EDUC70132
Credit rating 15
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? Yes

Overview

The course unit is aimed at those interested in developing their skills and understanding as language teacher educators, whether in initial teacher training or in in-service professional development.  It introduces key concepts and theoretical models in teacher education, and debates the knowledge base of language teacher education, along with perspectives on teacher learning in both pre and in-service contexts. Specific sessions include exploring approaches to developing teacher language awareness, how teachers learn through observing others and being observed, the role of others and opportunities for collaborative teacher development, course and workshop design and evaluation.

Pre/co-requisites

This unit has a pre-requisite of a minimum two years of language teaching experience

Aims

  • To develop professional competence in the area of language teacher education with an increased awareness of the complexity of providing training or development opportunities for teachers that are appropriate to local educational contexts;
  • To develop participants’ skill in critically reflecting on their previous teaching or teacher education experiences, whether as learners, teachers, trainees or trainers, in the light of research, theory, and current areas of debate in language teacher education;
  • To develop a knowledge and understanding of past and current theories of, and research into, language teacher education and the skills of relating that theory and research to particular teacher education contexts and needs.

Teaching and learning methods


The course unit takes a participatory approach combining seminar-type input, small group work in various formats, case studies, guided reading, participant-led discussions, reflective tasks, workshops, and a variety of demonstration processes.

Knowledge and understanding

  • To be able to demonstrate a general knowledge and understanding of theories of, and research into, language teacher education;
  • To demonstrate an understanding of key principles which shape effective teacher learning and development
  • To demonstrate context-specific awareness of responses to teacher needs

Intellectual skills

  • To critically reflect on personal teaching or training experiences and their appropriateness for particular educational contexts;
  • To demonstrate skills in applying knowledge and understanding to the analysis and evaluation of the content and process of specific language teacher education course components and/or materials for language teacher education;
  • To interact critically with the literature of the field

Practical skills

  • To engage in professional self-development activities and facilitate these for others;
  • To undertake an analysis of the training and/or development needs of a particular group of trainees or teachers;
  • To adapt and/or develop appropriate content and processes for course components and/or materials for a particular group of trainees or teachers.

Transferable skills and personal qualities

  • Enhanced skills in academic literacies including academic presentation, information processing (on- and off-line);
  • Enhanced skills in interpersonal and intercultural communication;
  • An appreciation of the value of reflection in professional practice; and
  • Autonomy and enhanced meta-cognitive strategies with regard to study skills and further professional development.

Employability skills

Group/team working
Innovation/creativity
Problem solving
Written communication
Other
Reflective practitioner skills. Innovation/creativity in developing teacher education practices.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written assignment (inc essay) 100%

Feedback methods

Feedback via blackboard

Recommended reading

Texts are recommended during the course as we address the different topics. This provides useful chapters on many of the topics explored:

Richards, J.C. and T.S. Farrell (2005). Professional Development for Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

An overview collection of short papers is:
Burns, A. & Richards, J. (eds.) (2009). The Cambridge Guide to Second Language

Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Depending on the interests that participants have or develop, the following texts are also

highly recommended:

Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative Action Research for English Language Teachers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Edge, J. (ed.) (2001). Case Studies in TESOL: Action Research. Alexandria, VA: TESOL Inc.

Edge, J. (2002). Continuing Cooperative Development: A Discourse Framework for Individuals as Colleagues. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Gebhard, J. and R. Oprandy (1999). Language Teaching Awareness: A Guide to Exploring Beliefs and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Johnson, K. (2009). Second Language Teacher Education: A Sociocultural Perspective. New York: Routledge.

Johnson, K. (ed.) (2000). Case Studies in TESOL: Teacher Education. Alexandria, VA: TESOL Inc.

Parrott, M. (1993). Tasks for Language Teachers: A Resource Book for Training and Development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Richards, J.C. and D. Nunan (eds.) (1990). Second Language Teacher Education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Roberts, J. (1998). Language Teacher Education. London: Edward Arnold. (addresses design of initial and inservice teacher education)

Tedick, D. (ed.) (2005). Second Language Teacher Education: International Perspectives. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Ur, P. (1996). A Course in Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Wajnryb, R. (1992). Classroom Observation Tasks: A Resource Book for Language

Teachers and Trainers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wallace, M.J. (1991). Training Foreign Language Teachers: A Reflective Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Woodward, T. 1991. Models and Metaphors in Language Teacher training: Loop Input and Other Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 24
Practical classes & workshops 30
Seminars 40
Tutorials 6
Independent study hours
Independent study 50

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Diane Slaouti Unit coordinator

Additional notes

Information

Whole group seminars and workshops 12 weeks x 2 hours = 24 hours

Directed independent and group activity 40 hours

Tutorial preparation and attendance  6 hours

Assessment activity and writing 30 hours

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