tesol study guide 2010

8/11/2019 TESOL Study Guide 2010

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TESOL STUDY GUIDE 2009

TESOL Coordinator: Dr. Thao L

[email protected] Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1307, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia

7250.

GREETINGS FROM THAO

First of all, welcome to our Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program.

As you may know, we have students from many different countries who have brought to our TESOL course a

wealth of personal and professional experiences which have enriched our teaching and learning.

The attached study guide will give you some information about our TESOL units and courses. I hope it is useful

and

learner

friendly

document

for

you

to

use.

If not already enclosed, you will be sent a CD once you have enrolled in at least one TESOL unit. The CD has

over one hundred TESOL and TESOL related papers for your reading resources. Most are in WORD file. The

papers are placed in different thematic folders, for examples second language learning, bilingualism, testing,

teaching approaches etc. You do not have to read them all. They are purely provided as an additional reading

resource. Some of them can be used as a source for your assignments or general interest.

Please

note

that

the

contents

for

each

of

the

TESOL

units

listed

in

this

guide

are

provided

to

give

you

ideas.

We

need to be flexible enough to allow cross unit topics and those that reflect your interest and knowledge, which are more important than a rigidly fixed syllabus . Students often suggest topics for reading and

assignments which are not listed in the contents. This is a step towards a learner centred approach to teaching

and learning. Please feel free to discuss your ideas with your unit co ordinator should you wish to do this.

St d t h l t d i L t i it d t tt d TESOL i k


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CONTENTS

Summary of most important notes: Please pay attention! ______________________________ 3

Course Structure __________________________________________________________________ 4

UNITS for TESOL specialisation ____________________________________________________ 4 ESG714 Current issues in second language learning ______________________________________ 5

ESG715 Aspects of linguistics __________________________________________________________ 6

ESG716 Language, culture and society __________________________________________________ 7

ESG717 Teaching English as a second/foreign language ___________________________________ 7

ESG718 Curriculum and syllabus in TESOL _____________________________________________ 8

ESG719 Curriculum issues in TESOL ___________________________________________________ 9

ESG720 Special project in TESOL _____________________________________________________ 10

ESG721 Language and communication _________________________________________________ 10

ESG722 Language learning for specific purposes ________________________________________ 11

Application and Enrolment ________________________________________________________ 12

Our Web Sites and Contacts _______________________________________________________ 12

Semesters and Assignment Due Dates _______________________________________________ 13

The TESOL CD __________________________________________________________________ 14

Hints on how to start your study and different pathways _____________________________ 14

Assignments _____________________________________________________________________

16

Types of Assignment __________________________________________________________________ 16

Essay Tips ___________________________________________________________________________ 17

Assignment Submission _______________________________________________________________ 18

Referencing format ___________________________________________________________________ 19

Assessment ______________________________________________________________________ 19 Assessment Criteria ___________________________________________________________________ 19

A sample of talk between a student and Thao _______________________________________ 20

Our TESOL NEWS _______________________________________________________________ 22

Recommended Readings ___________________________________________________________ 22

Library and Flexible Library Services _______________________________________________ 23

Additional Important Information _________________________________________________ 24 Workload Expectations 24


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Summary of most important notes: Please pay attention!

1. In the postgraduate coursework program, if your specialisation is TESOL, you are required to complete

only TESOL units . If your specialisation is not TESOL and you are enrolled in the Master of Education

course, you are required to complete two compulsory units ESG700 and ESG701 Contemporary

Educational Issues A & B (correct for 2009 only).

2. Please use your Utas email (Webmail) account for all correspondence. The university use your Utas email account to communicate important information to you. It is recommended that you get into the

habit of checking your account weekly.

3. When you have completed the Graduate Certificate of Education and want to undertake the Master of

Education course, you need to apply for admission into the Master of Education (credit will be

automatically given for studies in the Graduate Certificate).

4. All of the TESOL units are offered in all three Semesters.

5. Teaching is Distance mode . Mixed mode (e.g.face to face seminar, regular individual student lecturer

conferencing, e learning) is offered to students based in Launceston. International students enrolled in

E7E/E5E who are studying in Australia must be based on campus in Launceston. This intercultural

experience will enrich their English language and learning skills as well as provide an opportunity for

social interaction with Australian students and staff. These students will also have opportunities to audit

lectures and seminars in other courses in the Faculty of Education.

6. You do not need to cover all the contents mentioned for each unit. Information is provided to you to give

you ideas about the units.

7. The TESOL CD is the only study resource we send to you for your study with us. Please contact Thao L

for the TESOL CD if you do not receive this by the start of Semester.

8. The Faculty also offers summer school face to face classes (also called Semester 3). This does not apply

to TESOL students.

9. Pay attention to the holidays, weekends and break time when staff are not available for consultation .

The Semester start, end, breaks and assignment deadline dates are outlined below.

Semester 3 Summer Semester


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o Final Assignment (essay) is due: 10 May 2010.

Semester 2

Start date Monday 12 July 2010

Mid Semester Break/Spring holiday: Monday August 30 Sunday 5 September (Staff are not available) Finish date Friday 15 October 2010

o First assignment submission (non essay): 1 September 2010 o Second assignment (essay): 1 October 2010

10. When you send emails, please write your full name and student number as there are many students with

the same first name. Please send emails from your UTas student email account.

