LN 403 LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
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to survey some important theories and approaches to language acquisition and
language teaching
to consider sociocultural, sociopolitical, and other variables that impede or
encourage short and long term success in learning language
to review methods, strategies, and techniques that best facilitate the acquisition of
a foreign/second language; the development of speaking, listening, reading, and
writing skills and the habit of critical thinking both in academic and every day
contexts in a foreign/second language
to examine the role of the affective domain (anxiety, attitudes, and motivation) in
language learning
to survey bilingual, immersion, and transition programs in terms of their
pedagogical, linguistic, social and political implications
to review some effective ways of error correction and proficiency assessment
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
o read the assigned readings before discussion day
o participate in class and small group discussions based on the readings and
your journals
o give an oral presentation on one of the theories/methods discussed in class
o give a lesson plan presentation
o write a take-home essay (due on finals’ week)
LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION: This course is taught in English. Students will use
their target language (Spanish or French) for lesson plan presentations.
COURSE MATERIALS:
Richards, J. C. and Rodgers, T. S. (2001). Approaches and methods in language
teaching. Second edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (required)
Richard-Amato, P. A. (1996). Making it happen. Interaction in the second language
classroom. From theory to practice. New York: Longman. (required)
Gonzalez, R. D., and Melis, I. (2000) Language ideologies Vol 1. Education and the
social implications of official language. (recommended)
Ovando, Carlos J. and Virginia P. Collier. (1998). Bilingual and ESL classrooms.
Teaching in multicultural contexts. Second edition. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
(recommended)
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COURSE POLICIES:
No more than 3 excused or unexcused absences are allowed. If, under strenuous
circumstances, you must miss a class, make sure you keep track of the assignments, due
dates, and your presentations. Communicate with your professor to discuss your progress
in class.
CLASS GRADE:
Journals and discussion
Theory or method presentation
Lesson plan presentation
Final exam (take-home)
30%
20%
20%
30%
 Journals and discussion: The purpose of this assignment is to help you work with your
readings. Every week you will ask questions, and look for connections between theories,
methods and your language learning/teaching experience in your journals. Summarizing
class readings in writing is a powerful learning tools. Journals are due in class every day
when a reading assignment is due.
 Skills or Method/Technique presentation: You will sign up to present a selected
language skill/teaching method or technique covered in class and the coursebook
 Lesson plan presentation: You will present a lesson plan of a foreign language class
that applies some of the methods, techniques, or strategies covered in this class. Feedback
and discussion will be provided.
 Final take-home: This exam will encourage you to demonstrate your knowledge of
theory, method, and technique in a written form by addressing one of the five questions
offered in the assignment. The goal is to connect what you learned in this class through
readings and presentations with your experience as a language learner to demonstrate
your preparedness for becoming a language teacher.
With all the assignments, thoroughness of preparation and audience awareness in
presentation will be assessed. None of the issues or questions discussed in this class has
one ‘correct’ answer. You as a student are encouraged to challenge and question
everything as long as you demonstrate that you gave fair consideration to the alternatives
offered in your readings.
Week One
Week Two
Weekly Class Schedule
First and second language acquisition. Theoretical
foundations and a brief history of foreign language teaching
Cultural understanding of language learning
The affective domain. Classroom activities that involve the
language learners’ affective domain
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Week Three
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Overview of the four skills and the integrated skills
approach to language teaching
Week Four
Methods and activities-- Something old and something new
(Grammar/translation, direct method and the audiolingual
lab). Student presentations
Week Five
Methods and activities-- Learning language by magic ways
The silent way, communicative counceling and
suggestopaedia. Student presentations
Week Six
Methods and activities--Learning language like children do
Total physical response (TPR) and the natural approach.
Student presentations
Week Seven
Methods and activities—Language proficiency and
communicative competence
Communicative language teaching.
Student presentations
Week Eight
Literacy in a foreign language
Contrastive rhetoric, jigsaw reading, and writing haiku in
Spanish
Week Nine
Assessment of language proficiency: From discrete point
multiple choice testing to interactive oral interviews
Week Ten
Not all errors are created equal. Effective ways of selective
and target oriented error correction
Week Eleven-Thirteen
Lesson presentations
Week Fourteen
Summary, evaluation, and preparation for final take
home
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