English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics MA

" English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics MA

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— Coventry University (@covcampus) September 26, 2012 OVERVIEW

This course runs in January, May and September 2016.

This programme provides professional development for English language teachers, and focuses on the theory and practice of teaching the English language in a variety of contexts, drawing on innovative research carried out by members of the School of Humanities, which includes work on Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL), corpus linguistics, Academic English and telecollaboration.

A distinctive feature of the programme is that you will have opportunities to observe English Language classes in higher education and undertake microteaching practice. You will also develop digital expertise with state-of-the-art e-learning tools and focus on specific English Language issues relating to your own educational contexts.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?

Students on the programme state that staff provide them with excellent academic and pastoral support and that their learning experience is very positive (evidence from module and course evaluation questionnaires). The course also focuses on the future world of work and students may apply for part-time paid teaching opportunities and work placements within Coventry University, including placements overseas.

The assessment on the programme is varied and includes essays, reports, presentations, digital learning object design, microteaching and seen in-class tests. The course also offers extra-curricular activities, such as participation in lectures and workshops with renowned visiting applied linguists andeducation experts.

There also is a free field trip relevant to the curriculum. In 2014 for example we went to the British Museum in London and then designed intercultural teaching tasks based on the objects viewed at the museum (activity linked to the mandatory module on materials design).

You will moreover be offered other field trips at competitive rates as they are supported by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and by the Centre for Global Engagement.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

You will:

• discuss theory and practice of English language learning and teaching;
• develop skills in the evaluation and design of teaching materials for a variety of settings;
• explore the role played by new technologies for learning, teaching and communicating;
• analyse English as it is spoken and written in the UK and in the rest of the world;
• have the opportunity to practice teaching and observe experienced teachers in a variety of face-to-face and blended-learning settings.

The mandatory modules are:

• Theories, Approaches and Methods of Language Learning and Teaching;
• Developing Language Teaching Materials;
• Analysing Written and Spoken Discourse;
• Grammar and Phonology for the English Language Teacher;
• Teaching English in Higher Education;
• Computer Assisted Language Learning: Theory and Practice;
• Dissertation in ELT/Applied Linguistics.

In addition, you will choose three of the following optional modules:

• Business English;
• Sociolinguistics and English Language Teaching;
• Teaching English Through Literature;
• Corpus Analysis and Pedagogy;
• English for Academic Purposes Course Design and Language Testing;
• Understanding Academic English.

As part of this course you will study Global Professional Development, a beneficial new 10-credit module developed in partnership with the CMI. Explore this module's content and benefits here.

HOW WILL THIS COURSE BE TAUGHT?

The full-time, face-to-face, programme runs over three semesters. There are two entry points: September and January. Students normally take four 15-credit modules in semester 1, four 15-credit modules modules in semester 2, and complete a Dissertation in semester 3.

Modules are taught face-to-face with lectures, workshops, laboratory sessions and seminars. All students are asked to submit a diagnostic task on arrival (normally a short essay). One-to-one support is available for students who need practise in academic English writing.

The delivery of all modules is supported by an online learning environment that is used, for example, to display content material, to submit assignments and provide electronic feedback, to discuss seminar topics (discussion forums), to design student-centred glossaries and to engage in online assessment and practice.

Students are also offered the opportunity to discuss English language teaching and analyse the English language with dedicated e-learning platforms for specific purposes (e.g. Corpus Linguistics tools, Computer Assisted Language Learning and Mobile Assisted Language Learning platforms).

Staff teaching on the programme also make use of the new learning spaces in the Disruptive Media Learning Laboratory in the Lanchester Library, to encourage students to practise English teaching in a variety of settings.

A part-time programme is available for UK/EU applicants, and can be tailored to the needs of each applicant.

If you are interested in one of these programmes, you should discuss it with the Course Director, Dr Marina Orsini-Jones.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

A variety of assessed tasks have been integrated into this programme, offering you a stimulating assessment experience and to enable you to reflect on your work, as the programme is designed to train teachers who will assess work themselves. Each module will normally have two assessment tasks and you will receive feedback on the first task before you submit the second one. The assessment tasks include seen examinations, presentations, essays and reports, corpus-based syllabus and course design, microteaching, reflective test design, e-learning object design in group and peer observation reports.

The external examiners have commented very positively on the variety, innovation and appropriateness of the assessment tasks on this programme. For example in 2013-2014 the External Examiner commented in his annual report: 'The assessment tasks are of good quality - well conceived, often imaginative, and in many cases appropriately practical, matching well with intended learning outcomes. I commend this.'

TEACHING CONTACT HOURS

You will normally be taught for three hours per week for eleven weeks for each 15 credit module. As you will do four modules per semester, you will have an average of around 12 hours contact per week for 11 weeks in semesters 1 and 2. The 60 credit dissertation or portfolio will be taught face-to-face for a total of around 25 hours in semester 3 between May and August (September starters) or September to December (January starters). There will also be a total of 5 hours of personal tutorials with your supervisor in semester 3.

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