University of Technology Sydney

013989 Teaching Academic English

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Education: Initial Teacher Education
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Postgraduate

Result type: Grade, no marks

Requisite(s): 013102 Introducing Knowledge about Language AND 013105 The Multilingual Learner AND 010070 TESOL Practicum AND 028253 TESOL: Methodology
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 010039 Teaching English for Academic Purposes

Description

Students in this subject develop research-informed knowledge, skills and practices to teach English for academic purposes (EAP) in a wide range of tertiary education contexts including: tertiary preparation courses, academic language support programs in universities, and embedded academic language and literacy in other discipline subject areas. Students apply theoretical and practical knowledge to evaluate curricula and teaching resources, and to design a unit of work and assessment tasks for a group of learners in a chosen program context. Students complete a supervised practicum placement in an academic English context.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

a. Explore key issues in the teaching and learning of English for academic purposes
b. Analyse and describe approaches and practices in the teaching of academic English in different contexts with reference to theory
c. Apply knowledge of theory and practices in teaching academic English to develop pedagogic resources for teaching academic English to specific groups of learners
d. Produce written accounts with coherent structure, clarity of expression, and integrated reference to key literature

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 have advanced skills and knowledge of linguistics, literacy and numeracy, pedagogy and curricula to teach in their specialised contexts. (1.1)
  • Graduates are linguistically and culturally sensitive to local and international contexts of language education and can apply their sensitivity in their professional practice. (3.1)
  • Graduates are able to engage with key issues in public debates about language, literacy and/or numeracy education. (5.1)
  • Graduates have well-developed communication skills for relevant academic and professional contexts. (6.1)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

This subject addresses the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Professional Readiness

1.1 Graduates have advanced skills and knowledge of linguistics, literacy and numeracy, pedagogy and curricula to teach in their specialised contexts.

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.

5. Active Citizenship

5.1 Graduates are able to engage with key issues in public debates about language, literacy and/or numeracy education.

6. Effective Communication

6.1 Graduates have well-developed communication skills for relevant academic and professional contexts.

Teaching and learning strategies

Teaching and learning environment

Teaching and learning takes place in the on-campus classroom, online via Canvas, and in the practicum placement.

Lecturer input, modelling and scaffolding

Each week, the lecturer introduces new materials through an online lecture, with links to subject readings and learning activities. Students are expected to view the video, access and complete the readings, and participate in learning activities.

Student learning activities

In-class and online student learning activities in the tutorials, micro-teaching sessions and online via Canvas enable students to prepare for and check their interpretation of concepts presented in the lecturer input and readings. The tutorials provide opportunities for students to participate in discussions and collaborate with peers on related tasks. They also allow for tutors to monitor students' learning, and for students to receive tutor and/or peer feedback on their understanding and application of key concepts and theories.

Micro-teaching sessions

Students also participate in micro-teaching sessions where they work in small groups to present plans for a unit of work, assessment tasks and teaching approaches and give each other feedback.

Practicum placement

Students will complete 18 hours of supervised practicum in an EAP context. This includes observations of cooperating teachers' classes. Under the guidance of an experienced teacher, students develop teaching, learning and assessment resources, and implement these in a relevant class. Towards the end of the placement period, students are assessed by a UTS supervisor.

Content (topics)

The subject is designed around the following guiding questions:

  • What are the contexts of tertiary EAP education programs?
  • What theoretical perspectives can inform tertiary EAP education?
  • What do we need to know about learners in EAP education programs?
  • What are the models and resources for program design in EAP, and how do we work with them?
  • What are different types of assessments in EAP; how do we design assessment tasks?

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Analytic report: the learners and the learning resources

Objective(s):

a, b, c and d

Weight: 50%
Length:

2000 words, excluding references and appendices

Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Extent to which learner goals and needs are identified 20 a, b 3.1
Detail in evaluation of how the program caters for the needs of the target group of learners 30 a, b, c 5.1
Suitability of suggestions for support materials in the program 25 c 1.1
Synthesis and integration of ideas from relevant subject readings 25 a, d 6.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Report: design for a unit of work

Objective(s):

a, b, c and d

Weight: 50%
Length:

2000 words, excluding references and appendices

Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Suitability of diagnostic activity that provides appropriate information about skills and/or knowledge in relation to outcome/s 20 a, c 3.1
Validity of designed activities for the outcome/s being addressed 30 b, c 1.1
Suitability of summative task to assesses achievement of outcome/s 30 a, c 1.1
Synthesis and integration of ideas from relevant subject readings used to support teaching and assessment decisions 20 d 6.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

Students must complete the Practicum component of the subject in order to pass the subject. Students who do not satisfactorily complete the practicum component will receive an X grade for the subject.

Required texts

Charles, M., & Pecorari, D. (2016). Introducing English for Academic Purposes. Routledge.

NOTE: Students can download the complete text from UTS Library.

References

Altasan, A. (2016). English Language Provision in Australia within the Global Context of ELT. American Journal of Educational Research, 4(7), 563-569.

Blok, S., Lockwood, R. B., Frendo, E. & Short, D. (2020). The 6 principles for exemplary teaching of English learners (pp. 35-66). TESOL Press.

Bygate, M. (1987). Speaking. In Candlin, C. N. & H. G. Widdowson (Eds.), Language Teaching: A Scheme for Teacher Education (pp. 22-41). Oxford University Press.

Coxhead, A. (2017). Approaches and perspectives on teaching vocabulary for discipline-specific academic writing. In Flowerdew, J. & T. Costley (Eds.), Discipline-Specific Writing (pp. 76–90). Routledge.

Grabe, W. & Stoller, F. L. (2018). Reading instruction and assessment: activities and options. In Newton, J. M., Ferris, D.R., Goh, C. C. M., Stoller, F. L. & L. Vandergrift (Eds.). Teaching English to second language learners in academic contexts: Reading, writing, listening and speaking (pp. 48-71). Routledge.

Hinkel, E. (2003). Research Findings on Teaching Grammar for Academic Writing. English Teaching, 68(4), 3-21.

Hyland, K. (2006). English for Academic Purposes: An advanced resource book (Unit A12 pp. 99-105). Routledge.

Hyland, K. (2009). Points of departure. In Academic discourse: English in a global context (pp. 1-19). Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Hyland, K. (2016). General and specific EAP. In The Routledge Handbook of English for Academic Purposes (pp. 17–29). Routledge.

Hyland, K. & Hamp Lyons, L. (2002) EAP: Issues and directions. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 1(1), 1-12.

Lynch, T. (2006). Academic listening: Marrying top and bottom. In Uso-Juan, E. & A. Martinez-Flor (Eds.), Current trends in the development and teaching of the four language skills (pp. 91-110). De Gruyter, Inc.

Stoller, F. L. (2016). EAP materials and tasks. In P. Shaw, & K. Hyland (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of English for Academic Purposes (Ch. 43 pp. 577–591). Routledge.

*Refer to the Reading List on the Canvas site for additional readings.

Other resources

Some important journals include:

ELT Journal

English Australia Journal

English for Specific Purposes

Journal of English for Academic Purposes

Journal of Second Language Writing

Language and Education

Linguistics and Education

TESOL Quarterly