Teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) (2 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Objective

Upon completion of the course students should be able to demonstrate basic knowledge of the selected approaches to teaching English as a foreign/other/additional/second language: e.g. task-based approach, lexical approach, theme teaching, project-based teaching, communicative approach, teaching integrated skills, teaching through stories, content-based approaches. Students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of methods and techniques, including ICT, of teaching various language skills and language areas: reading, writing, listening, speaking, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar. Students should also know how to present and practise the new language during a lesson. They should be able to evaluate teaching materials, and assess pupils' learning.

Execution methods

20 contact teaching hours and 33 hours of independent work.

Contact teaching includes: teacher presentations, tutorials, individual, pair-, and group-work, student-prepared and delivered presentations, “teaching tasters” for students (microteaching). Independent work includes: work out-of-class, pre-class and post class activities, written assignments / written course work.

Methods and approaches underpinning course implementation: Integrating Content and Language in Higher Education (ICLHE) / English-medium instruction (EMI).

Accomplishment methods

Active participation and successful delivery of course assignments fulfilling the requirements regarding content, presentations and microteaching.

The following is a breakdown of credits students earn for the course, for administrative purposes only. So, please note that the course is for 2ects/op. Therefore one cannot just attend the course for 1 ects or only deliver microteaching for 1 ects.

Attendance and active participation is expected of each student, so students should make every effort to attend every class. In addition to in-class participation students are also expected to work independently.

Active participation in seminars 1 ects Pass/fail
Microteaching 1 ects Pass/fail

However, if the home university of a student requires a grade, it can be granted on request.

Active participation in lectures and seminars 1 ects Pass/fail
Micro-teaching 0.5 ects 5-1/fail
Reflective learning journal 0.5 ects 5-1/fail

If a grade is required by the home university, additional assignments (e.g. a learning journal) will be requested.

If grading is needed, the lecturer should be informed by the second session of the course at the latest.

Content

The course covers in a brief but comprehensive way the major aspects of TEFL. The basics of the following themes and topics will be addressed during the course: current concepts in foreign / additional language education; different methods and approaches to teaching foreign / additional languages, including ICT; structures and types of foreign language lessons; teaching language skills and areas; planning instructional sequences for the presentation and practice of the new language; evaluating teaching materials; approaches to correction; assessment and evaluation of pupils' learning. The structure and content of the course promotes language proficiency, thinking skills, a holistic approach to school teaching through combining languages, multicultural awareness, plurilingualism and pluriliteracies (Refs: OPS 2016, pp.218-219).

Materials

Course materials prepared by the lecturer, journal articles and other resources recommended during the course, coursebook packages (CBPs), Internet resources, other materials selected by the lecturer. National Core Curriculum for Basic Education 2014. Helsinki: National Board of Education. pp.135-136, and 236-244. The University of Lapland Teacher Training School curriculum for teaching English as A1 language, based on the Finnish National Core Curriculum (2014) Documents about language teaching and learning issued by the Council of Europe and UNESCO

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

International students who need a grade: Fail (0)
REFLECTIVE LEARNING JOURNALS
-- the journal content is very poorly organized; it’s too difficult to follow the content. the content presentation is one-sided: it either contains a very personal “diary” or lists only course content items but not both;
-- the journal lists only the “learning events” (what happened during classes); there is no reflection or analysis included
-- the journal describes in detail what happened, quoting text from slides and handouts but there is no evidence of how that content influenced student’s learning
MICROTEACHING
The methods, techniques and materials are not adequate. Materials copy models of activities from resources but they are not adapted to the teaching situation, age and language learning level of the pupils. Instructions are mostly or always unclear.
There is no differentiation in teaching. Activities are predominantly teacher-centred.



International students who need a grade: Satisfactory (2) and Sufficient (1)
REFLECTIVE LEARNING JOURNALS
-- the learning journal is to the point but not well organized
-- the journal includes successful learning and difficulties (if any) the student encountered during the course but they are described in a personal or “diary” style rather than in an objective and constructive way
-- the journal includes both entries about what happened ( a short list, or a brief description) and description of student’s reaction and what they learned during the process; however, the entries are short or imbalanced (e.g. more description of what happened than reflection); those reflections include sporadic references to previous learning experiences and learning expectations, or none at all; the learning process of the student is not easy to follow
-- the journal includes a description rather than evaluation of teaching methods with regard to student’s learning; no alternative solutions are proposed
-- the learning process is not well analysed; immediate benefits of the course are mentioned sporadically but there is no reference as to how the learning experience can be used in the future by the student as an individual or an expert in the field

MICROTEACHING
The methods, techniques and materials are sometimes not adequate enough.

Some but not all materials are interesting, motivating and related to real life and pupils’ interests.
Some of the instructions are clear, some too verbose or complicated. Differentiation and different learning styles are not always taken into consideration. Activities are mostly teacher-centred.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

International students who need a grade: Very good (4) and Good (3)
REFLECTIVE LEARNING JOURNALS
-- the learning journal is well organized and to the point
-- the journal contains both successful learning and difficulties (if any) the student encountered during the course; those are presented in a constructive way
-- the journal includes both entries about what happened ( a short list, or a brief description) and description of student’s reaction and what they learned during the process; those reflections include references to previous learning experiences and learning expectations but not learning theories; the learning process of the student is not described quite clearly
-- the journal includes a description rather than evaluation of teaching methods with regard to student’s learning: what helped and hindered learning; only a few alternative solutions are proposed
-- the learning process is well analysed; the journal includes immediate benefits of the course but does not indicate how the learning experience can be used in the future by the student as an individual or an expert in the field

MICROTEACHING
Mostly appropriate methods, techniques and materials are used.
Materials are interesting, motivating and related to real life and pupils’ interests. Instructions are mostly clear. Teaching engages pupils in the learning process. Differentiation and different learning styles are taken into consideration.
Some activities are pupil-centred but others can be teacher-centred.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

International students who need a grade: Excellent (5):

REFLECTIVE LEARNING JOURNALS
-- the learning journal is very well organized and to the point
-- the journal contains both successful learning and difficulties (if any) the student encountered during the course; those are presented in a constructive way
-- the journal includes both entries about what happened ( a short list, or a brief description) and description of student’s reaction and what they learned during the process; those reflections include references to learning theories, previous learning experiences and learning expectations; the learning process of the student is described explicitly
-- the journal includes evaluation of teaching methods with regard to student’s learning: what helped and hindered learning; alternative solutions are proposed
-- the learning process is very well analysed; the journal includes immediate benefits of the course and what can be used later with regard to students as individuals and professionals in their fields of study

MICROTEACHING
Appropriate methods, techniques and materials are used.
Materials are interesting, motivating and related to real life and pupils’ interests. Instructions are clear. Teaching engages pupils in the learning process. Differentiation and different learning styles are taken into consideration.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

International students who DO NOT need a grade:
pass / approved
Active participation: the student shows required attendance, demonstrates cognitive involvement, asks questions, gives comments, feedback, and participates in group discussions and pair work.
Microteaching: the student participates actively in group microteaching; teaching materials are well prepared and executed

Fail (0)
Active participation: the student attends less than required hours of contact teaching, does not engage in learning, does not participate in group discussions or pair work; the student is predominantly occupied by some other activities than course work.
Microteaching: the student does not participate actively in group microteaching, merely observes what the other group members are doing; teaching materials are not to the point or have very little or no educational value

Qualifications

No previous studies are required but at least CEFR level B2 of English is required to follow the course and deliver microteaching. A very general assessment of one’s CEFR level can be found
at http://kaares.ulapland.fi/home/hkunta/ealssen/exss/CEFR.html