You will study these units in 2019/20 if you apply for the MA English as a Medium of Instruction course (subject to final university approval).
Bilingualism, multilingualism and plurilingualism
Aims
The aims of this unit are:
- to investigate theories of bilingualism, multilingualism and plurilingualism
- to examine the relationships between the development of bilingualism, multilingualism and plurilingualism and factors such as cognition, age, social and classroom context
- to increase understanding of the processes of communication in bilingual, multilingual and plurilingual contexts
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- demonstrate critical knowledge and awareness of current theory of bilingualism, multilingualism and plurilingualism in educational contexts
- understand the role of factors such as cognition, age, social and classroom context in the development of bilingualism, multilingualism and cognitive development
- understand issues relating to the development of biliteracy, multiliteracies and multimodal communication
- understand the concepts and processes of code-switching and translanguaging
Content
- The nature of bilingualism, multilingualism and plurilingualism
- Theories of bilingual, multilingual and plurilingual language learning
- Age and the development of bilingualism, multilingualism and plurilingualism
- Bilingualism, multilingualism and cognition
- Language socialisation
- Biliteracy
- Multiliteracies and multimodalities
- Classroom discourse in bilingual, multilingual and plurlingual contexts
- Code-switching and translanguaging
Dissertation for the MA in English as a Medium of Instruction
Aims
The aims of this unit are:
- to provide a structured and supervised opportunity for students to design, conduct and evaluate a small-scale educational research project
Learning outcomes
By the end of the unit students should be able to demonstrate:
- ability to select and justify the focus, scope and methodology of an educational research study
- ability to review, employ, and engage critically with an appropriate literature through the design, conduct and evaluation of an educational research study
- ability to collect, analyse and interpret data appropriately
- ability to draw appropriate conclusions from an educational research study, taking account of its strengths and limitations
Content
Detailed content is negotiated (and re-negotiated as necessary as the research unfolds) between student and supervisor.
Intercultural communication and learning
Aims
The aims of this unit are:
- to provide a conceptual foundation for the understanding of intercultural communication in an educational, professional or community contexts
- to increase knowledge and understanding of working across a diversity of cultures
- to critically analyse a range of approaches to intercultural education, training and assessment
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- demonstrate understanding of key aspects of intercultural communication and learning
- distinguish between different theoretical paradigms, definitions and terminology of intercultural communication and learning
- demonstrate knowledge of appropriate skills and strategies for intercultural teaching and/or assessment
- design and implement a small-scale case study in order to investigate aspects of intercultural communication and learning in an educational, professional or community context
Content
- Conceptualising culture and intercultural communicative competence
- ‘Languaculture’ and the role of language in intercultural communication
- Critical intercultural communication and ideology
- Identity and representation
- Stereotyping and Othering
- Verbal and non-verbal communication
- Intercultural contact, hybridity and third spaces
- Intercultural communication in educational contexts
- Intercultural communication in professional contexts
- Digital media, communication and learning
- Assessing intercultural communicative competence
Policy and curriculum of English as a medium of instruction
Aims
The aims of this unit are:
- to investigate the theories which underpin different policies (international, national, institutional) and/or curricula of English as a Medium of Instruction
- to introduce key concepts and practices in the planning, implementation and evaluation of English medium curricula
- to consider the influences of the historical, political, economic, social and cultural context upon English as a Medium of Instruction
- to develop critical awareness of how English as a global language functions in relation to other languages in the curriculum
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this unit students will be able to:
- demonstrate a critical understanding of theories related to different types of policy/curriculum for English as a Medium of Instruction
- evaluate the ideological basis and viability of different policies/curricula for English as a Medium of Instruction
- demonstrate an appreciation of the wider implications of implementing EMI in the curriculum
- make recommendations for how to develop an EMI policy/curriculum which is appropriate to the needs of students in a specific educational context
Content
- Language policy: Language-in-education policy and Family language policy
- Language planning (international, national, institutional) and EMI
- Global Englishes: ‘Native English’, English as a Lingua Franca (ELF), English as an International Language (EIL), and World English (WEs)
- Language rights, social justice and EMI
- English as an Additional Language and heritage language development
- English in international development
- English language education in the marketplace
- Curriculum, syllabus and materials design for EMI
- Evaluation of English medium programmes
Research methods for second language education 1
Aims
The aims of this unit are:
- to analyse key approaches to research in second language education
- to analyse the key research traditions and methods used in second language education research
- to critically review written accounts of second language research conducted by others
- to analyse issues relating to the quality of second language research
- to consider ethical issues in second language research
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- understand the distinction between different research approaches available for second language education research
- distinguish, describe and critically analyse the key research traditions and research methods used in second language education research
- critically review written accounts of second language research conducted by others
- analyse issues relating to the quality of second language research
- understand ethical issues in second language research
Content
- Research approaches and methods in second language education
- Observation, interviewing and narrative inquiry in second language research
- Survey research in second language education
- Case study research in second language education
- Action research in second language education
- Critical analysis of written accounts of second language research conducted by others
- Quality criteria in second language education research
- Ethics in second language education research
Research methods for second language education 2
Aims
The aims of this unit are to enable students:
- to identify a research question for a small-scale research project in the field of second language education
- to identify a research approach, design and methodology for that project
- to develop a proposal and outline protocol for that project
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit students will be able to:
- identify a research area relevant to a second language context with which they are familiar
- conduct a critical review of the literature which underpins their research area and their research question
- formulate a research question that is appropriate for second language education research
- identify the key stages in planning a small-scale research project in the field of second language education
- determine the appropriate sampling approach, data collection methods and data analysis procedures to use in a specific context
- critically analyse issues of quality in their proposed project
- critically analyse ethical considerations in relation to their proposed project
- present their developing research ideas to peers
Content
- Formulating research questions for second language education research
- Designing research in second language education (incl. sampling, negotiation of relationships, analysis)
- Researching L2 learners and learning in second language education
- Researching L2 teachers and teaching in second language education
- Researching language and culture (incl. linguistic ethnography, analysis of cultural artefacts, discourse analysis)
Teaching and assessing in English as a medium of instruction
Aims
The aims of this unit are:
- to introduce a range of current approaches to English as a Medium of Instruction
- to increase knowledge and understanding of the language and learning needs of learners in an English medium context
- to increase understanding of the relationship between subject discipline knowledge and the medium of instruction
- to raise awareness of key issues in the assessment of English medium programmes
- to introduce approaches and issues related to the professional development of English medium educators
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
- make informed decisions about the practice of EMI
- demonstrate awareness of current approaches and concepts relating to the teaching and/or assessment in EMI
- demonstrate an awareness of the relationship between language, communication, comprehension and learning
- analyse and support the needs of learners studying through the medium of English
- critically reflect and comment on the teaching and/or assessment of an English medium programme of study
- identify a range of appropriate strategies for teaching and/or assessing an English medium programme
- suggest implications for the professional development of English medium educators
Content
- Different interpretations of EMI
- Different models of bilingual and multilingual education
- Content Based Instruction, incl. Content & Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
- Subject discipline knowledge and genre in EMI
- ‘Language conscious’ teaching (incl. subject specific terminology, signposting, pace, intonation elicitation, feedback, backchannelling)
- Teaching strategies for English medium classes (incl. scaffolding, presentation of concepts, modification of input, collaborative learning and teaching)
- Issues of assessment in English medium programmes
- Teacher education and development for EMI