OVERVIEW OF CREATE CURRICULUM FOR SECONDARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERACY EDUCATION COURSES
These courses are designed to satisfy the preparatory needs of secondary English teacher candidates regarding discipline-specific instructional methods
and best practices, and to offer a summative course to all secondary cohorts that reviews the most important aspects of competent classroom
communication and support for literacy, language, and research skills development. Our aim is to empower teacher candidates to be conscious of the
challenges all students face regarding academic language use, and to become competent purveyors of all manner of discourse in order to assist their own
students in achieving higher levels of critical awareness and academic success. These courses emphasize philosophical, critical and theoretical
perspectives, practical applied knowledge and tools for classroom pedagogy, and creative projects and assignments that integrate independent inquiry
and group learning, and engage students in multimedia, multimodal productions which provide the basis for further explorations in their future places of
employment. The contents of these methods courses are divided among foundations of receptive (listening, reading), productive (speaking, writing), and
demonstrative (viewing, representing) communications for the classroom. In many instances these courses address similar issues (assessment, new
technologies, etc.) from these distinct foundational perspectives. Continuities and parallels between them will be further developed through coordinated
instructional efforts that will emphasize the interdependence of reading, writing, and representing as learning processes and the imperative to offer
coherent instruction and assessment that interpolates all aspects of a fully literate existence. Additional parallels between these curriculum proposals and
those provided by other Language and Literacy Education units in Drama, Elementary, ESL, and Modern Language education will also continue to be
explored as the revision process proceeds.
LLED 3##: Curriculum and
Pedagogy I (Teaching Reading and
Literature)
LLED 3##: Curriculum and
Pedagogy II (Teaching Writing)
LLED 3##: Curriculum and
Pedagogy III (Viewing and
Representing)
LLED 3##: Literacy Practices and
Assessment (formerly Language
Across the Curriculum)
Term 1 (3 Credits) 39 hours
Term 1 (3 Credits) 39 hours
Term 3 (3 credits) 39 hours
Term 1 or 3 (3 credits) 39 hours
Course Description: This
methodology course introduces
teacher candidates to a number of
perspectives relating to how
adolescents may develop higher-level
literacy skills, improve language
knowledge and engage in critical,
theoretically grounded interpretations
of a wide variety of texts. Covering
important aspects of literature
selection, multicultural perspectives
and challenges to readers, ESL
support for readers, it provides teacher
Course Description: This
methodology course focuses on the
teaching of written language and
composition to teacher candidates.
Students are introduced to theories of
writing, to a variety of strategies for
teaching written compositions and to
contemporary practices and uses of
writing both in and out of school.
Topics cover a broad range of issues
related to creative and academic
writing, including: Motivation,
purpose, genre, audiences, play,
Course Description: This
methodology course focuses on the
teaching of multiple literacies,
media, and modalities of expression
and new learning practices that
accompany these communicative
paradigms. Teacher candidates
investigate the role image and
imagination in social learning,
focusing on the use of embodied,
mediated, and hyper-mediated texts
and compositions in secondary
schools. Special emphasis will be
Course description: This course
introduces teacher candidates to
communicative language teaching
strategies that are essential to
effective pedagogy in multicultural,
multilingual classrooms across the
secondary curriculum. This course
emphasizes the need for sensitivity
among all secondary teachers to
language differences and difficulties.
student experience. Adapted from our
previous course, “Language across the
curriculum in multilingual
1
candidates with an overview of the
knowledge, skills and attitudes teacher
candidates require to implement a
language and literacy program
appropriate to the needs of youth in
secondary classrooms. It bridges the
literacy divide by giving equal
importance to the development of
receptive language skills based on
listening and readerly reception and
response to texts. Bridging the
intellectual distance between
discourse theories and specific textual
and linguistic engagements, this
course is designed to assist teacher
candidates in forging links between
the theory and practice of teaching
language and literature.
process, organization, prewriting,
assessment, evaluation, peer editing,
examination, language structure,
computer and hypertext, literary,
academic and popular cultural styles,
publishing, ESL, verbal arts and
performance, point of view, identity
and community, risk, and so on.
This course prioritizes the importance
of writing practice for secondary
students and focuses on assessment
strategies that are sensitive to cultural
and linguistic diversity in the ELA
classroom. Furthermore, it is equally
representative of traditional writing
practices and new, digital writing in
various forms of social media and
multimedia web-based expression.
placed on the risks and affordances,
as well as the challenges to
assessment and evaluation that
emerge with the use of performancebased or digital media-based
classroom activities. Providing
teaching methods for incorporating,
understanding, creating and learning
new communicative competencies
through multimodal texts, a range of
issues are covered that include the
classroom use of recorded materials
(audio, film and video), digital
resources (hypertext and social
media [i.e. blogs, wikis, messaging,
and so on] and understand their
influence on language development,
teaching, and academic expectations.
Quote here?
During this course teacher candidates
will review, consider, discuss and be
able to apply:
During this course teacher candidates
will review, consider, discuss and be
able to apply:
During this course teacher candidates During this course teacher candidates
will review, consider, discuss and be will review, consider, discuss and be
able to apply:
able to apply:



Major theories and concepts,
ranging from reader response
to nonlinear narrative, related
to reading and interpretation at
the secondary level
The provincial curriculum and
various resources to support
teaching reading and learning
The relationship between
reading, language
development and discipline-



Basic theories and models of
writing—as processes of
exploration, learning, knowing
The provincial curriculum and
various resources to support
teaching writing and learning
A well rounded understanding
of how to motivate and inspire
student writers, including the
development of a wide range
of writing prompts
2



Basic theories and models of
multiple literacies and their
application across social and
cultural dimensions of
learning
The provincial curriculum
and various resources to
support multiliterate,
multimodal teaching and
learning
The use of dramatization and
classrooms”, the revised prospectus
will place increased emphasis on
supporting ESL students to work with
discipline-specific discourses, and
explore the use of new literacies and
technologies in schools and other
learning contexts. Students will be
encouraged to broaden lesson
planning to incorporate scaffolds of
language learning, vocabulary
acquisition, as well as formal and
creative expression. The goal is to
improve the professional capacity of
new teachers to assess, analyze,
support and mediate meaning-making
across the curriculum through
multimodal, multigenre, multiliterate,
multilingual pedagogies.



Major theories and approaches
to language teaching and
learning, including the use of
popular cultural texts and new
modes and genres of
expression in the classroom
Links between first and
second/additional language
strategies and understandings
The role of text (in all its
forms) as an aid language




specific learning
An understanding multi-genre
and discipline-specific
demands on students and how
to support them for academic
success
How to assess students reading
ability and the complications
and challenges faced by
students from homes where
English in not normally
spoken or read.
Inclusive literature selection to
suit diverse interests and needs
of students
The structuring of lesson plans
and the development of units
to increase reading proficiency
across the secondary years.






The importance of teaching
writing processes, from
brainstorming, drafting, peer
editing and revision, to
publishing and plagiarism
The significance of clear
instruction regarding audience,
purpose and register as an aid
to effective writing
The interdependence of
reading and writing activities
Assessment as inquiry:
Purposes and tools of writing
assessment
Creating lessons that work
with multimedia and
multimodal writing practices
Creating units that strengthen
creative and academic writing




physical activities to embody
learning, understanding, and
to hone public speaking and
formal presentation skills.
Internet technologies as a
resource for developing
lessons, for student research,
and for collaborative creation
and sharing of work
An understanding of the
range of hypertext literatures
and experience reading and
writing nonlinear narratives
Anticipating problems with
technology in classroom
settings
Creating unit plans that
emphasize improving
students digital proficiency




