013105 The Multilingual Learner
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particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade, no marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 015158 Language Development
Description
A learner’s needs, goals and success in developing an additional language interact with a range of linguistic, psychological and socio-cultural factors. Students examine key findings from research to understand how these factors mediate learning in a range of different contexts including: an educational context where the language of instruction is an additional language or dialect for the learners; adult migrants learning the dominant language of their new community; and students studying a foreign language in a formal educational setting. Students learn how to build a profile of multilingual learners by conducting an interview with a language learner in an authentic educational setting.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Review, explain and synthesise theoretical ideas about linguistic, psychological and sociological factors that interact with a learner’s language development. |
|---|---|
| b. | Design, conduct and analyse a learner profile interview with a language learner. |
| c. | Use accurate English and appropriate register in written and oral communication. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
- Graduates are able to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise ideas relevant to TESOL, and apply these skills to problem solve in their professional practice. (2.1)
- Graduates are linguistically and culturally aware of local and international contexts of language education and can apply their awareness in their professional practice. (3.1)
- Graduates are aware of issues in language education for Indigenous Australian learners and can apply their awareness in working with Indigenous learners. (4.1)
- Graduates are able to identify key issues in public debates about language education. (5.1)
- Graduates have appropriate communication skills for relevant academic and professional contexts. (6.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
The subject addresses the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
2. Critical and Creative Inquiry
2.1 Graduates are able to review, analyse, consolidate and synthesise ideas relevant to TESOL, and apply these skills to problem solve in their professional practice.
3. International & Intercultural Engagement
3.1 Graduates are linguistically and culturally sensitive to local and international contexts of language education and can apply their sensitivity in their professional practice.
4. Indigenous Competencies
4.1 Graduates are aware of issues in language education for Indigenous learners and can apply their awareness in working with Indigenous learners.
5. Active Citizenship
5.1 Graduates are able to engage with key issues in public debates about language education.
6. Effective Communication
6.1 Graduates have well-developed communication skills for relevant academic and professional contexts.
Teaching and learning strategies
Students experience a range of teaching and learning strategies which includes lecturer input, demonstration and modelling; student pair/group tasks; independent student reading and fieldwork; and discussions held in tutorial classes and online.
Collaborative learning is encouraged, but assessment does not include group tasks.
Lecturer and tutor input, demonstration and modelling
The lecturer will introduce the content of the subject, providing an orientation with which the students are expected to engage in the learning of each topic area. This input will take the form of asynchronous online lectures. The lectures will provide a synthesis of current scholarship and research that students will use to analyse language learners and their contexts. These lectures provide a scaffolding for the academic readings that students will read independently. Each week, students are expected to view the lecture and complete the pre-work tasks prior to the tutorials, and complete follow-up taks after the tutorials.
Using examples and model assignments, the lecturer and tutors will also provide demonstrations and modelling of how to access and apply the theoretical resources that students will be using to complete assessment tasks.
Student pair/ group tasks
Students will examine practical illustrations of the theoretical concepts in the subject through paired and/ or small group activities in tutorials.
In addition to the lectures and readings, the students’ own language learning and teaching experiences, and their use and knowledge of languages in diverse contexts are major resources for learning in this subject. Tutorial discussions that draw on these resources provide opportunities to examine the practical implications of different theories of language learning and teaching, as well as opportunities for deepening students’ understanding of differences and similarities across different languages. These additional resources afforded by the learners are key to making the learning in this subject authentic and practice-oriented.
These activities also provide weekly opportunities for the tutor to monitor students’ learning and for students to receive tutor and peer feedback on their understanding of key ideas and methods.
Independent student reading and fieldwork
The topic for each week will be supported by a range of learning resources: ‘Pop’ texts in the form of video, audio or text from the popular media to stimulate interest in the topic, pre-recorded video lectures and Required readings that provide information to enable students’ deeper engagement with the new concepts and ideas. Each week, students are required to read the 'Pop' texts and view the online lectures for the week prior to the tutorial class, and read the Required readings following the tutorial.
Close and critical reading of the Required readings is a necessary part of students’ learning in the subject, and evidence of this will be assessed in their assessment tasks.
The subject also requires students to undertake fieldwork to prepare a profile of a language learner. Students will be given detailed guidance support in arranging and undertaking the fieldwork.
