Undergraduate - UnitATS3816 - The social context of language learning

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Linguistics
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Louisa Willoughby

Notes

Previously coded LLC3010

Synopsis

In this innovative unit students explore issues in the teaching and learning of languages, and reflect on their own language learning experience. Students design and carry out a research project in an area of language learning of interest to them, and engage in detailed discussion in weekly seminars. The unit brings together students from a range of language backgrounds and explores the motivations people bring to second language learning and the effect of different learning environments. A key focus is developing students' awareness of career options using languages and developing skills of interest to employers, such as project design and management, data analysis and report writing.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit students will be able to:

Describe different approaches to formal and informal language learning and the merits and pitfalls of each approach
Understand the effect social factors, such as gender, friendship groups and societal attitudes can have on language learning
Reflect on their own language learning motivation, style and achievements
Explore how institutions such as schools and universities make decisions about how to structure their language programs
Understand key language issues facing multilingual/ multicultural societies
Be familiar with a range of theoretical and methodological approaches to studying language learning
Conduct a small independent research project in an area of their own choosing

Assessment

Class participation: 15%
Group presentation: 15%
Research project (assessed in stages): 70%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Louisa Willoughby

Contact hours

2 hours (1 x 2 hour seminar) per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Chinese language
English as an international language
French language and studies
Indonesia
Italian language and studies
Korean language and studies
Linguistics
Spanish and Latin American language and studies
Ukrainian language and studies

Co-requisites

Enrolment in BA (Languages) or current enrolment in 3rd year level LOTE study AND an additional 12 points in linguistics, English as an international language or a second LOTE OR by permission.