11. Students can choose to do only one major essay (5000 words) for each unit. Thus they do only one major

assignment for the whole unit instead of two assignments (i.e. an essay and a non essay) and the due

date is the second one (later in the Semester). Any essay less than 5000 words will be treated as a minor

essay (thus two assignments are required for the unit)

12. All assignments should be submitted by email attachment to [email protected] ,

not in hard copy . Please use WORD. When your assignments have been received, an email will be sent to

you within two days to confirm receiving your assignments . Please see detailed instructions under Assessment in this document.

Thanks for your attention to the most important notes listed above.

Course Structure The TESOL postgraduate program consists of three sequential subcomponents:

E5E/E0A Graduate Certificate of Education Course (4 units)

E7E/E0B Master of Education Coursework (8 units; otherwise an extra 4 units for those who have

completed the Graduate Cert course E5E)

UNITS for TESOL specialisation

There are 9 TESOL units for you to choose from. There is no recommended sequence. The order you choose

should reflect your interest and pathway.

NOTE : At the University of Tasmania, the term unit and course are NOT the same. A course (such as B.Ed, Grad.


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IMPORTANT NOTE : If your specialisation is TESOL, you are required to do only TESOL units. If your

specialisation is not TESOL and it is the general M.Ed strand, you are required to do two compulsory units of

the M.Ed course (which are not listed here) with other lecturers.

ESG714 Current issues in second language learning

Mode : Distance/off campus or on campus

flexible mode ESG722 Language learning

for specific purposes

Semesters : 1, 2. and 3

Unit coordinator : Dr. Marion Myhill

This unit deals with the following

aspects/issues:

Linguistic issues in TESOL/LOTE;

Linguistic

awareness;

Learning styles/ strategies in TESOL Constructivism in language teaching and

learning Teaching and learning resources in TESOL Language maintenance English in a world context; TESOL in a multicultural society;

Language, identity and culture; Assessing language competence Critical theory perspective in TESOL/LOTE. The role of IT in TESOL Reflective learning The role of humour in language teaching

and learning

Note : You don t need to cover all the contents

mentioned for each unit, they are there to give

you some ideas about the units and of course

there is some overlapping of contents among

units.

Suggested Topics for Assignments

A critical discussion of a TESOL test

instrument (eg. TOEFL, IELTS) Some problems of testing English as a

second

language.

What does a test and does not tell us? Some cultural issues in testing English as a

second language. E learning in TESOL Communicative strategies Improving communication and learning via

the Internet

The Internet as a communicative discourse. Knowledge of English grammar in learning

English as a second language Knowledge of English grammar in teaching

English as a second language. Learning English as a second language in

young children. Learning English as a second language in

adulthood. Language maintenance in Hong

Kong/India/Singapore Linguistic imperialism Teaching English and interfering with

learners cultures. The use of humour in language teaching

(e,g, jokes, riddles ) Native English speaking teachers and non

native English speaking teachers Speaking with an accent Cultural influence on learning styles of

Chinese students (or Korean, Vietnamese,

Polish, Indonesian etc).


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ESG715 Aspects of linguistics


flexible mode


Unit coordinator : Dr. Thao L

This unit deals with the following aspects/issues:

What is linguistics?; Phonology; Morphology; Syntax; Semantics; Pragmatics; Discourse analysis; The contribution of linguistics to TESOL. Language : form, meaning and use Spoken and written language, Sign language Different approaches to language analysis. Language complexity First language interference on second

language learning Grammar in teaching and learning

Note : You don t need to cover all the

contents mentioned for each unit, they are

there to give you some ideas about the

units and of course there is some

overlapping of contents among units.


You may want to choose the following suggested topics for your assignments

(please note that topics suggested in other

TESOL i b h h

Conversation: structure and function and

implications for TESOL Teaching conversation. Narrative genre Metaphors and implications for TESOL The language of interview

Meaning

in

different

cultures:

confusion

and misunderstanding Scientific genre Business English and implications for

TESOL Teaching genres in TESOL What is metalinguistic awareness? Linguistic and cultural issues in translation

Telephone

talk

Sign language for the hearing impaired Language politeness in English (or Chinese,

Korean, Indonesian etc) Questions and questioning in English. Sentence structure of English and

implications for TESOL Giving and receiving compliments in

English. A discourse of a TESOL class in Japan (or

other countries). A contrastive analysis of English and

German sound systems (or those of other

languages). Some insights or issues dealing with

systemic functional grammar in TESOL.

Teaching vocabulary: theory and practice. Tradition grammar: is it still useful in

TESOL? Teaching politeness in TESOL. Pronunciation errors of Korean students (or

Chinese, French, Vietnamese etc.)


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ESG716

Language, culture

and

society


flexible mode


Unit coordinator : Dr. Paul Throssell


aspects/issues:

What is sociolinguistics? The contribution of sociolinguistics to

language education; Language and society; Language and culture; Dialects of English

Social

dialect

(sociolect)

Linguistic Relativity Theory; Language variation; Code switching; Language and prejudice; and Language education: a Critical Theory

perspective.


contents mentioned for each unit, they are there to give you some ideas about the






TESOL units can be chosen too as there are

overlapping topics and issues:

Aspects of intercultural communication; Linguistic discrimination Language, empowerment and social justice Linguistic and cultural aspects of proverbs

and implications for TESOL Do women and men speak differently? Addressing in English (or Korean, Chinese,

French) and implications for TESOL Euphemism and some implications for

TESOL; Cultural and linguistic stereotyping; Gender issues in TESOL; What is abusive language? Does it vary

among cultures? Learners bring their cultures to their TESOL

classes; Sociolinguistic interference; Political correctness in intercultural

communication; Conversational styles in different cultures; Language and prejudice; Cultural aspects of jokes; Language and power; Bilingualism; Mother tongue maintenance;

Bilingual

education.

