Beginning students of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) usually have two purposes: (1) to learn the academic skills they need to succeed at graduate work and (2) to discover the best ways to teach English to non-native speakers. In this course, students will achieve the first purpose, mastering necessary academic skills, while getting a head start on the second, understanding methods and issues of TESOL study. Academic skills include getting the most out of lectures and research articles, taking notes, accessing library and internet resources, answering essay test questions, giving presentations, and writing papers using proper forms of citation, paraphrasing and bibliographic references.

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, this course is recommended as the 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.

There will be 13 regular class sessions for this course and in addition to the regular class sessions, all the students will be required to attend any one of the two online Distinguished Lecturer Weekend Seminars (only the first three hours of the Saturday public session) scheduled in summer. The professor will provide you with further details about the seminar requirement later in the classroom.

The session 4 on Thursday, June 1 is cancelled. In lieu of this cancelled session, students are required to attend the first three hours public session of one of the two seminars scheduled in summer 2023.

Required Textbook:

• Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2022). How languages are learned. (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Recommended Textbook:

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American psychological association. (7th ed.). Author. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics. (4th ed.). Routledge. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

The acquisition of morphology and syntax (i.e., morpho-syntax) has been at the heart of the field of second language acquisition since its modern inception in the 1970s. The reason for this focus is simple: Acquiring these aspects of a foreign language is extremely difficult for most adult foreign language learners given the complexity and abstractness of many morpho-syntactic forms. This course has three main goals. The first goal is to become more familiar with basic aspects of English morpho-syntax (e.g., the syntax of declarative statements, question formation, negation, and embedding) in order to better understand some of the key morpho-syntactic mechanisms used in the English language. The second goal is to become conversant with a wide variety of empirical research into the acquisition of English morpho-syntax. This body of research includes theoretical investigations of the cognitive mechanisms held responsible for the acquisition of morpho-syntax as well as classroom applications of various pedagogical approaches used to teach particular aspects of English morpho-syntax. The third goal is to give course participants an opportunity to conduct a hands-on teaching project in which they use a pedagogical approach that is new to them for teaching one aspect of English morpho-syntax. In this way, the participants can expand the pedagogical techniques available to them. Other course assignments include weekly readings, sentence-diagramming tasks, leading and participating in small group discussions, and a final examination.

The date and time of the session 3 on Friday, May 19 will be changed. The session 3 will be held on Saturday, May 20, 10:00-13:00. The double sessions will be held on Saturday, May 20.

Required Textbook:

• Larsen-Freeman, D., & Celce-Murcia, M. (2015). The grammar book: Form, meaning, and use for English language teachers. (3rd ed.). Heinle Cengage Learning. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Recommended Textbook:

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American psychological association. (7th ed.). Author. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Reading and writing skills are highly determinative keys to success for students at all levels of education, whether in their native or additional language. They are also extremely complex skills that are dependent on a variety of component skills and processes functioning simultaneously and automatically. That complexity, combined with the fact that reading and writing are highly individualized skills, make them notoriously difficult to teach and learn. In this course, we first explore the nature of reading and writing and the relevant component skills. We then consider a variety of principles, strategies, and tasks that have been developed to facilitate and encourage students’ development of reading and writing skills, along with the evidence that supports these methods to greater or lesser degrees. Through in-class discussions and a final exam, course participants will synthesize and process this knowledge, leading up to a final course project in which they develop and present their original reading and writing courses. Participants should read the first four chapters of the Grabe & Stoller text before the first class session.

The session 11 on Monday, June 12 is cancelled. In lieu of this cancelled session, students are required to attend the first three hours public session of the seminar scheduled in the summer I of summer semester 2023.

Required Textbook:

• Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2020). Teaching and researching reading. (3rd ed.). Routledge. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Ferris, D. R., & Hedgcock, J. S. (2014). Teaching L2 composition: Purpose, process, and practice. (3rd ed.). Routledge. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Recommended Textbook:

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American psychological association. (7th ed.). Author. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

This course will explore, with breadth and depth, the state of the art in second language teaching pedagogy. The issues covered will be: the history of the field; theories of language learning and the principles connecting these theories to effective classroom practice (e.g., input, output, form-focused instruction, content- and task-based instruction); teaching the 4 skills, motivation, strategies-based instruction, assessment, form vs. function focused teaching, the role of the first language, and the evaluation of methods and materials. Other critical issues include the roles that culture, and personality play in learning/teaching, assessment, and syllabus/curriculum writing. These issues will be covered by reading current articles from the ESL/EFL literature, as well as the textbooks. Students will produce lesson plans, a course syllabus, and a teaching philosophy. Active participation in discussion and frequent short papers are required. By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Express and defend the strategies, methods, and activities s/he wants to use as a teacher.
• Describe the role(s) of the teacher in language learning.
• Understand and appropriately employ the technical terminology of the field.
• Discuss and write about the methods and the major issues that presently define second/foreign language teaching.
• Design effective lesson plans and syllabi suited to multiple pedagogical contexts.
• Apply theoretical principles to classroom practice.

