GED3852

The international context of teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL)

Ms R Viete

12 points - First semester - Clayton or offshore - Offered only to a cohort of international students

Objectives Upon successful completion of this subject, students should have developed an understanding of the important role of English in the global context; research and theory of foreign language acquisition; the various contexts in which English is taught in general, and in the student's society in particular, and the ways in which these contexts may be related to language learning and teaching approaches and policies; new initiatives in the teaching of English as a foreign language (EFL) in non-traditional areas (preschool and workplace settings) and, finally, the ways language variations intersect with issues of gender, status, context and the purposes of interaction.

Synopsis This subject examines recent trends in the use of English internationally. Students explore in detail linguistic variations in spoken English (including phonetics, phonology) and linguistic variation in written English (including notions of genre, functional grammar). The concept of 'discourse' is used to discuss issues of language variation and related teaching and learning issues. The needs of learners of English in the student's society are discussed, and education policy is analysed in the light of these needs. Developments in approaches to teaching and learning EFL are explored with a view to establishing their potential for application in the student's future/current employment context.

Assessment Written (2000 words): 30% - Oral presentation (1500 words): 20% - Essay/report (2500 words): 50%

Recommended texts

Pennycook A The cultural politics of teaching English as an international language Longman, 1994
Scollon R and Wong Scollon S Intercultural communication: A discourse approach Blackwell, 1995

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