Courses for Tokyo Center

To register for any of the courses below, simply follow the procedures described in "Registering for Courses". If you already know the process, pre-register for courses here.


Registration Information

The last day to register for a course is Friday, September 11th, and the last day to drop a course is Friday, September 18. If you wish to drop a course that you have registered for, please go to the TESOL office and fill out the drop form by the 18th.


Spring 2010, January 4 - April 17



Spring 2010, January 4 - April 17


FL Ed 5470: Introduction to the Study of TESOL

3 credit hours

The purpose of this course is to help new students develop the special skills they will need to succeed in the graduate TESOL program. The course will focus on such skills as how to 1) take notes and organize academic lecture material; 2) read academic articles in applied linguistics and TESOL; 3) write academic papers using APA style; 4) conduct computer-assisted bibliographical research; 5) understand the technical vocabulary needed to learn about TESOL; 6) interpret and write appropriate answers to test questions; and 7) successfully complete course projects. This course is designed to provide the critical academic skills needed for successful performance in the M.S.Ed. program.

This course is designed for students who are new to the Master of Science in Education program, who have little or no experience studying in an English-language university, or who are not familiar with formal academic writing style (APA style). For such students it is recommended as a first course in the M.S.Ed. curriculum. Registrants who are not native speakers of English should have a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper-based test or 80 on the internet-based test.

This course can be used as elective credit for the M.S.Ed. Degree.

Professor:
Prof. Tomoko Nemoto
Schedule:
Class Meeting Day: Wednesday
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dates: January 6 - April 14
Texts:
American Psychological Association, (2005). Concise rules of APA style (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.

Recommended Text:

Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2002). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics (3rd ed.). London: Longman.

Additional readings will be available at the beginning of the course.

TESOL 8611: Applied Language Study I

3 credit hours

This is an introduction to English phonetics and phonology, with an emphasis on areas of interest to language teachers. The course objectives are: 1) to introduce the basic concepts of phonetics and phonology; 2) to provide practice in transcribing and analyzing the sound systems of native speakers and learners of English; 3) to examine theoretical and practical aspects of the teaching of pronunciation, with a focus on Japanese learners of English. Emphasis will be on consonant and vowel articulation, intonation, stress, contextual alterations and rhythm. Students will also become familiar with theories of acquisition of sounds and their practical realization in the speech of non-native speakers.

Requirements: Students will complete a number of weekly assignments, a mid-term examination, a final examination, a project in which students will design a series of pronunciation teaching activities to aid non-native speakers in acquiring a language and a 10-minute course project presentation.

This course is required for the Master of Science in Education degree.
Please note that the first meeting of this class will be Tuesday, January 12.

Professor:
Dr. Edwin Aloiau
Schedule:
Class Meeting Day: Tuesday
Dates: January 12 - April 20
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Texts:
Avery, P., & Ehrlich, S. (Eds.). (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

An additional set of readings will be available during the course of the semester.

TESOL 8616: Teaching Second and Foreign Language Skills

3 credit hours

This course surveys the theories and practices currently employed in teaching the four language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) and two linguistic competencies (vocabulary and grammar). Discussion of theoretical issues (how language users process the various macro-skills and how they acquire proficiency in them) as well as practical issues (e.g., the development of learning materials and activities, and assessment of learner progress) will be the focus.

Course requirements include completing assigned reading assignments, a mid-term examination, a final examination, a course project related to topics and issues covered in the course, and a 10-minute course project presentation.

This course is required for the M.S.Ed. degree. It is recommended that students take this course after they have completed TESOL 8614, Approaches to Teaching English. Those wishing to take the course out of sequence should contact the instructor. Basic computer, word processing, and Internet skills are prerequisites for this course.

Professor:
Dr. Edwin Aloiau
Schedule:
Class Meeting Day: Thursday
Dates: January 7 - April 15
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Texts:
Brown, H. D. (2007). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall Regents.