development
The role of planning and
assessment for learning
The importance of cultural
fluencies for language
comprehension and integration
of diversity in culture and
language
How to develop lessons that
support ESL students with
discipline specific vocabulary
The continuum of language
learning
Suggested Structure:
Teacher candidates will develop their
knowledge, skills, understanding and
curiosities through:
Suggested Structure:
Teacher candidates will develop their
knowledge, skills, understanding and
curiosities through:
Suggested Structure:
Suggested Structure:
Teacher candidates will develop their Teacher candidates will develop their
knowledge, skills, understanding and knowledge, skills, understanding and
curiosities through:
curiosities through:
1. Classes and workshops that stress
student participation and active
learning through the following course
structure:
1. Classes and workshops that stress
student participation and active
learning through the following course
structure:
1. Classes and workshops that
stress student participation and active
learning through the following
course structure:
1. Classes and workshops that stress
student participation and active
learning through the following course
structure:
Introduction; Reading and language
acquisition (vocabulary, syntax,
semantics, etc.); Critical literary
perspectives; Reading in diverse
media and environments; Selecting
Introduction; Prewriting and
Preparation; Drafts and Revisions;
Risk and Pleasure of Sharing;
Motivation; Structure and Academic
Writing; Purpose and Audience;
Introduction; Popular culture, social
media and the classroom; Sound and
Image as “Texts”; Dramatic
Representations; Improvisation and
Retelling; Radio and Listening; Film,
Introduction; Range of academic
discourses and discipline-specific
texts; Teaching strategies that support
ESL students; Assessing texts and
predicting problems for less-skilled
3
literature; Contemporary coming of
age novels; First Nations experience;
Immigrant experience; Dystopia and
Holocaust novel; reading and working
with poetry; Reading and popular
culture; Independent reading, silent
reading, group reading, and
performing texts; Lesson and unit
planning with theme and genre foci;
Assessing reading levels, difficulties
and affordances among ESL students
2. School Based Practicum I (2): 2
weeks
This practicum provides teacher
candidates with an orientation to
secondary schools and opportunities
to engage in some language and
literacy focused experiences in the
classroom. The emphasis is on
observation, interaction and reflection
with limited instructional
responsibility. However, students will
be given specific tasks and determine
workloads for the long practicum in
Term 2. Based on these expectations,
students will develop integrated unit
plans that prepare them for the
instructional responsibilities and
demands of the long practicum.
Assignment ideas:
Writing Process; Multimedia,
Modalities, and Nonlinear Texts;
Assessment and Evaluation;
Performance and (local) Publishing;
Demands of genres and specific
discourses; Assessing and evaluating
student writing; Strategies for
supporting ESL writers
Television and the Audiovisual
Experience; Linear Vs. Nonlinear
Narratives; Fragment, Collage,
Remix, Mashup and Poetic
Expression; Advertising and New
Media;
2. School Based Practicum I (2): 2
weeks
readers; the function of image and
performance in supporting
comprehension; Expanding from
reliance on textbooks; online media
and research; Multiliterate,
multilingual, and multimodal
pedagogies; Home, community, work,
and school related discourses; creative
expression and new media
This practicum provides teacher
candidates with opportunities to
This practicum provides teacher
engage in some second/additional
candidates with an orientation to
language learning experiences in the
secondary schools and opportunities to classroom. The emphasis is on
engage in some language and literacy
observation, interaction and
focused experiences in the classroom. reflection with some instructional
The emphasis is on observation,
responsibility. However, students
interaction and reflection with limited will be given specific tasks and
instructional responsibility. However, determine workloads for the long
students are expected to observe and
practicum in Term 2. Based on these
report on the broad variety of writing
expectations, students will develop
tasks and purposes for writing
integrated unit plans that prepare
witnessed during their practicum (see
them for the instructional
assignment ideas below)
responsibilities and demands of the
long practicum.
2. Lectures are organized each year
for all students to attend. Speakers
range from academic experts and
practicing school administrators to
community education specialists and
youth theater troupes. In addition
students are provided with
information literacy sessions to assist
them in profession development and
self-guided inquiry that takes
advantage of contemporary research
in their subject areas. Issues addressed
in these presentations will be taken up
and further developed in class by the
instructors.
Assignment ideas:
Assignment ideas:
2. School Based Practicum I (2): 2
weeks
Assignment ideas:
A Strategic Lesson Plan situates
Links Page is intended to introduce
Journal of Writing Prompts and
students within the context of
Strategies is intended to provide
students to working with HTML, to
planning and rationalizing, developing students with self-generated, adaptable familiarize them with teaching and
4
Research/Reflection paper
(individual):
Analysis of texts using writing
and theorizing the delivery of
classroom instruction that will provide
students with valuable reading skills
and satisfy criteria useful for assessing
and monitoring reading
comprehension and language
acquisition among their students. This
lesson plan is based on an adaptable,
departmentally standardized template
for both structuring lessons and
providing systematic analysis of
reading comprehension
strategies for getting students engaged
in writing activities and, combined
with creative constraints to help
student understand how to bring an
awareness and interest in linguistic
processes and rhetorical tropes into
secondary English classrooms
learning resources available online
and to provide an ongoing
updateable resource for effective
teaching with Web-based texts.
Although primary sources are
introduced through course readings,
students will be expected to extend
and develop resource links from
personal research, incorporating
Extended creative writing sample
requires students to choose one or
websites that pique personal interests
more of their own writing prompts and and support curricular objectives and
explore its possibilities through their
to share the results of their
own writing process. This is based on independent online research with