The session 5 on Tuesday, May 23, and the session 6 on Thursday, May 25 are cancelled. Make-up classes will be held on May 13, 14:00-17:00 and on May 20, 14:00-17:00.

Required Textbook:

• Brown, H. D., & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by principles: An interactive approach to language pedagogy. (4th ed.). Pearson Education. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Recommended Textbook:

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Concise guide to APA style. (7th ed.). Author. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

High quality language teaching materials are a critical component of any language teaching program. Although textbooks published by major publishers have undergone noticeable improvements in the past four decades, the fact remains that commercially produced materials are designed to be used with a wide variety of learners who often reside in different countries and speak different native languages. For this reason, many instructors find it difficult to find texts that are appropriate for their specific teaching situations. The purpose of this course is to allow students to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of commercial texts in the light of research on successful second language acquisition, and plan and produce original materials in an area of their choice (e.g., listening, speaking, reading, or writing). Topics covered in the course include (a) understanding the backward design approach to materials development, (b) identifying principles for evaluating and producing effective pedagogical materials that are based on research into second language acquisition, (c) specifying instructional goals and objectives, (d) considering multiple tasks that can be used to achieve those goals and objectives, (e) considering how student achievement can be assessed, and (f) enhancing affective factors such as student motivation and self-efficacy.

Course participants will be required to actively participate in weekly small group discussions, lead some of those discussions, and produce a final course project of an original teaching unit and a description of the theoretical and/or researched-based underpinnings of that unit. Course participants should read the first 5 chapters/modules in the course textbooks before the first class session.

The date and time of the session 3 on Friday, May 19 will be changed. The session 3 will be held on Saturday, May 20, 10:00-13:00. The double sessions will be held on Saturday, May 20.

Required Textbook:

• Heineke, A., & McTighe, J. (2018). Using understanding by design in the culturally and linguistically diverse classroom. ASCD. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2011). The understanding by design guide to creating high-quality units. ASCD. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

The 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.

Required Textbook:

• Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D.M., & Goodwin, J.M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide. (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Avery. P., & Ehrlich. S. (Eds.). (1992). Teaching American English pronunciation. Oxford University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Recommended Textbook:

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American psychological association. (7th ed.). Author. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

The first major purpose of this course is to give students the skills they need to develop and design language courses for all skill areas, with a special focus on materials design and assessment practices. The second purpose is to familiarize students with the states of the art in meaning-driven teaching methods (i.e., Task-, Project-, Theme-, and Content-based teaching) while respecting the importance of traditional grammar and vocabulary teaching to EFL audiences. These general principles form a framework within which students are introduced to the principles of cognitive linguistics that are relevant to teaching (e.g., construction and cognitive grammar, construal, and embodied meaning and metaphor). Students will learn to integrate their own situated observations with research findings to generate topically relevant material for any age group that meets the criteria laid out by any curriculum they follow. This material (lesson and task plans, texts, recordings, etc.) will support the teaching of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as well as the linguistic competencies of English. That is, students will leave the class able to employ the principles of meaning-based linguistics and pedagogy to create motivating learning experiences that are flexible enough to fluidly switch between form and function foci. Course requirements include completing weekly readings, contributing to group discussions, completing a final examination and course projects, and compiling a teaching portfolio.

Required Textbook:

• Nunan, D. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Cambridge University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Willis, J., & Willis, D. (2007). Doing task-based teaching. Oxford University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Littlemore, J. (2009). Applying cognitive linguistics to second language learning and teaching. Palgrave Macmillan. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)
• Deheane, S. (2020). How we learn: The new science of education and the brain. Penguin Books. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Recommended Textbook:

• American Psychological Association (2020). Concise guide to APA style. (7th ed.). Author. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

The pedagogical effectiveness and career satisfaction of language teachers can be enhanced by a deeper awareness of their students’ and their own psychological processes. Psychology in Foreign Language Learning is an introductory course that provides an overview of relevant current theory and research toward such enhancement, by helping participants to: 1) become familiar with psychological constructs that are relevant to language learning and teaching; 2) deepen their insights into themselves as language learners and teachers, and 3) fine-tune and expand their teaching practices based on ideas and information explored in the course.

The constructs to be covered include identity, personality, affect, learning strategies and styles, group dynamics, motivation, and autonomy, with a particular emphasis on motivation and identity.

Course requirements include a language learning/teaching autobiography, a presentation/discussion leadership of a supplementary reading, and participation in weekly discussions, both online (written) and in-class, relating the content of the assigned readings to participants’ learning and teaching experiences, The final project can be either a review of research in a psychological sub-field, or a revision of the language learning/teaching autobiography, deepened by relating actual experiences to the psychological concepts that shaped them.

Required Textbook:

• Williams, M., Mercer, S., & Ryan. S. (2016). Exploring psychology in language learning and teaching. Oxford University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Recommended Textbook:

• Dornyei, Z., & Ryan, S. (2015). The psychology of the language learner revisited. Routledge. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

A set of supplementary readings will be available on Canvas.

