Applied Linguistics

Understandings

EFL Educator will understand that personal learning networks and the interaction that it can provide can provide the means for increasing one's knowledge in how languages are learned.

Essential Questions

How can knowing how languages are learned help me in my teaching practice? Why do English language learners in Mexico have difficulties in learning a foreign language?

Enabling Knowledge

applied linguistics

Subskills

Technology Reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English

Assessment

Webquest Informal discussions Academic prompts

Week 1 (October 4, 2010 - October 10, 2010)

Readings

Feel free to add your own links!

• Applied Linguistics Portal
• Linguistics
• Terminology
• Taking a lexical approach to teaching: principles and problems
• Lexical Approach to Second Language Teaching
• Principles and implications of the Lexical Approach

Activities

Activity

The purpose of this activity is to give you an opportunity to share your opinion regarding how you approach teaching English to students of other languages and how these students learn the language. Read the article found at this blog pertaining to the lexical approach to language learning. What side of the debate do you find yourself on? Are you for or against the lexical approach? What approach does your textbook and how does it influence your own approach? Provide techniques or strategies that support your perspective. Share your thoughts and opinions by replying to the blog post. Your are also encouraged to join the Applied Linguistics group in META!

Outcomes

To understand the different perspectives of applying a lexical approach to learning English as a foreign/second language

Week 2 (October 11, 2010 - October 17, 2010)

Readings

• Applied Linguistics Portal
• Linguistics
• Terminology
• Taking a lexical approach to teaching: principles and problems
• Lexical Approach to Second Language Teaching
• Principles and implications of the Lexical Approach

Activities

Activity

The purpose of this activity is to give you an opportunity to share your opinion regarding changes you have witnessed among English language learners you are currently working with. Create an account in META. Reflect on the following essential question: Looking back over this semester, what do you think was the most significant change you witnessed from your group(s) of English language learners? Share your thoughts and opinions by replying to this post.

Outcomes

To understand the complexities of change among English language learners.

Week 3 (October 18, 2010 - October 24, 2010)

Readings

• Applied Linguistics Portal
• Linguistics
• Terminology
• Taking a lexical approach to teaching: principles and problems
• Lexical Approach to Second Language Teaching
• Principles and implications of the Lexical Approach

Activity

The purpose of this activity is to give you an opportunity to share your opinion regarding how you link pragmatics and TESOL. Create an account in META if you have not done so already. Reflect on the following essential question: Reflecting on how you use pragmatics within your own teaching practice, how do you form questions that create language awareness beyond form and meaning and more in ways that relate to pragmatics?? Share your thoughts and opinions by replying to this post.

Outcomes

To form essential questions that help English language learners increase their pragmatic language awareness.

Week 4 (October 25, 2010 - October 31, 2010)

Readings

• Applied Linguistics Portal
• Linguistics
• Terminology
• Taking a lexical approach to teaching: principles and problems
• Lexical Approach to Second Language Teaching
• Principles and implications of the Lexical Approach

Activities

Activity

The purpose of this activity is to give you an opportunity to share your opinion regarding the issue of having or not having the answer key in the course workbook. Create an account in META if you have not done so already. Add yourself to the applied linguistics group. Read the following post titled To provide or not to provide the answers – Is that the question? Share your thoughts and opinions by replying to the forum post.

Outcomes

To generate a discussion on the advantages of formative over summative assessment.