ESG717 Teaching English as a second/foreign language


flexible mode

Linguistics and TESOL; and Teaching methodology. Teaching four language skills


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Language learning and language

acquisition: are they different? Learning English as a second language and

learning English as a foreign language: are

they different? Communicative language teaching:

strengths

and

weaknesses;

Teaching methodology cannot be neutral to

cultural contexts; Teaching theories and the real world:

teaching English in China (or Vietnam,

Japan etc.) Learning English through active interaction; Reluctant learners

Teaching

phonics

in

TESOL

Coherence and cohesion in written text Using stories for teaching four language

skills Issues in testing language ability

Testing and cultural bias A critical discussion of teaching approaches

in TESOL What is a good teacher from the Chinese

perspective? (or Japanese, Thai etc.) A critical review of some TESOL textbooks. Learning styles Language teaching: a genre based approach Language teaching: a functional approach Assessing students writing Learner errors and error analysis Krashens views on language learning and

teaching. Language learning strategies Teaching English to advanced learners Teaching English to beginners. Cultural influences on learning behaviour

and expectation : A Chinese context (or

Vietnamese, German, Japaneseetc) Child learners and adult learners in TESOL:

similarities and differences. Differences between teaching English and

teaching about English. Translation as a teaching approach:

strengths and weaknesses; Biological factors in second language

learning; Commercialism in TESOL.

ESG718 Curriculum and syllabus in TESOL

Mode :

Distance/off

campus

or

on

campus

flexible mode



Teaching and learning resources; and Evaluation.


contents mentioned for each unit, they are

there to give you some ideas about the


l i f i


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Teaching listening in TESOL: theory and

practice; Teaching writing in TESOL: theory and

practice; Teaching reading in TESOL: theory and

practice; Teaching pronunciation in TESOL: theory

and practice; Teaching conversation in TESOL: theory

and practice; Effective use of teaching and learning

resources in TESOL; Collaborative learning in TESOL; Reflective teaching Evaluation of textbooks Planning lessons

Content based syllabuses Notional Functional syllabuses Task based syllabuses Teaching listening to advanced learners Constructivism in TESOL Teaching writing: Theory and practice Teaching reading: Theory and practice Teaching vocabulary Lexical approach in TESOL Communicative language teaching Pedagogical grammar The concept Learner centred curriculum in

TESOL; Student assignments: what roles do they

play in teaching and learning?

ESG719 Curriculum issues in TESOL


flexible mode




aspects/issues:

Curriculum: theory and practice; Transmission model of teaching; Learner centred curriculum; Constructivism in second language

teaching;

The

role

of

grammar

in

language

teaching

and learning; Theories of second language learning; Approaches to second language teaching; Translation and interpreting; Motivation in language learning




overlapping topics and issues: The relationship between curriculum and

the

culture

of

the

learners

in

TESOL;

The concept Learner centred curriculum in

TESOL; The power relationship between teachers

and learners in a TESOL context; Socio cultural consideration in curriculum

development; Differences between approach and

perspective

in

TESOL;

Differences between testing and assessment in TESOL;

The role of interaction in TESOL; How to motivate language learners? Are Asian students passive learners?


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Grammar: does it have a role to play in

TESOL? How to treat learners errors in TESOL? Errors are windows of the learning process. Peer assessment Teaching passive learners to become

independent learners Using constructivism in designing a course. Problems of adopting constructivism in

language teaching in China (or Vietnam,

Laos, Indonesia etc. ) Teaching writing: Theory into practice Cultural shocks of foreign language

teachers in Korea (or Germany, Japan)

Cultural shocks of students in a foreign

country The language of the Internet and

implications for TESOL Confucianism and its influence in education

in Korea (or China). Constructivism and behaviourism: Do they

work together in TESOL? Evaluation of a TESOL program; Evaluation of a TESOL test. The role of translation in teaching and

learning.

ESG720 Special project in TESOL

Mode : Distance/off campus or on campus flexible mode



This unit gives you an opportunity to carry

out a practical project which strongly

reflects your interests in any aspect in the

broad area of language education. It could

be based on a case study (eg. a migrant

learning English, an international student

coping

with

linguistic

problems

at

a

university). The project could also be based

on a construction of a language software

package or a video as seen in open

learning TV show, implementation of a

program, and evaluation of a teaching

program. It may be an analysis of a

language teaching discourse or a

conversational

analysis.

Assessment : Project report 5000 words.

ESG721 Language and communication


flexible mode




Language as a system;

Language

acquisition;

Code switching Language of emotion Miscommunication Communication barriers What is effective communication?