Literature Response Groups present the assumption that teachers who write other students. In this manner
on a work of adolescent literature
creatively make better writing teachers effective sharing of online teaching
selected from a list of literary works
resources is actualized and integrated
suitable for adolescent readers and
Group publishing project allows
as a foundational aspect of
commonly found in the 8-12
students to explore the possibilities for contemporary English teaching
curriculum. Students are encouraged
putting work in the public domain.
to develop this list by bringing new
Offering students the choice of
Research/Reflection Paper is based
works and justifying its place within
publishing media and mechanisms,
on personal inquiry into a particular
the English curriculum.
this project helps teacher candidates
mode of critical or creative
understand the need to celebrate and
expression and operates within
Individual Presentations intended to share the creative output of student
multiple media, bringing together
foreshadow contributions to the
writers and to consider the ways in
and comparing at least one
coordinated unit plan and demonstrate which such projects can become the
productive and one receptive mode,
the student’s capacity to invest a
basis of unit plans and connect student i.e. the use of audio to support
particular passage of text with
to an awareness of how information is reading, the use of visuals to support
meaning and to explicate that meaning disseminated and published in both
comprehension (e.g. graphic novels)
so that its significance is accessible to academic and non-academic settings.
the use of nonlinear narratives to
students at a grade level
disrupt normative patterns of
predetermined by the teacher
Coordinated Unit Plan meet
interpretation.
candidate.
requirements for all three secondary
English methods courses. These can
Coordinated Unit Plan meet
Coordinated Unit Plans meet
be assigned as group projects that
requirements for all three secondary
requirements for all three secondary
articulate with the practicum
English methods courses. These can
5
samples and providing informed
assessments and strategies for
supporting the student writer
regarding the written text. Some basic
linguistic knowledge is introduced in
class and utilized to analyze and
explain assessment of the text. This
paper is intended to demonstrate
caution around native speaker bias
and prejudicial marking.
Presentation
Students will prepare a poster
presentation for the class on the use of
language support strategies (i.e.
discipline specific language learning
and writing requirements) within their
own subject area.
Group Media Projects
Student work in groups to develop
collaborative strategies around
working and creating with media.
Project requires that all students
familiarize themselves with issues
such as the facilitation of group work,
combining and applying multiple
literacies and demonstrating various
technical competencies and creative
aptitudes as would assist students to
create lessons using new media in the
schools.
Evaluation Rubric (individual or
pair):
Prepare an evaluation rubric for one
English methods courses. These can
be assigned as group projects that
articulate with the practicum
expectations of students. This project
is introduced after the short practicum
and must feature significant
components for the teaching of
reading, writing and multiple
literacies within the English
classroom. Students are encouraged to
develop their unit plans for
application in the long practicum.
Assigned Readings and self directed
inquiry is required of all students to
supplement classroom instruction.
These readings cover basic theoretical
concepts and support further inquiry
into strategies and methods for the
delivery of instruction that will
motivate and accelerate students
ability to critically assess, interpret
and deliver coherent instruction
regarding teaching critical reading
skills and comprehension of various
genres of texts.
Links to Thematic Strands
1. Field Experience
 See school based practicum
above
expectations of students. This project
is introduced after the short practicum
and must feature significant
components for the teaching of
reading, writing and multiple literacies
within the English classroom. Students
are encouraged to develop their unit
plans for application in the long
practicum.
Assigned Readings and self directed
inquiry is required of all students to
supplement classroom instruction.
These readings cover basic theoretical
concepts and support further inquiry
into strategies and methods for the
delivery of instruction that will
motivate and accelerate students
ability to critically assess, interpret
and deliver coherent instruction
regarding teaching critical writing
skills and production of various genres
of texts.
Links to Thematic Strands
1. Field Experience
 See school based practicum
above
6
be assigned as group projects that
articulate with the practicum
expectations of students. This project
is introduced after the short
practicum and must feature
significant components for the
teaching of reading, writing and
multiple literacies within the English
classroom. Students are encouraged
to develop their unit plans for
application in the long practicum.
Assigned Readings and self
directed inquiry is required of all
students to supplement classroom
instruction. These readings cover
basic theoretical concepts and
support further inquiry into strategies
and methods for the delivery of
instruction that will motivate and
accelerate students ability to
critically assess, interpret and deliver
coherent instruction regarding
teaching critical media skills and
production of various genres of texts.
Links to Thematic Strands
1. Field Experience
 See school based practicum
above
project or product. It should reflect
the content and format outlined in the
BC Provincial Integrated Resource
Package (8-12), that is, key objectives
and their link to the provincial
learning outcomes, specific evaluation
criteria and performance standards
within the students area of
specialization. This is to ensure that
students, parents or other teachers
may easily understand how student
performance is assessed according to
each criterion.
Assigned Readings and self directed
inquiry is required of all students to
supplement classroom instruction.
These readings cover basic theoretical
concepts and support further inquiry
into strategies and methods for the
delivery of instruction that will
motivate and accelerate students
ability to critically assess, interpret
and deliver coherent instruction
regarding teaching critical media
skills and production of various
genres of texts.
Links to Thematic Strands
1. Field Experience
 Reflect on recent practicum
experiences in order to
develop professionally and