Ur, P. (1991). A course in language teaching: Practice and theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

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 will be introduced: (1) innatist theory, (2) constructivist models of learning, and (3) social-interactivist theories of learning. In the second part of the course, the focus will be on recent thinking concerning one biological constraint, the effect of the learner's age, and one psychological constraint, the role of affect, influencing second language acquisition. 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 will be 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: Friday
Dates: January 8 - April 16
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Texts:
A set of readings will be available from the Graduate Education Office on December 4th.

English Education 8641: Teaching Reading and Writing.

3 credit hours

This course examines the theory and practice of teaching the macroskills of reading and writing to L2 learners. The initial focus will be on understanding the processes involved in reading for meaning: the nature of skilled, fluent reading; the specific microskills involved in reading; the similarities and differences between L1 and L2 readers; and the research traditions in both L1 and L2 that cover these topics. The focus then shifts to practical application of theory for course and lesson design, including intensive and extensive reading as essential complementary components of a reading program. Methods of assessing reading skills will also be discussed. The second part of the course takes up the macroskill of writing in a similar way by addressing theoretical issues of writing instruction in a second language and examining their practical implications. The emphasis throughout the course will be on understanding what is known from research about reading and writing in a second language (though also drawing on the research in L1) and on practical application of this knowledge.

Course participants will be expected to read the course textbooks carefully, as well as occasional extra articles that the instructor will make available to the class. In addition, much of the work of the course will be done in a workshop format in which participants show to the class how theory is applied in specific teaching contexts. Course requirements include reading the assigned course texts, making a number of presentations in class, a midterm examination, a final examination, and a course project.

This course can be used as elective credit for the M.S.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees.

Professor:
Dr. Patrick Rosenkjar
Schedule:
Class Meeting Day: Monday
Dates: January 4 - April 12
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Texts:
Casanave, C. P. (2003). Controversies in second language writing: Dilemmas and decisions in research and instruction. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nation, I. S. P. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL reading and writing. New York: Routledge.

English Education 8645: Pragmatics and Language Learning: Enhancing Cultural Appropriateness of a Second Language.

3 credit hours

Second/foreign language (L2) learners need not only knowledge of grammar and vocabulary but also ability to understand and use culturally appropriate language according to the given social context (pragmatic or sociolinguistic competence). However, pragmatic aspects of the L2 have generally received little attention in the L2 curriculum and teacher development.

This course focuses on the learning and teaching of L2 pragmatics. The aim of the course is for participants to develop or enhance their understanding of what pragmatics is, how L2 pragmatics has progressed as a subfield of second language acquisition, and ways that learners can become better versed in how to be pragmatically appropriate in an L2. The course will start by exploring theoretical concepts related to politeness, relevance, implicature, speech acts, and discourse, and examining past research in cross-cultural and interlanguage pragmatics. The course will then introduce various research instruments, methods, and theoretical frameworks, which we will critically evaluate in relation to our view of language learning as a cognitive, psychological, and social activity. Finally, due to the special focus placed on the pedagogical considerations in this course, we will take a close look at effective instructional practices and considers issues related to classroom assessment of learners' pragmatic competence. The participants will be encouraged to practice reflective teaching and conduct action research while they engage in pragmatics-focused instruction they design for their own classrooms.

This course can be used as elective credit for the M.S.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees.

Professor:
Noriko Ishihara
Schedule:
Class Meeting Day: Wednesday
Dates: January 6 - April 21
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Texts:
Sets of readings will be available at the beginning of the course.

Education 8274: Contexts for Content Teaching and Learning.

3 credit hours

Many teachers still allow their instruction to be driven by a textbook organized around a grammatical syllabus. Content-based instruction offers a new paradigm for instructional planning that has proven to be exceptionally effective in promoting higher levels of foreign language proficiency. Content-based instruction (CBI), most often associated with its most intense form - language immersion - is actually an umbrella term that incorporates a wide range of foreign language programs that can be adapted to accommodate all levels of proficiency. CBI also has strong connections to project work, task based learning, cooperative learning, learning strategies, extensive reading, and integrated or thematic language study.