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Interpersonal communication and

implications for TESOL; Miscommunication and implications for

TESOL

The concept communicative competence; Promoting communicative interaction in a

TESOL classroom; Linguistic awareness; The relationship between language and

thought; The concept motherese;

Learning

is

a

meaning

making

process;

The limit of our words is the limit of our

world;

The language of emotion; Foreign talk: rationale, characteristics and

strategies The concept accent and its implications in

TESOL; Communication is an interactive process; Communicative strategies; Affective aspects of communication Communication breakdown due to

intercultural misunderstanding Emotional intelligence in communication Words and meanings in different cultures E communication Humour across cultures Interview: form and function The role of communication in conflict

resolution and implications for TESOL; Humour and its role in TESOL.

ESG722 Language learning for specific purposes


flexible mode




aspects/issues:

The concept of context in language

learning; Business English What is jargon? Academic English Receptive and expressive language Letter writing and implications for TESOL Language of the mass media


You

may

want

to

choose

the following

suggested topics for your assignments




English for Special Purposes (ESP): Theory

and practice. English for Academic Purposes (EAP) :

concepts and issues Teaching English to refugees (or

tourists/engineers/health workers/army

officers etc.) Teaching genres in ESP; Needs Analysis and its implications for


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IELTS and EAP Designing an ESP course: Theory into

practice A review of different ESP programs English teaching in different academic

programs

Teaching report genre Use of resources for ESP; The relationship between English for

general purposes and English for special

purposes. English as a global language

Application and Enrolment

Please note that the preferred method of application is by web. See information at:

For International students: www.international.utas.edu.au/ (The International Service will handle your

application)

For Australian and NZ students: http://student.admin.utas.edu.au/admissions/

Please note that you need to lodge a new application for undertaking a new course. For example, when you

have completed the Graduate Certificate course and want to undertake the M.Ed course, you need to apply for

admission into the M.Ed.

Course codes: Graduate Certificate of Education E5E (for all Australian students; and international students on campus) E0B (for International students off campus or Distance mode)

Master of Education

E7E (for all Australian students; and international students on campus)

E0B (for International students off campus or Distance mode)

Please indicate TESOL as your specialisation/major.

The Registrar will advise you whether your application is successful or not. If it is successful, an enrolment form

will be enclosed.

When you completed the enrolment form, please choose the following codes:

o Attendance: Int for internal mode; D for distance

o Study Centre: L for study centre. (i.e. Launceston)

Enrolment : Full time students are expected to enrol in 4 units per Semester. Part time students should enrol


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Student Administration for Australian and

New Zealand students: http://student.admin.utas.edu.au/admissions/

Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

International Services for International Students (of the University of Tasmania):

www.international.utas.edu.au/


Faculty of Education:

Phone: +61 3 6324 3265

www.educ.utas.edu.au

TESOL Coordinator

Name: Dr Thao Le

Thao Les Web site:

http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/users/tle/


Postgraduate Coursework Program Coordinator

Name: Associate Professor Geraldine Castleton

Phone:

+61

3

6430

4516


Teaching Staff

Dr Paul Throssell [email protected]

Dr Marion Myhill [email protected]

Program Support Officer

Name: Miss Kylie Richardson

Phone: +61 3 6324 3038

Fax: +61 3 6324 3048


Postal Address: University of Tasmania

Newnham Campus

Faculty of Education

Locked Bag 1307

Launceston TAS 7250

Australia

On Line Journal:

Our Online Journal: Language, Society and Culture

http://www.educ.utas.edu.au/users/tle/JOURNAL/

This is our own journal. Please have a look and I

hope several articles here could be of interest to

you.

Semesters and Assignment Due Dates

Semester 3 Summer Semester

Start date 05 January 2009

Finish date 13 March 2009 o First assignment submission: 06 February

o Final Assignment is due: 13 March

Semester 1

Start date 23 February 2009

Mid Semester Break/Easter holiday: 9 16 April 2009 (Staff are not available)

Finish date 29 May 2009


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In consultation with your lecturer, you may complete one major assignment covering the total load for a unit,

rather than two assignments. If this is the case the last date applies as the due date.

The TESOL

CD

Please note that The TESOL CD is the only study resource we send to you for your study with us. Please contact

Thao L for the TESOL CD when you have been accepted into the course and have decided to accept the

admission offer. Please ensure that your address is correct in the eStudentCentre

http://www.utas.edu.au/students/index.html where you manage your enrolment and other personal details.

There are many recommended papers and articles (free access from the Web) on the TESOL CD for you to read.

Please note that though papers/articles may be orientated toward specific topics, they may be useful for other

topics.

Our

advice

is

that

you

may

have

a

quick

look

at

the

papers/articles

first

and

later

pick

out

the

ones

which

are of interest to you and the issues raised here and there in various papers can be the topics of your

assignments.

The TESOL CD includes major folders which consist of small theme and sub theme folders (arranged in a

hierarchical folder structure).

Folder : AAA Read this first please .

- Course guides and information - Basic TESOL knowledge for all students :

. Foundation readings

. Thao Le: introduction to linguistics and TESOL

. Thao Le: undergraduate lecture notes

- Assignment samples of former students :

. Essay samples

. Journal review samples

.

Reflective

journal

samples

. Assessment report samples Folder : Reading themes and topics : approximately over 100 web based papers/articles

- Language and linguistics themes

- Learning and teaching themes

- Free Internet Journals

- Miscellaneous topics Folder : Research readings

- Research in applied linguistics/TESOL - Research methodology

Hints on how to start your study and different pathways

H t t t d j t d t th ti


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Different pathways

Many of our students come from different backgrounds and have different interests and experiences.

