Course Specification

Transcription

1 LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY Course Specification PG Cert English Language Teaching and Professional Practice (PCELT) Our courses undergo a process of review periodically, in addition to annual review and enhancement. Course Specifications are updated on an annual basis to include modifications approved through our University s quality assurance processes. This Course Specification provides an indication of the current curriculum. If any changes are made to material information an updated Course Specification will be made available.

2 Carnegie Faculty School of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Award and programme title: PG Cert English Language Teaching and Professional Practice. Level of qualification: Level 7. Interim awards available: N/A. Length and status of programme and mode of study Programme PG Cert English Language Teaching and Professional Practice. Length (years) Status (FT/PT/SW) FT 1 Semester. PT 2-3 Semesters. Mode (campusbased / DL or other) Leeds Beckett University Headingley Campus. Course Specification Overview and Aims This course provides academic and professional development for English Language Teaching practitioners looking for career advancement in innovative teaching, curriculum and creative materials development, teacher education or training and other teaching-related activities. The modules can be developed in relation to a specific teaching context, so teachers can pursue specialisms such as Teaching English for Academic Purposes, Teaching Young Learners, Teaching English for Specific Purposes, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or Teacher Training. For example, in Extending Practice and ELT Specialism, students choose a specialism from a list (Young Learners, English for Specific Purposes and so on) and design a course for that specialism based on a needs analysis. In developing professional practice, students can do their teaching practice in any classroom context.

3 Successful completion of the course offers a variety of stimulating and rewarding career opportunities. In addition to a high level of language awareness, the postgraduate will have developed sound organisational skills, knowledge, and the ability to work effectively in teams and will possess a range of personal and transferable skills and attributes, all of which are identified as essential prerequisites for a successful career. Course Learning Outcomes Course Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of the PG Cert English Language Teaching and Professional Practice, students will have: 1 A systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problems and/ or new insights in English language teaching, much of which is at, or informed by, the forefront of their academic discipline or area of professional practice 2 A comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to their own research or advanced scholarship 3 The ability to plan, deliver and evaluate English Language lessons to a high standard. 4 The ability to research and plan a course for a specified group of learners. 5 Conceptual understanding that enables the student to evaluate methodologies and develop critiques of them and, where appropriate, to propose new hypotheses Course Structure Course Structure PGT Level 7 Designed for experienced English language teachers with a high level of English, the PG Cert English Language Teaching & Professional Practice consists of three 20-credit postgraduate modules. It offers professional training and development (including teaching practice) and can include entry for the widely recognised Cambridge Delta qualification. The Delta is one of the most sought after qualifications for experienced (near) native speaker English language teachers. Semester 1 Understanding Language, Methodology and Resources Developing Professional Core Y/N Y Y

4 Practice Extended Practice and ELT Specialism Y Learning and Teaching Details relating to contact hours and other key information sets (KIS) are available on the course page of our Online Prospectus on our website. Learning and Teaching Approaches The learning and teaching on the PG Cert English Language Teaching and Professional Practice places the student at the centre of the experience by fostering an inclusive, supportive and challenging environment. Through a curriculum which is informed by research and professional practice students will develop the required skills, knowledge and experience. The course will focus on developing sound knowledge of the subject (content) ample opportunities to apply their learning whilst enhancing learning through problem solving approaches. The learning approaches will develop students independent learning capability and critical thinking skills as well as prepare them for employment. Learning and teaching approaches will be continually improved using feedback from mid and end of module evaluations, peer review, focus groups, enhancement and development days and module development days. This will ensure that the students learning experience is continually enhanced by supporting the professional development needs of the academic members of staff who will facilitate the learning experience. Students will be engaged through a variety of teaching and learning approaches whilst studying the PG Cert English Language Teaching and Professional Practice. Challenging and authentic tasks will be used to stretch the student s capabilities in real world learning and assessment resulting in a deeper approach to learning. The following learning and teaching strategies will used across the modules; Students will take part in interactive learning events (online or face-to-face) where they will be expected to contribute having done some preparatory reading in advance Students will participate in tutorials where they will work in small groups to engage with learning activities Students will engage and contribute to practical sessions. Students will organise and conduct needs analysis data collection, analysis and interpretation. Students will work independently to research the relevant literature predominantly using electronic databases and search engines. Students will complete directed activities/ formative assessments which will inform the content of scheduled sessions, providing opportunities for feedback.

5 Students will participate in practical workshops to experience/develop the skills required in e.g. developing materials for language teaching Students will do assessed teaching practice and be given feedback in order to improve their teaching skills. The blend of learning approaches will involve a combination of face-to-face facilitated learning, online learning and self-study which will differ by module and across levels. See course structure and module templates for examples. Learning and Teaching Activities Students will: participate in taught sessions and access the online materials and tasks available through the virtual learning environment (X-Stream) read the indicated academic books and journals which will support their learning, further their knowledge and learning and enable reflection. demonstrate self-motivation and independence in their learning through further research and reading which may be prompted by taught sessions critically evaluate their own practice design and apply research instruments for a needs analysis Use of the Virtual Learning Environment The course uses the VLE and wider online community to support, enhance and link face to face with online materials and to provide a space for students to communicate with each other and the course team. Students are introduced to the VLE in induction week. Modules will use the VLE and online delivery in a variety of ways including: A repository for teaching materials to support face to face delivery which may include module handbooks, lecture slides, work books, multimedia elements, reusable learning objects, digitised readings, work sheets, past exam papers and placement handbooks Electronic submission of assignments using the VLE via formative Turnitin drafts and summative submissions. Communicating with students using a selection of electronic media via consistent channels Requesting submissions from students in a range of formats such as properlyformatted essays/reports, presentations, posters, blogs and other forms Conducting online formative assessments Monitoring student engagement through level of engagement in online activities and usage statistics Encouraging students to identify and evaluate other electronic resources from a range of sources internally and externally that may support their studies further Encouraging staff & students to engage in subject-specific professional networks and professional debate on and offline

6 The course will involve a combination of face-to- face facilitated learning, online learning and self- study which will differ by module. The remaining hours will then be made up of a mixture of online learning and self-study. It is expected that students will be provided with readings and directed activities to support their learning within the classroom. Use of Blended-Learning N/A.

7 Assessment Strategy The philosophy of the course is that students are encouraged to develop critical awareness of the issues involved and to translate this awareness into principled and effective pedagogy / materials which are context-sensitive. The course takes the view that there is no one answer to the issues raised, but it is important, through reading, research and discussion to take a principled position on the issues. An important aspect of the philosophy of the course is that applied linguistics is not just about the application of theory to practice, it is also about the interaction of practice and theory. Another aspect is that students will be involved in doing original research themselves and developing materials/ other practical outcomes in order to teach English effectively in different contexts. Summative assessment mechanisms include individually negotiated research projects, materials development with a theoretical justification, portfolios of work based on classroom practice, journal articles, oral presentations, a case study and text and analysis tasks. The assessment journey for a student differs for full- time and part-time students, but all modules are assessed in a progressive manner, with formative feedback in the form of written feedback and/or tutorials before final summative assessment. For example on the module Developing Professional Practice, students submit drafts of each essay and lesson plan and are given formative feedback on each one before final submission and teaching practice takes place. There is both face-to-face and written feedback on teaching practice. The assessments are designed to support students knowledge and professional skills, which will be of great use to them in their future careers and/or the Cambridge Delta assessments. For example, in Extending Practice and ELT Specialism, students give a presentation about the course they have designed for their chosen specialism. Giving a presentation is a useful activity for teachers, and students also receive formative feedback that will feed into their extended essay for the Delta module. Preparation for the assessments is built into the teaching. Students can also see past examiners reports and past examination papers to help them to prepare. Feedback on Assessed Coursework There is a significant component of formative feedback, mainly in the form of tutorials around individual research projects and assessments. More formally, the students receive regular feedback on a wide range of formative assessment tasks, both as tutor feedback to the whole group or to individuals on written or oral assignments. Employability and Professional Context The PG Cert English Language Teaching and Professional Practice has been developed to meet sector needs and caters for experienced native or near native speaker teachers of English who

8 are looking for a more advanced teaching qualification and TEFLQ status (as defined by the British Council Accreditation Scheme). The three modules link closely to the three modules of the Cambridge Delta qualification. Most native speaker teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages start their careers by taking an initial teaching qualification such as the Cambridge CELTA or Trinity Certificate in TESOL. This gives TEFLi status as defined by the British Council Accreditation Scheme, but to be fully qualified (TEFLQ) teachers need a Level 7 qualification, such as the Cambridge Delta, which includes both theoretical and practical components and assessed teaching practice. Combining the TEFLQ qualification with a Master s degree fully meets the needs of experienced native speaker or near native speaker teachers in the sector. Students who successfully complete the PG Cert can apply to continue onto the full MA English Language Teaching. The course offers opportunities to pursue specialisms such as Teaching English for Academic Purposes, Teaching Young Learners, Teaching English for Specific Purposes, or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Successful completion of the course offers a variety of stimulating and rewarding career opportunities to graduates. In addition to a high level of language awareness, the postgraduate will have developed sound organisational skills, knowledge, and the ability to work effectively in teams and will possess a range of personal and employability skills, all of which are identified as essential prerequisites for a successful career. Postgraduates on the Postgraduate Certificate English Language Teaching and Professional Practice who have also passed the Cambridge Delta award will have one of the most sought after qualifications for English language teachers. Reference Points used in course design and delivery All our courses leading to Leeds Beckett University awards have been designed and approved in accordance with UK and European quality standards. Our courses utilise the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) and relevant subject benchmarks (where these are available) and professional, statutory and regulatory body requirements (for professionally accredited courses). We review our courses annually and periodically, responding to student feedback and a range of information to enhance our courses. Our University is also subject to external review by the Quality Assurance Agency. Our latest report can be found on the QAA website at We appoint External Examiners to verify that our University sets and maintains standards for awards which adhere to relevant national subject benchmark statements and the FHEQ (UK), ensure standards and student achievements are comparable with other Higher Education Institutions in the UK, with which they are familiar, and ensure that assessments measure

9 achievement of course and module learning outcomes and reach the required standard. External Examiners may also provide feedback on areas of good practice or potential enhancement.

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