T E S L / L I N G U I S T I C S C O U R S E S
The following general descriptions are provided here to give
students interested in TESL/linguistics a convenient way of learning about
pertinent courses. For course offerings in a given term, and for
section-specific course information, please see the English Department's Courses page.
ENG 207: LANGUAGE AWARENESS
This course is a non-technical, linguistics-oriented introduction to the
nature of language. It aims to raise conscious understanding of what language is
-- that is, how languages work and how people acquire and use them. The course
is centered on the innate versus the culturally learned nature of language.
Within this broad framework, the course will consider the universal properties
of language, how children learn to speak, varieties of language impairment,
language myths, and introduce students to the basic levels of analyzing
language.
IS 331: MIND AND LANGUAGE
This course deals with issues at the intersection of linguistics and
philosophy of language. Topics covered in this course include the study of
speech acts (the way language can accomplish things like promising and
insulting), cross-cultural differences in speech acts, conversational analysis,
how metaphors work and what they mean, whether thought is structured by
metaphor, and the debate about whether we think in a mental language.
ENG 369: GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS
This course is meant to introduce students to basic tools for the analysis and understanding of the grammatical structure of English. The focus will be on the grammar of standard academic English and how it varies from other English grammars.
Objectives: 1) for students to know grammatical terminology relevant to understanding the structure of standard academic English; 2) for students to become aware of the differences between that grammar of English and other varieties of English; 3) for students to practice analyzing writing for the purpose of locating the grammar problem areas of a writer; 4) for students to work together to either investigate a particular grammatical topic or develop a pedagogical project that will creatively apply course concepts.
ENG 370 - MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Where do words come from? How are words structured, and what patterns can we observe in everyday usage?
This course provides an introduction to the analysis of the internal structure of words, including processes of inflection and
derivation, as well as word histories. In order to achieve a balanced perspective, this course will involve analysis of data from
English, as well as data from a variety of other languages.
ENG 400: PRINCIPLES OF LINGUISTICS
This course provides an overview of the principles, methods and major issues within the field of Linguistics. Linguistics encompasses a number of sub-fields, most of which will be covered in this course, including: phonetics and phonology (speech sound production, perception and patterns), morphology (word-formation), syntax (sentence structure), semantics (meaning in language) pragmatics (meaning in communication), historical linguistics (language change through time), sociolinguistics (including dialect variation), and typology (language variation). This course is recommended for anthropology and linguistics students, and for those preparing to teach English.
Prerequisite: Junior standing or higher, or consent of the instructor.
ENG 403: HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
In this class, you will be taking a broad look at how the phonology and morphology of the English language has developed and changed from its earliest Proto-IndoEuropean origins to "Globish," thanks to a wide variety of social, political, and cultural influences (e.g. the Roman occupation of Britain, the invasion of the Vikings and the Normans, the "rise and fall" of the British empire). Of special interest to those of you who are preparing to teach English in high school, are issues we will take up related to the English writing system and its distinctive, some would say peculiar, orthography. Above all, we will devote ourselves to the wonderful world of words (English has a particularly rich lexis). You will write a paper and give a presentation at the end of the semester devoted to the diachronic analysis of a single English word. By the end of the course you will be able to say that you know how to take full advantage of the Oxford English Dictionary!
ENG 405: PRAGMATICS
This course will examine linguistic approaches to the study of 1) contextualized
meaning, and 2) the structure of spoken discourse. OBJECTIVES: To introduce
students to the key concepts of the field of Pragmatics, and to give them
the opportunity to apply these principles to samples of natural language.
ENG 406: OLD ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Sounds, grammar, and vocabulary of the Old English Language, including readings
in Old English poetry and prose.
ENG 408: PHONOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
The first half of this course focuses on the theoretical principles and
methods used to analyze the sound systems of English. The second half of
the course applies these principles to second language development, focusing
on a number of factors that affect how nonnative speakers learn the phonological
categories, intonation, accent, and syllabus structure of English. OBJECTIVES:
(1) to learn how sound systems are organized, (2) to gain greater proficiency
in reading and writing phonetic and phonemic notation, (3) to analyze phonological
data from different languages and compare aspects of the phonology to that
of English, and (4) to reflect upon the pronunciation problems of ESL students.
ENG 409: SYNTACTIC ANALYSIS
This course will focus on the structural nature of English sentences and
their description within the generative tradition of linguistic analysis.