Some have a profound linguistics background while others have great knowledge and interest in certain aspects

of language and TESOL. It is better to give them flexibility to select the topics and focus which suit their interest

and developmental pathway.

Thus there are a number of ways students can choose to work out their studies and pathways individually.

Returning to study after such a long break was made all the more enjoyable by having the flexibility that you

offer. I must admit that initially I was apprehensive about the new approach and all that flexibility, for me who

had so little for so many years in a rigid educational system, it was frightening. I feel that I wanted more ready

made instruction, but soon I found my learning feet and now I don t want to stop walking!!! (Former student

from South Africa).

WAY 1:

Open the TESOL Program Information folder in the CD.

Look at the unit that you enrol in.

Look at the content topics

Look at the suggested assignments topics

Choose a couple of content topics or suggested assignment topics which you are interested in and want to

develop them into your assignments. Search for readings which deal with those chose topics (from the CD, Google search, journals, books)

Develop the assignment(s) on the basis of your reading, knowledge and interest.

Discuss them with your unit lecturer (if you wish).

WAY 2:


Look at the unit that you enrol in.



Work out a topic or topics which are slightly different from the content topics and the suggested assignment

topics.

Search for readings which deal with those chosen topics (from the CD, Google search, journals, books)

Develop the assignment(s) on the basis of your reading, knowledge and interest.

Discuss them with your unit lecturer (if you wish).

WAY 3:


Look at the unit that you enrol and other units that you do not enrol in




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Discuss them with your unit lecturer.

Develop the assignments

WAY 5:

You have already had something in mind to write about (e.g. a couple of topics).

Discuss them with your unit lecturer.

Develop the assignments.

WAY 6:

You have already written a document, conference paper, project and want to submit it as an assignment.

Please discuss it with your unit lecturer.

Assignments

Types of Assignment

Generally, each unit requires you to complete assignments, totaling 5000 words (this does not include

quotations and list of references). There are various ways to meet this requirement. The most important

thing is that your assignments should be based upon your interest, personal experiences, and resource

availability. Your assignments must relate to the contents of your unit although some units may have

overlapping issues.

The maximum marks for all assignments submitted one week late after the due date is at Credit grade (CR).

There are different assignment categories:

1. Essay : An essay topic is chosen by you, approximately 3000 words (70%).

2. Non

Essay :

Choose

only

one

of

the

following

three

categories

(30%).

2a) A review paper , approximately 2000 words on an article or book chapter. Depending on the nature of

the unit that you undertake, you should choose an article/chapter for your review paper from

interesting books or academic journals (or our recommended readings). The review should reflect your

critical thinking and reading background.

2b) A report on a practical work : A written report on a practical work: approximately 2000 words. This may

be based on your observation of a classroom, review of a program, conference that you attended, case study

of a child, reflection on a teaching/learning experience, production of computer software or teaching packages etc.

2c) Journal : The journal can be in a diary form which reflects your critical views (thinking and feeling) on

various points, issues or topics in a broad field of language education that you personally find interesting in

d il lif F i t t t it thi ( h t h th ) i i d


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include deep reflection on your personal experiences in relation to language, communication, culture, society,

teaching and learning. You dont need to include references as you do for an academic essay or report.

Important note : Instead of following the standard way given above, students can choose to do only one major essay (approximately 5000 words) for each unit. Thus they do only one major assignment for the whole unit instead of two assignments (i.e. an essay and a non essay) and the due date is the second one (later in the Semester).

Essay Tips

Before submitting your essay, do one final check:

1

Is

the

aim

of

your

essay

clear

and

does

it

show

that

you

have

understood

the

task?

2. Does the body of the essay support the aim?

3. Do the references support your arguments?

4. Have you included a reference list?

5. Does every paragraph relate to your argument?

6. Do the paragraphs follow a logical order?

7. Have you written a conclusion or does the essay just stop suddenly or fade away?

8. Have you summed up the most important points made in the body of the essay?

9. Have you checked spelling and grammar?

yes in

essay

writing!

Try to make all the paragraphs hang well together in an essay (not just different patches!)

Use an introduction to introduce the topic (and perhaps to outline what issues your essay deals with),

but avoid arguing about a concept or issue in your introduction.

Use signpost statements in your paragraphs to give readers a sense of direction where you are and

where you are heading in your discussion. e.g.

In has been pointed out in the previous discussion that language has an impact on socialization. It is essential to

examine different strategies that teachers use to improve childrens sociolinguistic awareness.

Alternatively use a rhetorical question to introduce an issue in your discussion. e.g. What strategies do

teachers use to improve childrens sociolinguistic awareness?


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Dont use contractions such as isnt, its, cant, theyre, Im.

Dont have so many short paragraphs as a short paragraph does not accommodate a comprehensive

discussion of an aspect or issue.

Dont say things which you cannot support with evidence. e.g.

Teachers nowadays do not teach properly.

Dont use quotations which are ordinary or just commonsense. e.g.

We use language every day. Language helps us to communicate with other people. Language is very important

in our world (Everyone knows this!)

Dont refer to the same author or publication repeatedly. It gives the impression that this is the only

book that you read for your essay. Thus, the essay is very derivative.

Dont just cite authors statements or views without commenting on them (in a way, you justify why

you use them in the essay, not just to fill up the pages with other peoples views). e.g.

