INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS AND COURSE DESCRIPTION FOR
THE DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM

Assignment #1: Theory – Introduction

5 hours course work - 2% of total marks allocated
Submission date: Month end of your start date, or before.
An introduction to teaching ESL and an overview of what makes a good teacher.

Assignment #2: Theory – History of Language Teaching

5 hours course work – 3% of total marks allocated
Submission date: Second month end or before

Includes history and nature of language, variation and change; competence and performance; major models of linguistic description; formal language instruction versus unconscious language learning; first and second language acquisition; models of second language acquisition; learning strategies and styles; factors affecting language learning; the adult learner; the sociodimension of TESL and second language acquisition.

Assignment #3: Theory – Foundations

30 hours course work – 10% of total marks allocated
Submission date: Third month end or before

You will examine the theoretical issues in second language teaching and learning with the adult learner; four domains to be considered in adult teaching: cultural, affective, personal, and cognitive, while covering the major areas of theoretical research that have a bearing on how people learn a second language. The course also examines the student as a language learner, and compares first and second language acquisition.

Assignment #4: Culture and Socio-cultural Issues

30 hours course work - 5% of total mark
Submission date: Fourth month end or before

Includes cultural pluralism in Canadian society; institutional and individual barriers to participation in Canadian society; culturally-determined life styles and learning styles and their effect on second language learning; acculturation; anti-racism; sociocultural factors under a variety of case studies with an emphasis on cause and effect in an ESL classroom, which covers the issues and challenges of diversity and cultural identity and factors influencing teaching and learning. Learning to communicate across cultural barriers is one objective of this course and creating the inclusive, anti-racist curriculum and classroom is another.

Assignment #5: Methodology – Teaching Methods

30 hours course work – 5% of total mark
Submission date: Fifth month end or before

Includes the history of language teaching and develops a survey of second language teaching methods; and discusses the present “communicative approach” in detail.

Assignment #6: Methodology – Foundations

55 hours course work – 10% of total mark
Methodology – Foundations
Submission date: Six month end or before

Includes a survey of second language teaching methods, including new technologies in TESL; ESL literacy; classroom management; materials development; textbook evaluation; adult ESL in Canada; LINC curricular guidelines; English for Academic Purposes; TEFL/English for International Students, Canadian Language Benchmarks.

Assignment #7: Lesson Planning

35 hours course work - 15% of total marking scheme
Submission date: Seventh month end or before

Includes development and implementation of three lesson plans that you will deliver in class while your peers assess the lesson plan and your teaching skills.
One of the most important parts of becoming a teacher is learning to master curriculum and lesson plan design and implementation. This course covers lesson plans to use at all levels of teaching, from beginners through to advanced learners.

Assignment #8: Teaching The Skills

120 hours course work – 15% of total marking scheme
Teaching The Skills Submission date: Eighth month end or before

Includes the analysis, theory and practice of teaching listening; speaking; reading; writing; pronunciation; grammar within all levels and multi-level adult ESL classroom.

Assignment #9: Language Assessment

40 hours course work – 5% of total marking scheme
Submission date: Ninth month end or before

Includes principles of second language testing; techniques and interpretation of second language assessment of student progress and proficiency, including portfolios; consideration of standardized tests; classroom test development.

Assignment #10: Pronunciation and Linguistic Systems

40 hours course work - 15% of total marking scheme
Pronunciation and Linguistic Systems
Submission date: Tenth month end or before

Includes the sound system; segmentals and suprasementals (stress, rhythm, intonation); phonetic transcription; the influence of the first language on the acquisition of English; morphology.

Lectures on fundamental principles are given with illustrations from English and from a broad spectrum of other languages. Practice in production and recognition of speech, sounds, and elementary analytic techniques are also covered.

Assignment #11: Pedagogical Grammar

30 hours course work - 15% of total marking scheme
Submission date: Eleventh month end or before

Includes a comprehensive analysis of English grammar and covers the key problematic areas for second language learners. Several grammar tests will be taken as part of your program. The

lectures will explain the grammar in terms that are applicable to the adult second language classroom, and the tutorials will be devoted to a discussion of different approaches and teaching techniques in the classroom.

Assignment #12: Practicum

50 hours course work - pass/fail mark only
Completion date: Twelfth month end or before

This 50 hour practicum allows the student to complete the monitoring exercise, along with observation and teaching of actual classes at different levels of ESL. This may include raw beginners in Level 1, or advanced ESL learners, who are grasping a more detailed grammar segment of the language. The actual teaching practicum can include using the daily lesson plans developed earlier in the course in an established ESL classroom, or using the lesson plan from the hosting classroom.