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TEFL Theory, 2015
Page 1 of 4.
TEFL Theory, Further Course Information
Instructor: Andrew Blyth, PhD (Ed; candidate), MA ELT, CELTA, B.Sc (Bio).
Contact: [email protected]; [email protected]
Materials required: (1) A small pocket notepad (for language notes), (2) a notebook for class notes,
(3) USB memory stick, (4) a Dropbox.com account, (5) and a sense of curiosity.
Textbook: Harmer, J. (2007) The Practice of English Language Teaching (4th Ed). Pearson
Longman. < Must be acquired.
Other key references:
Carter, R., and Nunan, D. (2001) The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Nunan, D. (1998) Language Teaching Methodology: A textbook for teachers. Longman.
Assessment (see page 4 for details): a 1 hour written test (40%), a 2000 word research paper (40%,
due week 11), and class participation (20%).
Materials required: � Stationary for classes, USB memory stick for assignments and readings, a vocabulary notebook.
How to pass this class
� It is really easy to pass (if you try).
� Come to every class すべてのクラスに出席し
てください。
� Review and preview every class 毎クラス予
習復習をしてください。
� Ask questions (I like answering questions) もしわからないことがあれば恥ずかしがらず質
問してください。質問は大歓迎です。
� Have fun. ☺ 楽しんでください。
� Also, build up your vocabulary. Get a little
notebook (see right) and write in some
interesting words, expressions and sample
sentences each week during class.
(McCrostie, 2007)
McCrostie, J. (2007) Examining learner vocabulary
notebooks. ELT Journal, 61(3), p246-255.
Conferences
It is strongly recommended that you attend at least one of these or similar event:
� Japan Association of Language Teachers (JALT) Nagoya Chapter meetings. Monthly
presentations, see http://jaltnagoya.homestead.com/Presentations_Future.html.
� JALT Pan-Special Interest Groups (JALT Pan-SIG), 16th – 17th May 2014, at Kobe City
University of Foreign Studies. See http://pansig.org, also see http://jalt.org/.
� JALT Computer Assisted Language Learning (JALTCALL) annual conference, 5th to 7th June,
2014, at Kyushyu Sangyo University, Fukuoka. See http://jaltcall.org.
� Vocabulary SIG Symposium, 20th June 2014, Kyushu Sangyo University, Fukuoka. See
http://jaltvocab.weebly.com/ for details.
� See http://www.eltcalendar.com/ for more events.
TEFL Theory, 2015
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Schedule (Subject to change)
Week 1: 13th Apr. Research & professional development in ELT Reading: Chp24, A3, A4, Sections B&C in Harmer (Alternatively: Chp16 & 17 in Carter & Nunan)
Key Concepts: Brief course introduction. Qualitative vs. Quantitative research, a very brief introduction.
Introduction to Moral Relativism and cultural filters affecting observers’ understandings. Introduction to
Observation research, observer’s paradox; Classroom Interaction: display vs. referential questions, teacher-
fronted interaction, IRF pattern, pair work, group work, turn allocation, hypothesis testing. A brief
introduction to Action Research, and research triangulation, reliability & rigor.
Extra reading: Nishida, R., and Yashima, T. (2010) Classroom interactions of teachers and elementary
school pupils as observed during a musical project in a Japanese elementary school. System, 38(3), p480-490.
OR Eröz-Tuğa, B (2013) Reflective feedback sessions using video recordings. ELT Journal, 67(2), p175-183.
Week 2: 20th Apr. Theories of learning & memory Reading: McInernney & McInernney (1998) Educational Psychology: Constructing learning. Prentice Hall,
p20-34. OR Chapter 3 of Harmer (2007).
Key Concepts: Review of Week 1. A very brief introduction to the brain; long term & working memory
types; declarative and non-declarative knowledges; scaffolding; introduction to Vygotsky: collaborative
construction of meaning, Zone of Proximal Development; introduction to Piaget; Multiple Intelligences
theory; Hermann Ebbinghaus’s ‘forgetting curve’ and vocabulary learning introduction. Contrastive analysis,
interlanguage, error, teachability / readiness, natural order of acquisition, silent period, critical period,
working memory demand vs. complexity
Extra listening: Anything on the Brain Science Podcast. See http://brainsciencepodcast.com/ or iTunes.
Extra reading: Dörnyei, Z. (2009) The Psychology of Second Language Acquisition. OUP, p 135-151. (see
Dropbox)
Week 3: 27th Apr. Grammar Reading: Chp 13, Teaching Grammar (Chp3, A4 Focus on Form or Forms)
Key Concepts: Review of Week 3. Morphology, syntax; descriptive vs. prescriptive; Universal Grammar
(UG) and criticisms; transformational-generative; pragmatic competence; focus on form (noticing,
consciousness-raising) and Pienemann’s Processibiltity Theory; scaffolding (review of Vygotsky); construct
theory; chunks and patterns; interlanguage.
Extra listening: Philosophy Bites (2010) 135, Daniel Everett on Nature of Language. Accessed at:
http://philosophybites.com/past_programmes.html, or http://www.philosophybites.libsyn.com/2010/09. (A
discussion about the flaws of Universal Grammar).
Week 4: 4th May. Speaking Reading: Chp 20 Speaking, (Carter & Nunan, Chp2, Speaking)
Key Concepts: recently stressed skill, audiolingualism, behaviorism, strict rotation of LSRW where S =
strict repetition of target structures and patterns; speech acts (function and form), skill sets, 4-stage process:
conceptualization, formulation, articulation, and self-monitoring, fluency, accuracy, complexity, task-
recycling, Krashen’s comprehensible input hypothesis (learning vs. acquisition), Swain’s comprehensible
output hypothesis, intrinsic & extrinsic motivation..
Extra reading: Shahini, G., and Riazi, M. (2011) A PBLT Approach to teaching ESL speaking, writing, and
thinking skills. ELT Journal, 65(2), p170-179.
Week 5: 11th May. Teaching Methodologies Reading: Chp4, Popular Methodology
Key Concepts: Direct vs. Indirect methods, Methods vs. Approaches (introducing grammar translation,
Audio-lingual methods, Communicative Language Teaching TBLT, and others); explicit vs implicit
instruction; form-based, meaning-focused, meta-communicative tasks, delayed focus on form, genuine tasks,
task-plan-report cycle, learner roles, sequencing of tasks, PPP, current status of ELT Methodologies.
Extra reading: Bell, D. (2007) Do teachers think that methods are dead? ELT Journal, 61/2, p135-143.
Week 6: 18th May. Vocabulary Reading: Chp 14, Teaching Vocabulary (Carter & Nunan, Chp6, Vocabulary).
TEFL Theory, 2015
Page 3 of 4.
Key Concepts: Review of Week 2. What is a word?, Nation’s ‘word families’, paired translation equivalents,
semantic sets, corpora, collocation, chunking, concordancing, Key Words in Context (KWIC), metaphors,
false friends (eg, compare ‘hip’ in English to ‘hip’ in Japanese-English), loan words (Japanese vocabulary
expressed in katakana). Lexical recall models: neighbourhood activation model and Bayesian Probability.
Key reference: Nation, P. (2010) Plenary presentation at PAC-KOTESOL, audio recording and notes
available from Andrew (see Dropbox.Com). OR McLean, S., Hogg, N., & Rush, T. (2013) Vocabulary
learning through an online computerized flashcard site. JALTCALL Journal, 9/1, p79-98. (see the JALTCALL
Journal website).
Week 7: 25th May. Presentation & Literature Review (20%) Reading / Topic: Each student is to decide for themselves.
Students-teachers are to do a 10 to 15 minute presentation on a problem or question they have regarding a
topic in the Harmer 2007 book, previous or upcoming topics, or about teaching children. Student-teachers are
welcome to use any resource (including PowerPoint or Prezi) to present an introduction to the topic, some
key issues, and a question or problem they would like clarification with. Students-teachers are to include in
their references at least one recently published ELT journal article. The topic choice can tie in with their
research article. Each presentation will end with a five minute discussion about a problem or question posed
by the presenter. Marks are awarded on the depth of research, quality of presentation, and participation in the
resulting class discussions.
Week 8: 1st June. Listening Reading: Chp 18 Listening (Carter & Nunan Chp1, Listening)
Key Concepts: Definitions of listening. A brief introduction of listening processes. A brief history of
teaching listening; Krashen’s i+1, top-down, bottom-up, rhythm in languages (stress, syllable, and mora) and
lexical segmentation, phonemic exemplar theory, extensive listening vs. listening strategies, internet and
other media resources, input differences between L1 and L2, lexical access, Sociolinguistic perspectives.
Key reference: Blyth, A. (2011) How teachers teach listening in Japan: Part 1. PAC-KOTESOL Conference
Proceedings: Advancing ELT in the Global Context. Seoul, South Korea, 16-17 October 2010.
Optional extra reading / listening: Renandya, W., and Farrell, T. (2011) ‘Teacher, the tape is too fast!’
Extensive listening in ELT. ELT Journal, 65(1), p 52-59. Or Renendya, W. (2010) ‘Teacher, the tape is too
fast!’ Extensive listening in ELT. PAC-KOTESOL 2010 Conference presentation. (see DropBox.com).
Week 9: 8th June. Reading & Strategies Reading: Chp 17 Reading (Carter & Nunan Chp3 Reading; and Chp24 Language-learning Strategies)
Key Concepts: Reading: grapheme to phonological representation models, models of learning (from phonic
to sight), top down, bottom up, phonetic vs. whole word, text vs. reader, literate vs. non-literate, strategies
(pre-, during, and post-), Krashen and free sustained reading, graded readers, extensive vs. intensive.
Strategies: Oxford’s learner types, achievable short-term goals, autonomy, cognitive strategies, Vygotsky and
scaffolding, social learning, hypothesis testing, mnemonic strategies, metacognitive strategies, compensatory
strategies, affective strategies, social strategies, O’Malley and Chamot strategy list, Rubin’s good language
learner.
Extra reading: Brown, D. (2009) Why and how textbooks should encourage extensive reading. ELT Journal,
63(3), p238-245. Or Robb. T. and Susser B. (1989). Extensive reading versus skills building in an EFL
context. Reading in a Foreign Language, 5(2), p239-252. (Available free on the internet)
Week 10: 15th June. Writing First draft of research paper is due (see samples in dropbox.com)
Reading: Chp 19, Writing (Carter & Nunan Chp4, Writing)
Key Concepts: peer-writing, process approach, reading vs. writing as way to learn writing, translation vs.
direct composition, contrastive rhetoric, plagiarism, influence of Internet, error correction,
Key references: Connor, U. (2002) New directions in contrastive rhetoric. TESOL Quarterly, 36(4),
p493-510. OR Friesen 2011, Creative Writing Workshop, presented at JALTCALL 2011 (see DropBox).
Week 11: 22nd June. Assessment theory Research paper is due
Reading: Chp 22 Testing and Evaluation (Carter & Nunan Chp20, Assessment and Chp21, Evaluation)
TEFL Theory, 2015
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Key Concepts: assessment vs. evaluation, portfolio, one-time vs. continual, proficiency vs. achievement,
formative vs. summative, norm-referenced vs. criterion referenced, validity, reliability, measurement error;
stakeholders, motivation, discrete item vs. integrative, objective vs. subjective, washback, washforth,
evaluation cycle, accountability, practical testing tips, ethical issues in testing.
Extra reading / listening: McNamara, T. (2011) Language analysis in the determination of origin of asylum
seekers: A perspective from language testing. 2nd combined ALAA & ALANZ Conference. (Includes issues
regarding the limitations of testing, human rights, and public policy; see DropBox.com for audio and notes).
Week 12: 29th June. Final exam Activities: Brief review of the research papers and final exam, good luck ☺
Assessment
Presentation & Literature Review (20%)
See Week 6, above.
Research Paper (40%) Student-teachers are to write a 2000-word paper on one of the topics below. The topic should be chosen by
Week 3 (27th April). An outline is due Week 4 (4th May), the first draft is due Week 8 (1st June), and the
finished paper (with a minimum of three sources of which two must be from ELT publications, using strictly
APA or ELT Journal style writing and referencing) is due Week 11 (22nd June).
1. Can listening be taught?
2. Pros and cons of CLT versus the Audio-lingual Method? (see week 2). Also see: Bell, D. (2007) Do
teachers think Methods are dead? ELT Journal, 61/2, p135-143.
3. Three issues in second language acquisition (see week 2).
4. About an ELT conference presentation you saw. Include a theoretical background (a summary of the
key points of the presentation and other sources), and then your assessment on the practicality of the
ideas proposed by the presenter. Use either a “three issues” or “pro & con” format.
NB: Plagiarism may result in zero marks or academic disciplinary action.
Final Exam (40%) This tests your knowledge of key concepts most pertinent to current ELT theory, including your knowledge
of recent developments in ELT research. The test consists of short and long answer questions, including
defining and explaining concepts, with examples.
Useful Links for ELT
Academic resources
� APA Style format for academic referencing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APA_style#Reference_list
� † ELT Journal, our industry’s leading academic journal: http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/
� RELC Journal, especially for South-East Asia: http://rel.sagepub.com/
� TESOL Quarterly: http://tesol.org
Jobs
� LinguistList: http://linguistlist.org/ > Jobs
� † TEFL.Com for global job listings: http://tefl.com
� Many countries rely heavily on cronyism. Start building your network of ‘friends’ now.
Professional organisations
� † British Association of Applied Linguists: http://baal.org.uk/
� Japan Association of Language Teachers: http://jalt.org/
� International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign language: http://iatefl.org/
Other
� † Lives of Teachers: http://livesofteachers.com/ (also see Darren’s Twitter feed)
� Winjeel.Com: My website with some resources for you. † The most recommended for you to join or subscribe to.
Welcome to our profession ☺