One of the primary aims of this course is to answer the question "How can I successfully incorporate the lessons of immersion in less intensive foreign language learning contexts?" Other goals of the course are to enable participatants to: acquire a clearer understanding of what CBI is; be aware of the issues related to CBI; demonstrate their understanding of the key principles of effective CBI; develop a wide repertoire of strategies that exemplify these key principles; and explain the role that alternative and authentic assessment play in content-based instruction.

Participants will have a chance to develop a content-based unit, and it is expected that participants will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be an effective CBI teacher - skills and knowledge that can be applied in a wide range of foreign language teaching contexts.

This course can be used as elective credit for the M.S.Ed. and Ed.D. degrees.
Please note that there is a make-up class on Monday, January 11.

Professor:
Dr. Michael Bostwick
Schedule:
Class Meeting Day: Thursday
Dates: January 7 - April 15
Time: 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Texts:
Lyster, R. (2007). Learning and teaching languages through content. Philadelphia: John Benjamins. [Note: This book will not be available in the TUJ bookstore. Individual copies can be ordered from Amazon.com.jp]

Additional course readings will be provided by the instructor.

Eng Ed 8655: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 1): Teaching English to Young Learner

1 credit hour

This seminar will provide an introduction to theory and practice in the teaching of a second language to young learners, dealing especially with English education for Japanese children. It will begin with a brief overview of the current situation concerning the implementation of English activities in Japanese public elementary schools and will move to a discussion of the most important points in teaching English to young learners.

The objectives of the course are 1) to develop an understanding of first and second language acquisition in young learners and 2) to develop a working knowledge of methodologies and classroom practices for teaching a second language to children.

Course topics will include 1) developmental psychology, 2) learning theories, 3) the critical period hypothesis, 4) language development, and 5) literacy development, as well as some practical issues such as 6) a content-based learning approach, 7) total physical response, 8) songs and chants, 9) storytelling, and 10) games.

Professor:
Dr. Mitsue Allen-Tamai (Chiba University)
Schedule:
Saturday, January 23, from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday, January 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Eng Ed 8656: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 2): The Dimensions of Lexical Competence

1 credit hour

This seminar will consider three ways of looking at the lexical competence of L2 speakers. The first approach considers how we can measure vocabulary size in L2 learners. The seminar will look at innovative ways of estimating how many words learners know, with a particular emphasis on ways of assessing productive vocabulary. The second approach goes beyond mere vocabulary size, but instead of focussing on vocabulary depth, it looks at how learners' L2 vocabulary is organised, and how we can tap into this organisation using some simple word association techniques. The third approach is concerned with how accessible learners' vocabulary is. Learners will often claim to "know" a word, but be unable to recognise it, or call it up when they need to use it. Some new ways of assessing how easily learners can process core vocabulary will be described.

The theme which links these three strands is the idea of a vocabulary network. The final session will look at some recent work using formal network models of how vocabularies work, and will consider the implications of these models for our ideas about L2 vocabulary development and testing.

Professor:
Dr. Paul Meara (Swansea University)
Schedule:
Saturday, January 30, from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 31, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Eng Ed 8657: Distinguished Lecturer Series (Seminar 3): Qualitative Data Analysis, Narrative Inquiry, and Multi-method Approaches

1 credit hour

This seminar focuses on qualitative research in language teaching and learning. Qualitative research can take many different forms, but it generally produces data which is often referred to as rich, thick, or deep data, generated by, for example, interviews, observations, and journals or diaries. Put simply, qualitative data represents the nature or attributes of something (e.g., teacher beliefs about their practices, learner stories of their learning), in contrast with quantitative data, which is data that can be measured or counted. Qualitative analysts have the task of reducing huge amounts of text to manageable units for further analysis. In this seminar we will examine ways in which this can be achieved. Coding, for example, is one way of doing so. It refers to organizing data into themes and categories so that they can be used for the purpose of ongoing analysis, interpretation, and conclusion drawing. Topics to be covered in the seminar include: techniques for coding data, displaying qualitative data and findings in the form of tables and figures, an introduction to narrative inquiry and narrative analysis (including narrative frames), interpreting qualitative data, and combining qualitative data analysis with other methods of analysis. Case studies of actual qualitative research projects will be presented for discussion. Participants will have the opportunity to analyze and interpret different forms of qualitative data.

Professor:
Dr. Gary Barkhuizen (University of Auckland)
Schedule:
Saturday, February 20, from 2:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Recommended readings:


Ellis, R., & Barkhuizen, G. (2005). Analysing learner language. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CHAPTER 11.

Dornyei, Z. (2007). Research methods in applied linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press. CHAPTERS 2 and 10.

Barkhuizen, G. (2008). A narrative approach to exploring context in language teaching. English Language Teaching Journal, 62(3), 231-239.

Education 8275: Doctoral Seminar - Introduction to Qualitative Research

3 credit hours

This course introduces doctoral students to the theoretical concepts and practical techniques associated with qualitative research. We will begin by surveying the historical and philosophical roots of qualitative inquiry. We will examine different approaches to qualitative research and how these approaches have been used in the area of applied linguistics. As we review the literature on research techniques, we will explore topics such as negotiating access, ethics, interview and observation strategies, data management and analysis, representation, and criteria for assessing qualitative studies. Building on our readings and discussions, participants will conduct a small scale study to obtain practical experience working within this research tradition. Course activities include experiential learning, lectures, group discussions, and student presentations.

Assignments include a brief summary and presentation of a qualitative study in applied linguistics, and three writing assignments involving data collection (interviewing and observation), analysis, and the final report of the participants' research project.

This course is required for the Ed. D. degree.

An additional set of readings will be available at the beginning of the course.

Professor:
Dr. Eton Churchill
Schedule:
Class schedule: Friday 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. on alternating weeks, starting January 8, 2010.
Texts:
Hatch, J. A. (2002). Doing qualitative research in education settings. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.

Education 8271: Doctoral Seminar - Contexts for Curriculum

3 credit hours

This course provides a broad overview of traditional and contemporary considerations for the effective planning and development of second language educational curricula. In the first half of the course, we will examine fundamental issues related to pedagogy and language education including (1) the influences of educational philosophy on the purposes of education, its goals, and content; (2) the impact of social forces on curriculum design; (3) the use of human development and learning theories in designing developmentally appropriate curricula; and (4) the role of theory in language teaching and curriculum development. In the second half, we will review current approaches to the teaching of foreign languages, examine their impact on the development of language curricula, and explore the specific ways in which relevant and appropriate language curricula can be designed, constructed, and implemented to meet student needs and provide effective learning opportunities.

Through discussions, group activities, and an in-depth examination of relevant case studies, students taking this course will develop critical perspectives on important issues in language curriculum development and consider their implications for instruction as well as for improving the quality of language programs. Students will also develop skills for the critical reading of methodologically sophisticated research literature, for organizing and synthesizing results from disparate studies, for posing questions that are yet unanswered in existing research, and for systematically analyzing curriculum development practices. Students will be evaluated on the basis of class participation, weekly assignments, and a final project describing a language curriculum designed for a specific educational institution.

Professor:
Dr. Katerina Petchko
Schedule:
Class schedule: Friday, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. and Saturday 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. on alternating weeks, starting January 15.
Texts:
Ornstein, A. C., & Hunkins, F. P. (2008). Curriculum: Foundations, principles, and issues. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

English Education 9872/ 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 whom they wish to work and register for the course before the Spring Semester begins.

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 Tokyo Center.
E-mail: tesol@tuj.ac.jp / Tel: 03-5441-9842