Working knowledge of how to
plan language learning through
engagement with a wide
variety of texts
 Understanding of relevant
B.C. Ministry of Education
documents
2. Inquiry
 In keeping with Inquiry
seminar Part Two (Immersion
in the inquiry practices of the
profession) that states students
experience scholarly inquiry
around a particular theme, a
particular curriculum
emphasis or a current
educational issue.
 Emerging issues related to
inclusive language and literacy
learning, literature selection,
and thematic unit planning
3. Social and Ecological Justice
 Inclusive and generative
approaches to English
curricula
 Literature as a catalyst for
social action
 Understanding the ways in
which language and society (at
the cultural level) and literacy
and identity (at the individual
level) are linked
4. Problematics in Pedagogy,
Curriculum and Assessment
 Understanding the role reading

Working knowledge of how to
inspire and motivate students
through creative language and
literacy learning experiences
 Understanding of relevant B.C.
Ministry of Education
documents
2. Inquiry
 In keeping with the Inquiry
seminar Part One (Orientation
to what research entails and to
oneself as a ‘knowledge
producer’) that states students
encounter different ways in
which inquiry is taken up in the
profession …
 Production of creative texts
exploring relationships
between writing, learning and
teaching
 Publishing mechanisms for the
classroom as a globally
connected learning
environment
3. Social and Ecological Justice
 Inclusive and generative
approaches to literacy curricula
 Literature as a catalyst for
social action
4. Problematics in Pedagogy,
Curriculum and Assessment
 Creating a rich literacy
environment across the
curriculum
 Enhancing student ownership
7

Working knowledge of role
and use of internet and digital
technology resources in
schools
 Understanding of relevant
B.C. Ministry of Education
documents
2. Inquiry
 In keeping with the Inquiry
seminar Part One
(Orientation to what research
entails and to oneself as a
‘knowledge producer’) and
Part Two (Immersion in the
inquiry practices of the
profession) this course
addresses…
 Working with various media
and modalities to enhance
teaching and learning
experiences and to
understand the affordances
and complications of digital
technologies in the classroom
3. Social and Ecological
Justice
 Giving validation to
contemporary communication
practices (such as social
media applications) while
remaining attuned to both
what is lost and gained
crossing the digital divide
4. Problematics in Pedagogy,
Curriculum and Assessment
find strategies to improve
content delivery through
awareness of one’s own
communicative practices


2.


3.

4.

5.
Understanding of relevant
B.C. Ministry of Education
documents.
Inquiry
In keeping with Inquiry
seminar Part Two (Immersion
in the inquiry practices of the
profession) that states students
experience scholarly inquiry
around a particular theme, a
particular curriculum
emphasis or a current
educational issue.
Reflection on language
learning principles and
classroom communication as
explored in the field.
Social and Ecological Justice
Inclusive and generative
approaches to
second/additional language
literacy curricula.
Problematics in Pedagogy,
Curriculum and Assessment
Creating a rich literacy
environment in a
second/additional language
context.
Language and Learning as
Social Practice
plays in learning across all
areas of the curriculum
 Ability to support readers
across the curricula and to
assess and respond to needs of
less proficient pupils
5. Language and Learning as
Social Practice
 Factors that influence
language learning and
development
 Perspectives of reading that
have historically informed and
presently influence reading
instruction
 Relationship between language
and learning
 Understanding of how youth
learn and grow as language
users and the ways that
teachers can support this
growth
Resources
of learning processes through
creative writing and selfdirected explorations of writing
as inquiry
 Problems related to academic
writing and its relationship to
daily writing tasks
5. Language and Learning as
Social Practice
 Experiences that facilitate
development of writing and
expressive skills
 Relationship between cultural
views and the function of
written language
 Perspectives of writing that
have historically informed and
presently influence writing
instruction
 Understanding of the nature
and forms of written language
 Writing processes, assessment
and instruction in a diverse
classroom.
Resources

Experiences that facilitate the
development of new literacies
and access to online
resources for teaching in
content areas
 Theorizing and rationalizing
the use of information and
communication technologies
in secondary classrooms,
predicting problems, and
developing means to assess
and evaluate student work
5. Language and Learning as
Social Practice
 Oral language-print-digital
text relationships
 Different affordances of
learning face-to-face versus
learning online
 Differences in social and
community learning practices
in real or virtual
environments and their
pedagogical harmonization
Resources
8


Experiences that facilitate
literacy development in a
second/additional language.
Integral nature of culture in
understanding languages.
Resources