It will be oriented toward constituent and category analysis, the emphasis
being placed on developing facility with respect to the procedures and strategies
of analysis for a number of fundamental construction types. OBJECTIVES:
To develop an awareness of the syntactic facts of English and how they can
be described within the generative syntactic tradition.
ENG 416: LANGUAGE AND SOCIETY
This course examines the relationship between language and society by investigating how language forms and functions vary in line with factors such as geographical location, social status, ethnicity, gender, etc. Main topics of discussion include language variation and change; language choice in communities; language and culture relationship; linguistic disadvantage and discrimination; and the global spread of English. OBJECTIVE: To build awareness of major issues/concepts in sociolinguistics and to examine their applications/implications in solving problems in education, communication and in other domains of life.
Prerequisite: Junior standing or higher, or consent of the Instructor
ENG 417: LANGUAGE AND ETHNICITY
According to C. Edley Jr., "Race is not rocket science. It's harder than rocket science." Indeed, in a climate of
increased political correctness, constructive dialogue on the intersection of race and ethnicity with other domains has become more
complex and politicized, or avoided altogether. This is unfortunate, as the merging of the study of ethnicity with other human
phenomena like language, language histories, and the norms, conventions, attitudes, and movements associated with these is
fascinating. As such, the main goal of this course is to provide a survey of the issues inherent to studying ethnicity and language as
overlapping topics of inquiry. The course will introduce students to linguistic thought and methods via definitions of ethnicity,
language and the construction of self- and world-view, language and dialect contact and change, case studies of African American,
Latino, Hawaiian/Polynesian, Creole, Anglo and other language communities, issues of ethnic crossing via language use, and
interethnic communication in specific contexts (e.g. in the classroom, in pop-culture, etc.).
ENG 418: LANGUAGE ENDANGERMENT AND DEATH
As Danish naturalist Johan Christian Fabricius (1745-1808) noted, "If the names are lost, our knowledge dies as well." A language is said to be 'dead' or 'extinct' after the last living speaker has died without transmission of the language to future generations. Current estimates place over 90% of the approximately 6,000 current living languages of the world in danger of extinction in the next one hundred years, a rate that has dramatically increased in the last few hundred years. This phenomenon raises several non-trivial questions that would form the basis of this course: What historical factors have lead to the number and properties of current languages? Are the reasons for endangerment the same for all languages and are all languages dying at the same rate and in the same way? Does language endangerment happen in the U.S.A.? Considering the above quote, what exactly is lost when languages are lost? Is all language death bad, and is language endangerment the same thing as biodiversity or species endangerment? What can people (including students) do at a local level to impact this global phenomenon? This course will introduce students to the history and patterns of linguistic diversity in our world as well as the socio-political and economic
factors behind historical and current threats to this diversity.
ENG 468: SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Acquiring first language is considered a seamless, automatic process for all normally developing humans. Acquiring additional languages, however, is different in a number of ways. Would the already existing knowledge of one language influence the acquisition of another? Why are some people better than others at learning foreign languages? What effects do age, motivation, memory capacity, learning style and setting have in the acquisition process? What are the differences between the monolingual and the bilingual brain? The goal of this course is to offer a flavor of some of these issues and to provide an overview of the diverse methods and approaches used in the Second Language Acquisition field. Relevant acquisition phenomena will be viewed from a mixture of linguistic, psycholinguistic, pedagogical and socio-cultural perspectives.
ENG 470: METHODS AND MATERIALS FOR K-12 ESL TEACHING
DESCRIPTION: This course is designed for students interested in teaching ESL to children, and in obtaining state ESL/Bilingual approval. It will situate the topic within the broader context of ESL methodology and second language acquisition theory, both of which have tended to primarily address the needs of the adult learner. The course will examine:
• theories of bilingualism and academic achievement;
• literacy issues;
• materials for various levels;
• program models;
• the relationship between homes and schools in immigrant communities
The objective is to prepare students with the methodological and theoretical background teachers of young English Language learners need to be successful.
As part of the course, students will also be required to observe an area ESL classroom and regularly tutor an English language learner.
ENG 472: ASSESSMENT AND TESTING IN ESL
This course is designed as a broad and basic preparation for students who
are 1) interested generally in the topics of assessment, testing and evaluation,
related to language teaching and/or 2) planning on teaching in a setting
where assessment and evaluation of Limited English Proficient students will
be expected. It will provide an overview of historical and current approaches
to assessment. We will review the functions of assessment, how to assess
proficiency in various skill areas, methods of both statistical and qualitative
modes of evaluation, and the analysis and interpretation of test results.
The aim is to enable students to make informed and critical choices about
what they will need to assess and how to go about doing it.
ENG 474: BILINGUALISM AND BILINGUAL EDUCATION
An introduction to cognitive, linguistic, and social perspectives on bilingualism,
and the history and politics of bilingual education in the US.
ENG 476: PRACTICUM IN ESL
This course is designed for students who need supervised experience teaching
ESL for the purposes of state ESL approval. Teaching placements can be made
in a variety of settings. The instructor will work with the student and
appropriate schools to find the setting that best suits each student's needs
and interests. The teaching load will include a minimum of 100 hours or
3 months of regular instruction of ESL students. The student teacher will
be observed by the instructor at least five times, and each student is required
to meet with the instructor twice during the semester to discuss progress
in teaching. Along with teaching, students will meet each week with the
instructor for an hour to share experiences, lesson ideas, and materials.
Course requirements also include: lesson plans for each unit taught, shown
to the instructor before implemented; completion of assigned readings and
activities in the course texts; and completion of a reflective analysis
of lesson plans, materials used or developed, and regularly kept teaching
journal.
ENG 540: SEMINAR IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: BILINGUALISM
This course will focus on bilingualism and its relationship to second language acquisition. Some of the topics will include comparison between simultaneous and sequential bilingual language acquisition, heritage language maintenance, differences between monolingual and bilingual language processing, as well as linguistic and social factors affecting language use, choice, and attrition. Educational implications for bilingual and immersion school models will also be discussed.
ENG 541: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
This course will introduce students to the key concepts of the field of
text analysis and give them familiarity with some of the current approaches
to the study of narrative and expository prose. OBJECTIVES: To develop the
skill of effective text analysis, and the ability to distinguish between
the prose of skilled and unskilled writers in insightful ways.
ENG 542: METHODS FOR TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND
LANGUAGE
This course is designed as a general and basic preparation for the field
of teaching English as a second/foreign language to speakers of other languages.
The course presents an overview of program design for language teaching
in various contexts. It surveys historical and current teaching approaches,
with focus on analyzing their theoretical foundations and techniques used
in their classroom implementation. Variables that influence language teaching
and learning, materials design and evaluation, and techniques for teaching
different language skills are discussed. OBJECTIVE: To enable prospective
teachers of English to make informed and critical decisions regarding language
teaching methodology and materials in different language teaching situations.
ENG 543: GRAMMAR PEDAGOGY
This course will explore various pedagogic techniques and materials for
the teaching of grammar within the context of TESOL. This is a discussion
and skills-based course in which students will be preparing lessons for
teaching parts of grammar to learners of different ages, proficiency levels,
and needs. OBJECTIVES: To explore the rationale and the techniques for teaching
grammar as an integral part of language teaching and to raise awareness
of the forms and functions of English grammar, especially those aspects
that are found to be especially problematic for language learners.
ENG 544: READING AND WRITING PEDAGOGY IN TESL
In this course students will closely examine theories of reading and writing
and various approaches to the teaching of reading and writing to non-native
speakers of English. The processes of L2 literacy acquisition will be compared
to L1 literacy acquisition. Students will gain first-hand experience through
tutoring and materials and curriculum development.
ENG 595: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINAR
Practicum-based course designed to help students integrate the theory and practice of TESL by engaging in supervised teaching, analysis and sharing of teaching experiences, and collaborative classroom-based research projects. OBJECTIVES: To help students understand the relationship of pedagogical and linguistic theory to their professional lives; to enhance their awareness of themselves as teachers (their knowledge and beliefs, and how they change over time); to facilitate their generation of professional knowledge through reflective and research-based approaches, and to help them explore resources for professional development. The culminating course product is a portfolio of teaching that consists of a reflective teaching journal, lesson plan critique, and an action research project.
Prerequisite: Students must be within one semester of fulfilling the MA requirements in the non-thesis option for the TESL specialization.
ENG 597: SEMINAR IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS
Individual readings in linguistics, literature, TESL, or teaching of writing. Prerequisite: consent of graduate adviser. May be repeated once for a maximum of six hours.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing; approval of advisor and instructor
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URL: http://www.siue.edu/ENGLISH/TESL/course_schedule.html
Published by: Department of English Language and Literature
Last Update: February 07, 2012 by Nikolay Slavkov < nslavko@siue.edu
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