Syllabus

ENGL 4410/6410: TESOL Methods: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Fall Semester, 2012

= *See these organizations below for TESOL student programs, English Teaching assistantships intercultural projects, and opportunities for every major/career: www.us.fulbrightonline.org; www.peacecorps.gov;  www.tesol.org =

** INSTRUCTOR ** : Dr. Tim Conrad, EH257, ext7146, cell 801-564-5944. tconrad@weber.edu Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is the professional organization for K-12, adult, and university instruction of English language learners: []. Other organizations, including Fulbright and Peace Corps provide expertise and teaching opportunities in EFL, ESL, and intercultural communication. In this course, we will explore underlying theories and practical approaches which enhance the TESOL Organization’s three main goals for school settings with English language learners of varying language backgrounds: 1) helping students to become fluent in everyday conversational English; 2) helping students to understand and use the more formal language needed in school and academic subjects; and 3) understanding the social/intercultural factors influencing the teaching of English language learners. These goals must be planned according to the age of learners and their particular grade levels and schools, according to learner’s language proficiency levels (starting, emerging, developing, expanding, and bridging), and according to language domain: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
 * COURSE WEBSITE: http://methodstesol.wikispaces.com/ **
 * TEXTBOOK: ** //How to Reach and Teach English Language Learners (Jossey-Bass, 2011)// by Rachel Carrillo Syrja
 * APPOINTMENTS: ** See me during class for help you might need or to set a meeting time in my office on another day. You can also text/call me on my cell phone: 801-564-5944
 * COURSE OBJECTIVES: **

In recent years, TESOL has expanded its goals into the following “standards”: Standard 1 follows Goals 1 and 3 and involves helping “English language learners communicate for social, intercultural, and instructional purposes.” Standards 2-5 follow Goal 2 and focus on academic language and communication in the following specific subjects: language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

We will consider a variety of tutoring, classroom, and program models, looking for ways to best fit the model with the particular type of student, school, age/grade level, community, and teaching style. As we work through Carrillo-Syrja’s book, you will learn and practice sheltering strategies for making content comprehensible for English language learners, sometimes also referred to as the SIOP model: Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. Some school districts require teachers to complete a workshop based on this model or a similar one called SDAIE (Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English). You will complete these sheltering techniques and observational methods in depth through your class work and tutoring of ESL students as we teach together a sheltered English 1010 Introductory College Writing course for international students who have just completed a program at WSU called LEAP: Learning English for Academic Purposes. These students are just beginning the study of their general education and major classes. One aspect of our work with the students will be the development of an interactive Wiki and online portfolio.

Course requirements will include the following, each worth one-fifth of your total course grade:
 * COURSE REQUIREMENTS/GRADE: **

1) Attendance at the K-12, I-TESOL Conference to be held on campus in Elizabeth Hall on Saturday, September 15, 2012 from 8 am – 11 am. The theme of the conference is “Practical Assessment in Content Classrooms for English Language Learners. The cost is 10 or 15 dollars. If you are unable to attend, you can complete an alternative assignment/experience.

2) One Wikispaces Discussion Post about each chapter of the Carrillo-Syrja book (reading in the same order the chapters are presented). Each post should be about ½ page long. Read two chapters per week. So by next week read and respond to Chapters 1 & 2. Include the following in your reading responses: *One brief definition of a technical term about teaching English language learners, such as an acronym (e.g. ELL, NCLB) or an important conceptual term such as **//long-term English language learners, simultaneous vs. sequential language acquisition//**, etc. Some chapters will have more technical/professional terms than others.  *One brief response to each chapter summarizing/responding to one key issue, concept, or teaching strategy/tool discussed by the textbook author.  *A personal response in which you relate what the chapter has discussed to your own teaching situation. Talk about how the information you have summarized might apply to your own school, class, or community. This is also a good place in your journal to ask your own questions, bring up what you think are important related issues from your own experiences or concerns, or include information from print or online sources outside the textbook.

3) In-class seminar and workshops discussing your reading journal entries about TESOL concepts/issues and developing lesson plans for English Language Learners.

4) Use the discussion post on wikispaces to communicate written observations about your ongoing experiences tutoring the community English language learners. Write about a half page following each week's teaching experience. You can also include lesson plan ideas.

5) A final two-three page reflection about your tutoring experiences with the community ESL class. You will draw on your Wiki posts and teaching journal for back-up content in your reflection essay.

1) Communicate comprehensibly with English language learners (ELLs) using discourse strategies of simplified/explanatory language and cross-cultural interaction based on your semester-long tutorial work, teaching journal, and final reflection essay.
 * *LEARNING OUTCOMES: By the end of the semester, you should be able to: **

2) Tutor ELLs in language, academic content, and social/cultural English expressions in all four language modalities: listening, speaking, reading, & writing. These abilities will be shown through your tutoring experiences and lesson plans, class interaction/discussion, and your journals and final reflection paper.

3) Identify important professional organizations supporting ESL/EFL/Bilingual/Dual Immersion teaching; show knowledge of the terminology and concepts of second-language teaching & learning; and show familiarity with researched based theory and publications, both print and online (based on your reading this semester, in-class workshops and discussion, and attendance at a professional conference in the field).

// Academic Dishonesty // : As specified in PPM 6-22 IV D, cheating and plagiarism violate the Student Code. Plagiarism is “ the unacknowledged (uncited) use of any other person’s or group’s ideas or work.” Students found guilty of cheating or plagiarism are subject to failure of a specific assignment, or, in more serious cases, failure of the entire course. // Core Beliefs // : According to PPM 6-22 IV, students are to “[d] etermine, before the last day to drop courses without penalty, when course requirements conflict with a student's core beliefs. If there is such a conflict, the student should consider dropping the class. A student who finds this solution impracticable may request a resolution from the instructor. This policy does not oblige the instructor to grant the request, except in those cases when a denial would be arbitrary and capricious or illegal. This request must be made to the instructor in writing and the student must deliver a copy of the request to the office of the department head. The student's request must articulate the burden the requirement would place on the student's beliefs.” // Disability Accommodation // : PPM 3-34 notes: “When students seek accommodation in a regularly scheduled course, they have the responsibility to make such requests at the Center for Students with Disabilities __before__ the beginning of the quarter [semester] in which the accommodation is being requested. When a student fails to make such arrangements, interim accommodations can be made by the instructor, pending the determination of the request for a permanent accommodation.”
 * OTHER UNIVERSITY COURSE/STUDENT REQUIREMENTS & RESOURCES: **

// Emergency Closure: // If for any reason the university is forced to close for an extended period of time, we will conduct our class. . . . [via e-mail, WebCT, Blackboard, etc.]. Look for announcements on. . . . [Weber e-mail, our listserv, etc.].