Awareness and Autonomy, Content and Needs – Current Issues in EFL Learning and Teaching - MA Seminar 2 3301-JSS2MOŻ
Aims of the seminar (global):
• to provide students with insight into new tendencies in applied linguistics and foreign language pedagogy
• to help students choose, negotiate and refine their research area
• to conduct small scale research projects in the field of ELT learning and teaching (incl. planning, piloting, administering, analyzing and reporting)
• to assist students in the process of writing the MA thesis (incl. bibliographical quarries, outlining and drafting).
Aims of the seminar (semester 2):
• to provide students with a coverage of basic research methods needed for completing the empirical part of the MA thesis
• to assist students in the process of reviewing literature of the field
• to offer students a series of workshops in academic writing aimed at honing their MA thesis writing skills
Course syllabus:
week 1 "Empirical research 1": why do research; format of the empirical ch; research aims, hypotheses and questions; browsing through MA titles and speculating about empirical ch.
BACKGROUND READING 1: "Against relativism" [ do not print out]
week 2 "Empirical research 2": qualitative and quantitative research; variables (dependent, independent and supplementary); operationalization; validity and reliability; triangulation; scales of data
HOME ASSIGNMENT: prepare info about one notion (all Ss)
BACKGROUND READING 2: Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007) ch.6 [frgmt]
week 3 "Styles of research 1": surveys and experiments
HOME ASSIGNMENT: prepare info about one notion (all Ss)
BACKGROUND READING 3: Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007) ch.9 & ch.13 [frgmt]
week 4 "Styles of research 2": case studies and action research
HOME ASSIGNMENT: prepare info about one notion (all Ss)
BACKGROUND READING 4: Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007) ch.11 & ch.14 [frgmt]
week 5 "Academic writing": outlining and proofreading; articles, tenses, lexis; structure of information
BACKGROUND READING 5: – none –
week 6 "Critical review of literature": identify stages of research papers
HOME ASSIGNMENT: find and bring definitions of Motivation
HOME ASSIGNMENT: bring a research paper of own choice
BACKGROUND READING 6: Porte (2002) [frgmt]
week 7 "Instruments 1": questionnaires – principles of questionnaire design
BACKGROUND READING 7: Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007) ch.15 [frgmt]
week 8 "Instruments 2": questionnaires – a practical workshop
HOME ASSIGNMENT: bring own version of a questionnaire
BACKGROUND READING 8: – none –
week 9 "Individual presentations 1": theoretical background for own MA thesis
HOME ASSIGNMENT: prepare own PowerPoint presentation plus handout (a detailed outline of ch. 1 and 2 with bibliography)
BACKGROUND READING 9: – none –
week 10 "Individual presentations 2": theoretical background for own MA thesis
HOME ASSIGNMENT: prepare own PowerPoint presentation plus handout (a detailed outline of ch. 1 and 2 with bibliography)
BACKGROUND READING 10: – none –
week 11 "Individual presentations 3": theoretical background for own MA thesis
HOME ASSIGNMENT: prepare own PowerPoint presentation plus handout (a detailed outline of ch. 1 and 2 with bibliography)
BACKGROUND READING 11: – none –
week 12 "Instruments 3": interviews and think-aloud protocols
BACKGROUND READING 12: Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007) ch.16 [frgmt]
week 13 "Instruments 4": observations
BACKGROUND READING 13: Cohen, Manion & Morrison (2007) ch.18 [frgmt]
week 14 "Individual tutorials 1": concerning the nature of work to be done during summer vacations (mandatory for ½ of the class)
HOME ASSIGNMENT: for the first meeting in October, bring one chapter of the MA thesis
BACKGROUND READING 14: – none –
week 15 "Individual tutorials 2": concerning the nature of work to be done during summer vacations (mandatory for ½ of the class)
HOME ASSIGNMENT: for the first meeting in October, bring one chapter of the MA thesis
BACKGROUND READING 15: – none –
Please familiarize yourself with the following books before the beginning of the seminar, if:
- you are not a certified EFL teacher:
• Harmer J. (2001) The Practice of English Language Teaching. Pearson Education.
• Komorowska, H. (1999) Metodyka nauczania języków obcych. Warszawa: WSiP.
• Richards, J. C. and Rodgers, T. S. (2001) Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching. Cambridge: CUP.
• Scrivener J. (2005) Learning Teaching (2nd edition). Macmillan.
- you have not covered a Practical English course "Grammar of text", or similar:
• Downing, A. and Locke, P. (1992) A University Course in English Grammar. Prentice Hall. [modules: 28-30]
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
● Student knows and uses correctly selected terminology from ELT methodology.
