Teaching Grammar, Lexicon, and Pronunciation – TESL 603

Course Description

Instruction on the skills needed to teach grammar, lexicon, and pronunciation to second language learners.

Rationale

Successful, competent English language teachers need to understand standard methods and approaches to teaching the three databases (grammar, lexicon, and pronunciation) and explore ways to put them into practice in an ESL/EFL setting. Understanding the content of the three databases is important, and knowing the most efficient ways to encourage English language learners to acquire them is essential to any TESL candidate.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student is required to provide a 400–500-word thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. For Discussion: The Changing Views of Grammar Instruction, the initial thread must be supported with at least 2 sources cited in current APA format, including the Nassaji and Fotos (2011) textbook. For Discussion: Providing Effective Corrective Feedback, the initial thread must be supported with at least 3 sources cited in current APA format, including the Nassaji and Fotos (2011) textbook and the Cameron (2018) textbook. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. The student must cite a minimum of 1 source in each reply using current APA format, as applicable. Each reply must be at least 150 words.

Discussion: Peer Activity Evaluations (3)

The student will participate in three peer critique discussions. Each Activity Development and Analysis above, as well as the Grammar Task Lesson and Analysis, will be posted in these discussions. In the module after submission, the student will critique 2 peers’ activities and analyses, providing suggestions for improving their efficacy in achieving the grammatical goal and in representing the specified methodological approach. Critiques must be 300–500 words and must be supported with the Nassaji and Fotos (2011) textook cited in current APA format.

Activity Development and Analysis Assignments (2)

The student will create short activities that could be implemented in an ESL or EFL classroom based on the focus on form methodologies detailed in Nassaji and Fotos (2011). Each activity will be created to focus on a specific grammar issue, as specified by the instructor, and will incorporate focuses on pronunciation and lexicon as well. Beyond designing this activity, the student will also provide a short analysis of his or her activity, detailing how it both achieves the grammatical goal and adheres to the assigned methodological approach. These analyses must be supported with at least 2 sources cited in current APA format, including the Nassaji and Fotos (2011) textbook. The activity part of the assignment must be 1–2 pages, and the analysis part must be 400–600 words.

Grammar Task Lesson and Analysis Assignment

The student will develop a three-phase lesson unit on addressing a specific grammar issue (options provided by the instructor), with an emphasis on pronunciation and lexicon. The task will integrate multiple methods from Nassaji and Fotos (2011). The task should include the following sections:

Informational Introduction: This section will provide an introduction for the task, a list of objectives, and a description of the demographics of the students in the class.

Teacher Guide: Each phase (pre-task, task, and post-task) plan should include a lesson introduction, an indication of the time required to complete the lesson, a list of objectives, required materials, and a sequence of the activities in the phase.

Three sequenced, connected task phases: A pre-task, task, and post-task phase lesson. The student will deliver the completed task phases with all the necessary components in a user-friendly, motivational format.

Analysis: The student will analyze his or her task, indicating how each phase meets requirements and demonstrates relevant methods from relevant textbook readings. The analysis must be 1,000–1,500 words.

Quizzes (3)