According to X, language is..

According to Y, language is

According to Z, language is

Dont just quote only authors that you agree with. Sometimes, it is stimulating for readers if you quote

someone with a controversial/provocative statement. e.g.

Fonda (1998, p.12) states that Asia does not have philosophy. Taoism is not a philosophy. It is only a religious

tradition.

Assignment Submission

These instructions explain in detail the expectations of assignment submission. Please follow these instructions

carefully; failure to do so may result in a request to resubmit in the correct format, which may result in a penalty

for late submission.

All assignments must be submitted by email attachment to [email protected] , and

copy (cc) the email to the relevant Unit Coordinator not in hard copy . *

All assignments must be sent from your UTas email account. *

When your assignments have been received, an email will be sent to you within two working days to confirm

receipt of your assignments and that the attachment can be opened


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8 Year

9 Due Date

10 Assignment topic

11 Assignment type (e.g. essay, journal, report)

12 Remark/note (If we have agreed on certain things, please mention them here.)

13 The Declaration as written below;

I declare that all material in this assignment is my own work except where there is clear acknowledgement or

reference to the work of others and I have complied and agreed to the University statement on Plagiarism and

Academic Integrity on the University website at www.utas.edu.au/plagiarism *

Please send the whole assignment in one file (not in separate files). Your file should be named as in the

following examples: J_Fonda 721S1Y08 Major Essay.doc

(Jane Fonda, unit ESG721, Semester 1, Year 2008, Major Essay assignment)

Example:

T_Cruise727S2Y08 Journal.doc

(Tom Cruise, unit ESG725, Semester 2, Year 2008, Journal)

Marked assignments will be returned to your UTas email account with comments using the Track Changes tool.

* Assignments that require the submission of visual aids which cannot be automated please post or hand your

entire assessment piece to the Address indicated on your unit outline.

Referencing format

The School of Education has adopted the American Psychological Association referencing style as a requirement

for

assignments

in

its

courses.

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).

Washington, DC: Author.

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_apa.html

Students may find it useful to use Endnote software to assist in managing their references and in preparation of

their dissertation. This program is available to download from www.utas.edu.au >Library >EndNote

Assessment

Assessment Criteria


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5. Fluency of written expression and adherence to academic writing

( ) Excellent; ( ) Very good; ( ) Good; ( ) Satisfactory; ( ) poor

At our University, assessment grades are as follows:

0 49% = NN (Fail) 50 59% = PP (Pass) generally it is a fine piece of work, most students tend to be in this category. 60 69% = CR (Credit) A very good piece of work. 70 79% = DN (Distinction) Outstanding, about 10 % of students normally reach this level 80 100% = HD (High Distinction) Exceptional, around 5% students achieve this.

The Faculty of Education specifies that at least 50% of students final marks should be under 60.

Note : The criteria for specific areas of the essay are merely given as a guide to the student. Overall assessment of the essay

has a deeper focus as it looks at the essay in a more wholistic manner. This might include the extent to which the essay

completes what it set out to do, fluency, cohesiveness, depth of discussion on the topic, introduction and conclusion etc. The

Australian educational system is more similar to the British system than the northern American counterparts. Thus, PP

and CR should be seen as a very good achievement.

For those who undertake the journal/reflection as a non essay assignment, the normal grade given is PP or CR

because journals reflect PERSONAL feelings and thoughts and it is rather hard, if not impossible, to grade

journal writing. In the past our students who accepted this view tended to treat the graded results relatively. The

flexibility, enthusiasm and inspiration are their main motivations.

For new students, if you would like to have samples of assignments submitted by former students, please let me

know.

Seminars & Conferences

You are encouraged to attend seminars and conferences held in your region or internationally. This will reduce

your assignment load (depending on the degree of your participation). If you just attend only, you may want to

write a report on interesting ideas and issues dealt with at the conference. This is enough for the requirement of

a unit. If you also present a paper (with written text as an essay), it could be counted more favourably. The best

thing is to discuss this with your unit lecturer as different students involve different cases. A number of our

students have done joint papers with their lecturers. If you are interested, we can explore this too.

A sample of talk between a student and Thao

Dear Thao,

Yes ... it may seem as though I had slid of the face of the earth and disappeared but its fortunately not the case!!

Ive been reading, reading, reading H.D. Brown, various books by Nunan, Penny Ur, various articles and

essays, Scott Thornburys Uncovering Grammar. I could read forever on the subject, quite honestly, but trying


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because perhaps of previous bad experiences with language learning see grammar as unavoidable but not

necessarily connected to communication. Ive often had students say I dont want to learn grammar, I want to

learn to speak! as though communication were possible without learning how to form sentences in e.g. the past

tense.

Id like to look at

What we consider to be knowledge of grammar I think that there are various ways of defining how we

know a language, e.g. Wongs idea of declarative knowledge v. procedural knowledge

Im interested in this gap between what a student knows OF the grammar and what the students knows ABOUT

the grammar and what influences the students choice in spontaneous speech. In other words, the phenomenon

of the student who, after weeks of practices in for example the Simple Past greets the teacher on the corridor

with Hey, how are you? What do you do yesterday?!!