● Student understands basic and more advanced notions in the field of applied linguistics.
● Student is able to analyze and receive critically a scientific paper.
● Student understands and is able to employ the structure of a research report.
● Student uses correctly lexical expressions belonging to proper register.
The course is conducted at the B2+ level.
Assessment criteria
Credits based on:
- course attendance (two absences admitted) and participation in class discussion
- reading the background readings
- fulfilling the home assignments
MA seminar 2 ends in an approved version of the outline of ch.1 and ch.2 of the MA-thesis together with an accompanying Bibliography (a working version).
If the course is taught in a distance-learning mode, each student is expected to have a working web-cam and a mic.
Bibliography
Bibliography: research field
• Bielska, J. (2006) Between Psychology and Foreign Language Learning. Katowice: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego.
• Dakowska, M. (2003) Current Controversies in Foreign Language Didactics. Warszawa: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.
• Dakowska, M. (2007) Teaching English as a Foreign Language. A Guide for Professionals. Warszawa: PWN.
• Dalton-Puffer, C. (2007). Discourse in Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Classrooms. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Doughty, C. J. and Long, M. H. (eds.) (2003) The Handbook of Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Blackwell.
• Ellis, R. (2008) The Study of Second Language Acquisition (2nd edition). Oxford: OUP.
• Komorowska, H. (ed.) (2007) Nauczanie języków obcych. Polska a Europa. Warszawa: Academia.
• Kumaravadivelu, B. (2003) Beyond Methods: Macrostrategies for Language Teaching. New Haven: Yale University Press.
• Marsh, D., Zając, M., Gozdawa-Gołębiowska, H., Czura, A., Gapińska, A., Majewska, R., Papaja, K., Roda, M., Urbaniak, M. and Wróblewska, E. (2008) Profile Report: Bilingual Education (English) in Poland. Warszawa: The National Centre for Teacher Training and Development (CODN) & British Council Poland.
• Mehisto, P., Marsh, D. and Frigols, M. J. (2008) Uncovering CLIL: Content and Language Integrated Learning in Bilingual and Multilingual Education. Oxford: Macmillan Publishers Limited.
• Piechurska-Kuciel, E. (2005) The Importance of Being Aware. Advantages of Explicit Grammar Study. Opole: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Opolskiego.
• Richards, J. C. and Renandya W. A. (eds.) (2002) Methodology in Language Teaching. An Anthology of Current Practice. Cambridge: CUP.
• Robinson, P. C. (1991) ESP Today: A Practitioner’s Guide. New York: Prentice-Hall.
• Robinson, P. C. (ed.) (2002) Individual Differences and Instructed Language Learning. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Schmidt, R. (ed.) (1995) Attention and Awareness in Foreign Language Learning. Honolulu, Ha: University of Hawaii Press.
Bibliography: research methods
• Brown, J. D. (1988) Understanding Research in Second Language Learning.CUP.
• Brzeziński, J. (2000) Badania eksperymentalne w psychologii i pedagogice. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe SCHOLAR.
• Brzeziński, J. (2003) Metodologia badań psychologicznych. Warszawa: PWN.
• Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2007) Research Methods in Education (6th edition). London and New York: Routledge.
• McCall R. (1994) Fundamental Statistics for Behavioral Sciences. Forth Worth: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers
• Porte, G. K. (2002) Appraising Research in Second Language Learning. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Seliger, H. W. and Shohamy, E. (1989) Second Language Research Methods. OUP.
• Silverman, D. (2008) Interpretacja danych jakościowych. Warszawa: PWN.
• Wilczyńska, W., and Michońska-Stadnik, A. (2010) Metodologia badań w glottodydaktyce. Kraków: Avalon.
• Brown, J. D. (1988) Understanding Research in Second Language Learning.CUP.
• Brzeziński, J. (2000) Badania eksperymentalne w psychologii i pedagogice. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe SCHOLAR.
• Brzeziński, J. (2003) Metodologia badań psychologicznych. Warszawa: PWN.
• Cohen, L., Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2007) Research Methods in Education (6th edition). London and New York: Routledge.
• McCall R. (1994) Fundamental Statistics for Behavioral Sciences. Forth Worth: Hartcourt Brace College Publishers
• Porte, G. K. (2002) Appraising Research in Second Language Learning. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Seliger, H. W. and Shohamy, E. (1989) Second Language Research Methods. OUP.
• Silverman, D. (2008) Interpretacja danych jakościowych. Warszawa: PWN.
• Wilczyńska, W., and Michońska-Stadnik, A. (2010) Metodologia badań w glottodydaktyce. Kraków: Avalon.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: