Courses for Osaka Center
To register for any of the courses below, simply follow the procedures described in "Registering for Courses". If you already know the process, register for courses here.
Spring Semester, 2012
Monday, January 9 - Friday, April 20
- [Cancelled] Foreign Language Education 5470: Introduction to the Study of TESOL
- TESOL 8611: Applied Language Study I
- TESOL 8616: Teaching Second and Foreign Language Skills
- TESOL 8618 Second Language Acquisition
- Ed Psy 5531 Strategies of Second Language Learners
- Eng Ed 8655: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 1): Globalization and Widening Participation: New Contexts and New Challenges for Language Proficiency in Higher Education
- Eng Ed 8656: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 2): A Learning Orientation to Classroom-Based Language Assessment
- Eng Ed 8657: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 3): Motivation and Autonomy in Language Learning: Theory, Practice and Research
- English Education 9882/ Educational Psychology 9982: Graduate Independent Study
- Education 9999: Dissertation Writing
Spring Semester, 2012
[Cancelled] Foreign Language Education 5470: Introduction to the Study of TESOL
3 credit hours
This class has been cancelled.
The primary purposes of this course are to: (a) help new students develop the special skills that they will need to succeed in the M.S.Ed. program, and (b) provide an overview of the field of TESOL before the new students further explore various aspects of the field in the M.S. Ed. program.
The course will focus on: (1) academic skills development (library use, reading, organizing notes, discussion, writing definitions, summaries, and essays, presentation, and test taking); (2) overview of theories in TESOL; (3) overview of foreign language teaching approaches; (4) technical terms in TESOL; and (5) APA writing style.
The course is designed for students who are new to the M.S.Ed. program, who have little or no experience studying in an English-language university, or who are not familiar with formal academic reading, writing, discussion, presentation, and test taking.
This course can be used as elective credit for the M.S.Ed. degree.
- Professor:
- Dr. Tsuyuki Miura
- Schedule:
- Class Meeting Day: Friday
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dates: January 13 - April 20 - Texts:
- Required:
Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
Recommended:
American Psychological Association, (2009). Concise rules of APA style (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.
Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics (4th ed.). London: Longman.
Additional readings will be provided by the instructor on Blackboard.
TESOL 8611: Applied Language Study I
3 credit hours
This primary purpose of this course is to introduce students to the basics of English phonetics and phonology, with an emphasis on areas of interest to language teachers. The course objectives are to: (1) introduce the basic concepts of phonetics and phonology; (2) provide practice in transcribing and analyzing the sound systems of native speakers and learners of English; (3) consider the place of pronunciation teaching in a foreign language curriculum and instructional approaches; (4) examine methods of assessing pronunciation, and; (5) look at the relationship between pronunciation and other language skills. Students will complete a number of weekly assignments, take a mid-term examination and final examination, and conduct a project in which the speech of an English language learner is analyzed, a particular aspect of the English sound system is taught, and the results reported.
This course is required for the Master of Science in Education degree.
- Professor:
- Dr. David Beglar
- Schedule:
- Class Meeting Day: Wednesday
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dates: January 11 - April 18 - Texts:
- Required:
Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M., & Goodwin, J. M. (Eds.). (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
A set of readings will be available on Blackboard.
TESOL 8616: Teaching Second and Foreign Language Skills
3 credit hours
The primary purpose of this course is to allow participants to consider the principles and practices used in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. The focus of the course will be on pedagogical approaches used to help foreign language learners develop the four language macroskills (listening, speaking, reading and writing). Additional course topics will include approaches used to teach grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, as well as to adapt materials to learner needs. Students will have frequent opportunities to experience tasks from a learner's perspective and be encouraged to consider how tasks can be adapted for use with different groups of learners. Course requirements include reading the course textbooks and supplementary reading materials, participating actively in class discussions, making presentations (individual and small groups), taking examinations, writing brief reaction papers to a number of the issues raised in the course, and completing a final project.
This is a required course for the Master of Science in Education degree. It is recommended that students take this course after they have completed Methods I (TESOL 8614). Students who have not taken Methods I but who wish to take this course should obtain the permission of the instructor.
- Professor:
- Dr. Tamara Swenson
- Schedule:
- Class Meeting Day: Tuesday
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dates: January 10 - April 10 - Texts:
- Required:
Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.). White Plains, NY: Addison Wesley Longman.
Richards, J. C., & Renandya, W. A. (Eds.) (2002). Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University press.
Additional readings (these will be provided at the beginning of the term and throughout the course)
TESOL 8618: Second Language Acquisition
3 credit hours
The overarching purpose of this course is to canvass ten topics that are central to modern discussions of second language acquisition and to thereby provide the participants with an opportunity to further develop and consolidate their understanding of SLA theory, models of language representation and use, and issues that directly impact on classroom teaching. In the first part of the course three major theories of second language acquisition are introduced: (1) innatist theory, (2) constructivist/cognitivist models of learning, and (3) social-interactivist theory. In the second part of the course, the focus is on recent thinking concerning one biological constraint, the effect of the learner's age, one psychological constraint, the role of affect, and foreign language aptitude. In the third part of the course, four factors that directly impact second language acquisition as well as the teaching strategies and tasks adopted by foreign language teachers are covered: (1) input, (2) output, (3) form-focused learning, and (4) automaticity. Students will participate in numerous group discussions, lead several of those discussions, write brief reactions to issues raised in the course readings, and take three tests.
This course is required for the Master of Science in Education degree.
The course is best taken by students who have already completed TESOL Approaches to Teaching English (TESOL 8614), Teaching Second and Foreign Language Skills (TESOL 8616), and Applied Language Study II (TESOL 8612).
- Professor:
- Dr. David Beglar
- Schedule:
- Class Meeting Day: Monday
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dates: January 9 - April 16 - Texts:
- Required:
Ortega, L. (2009). Understanding second language acquisition. London: Hodder Education.
A set of readings will be available on Blackboard.
Educational Psychology 5531: Strategies of Second Language Learners
3 credit hours
It can be argued that the reason some learners excel at language learning while others struggle may be due in large part to the strategies they employ. This course examines strategy use from two perspectives: strategies in L2 language learning, and strategies in L2 language use. We will start with an overview of some of the learner variables that may affect strategy choice and use, focusing on cognitive factors, affective factors, sociocultural factors, and the role culture may play in strategy choice. We will then look at strategy use and language performance. From there we will go on to explore a variety of learning strategies in the areas of reading, writing, and speaking, focusing on a number of newer models for strategy-based instruction. Finally, we will look at retrieval, rehearsal, and communication strategies in natural and classroom settings to see how they can inform L2 instruction.
Students should draw on their knowledge and experience as both teachers and learners of a second language to consider the points covered in the readings and how they can be adapted to the Japanese classroom. Course requirements include weekly readings from the textbook and supplementary sources, making a number of presentations in small groups, participation in discussion activities, two short tests based on the readings, and a final paper or project.
This course can be used for elective credit in the M.S.Ed. and Ed.D. programs.
- Professor:
- Dr. Peter Gobel
- Schedule:
- Class Meeting Day: Thursday
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dates: January 12 - April 19 - Texts:
- Required:
Griffiths, J. (2008). Lessons from good language learners. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
An additional set of readings will be available at the beginning of the course.
Eng Ed 8655: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 1): Globalization and Widening Participation: New Contexts and New Challenges for Language Proficiency in Higher Education
1 credit hour
This course will look at the implications for tertiary institutions of the globalization of education and a widening participation agenda that seeks to make education more inclusive by increasing the participation of non-traditional student cohorts many of whom come to university from low socio-economic areas and have suffered educational and/or social disadvantage.
Language proficiency, so called, represents an important point of intersection between, on the one hand, increasingly large university populations of students of non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) as a result of globalisation, and on the other hand, students who arrive courtesy of widening participation initiatives. Students from both these groups present universities with particular challenges around the pre- and post-enrolment language assessment mechanisms and the subsequent provision of language supports that offer those identified as being at risk the help they need to ensure that they reach their full academic potential and are suitably prepared to enter the workforce and meet the increasingly stringent communication requirements of the professions.
This course will:
- Consider what is meant by 'language proficiency' and how it is understood (or not) by stakeholders within the higher education sector;
- consider some of the policy, professional and other drivers of initiatives to improve the way universities respond to the language needs of the above cohorts;
- analyze some of the considerable challenges universities face in engaging in such initiatives;
- Offer a conceptual framework for understanding the construct of 'proficiency'; and
- Propose a model of language provision that promises to be effective while taking into account the constraints under which universities operate.
- Professor:
- Dr. Neil Murray (University of South Australia)
- Schedule:
- Saturday, January 28 from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 29 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Eng Ed 8656: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 2): A Learning Orientation to Classroom-Based Language Assessment
1 credit hour
In this seminar we will examine how assessment fits into the broader notion of learning. I will first describe how learning relates to teaching and assessment in instructional contexts. I will then describe the proficiency model in which the focus is on the conveyance of semantic and pragmatic meanings in situated contexts by means of linguistics resources. After that, I will describe the learning model from a socio-cognitive perspective. In so doing, I will examine how learners process new learning targets individually and will show how assessment figures into this process. I will then describe how this model can be extended to when learning occurs in contexts of two or more learners. Finally, I will show how assessment can be organized to accommodate a proficiency and learning orientation for use in language classrooms.
- Professor:
- Dr. James E. Purpura (Teachers College, Columbia University)
- Schedule:
- Saturday, February 25 from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 26 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Eng Ed 8657: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 3): Motivation and Autonomy in Language Learning: Theory, Practice and Research
1 credit hour
This seminar will focus on the interactions between motivation and autonomy in language learning. The opening lecture will provide an overview of the rather different traditions of inquiry that have shaped theories of L2 motivation on the one hand, and theories of learner autonomy in language education on the other. Integrating these twin paradigms, it will highlight the conceptual interface between motivation and autonomy and consider how insights from autonomy theory and practice can illuminate our analysis of motivation, particularly from a sociocultural theoretical perspective. The rest of the seminar will then explore implications for classroom practice, drawing on participants' own working contexts and experiences, and examine ways in which teachers can socialize optimal forms of motivation that enhance the autonomy of their students within and beyond classroom learning. The seminar will conclude with a discussion of research issues and consider approaches to investigating motivation and autonomy in the classroom through forms of practitioner research such as action research and exploratory practice.
- Professor:
- Dr. Ema Ushioda (University of Warwick, UK)
- Schedule:
- Saturday, March 31 from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, April 1 from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
English Education 9882/ Educational Psychology 9982: Graduate Independent Study
1 to 3 credit hours
This is a one-to-three credit course offered to doctoral candidates who are planning or writing dissertations. Consultations will be individual, and appointments will be arranged via e-mail in advance. The main aim of the course is to troubleshoot design, data collection, management, and analysis problems, as well as to encourage substantive progress on dissertation projects.
Students wishing to register for this course should obtain permission from the professor and complete the registration process during the registration period.
- Professor:
- By Arrangement
- Schedule:
- By Arrangement
Education 9999: Dissertation Writing
3 credit hours
Six credit hours of Education 9999 are required for the Doctor of Education degree.
- Professor:
- By Arrangement
- Schedule:
- By Arrangement
For more information, please contact us at the Osaka center.
E-mail: tesol@tuj.ac.jp / Tel: 06-6343-0005