Course Information

ENGL 571 Theory and Practice of TESOL

Dr. Cristina Sánchez-Martín Email: csanch2@uw.edu

M & W 10::30 am to 12:20 pm PAA A212

Office Hours: W 2 pm to 4 pm and by appointment.

Download full syllabus here

About the Course

Description

Welcome to English 571, Autumn Quarter Edition! This course, one of the first that MATESOL students take in their degree program, is designed to familiarize you with key concepts and theories in the field of TESOL and their implications for classroom teaching.

Along the way, we will be critically approaching such theories and pedagogical applications by asking some questions that challenge “common sense” and dominant views of language acquisition. For example: How is language defined and how is it acquired? What does it mean to learn a language? What are some of the social, cultural, historical, and political factors that shape that learning? What are the material effects of specific views of language? Who benefits from and who is left out in our views of language? Ultimately, we will examine the relationship between English language learning and unequal societal dynamics and how teachers and learners have navigated it in various contexts.

Learning Goals

This course is designed to support you as you:

Reflect on how second languages are acquired
Critically read research articles

Explore the psychological and sociocultural contexts of second language acquisition
Become familiar with and critically question theories in TESOL
Critique established notions surrounding language learning, language competence, and multilingualism
Consider the implications of SLA theories on language learning and acquisition inside and outside classrooms
Integrate SLA theories into your pedagogical philosophy
Identify topics within TESOL of particular interest to you

Required Texts and Materials

Lightbown, P. and Spada, N. (2013). How Languages are Learned, 4th edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (L&S)

Articles, videos, audio recordings, and book chapters as assigned, available from the Canvas class website and the course Google Folder.

Structure of the Course

This course will meet twice a week (M &W) in PAA A212. The course is organized by weekly modules, which you can find on our Canvas site. All the course activities, projects, and materials, will be available on Canvas.

Below there is also a course calendar, where you can see the topics we will cover during each week.

What I am expecting from you

You be assessed on the following items (more instructions and assessment guidelines will be available for each of the projects):

Engagement and participation: To create an intellectual community in class, you are expected to meaningfully participate in whole-class discussions and activities. These activities will take place in class and on Canvas. They include:

Attending all class meetings
Completing all the readings and showing engagement with the authors’ ideas
A short reflection on the readings posted on the discussion board on Canvas before the beginning of each class
Completing all assignments (including smaller activities done in class or occasional additional homework assignments)
Listening and engaging with the rest of the class community (your peers and instructor) in a respectful and collegial manner.

2. Autobiography of language learning

3. Intra-activity presentation: in pairs or small groups. A presentation of a material artifact that reflects the entanglements of English in a multilingual world and its complex impact on a specific group of people or in the local context/community.

4. Final (a literature review/theoretical paper)

What you can expect from me

I will be checking my email regularly. Please give me 24 hours to respond, although I usually respond pretty quickly. If I don’t respond (this hasn’t happened yet), send me a reminder email.
I will respond to your posts every week, so please make sure you read my comments. If you have questions, please feel free to come to my Zoom room for office hours or email me about it.
I am here to help you learn and enjoy the class as much as possible. I have created this course to provide you with an interesting, intellectually stimulating, and fun experience that will be applicable to your own research and teaching goals in the future.

Assessment

Since the nature of this course is graduate-level work, we will be using a mix of approaches to assessment, including contract style and labor-based assessment. Each of the projects you complete will fall under one of the following categories:

Exemplary (A= 4.0 - 3.5): your work is completed on time, shows deep and critical interactions with the course contents, and advances critical conversations in our field(s).
Acceptable (B=3.5 - 2.8): your work is completed and reflects some engagement in the course contents.
Unacceptable or not completed (0).

Completing all required projects/tasks for the course, means earning a “B”. Achieving “A-level" work in three of the four categories means you will earn an “A” in the course.

You may be asked to meet with me if you are not reaching the expectations of the course (falling below a “B”). At the same time, you are also welcomed to ask about your performance in the course.

Course Schedule

Note: it is unlikely that the readings will change, but it might happen. If that is the case, I will let you know at least 1 week in advance.

Please check out the updated schedule on this Google doc.

English Department statement of values

The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use is powerful and holds the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world—skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”

As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities. Our disciplinary commitments to the study of language, literature, and culture require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race, immigration, gender, sexuality, and class. These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue. We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.

Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, genders, national origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with disabilities; veterans; and anyone who has been targeted, abused, or disenfranchised.

Syllabus Resources

Access and accommodations

Your experience in this class is important to me. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please communicate your approved accommodations to me at your earliest convenience so we can discuss your needs in this course.

If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu. DRS offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s) and DRS. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

Religious accommodations

Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/). Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).

Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC)

The Odegaard Writing and Research Center (OWRC) is available to assist both graduate and undergraduate students with the process of writing, from understanding an assignment to brainstorming and identifying sources to outlining and drafting to making final revisions and tying up loose ends. OWRC offers free, one-to-one, 45-minute tutoring sessions for any writing or research project, as well as for personal projects such as applications or cover letters and resumes. For more information, or to schedule an appointment (more than 500 available per week!), see the website (https://depts.washington.edu/owrc) or visit in person on the first floor of Odegaard Undergraduate Library. Take time to browse their collection of online resources at:

http://depts.washington.edu/owrc/WritingResources.html

Q Center

The University of Washington Q Center builds and facilitates queer (gay, lesbian, bisexual, two-spirit, trans, intersex, questioning, same-gender-loving, allies) academic and social community through education, advocacy, and support services to achieve a socially-just campus in which all people are valued. For more information, visit http://depts.washington.edu/qcenter/.

Leadership Without Borders

In 2003, House Bill 1079 was signed into law in Washington State, allowing eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition. Resources, support, and services for undocumented students are available from the Leadership Without Borders (LWB) Center and the Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center. http://depts.washington.edu/ecc/lwb/

UW SafeCampus

Preventing violence is everyone's responsibility. If you're concerned, tell someone.

Always call 911 if you or others may be in danger.
Call 206-685-SAFE (7233) to report non-urgent threats of violence and for referrals to UW counseling and/or safety resources. TTY or VP callers, please call through your preferred relay service.
Don't walk alone. Campus safety guards can walk with you on campus after dark. Call Husky NightWalk 206-685-WALK (9255).
Stay connected in an emergency with UW Alert. Register your mobile number to receive instant notification of campus emergencies via text and voice messaging. Sign up online at www.washington.edu/alert
For more information visit the SafeCampus website at *www.washington.edu/safecampus*.

Guidelines for Communicating With Faculty

The unwritten mores of academia are often difficult to decipher. This article attempts to demystify some conventions surrounding communicating with faculty:

https://medium.com/@lportwoodstacer/how-to-email-your-professor-without-being-annoying-af-cf64ae0e4087#.t87p5q5f7

Title IX

Sex- and gender-based violence and harassment: UW, through numerous policies, prohibits sex- and gender-based violence and harassment, and we expect students, faculty, and staff to act professionally and respectfully in all work, learning, and research environments. For support, resources, and reporting options related to sex- and gender-based violence or harassment, visit the UW Title IX webpage, specifically the Know Your Rights & Resources guide.

If you disclose information to me about sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, I will connect you (or the person who experienced the conduct) with confidential and/or private resources who can best provide support and options. Please note that some senior leaders and other specified employees have been identified as “Officials Required to Report.” If an Official Required to Report learns of possible sex- or gender-based violence or harassment, they are required to call SafeCampus and report all the details they have in order to ensure that the person who experienced harm is offered support and reporting options.