2008-09 AM Skills, Knowledge, Abilities

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English Didactics

Educational Terminology

Online Resources for ELT

Online Journals for Foreign Language Teaching

Literary Research for Didactics

Secondary Literature for ELT 



  All written work should be handed in by February 28, 2009.


Week 1 - October 14, 2008

1. Find information on:

  • the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
  • types of curricula
  • core curricula
  • educational standards

2. Make a list of references to be discussed in class, so find a proper way of visualizing your findings. (Samples can be found on stud-ip schedule for 14.10.08.)

Week 2 - October 21, 2008

We will discuss your findings from the "like/dislike" lesson plan.

Action item 1: Comment on the development of a standard of your choice, for example writing.

  • structures for developing the competence/standard
  • conception of learning
  • conception of communicative competence

Action item 2: Reconstruct major rationales of the nativist and constructivist approaches (Krashen, Pienemann, also see download on stud-ip). What didactic theories should be considered in lesson plans?

Action item 3: Analyze the lesson plan in studi-ip (21.10.08: "food food food").

  • What didactic theories can be detected?
  • Collect more criteria for analyzing a lesson plan (referring to the example).
  • Compare this lesson plan with the PPP concept (see download on stud-ip).

Week 3 - October 28, 2008

Activity 1:

  • Reconstruct major rationals of Krashen's nativist theory of foreign language learning.
  • Visualize Wolff's arguments/theses (instructive/constructive) in a mind map and be prepared to explain it.
  • Visualize the principles of the PPP approach in a mind map.

Activity 2:

  • Are there any arguments against Wolff's theses?
  • Are there any arguments against the PPP approach?

Activity 3:

  • Make a list of criteria that could be used to analyze lesson plans.
  • Apply this criteria to your evaluation of "food food food".

Week 4 - November 04, 2008

1. Critically comment on "Lernziele" and "Bemerkungen zur Didaktik" in your excerpts from last week. Please remember that didactics is interested in WHY, WHAT, and HOW.

2. Be prepared to facilitate:

  • "Teaching Pronunciation" (surnames Bec-Kuhl)
  • "Beyond Listen and Repeat" (surnames Met-Zim)

Facilitation includes the following activities:

  • Write questions about the text and have answers prepared.
  • Suggest one or two activities if possible that refer to the text and can be done in class or in groups.
  • Direct the discussion.
  • Support this discussion with a visualisation or blackboard chart.

3. Choose a textbook and comment on its approach to developing pronunciation skills.

4. How is pronunciation dealt with in advanced learning environments (for example at the university, in the "Oberstufe", etc.)

Week 5 - November 11, 2008

1. Look at what Lower Saxony's core curriculum says about "Wortschatz" and about "Methodenkompetenz und Wortschatz". (see: Nibis)

  • Grund-, Haupt- und Realschule (surnames Bec-Kuhl)
  • Gymnasium (surnames Met-Zim)

2. Research: What are possible problems with the English lexicon?

3. In-class activity: Develop vocabulary activities. Make yourself familiar with formats of vocabulary practice and read the text posted on stud-ip.

Week 6 - November 18, 2008

Facilitators:

1. Find exercises and tasks in textbooks that promote lexical competence, see: ESL/EFL Teaching and Learning Resources, Wortschatzeinführung, Goethe Verlag Poster

2. Develop criteria for vocabulary selection

3. Read and discuss text on vocabulary teaching (by Paul Nation)

Week 7 - November 25, 2008

1. Write down four tasks to help facilitate Paul Nation's text on vocabulary teaching and have the answers at hand.

2. Explain and write down how consciousness-raising and modern language teaching go together. (see Ellis text)

3. Explain and write down how the following learning theories would see the role of consciousness-raising: behaviorism, nativism, and cognitivism.

4. Activity: lexical and grammatical activities in textbooks: A WRITTEN CATEGORIZATION

Week 8 - December 02, 2008

This week's assignment consists of two activites that you already should have finished and just two new ones.

  1. Paul Nation's text on vocabulary: please get familiar with his hypotheses. (task for week 7)
  2. Your categorizations of exercises and tasks for dealing with vocabulary (basis: workbook). (task for week 7)
  3. Read through "Wörter lernen" text and elicit learning strategies (see download to get an idea of how to design a research project on learning strategies for vocabulary)
  4. Read through questionnaire "Strategien" and comment on strategies (see download to get an idea how to design a questionnaire). Please bring the sheets to class.

Voluntary work:

Search for vocabulary learning tips in the net and comment on them (also a good topic for poster).

or read through this book:

Vokabellernen von Antje Stork

For your information only: In-class activity: learning at stations - strategy-based vocabulary training

Week 9 - December 09, 2008

  1. Stern text: What consequences for ELT should be drawn in light of what Stern says about "Intelligentes Wissen"?
  2. "Wörter lernen" Text: Chose one paragraph from the text and make it suitable for a poster rubric (introduction, method; results or conclusion). Write in English or in German and try to convert the text into graphics where appropriate, shorten text, etc. (see template).
  3. Grammar: Similiarities and differences between Hecht/Waas and Ziegesar (see lesson plans, 25/11).
  4. In-class activity: Outline a research project either on vocabulary or on grammar teaching/learning (see downloads).

Week 10 - December 16, 2008

Content in ELT: language, literature, culture

  • Content-based teaching for history, geography, and other subjects
  1. Please read through the following article by Lamsfuß-Schenk/Wolff
  2. Comment on the main arguments
  3. Do your own research and find out what your second subject thinks about teaching content in a foreign language (for example if your second subject is German, what's the role of translations, anglicisms, etc.)
  • Content-based teaching in the ELT-classroom

How does the core curriculum want content to be dealt with in the English classroom? Concentrate on the curriculum that is relevant for your intended school form. See the Lehpläne for Niedersachsen

  • In-class activity

Design a research project about content in textbooks for ELT (please consider possible steps, questions, hypotheses, etc.).

Week 11 - January 06, 2009

Content-based teaching in the ELT-classroom

How does the core curriculum want content to be dealt with in the English classroom? Concentrate on the curriculum that is relevant for your intended school form.

See Lehrpläne Niedersachsen

In-class activity: Design a research project about content in textbooks for ELT (please consider possible steps, questions, hypotheses, etc.).

Week 12 - January 13, 2009

1. Concepts Do some research on the notion of communicative competence. Find definitions, aims, and standards that define communicative competence, e.g. sociolinguistic (Hymes), didactic (Piepho), and intercultural/pragmatic (Hyde)).

2. Analysis Choose a textbook and analyze underlying concepts of communicative competence (e.g. What elements are particularly promoted?) or use one of the bigger RED LINE downloads.

3. Action item: Outline a research project on language practice at university level. Outline means short comments on:

  • the topic/problem,
  • the method (how to elicit data), and
  • the direction of the study (questions, statements....).

Week 13 - January 20, 2009

1. Analysis Choose a textbook and analyze underlying concepts of communicative competence (e.g. What elements are particularly promoted?) or use one of the bigger RED LINE downloads.

2. Action item: Outline a research project on language practice at university level. Outline means short comments on:

  • the topic/problem,
  • the method (how to elicit data), and
  • the direction of the study (questions, statements....).

Week 14 - January 27, 2009

Councelling only for poster work during this session

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