Id like to examine the necessity of fluency AND accuracy activities in language learning, because I think that

Nunan (lots of name dropping here, sorry but its very exciting to have thought about something for a while

and then see the same idea expressed succinctly by some guru! ) is right when he says that a mixture of both

in a communicative classroom is the way towards successful language learning. I think based on my own

experience with German that a mixture of both is what is needed in real life. A student needs a certain

automation, i.e. that he recognises without active thought that I spoke is better than I speaked but also

requires the skills learned in the fluency activities what Brown, Nunan, et al refer to as the traits of a good

language learner.

Perhaps what has given me most to think about is Newarks quote in Penny Urs The Practice of Language

Teaching: the study of grammar as such is neither necessary nor sufficient for learning the language. And this

is, I believe, connected to the points above: that the study of grammar is often treated as something separate

from actually knowing i.e. being able to achieve this communicative competence in English. I personally

believe that language learning is an organic process, (something Brown and Thornbury express with different

garden metaphors ) Id like to examine the idea that, just as a child learns a language in this organic way, so

do adults and they constantly fall back on what they already know of the grammar to propel them forward. In

other words, whether a student knows it or not, what he already knows or has already learned is what he draws

upon to help him to deal with the new language and structures he encounter.

And thats it so far. Its a bit vague, Im sorry, but I hope you can see some sense in it. Am I on the right track or

have I left the track completely and am floundering in the woods somewhere?!

I hope this electronic letter finds you well and not too stressed by the beginning of the Semester and all the tasks

it brings!

Best regards,

Jane Fonda

Hello Jane,

It is a wonderful morning here (in the middle of winter) but certain parts of Launcestons hilly roads are filled

with sunlight and the other parts are full of thick fog! I am living in the top part of the valley. In this wonderful

context, I write this email to you as I dont want you to wait.

It is so lovely to read your note. I enjoyed reading it. It gently gives me some insights into your world of


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You may want to read something about Systemic Functional Linguistics which attempts to deal with language

in social context (a different view on grammar) , which is different from the traditional grammar which is very

much (a) code or structure orientated ( noun, past tense, infinitive..) and (b) prescriptive (e.g. it is wrong to say

it is me . It should be it is I. Thus, when we discuss whether grammar should be taught, it is relevant to

discuss what grammar is, e.g. traditional grammar, genre etc.

.

Halliday mentioned somewhere about the relationship between language and learning:

learning language

learning about language

learning through language

In the past we tended to focus so much on grammar in learning about language and it is obvious that we can

include so many other interesting aspects and features such as words with their cultural meaning (e.g. family,

teachers, addressing), how to give and take compliments (it is now referred to as pragmatics).

It is interesting to explore this in the context of your assignments if you like.

Now I must look out at the river to see the sun wakening it up! (My office is on the top floor of the building

overlooking the river)

Till we talk again, cheers and take care.

Thao

Our TESOL NEWS

In each Semester, we issue TESOL NEWS ,. The main aims of TESOL NEWS are:

To create an atmosphere of sharing and caring in which we share our thoughts and feelings as

members of a TESOL family. To tell students and friends about TESOL activities such as conference, research, and curriculum

issues.

Each issue of TESOL News has the following components Greetings from the editors.

News

Research report Postcards (mainly from students emails sharing about their world)

Please send us a postcard for the next TESOL News. It is great to include photos too.

Recommended Readings


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Conference Proceedings :

Conference organisers often publish their

conference proceedings which include abstracts and

full papers. Some conference proceedings are very

broad and include thousands of papers with

different topics. Thus you need to look through the

abstracts to find out whether a paper is relevant or

useful to you or not.

TESOL/language/linguistics areas

Japan Association for Language Teaching:

Conference Proceedings

http://jalt publications.org/proceedings/

Second and Foreign Language Teaching and Research

http://www.readingmatrix.com/onlineconference/conf_proceedings.html

Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies

http://www.llas.ac.uk/resources/conference2002.aspx

Proceedings of the CATESOL State Conference, 2005

http://www.catesol.org/2005proceedingslist.html

Papers and Presentations Available Online

(Journal Articles, Proceedings, Workshops, Book

Chapters, etc.)

http://www.content english.org/papers.html

Education areas Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE): Conference proceedings

http://www.aare.edu.au/confpap.htm

Australian Teacher Education Association

http://www.atea.edu.au/ConfPapers/2006/2006conference.htm

Evaluation and Assessment conference Curtin University

http://lsn.curtin.edu.au/eac2006/abstracts.html

The Proceedings of the 32nd Stanford Child Language Research Forum Eve V. Clark, editor.

http://csli

publications.stanford.edu/CLRF/2002/CLRF 2002

title.html

Australian IT and tertiary teaching

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney06/proceeding/onlineIndex.html

Books

No textbooks are required for compulsory

reading. The following books may be of interest

to you. These books can be purchased on line

from amazon.com as our students are living in

various parts of the world:

Teaching by Principles: An interactive approach to

language learning. Douglas Brown (Longman)

Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language.

Marianne Celce Murcia (Heine & Heine)

This book is among the best!

The Practice of English Language Teaching.

Jeremy Harmer (Longman)

Language Teaching Methodology.

David Nunan (Prentice Hall)

Second Language Teaching and Learning.

David Nunan (Heinle & Heinle Publishers)


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Registered with the University as a student with special needs due to a disability.

Services offered :

request

specific

items

from

the

Library

catalogue

and

have

them

posted

to

your

designated

address.

request articles or extracts from books to be posted or sent as an electronic attachment to your email.

ask for help when searching for information.

If the library does not hold the material needed, eligible users (Staff and Post graduate students) can

request items through Document Delivery . The guidelines for this service are set out in the Library s

Document Delivery Service leaflet (available on request) and on the web.

Registered Flexible library users can have requested Document Delivery items posted out.

Should you require assistance in accessing the Library visit their website for more information at http://www.utas.edu.au/library/

Faculty resources are also available at http://www.utas.edu.au/assignmenthelp/Resources.htm

Additional Important Information

The information below is to assist you in your studies. Please read it carefully. We appreciate it may appear like a

set of rules, but the information will assist you in presenting assignments and avoiding potential difficulties.

Workload Expectations

Depending upon the style of the unit, units will vary in the amount of that workload allocation spent in contact

time and the amount to be spent in private study.

Students who experience difficulty managing their course of study can discuss matters with unit co ordinators or

program directors and have a range of supportive services within the University (such as the Counsellors,

Learning Development Adviser, Careers Adviser, Disability Adviser, Equity Officer) and may contact them via

Student Services.

http://student.admin.utas.edu.au/services/

Assessment

The

following

are

general

assessment

criteria

applied

to

all

units

offered

by

the

School.

Students will: be clear and explicit in their use of terms, present material in a clear, logical format and attend to accurate

spelling, punctuation, grammar, referencing and formatting procedures (if an assignment is judged to have an

inappropriate level of language use, it will be returned for rewriting prior to grading);


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Assessment items which fail are not to be resubmitted unless the unit outline stipulates more than one sitting

for that item; such additional sittings have a maximum available grade of 50% for the item; the usual

procedure for resubmission of failed work is via a formal Supplementary Examination.

Extensions Extensions are a formal matter and requests for extensions of more thank 1 week should be applied for using the

School of Education s extension form (available by emailing the Program Support Officer). This form should

usually be submitted at least three days prior to the submission date. Extension applications should be

accompanied by a medical certificate or some other formal documentation where appropriate.

For requests of extensions less than 1 week, email correspondence and confirmation with your unit coordinator

is sufficient.

Please note extensions may result in WT withheld grade being awarded and a subsequent grade change once your assignment has been marked. If you are in your final Semester, this may delay your graduation if results are not finalised prior to key graduation dates.

Late Penalties

Students may submit assignments before the due date (via the means specified by the unit coordinator) but a

penalty

will

be

applied

for

submission

after

the

due

date

unless

a

formal

extension

has

been

granted.

The units in the TESOL specialisation will award the maximum mark of a Credit (CR) for assignments

submitted one week late after the due date.

After this time, if no assessment has been received and no correspondence/approval of extension a failure grade

(AN) will be awarded.

Occupational health

and

safety

(OH&S)

The University is committed to providing a safe and secure teaching and learning environment. In addition to

specific requirements of this unit you should refer to the Universitys policy at:

http://www.admin.utas.edu.au/hr/ohs/pol_proc/ohs.pdf

Professional and Ethical Behaviour

As part of your course it is likely that you will be exposed to a range of situations that require a high level of

discretion and confidentiality. This is the case for all of your interactions as a student and you should ensure your

comments do not identify specific individuals or organisations. There have been particular concerns in the past in

formal, class based debriefing or discussions relating to Practicum.

Where comments are made relating to specific individuals or organisations these should not be repeated outside of

the discussion or debriefing sessions. In cases where you need to discuss further any issues that relate to specific


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Academic staff will make every attempt to respond to telephone calls and e mail messages within two working

days during Semesters 1 and 2. You need to be aware that academic staff may be on approved leave or undertaking

duties off campus and this could delay their response to you.

A range of University wide support services is available including Learning Development Advisers, Careers

Advisers, Disability Advisers, Equity Officers and may contact them via Student Services. See

http://student.admin.utas.edu.au/services/ and http://www.utas.edu.au/students/ for details.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of cheating. It is taking and using someone else s thoughts, writings or inventions and

representing them as your own, for example: using an author s words without putting them in quotation marks and citing the source; using an author s ideas without proper acknowledgment and citation; or copying another student s work.

If you have any doubts about how to refer to the work of others in your assignments, please consult your

lecturer or tutor for relevant referencing guidelines, and the academic integrity resources on the web at

http://www.utas.edu.au/tl/supporting/academicintegrity/index.html .

The intentional copying of someone elses work as ones own is a serious offence punishable by penalties that may

range from a fine or deduction/cancellation of marks and, in the most serious of cases, to exclusion from a unit, a

course or the University. Details of penalties that can be imposed are available in the Ordinance of Student

Discipline Part 3 Academic Misconduct, see http://www.utas.edu.au/universitycouncil/legislation/ord9.pdf

The University reserves the right to submit assignments to plagiarism detection software, and might then retain a copy of the assignment on its database for the purpose of future plagiarism checking.

Appeals Appeals against grades for assignments are the right of all students. First appeal should be made to the original

marker within one week of the assignment being returned. The second line of appeal is through the unit

coordinator. Students who wish to take the matter further should discuss their options with the Program Director.


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30

Web Assistance

The

assist

with

navigation

with

the

UTas

website

the

following

page

displays have been attached. These are pages which you may find useful

during your time with UTas. Please take your time to familiarise yourself

with the UTas website www.utas.edu.au


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END

tesol study guide 2010

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