Formative feedback
Students will receive informal formative feedback on their comprehension of key theoretical concepts in each class session from their tutors and peers through class activities and discussions.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills in order to succeed at university and in the workplace. To determine your current academic langauge proficiency, you are required to complete a written diagnostic task. If you receive a Basic grade for the written diagnostic task, you must attend additional Language Development Tutorials (each week from week 3 to week 12) in order to pass the subject. These tutorials are designed to support you to develop your language and communication skills. Students who do not complete the OPELA or do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Content (topics)
The subject content is informed by the Subject Content Knowledge requirements for EAL/D teaching published by the NSW Education Standards Authority; the Knowledge and some elements of the Teaching Strategies and Inclusion in the National Priority Area for Teaching students with EAL/D; and scholarship in the field of TESOL and Applied Linguistics. It is organised into three units:
Unit 1: Becoming multilingual, which will develop -
- understanding of what it means to develop ‘language’ in different contexts;
- understanding of concepts of culture, identity and cultural diversity with regard to education and the impact of cultural and linguist factors on student outcomes.
Unit 2: Individual differences and socio-cultural factors in language development, which will include explanations of -
- the acquisition of English as an additional language or dialect, and individual and social factors which impact on its development at different stages;
- tools to identify the cultural and language challenges faced by EAL/D students; and
- what a language learner profile might include and how it could inform teaching and learning.
Unit 3: Contexts of language learning, which will develop -
- understanding of current multicultural and anti-racism policies, including policy support documents such as the EAL/D Advice for Schools, and their role in ensuring equity of school education for EAL/D students;
- critical perspectives on English language teaching and its impact on indigenous, heritage and other languages.
The subject will also explicitly address students’ development of
- academic literacy skills appropriate for the study of TESOL and applied linguistics; and
- ethical approach to research.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Analytic report
| Objective(s): | a, b and c | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1500 words | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: A profile of a multilingual learner
| Objective(s): | a, b and c | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 60% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 2000 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
It is a requirement of this subject that all students complete a written diagnostic task. Students who received a Basic grade in the written diagnostic task are required to attend 80% of the English Language Development Tutorials in order to pass the subject. Students who do not attend 80% of the Language Development Tutorials will receive a Fail X grade.
Required texts
A selection of readings that will be made available in softcopy via links from Canvas.
References
Aronin, L., Singleton, D. M., & Singleton, D. M. (2012). Multilingualism. John Benjamins Pub. Co.
Buschfeld, S., Ronan, P., & Vida-Mannl, M. (2023). Multilingualism?: A Sociolinguistic and Acquisitional Approach. (1st ed.). Springer International Publishing AG.
Chik, A., Benson, P., & Moloney, R. (Eds,) (2014). Multilingual Sydney.Routledge.
Choi, J., & Ollerhead, S. (Eds.). (2017). Plurilingualism in teaching and learning: Complexities across contexts. Routledge.
Conteh, J. (2015). The EAL teaching book: promoting success for multilingual learners in primary and secondary schools. Sage.
Conteh, J., & Meier, G. (Eds.). (2014). The multilingual turn in languages education : Opportunities and challenges. Multilingual Matters.
Cook, V., & Singleton, D. (2014). Key topics in second language acquisition. Multilingual Matters.
Hall, J. K. (2019). Essentials of SLA for L2 teachers: a transdisciplinary framework.Routledge.
Gibbons, P. (2009). English learners, academic literacy and thinking: learning in the challenge zone. Heinemann.
Hammond, J., & Miller, J. (Eds.). (2015). Classrooms of possibility: supporting at-risk EAL students. PETAA.
Johnson, K. (2017). An introduction to foreign language learning and teaching (3rd ed.).Routledge.
May, S. (2014). The multilingual turn: implications for SLA, TESOL and bilingual education. Routledge.
Moll, L. C. (2014). L. S. Vygotsky and education. Routledge.
Richard-Amato, P.A. (2010). Making it happen: From interactive to participatory language learning - evolving theory and practice.Pearson Education.
Rose, H., & Galloway, N. (2019). Global Englishes for language teaching. Cambridge University Press.
Singleton, D., & Aronin, L. (Eds.). (2018). Twelve lectures on multilingualism. Multilingual Matters.