Students are required to register for this course in the semester they take the M.S.Ed. Comprehensive Examination. This course is a Pass/Fail course. If the student is taking the January Comprehensive Exam, the student must register for this course in the spring semester. If the student is taking the May Comprehensive Exam, the student must register for this course in the summer semester.

Ph.D. students are required to take two 3-credit Research Apprenticeship courses.  

If you wish to take an apprenticeship course, you first need to write a 300-400-word abstract of your proposed project (unless you are assisting a professor with one of his or her studies). This abstract should include basic information such as (a) the gaps in the literature you are addressing, (b) the purpose(s) of the study, (c) specific research questions, and (d) your methodology, including information about the participants, instruments, procedures, and the analyses you will perform. You will then need to send the abstract to the advisor you wish to work with (Consult the list of Apprenticeship advisors on the registration form to see who is available), and if the advisor approves your plan, you can then register for the course with that advisor. 

This course is for those Ph.D. students who have passed the Preliminary Examination and working on their dissertation proposal. 

The Ph.D. students are required to take Culminating Courses (6 semester hours overall, minimum 2 semester hours of EDUC 9999). Culminating Courses: Preliminary Preparation Course (EDUC 9994), Dissertation Proposal Design Course (EDUC 9998) and Doctor of Education Dissertation Course (EDUC 9999).  

Minimum 2 credit hours of EDUC 9999 are required for the Ph.D. students. 

Students wishing to register for this course should obtain permission from the professor and complete the registration process during the registration period. 

Diagnostic Language Assessment: Theory and Practice by Dr. Daniel Isbell, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, U. S. A., will be conducted by 3-hour online Zoom sessions for four days: Saturday, May 27, Sunday, May 28, Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4 from 10:00 to 13:00 (JST).  Students taking this seminar for credit must attend all four days. Students can add/drop this seminar course by 14:00 on Saturday, May 27.

The pre sign-up (or course registration for those who are taking this seminar for credit) is required for anybody attending the public session on Saturday, May 27 from 10:00 to 13:00. The sign-up process must be completed through "Distinguished Lecturer Series Seminar Sign-Up Form" that is available on TUJ Grad Ed website. The sign-up deadline is Friday, May 26 at 12:00. The public session Zoom link will be provided to those people who completed the online sign-up (or course registration) process by 18:00 on Friday, May 26.

Diagnostic Language Assessment (DLA) seeks to identify individual learners’ strengths and weaknesses to inform subsequent learning activity, with the ultimate goal of language development. With its focus on specific learner needs and orientation to learning, DLA holds considerable potential for individualizing instruction and improving language learning outcomes. Despite its promise, DLA also appears to be conceptually muddled in practice, with diagnostic procedures that connect directly to follow-up instruction exceedingly rare (or at least rarely documented and shared). What does it take to design useful DLA procedures and implement them in classrooms or other learning contexts?

Answering this question is the focus of this seminar. In the first session, the instructor will provide a review of DLA theory, focusing in particular on the work of Alderson and colleagues (Alderson et al., 2015; Harding et al., 2015), and a survey of current practices ranging from low-stakes pronunciation diagnostics to diagnostic information extracted from high-stakes proficiency tests. Through lecture and hands-on activities in subsequent sessions, we will further examine the design and construction of diagnostic tools, nature and delivery of diagnostic feedback, and connections to follow-up learning activity. Throughout the seminar, important connections to models of language ability and (instructed) second language acquisition will be highlighted. As a culminating assignment, students will design a DLA procedure that could be implemented in a familiar instructional setting.

Classroom-Based Formative Assessment for EFL Teachers by Dr. Peter Gu, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, will be conducted by 3-hour online Zoom sessions for four days: Saturday, July 8, Sunday, July 9, Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16 from 10:00 to 13:00 (JST).  Students taking this seminar for credit must attend all four days. Students can add/drop this seminar course by 14:00 on Saturday, July 8.

The pre sign-up (or course registration for those who are taking this seminar for credit) is required for anybody attending the public session on Saturday, July 8 from 10:00 to 13:00. The sign-up process must be completed through "Distinguished Lecturer Series Seminar Sign-Up Form" that is available on TUJ Grad Ed website. The sign-up deadline is Friday, July 7 at 12:00. The public session Zoom link will be provided to those people who completed the online sign-up (or course registration) process by 18:00 on Friday, July 7.

Formative assessment has been a buzzword for quite some time in the educational assessment literature. However, many teachers still find it hard to implement formative assessment in their classrooms. Likewise, it has been difficult for many researchers to operationalise formative assessment in an empirical study.

In this weekend seminar, the instructor will delineate the boundaries of classroom-based formative assessment and show how exactly formative assessment can be done in the EFL classroom. In addition to the What, Why, and How of formative assessment, the instructor will outline a validation framework for the evaluation of assessment qualities. The instructor will also use concrete examples to illustrate how contingent formative assessment can be studied. Both teachers and researchers will find the seminar useful.