Second Language Teaching Methodology

This course acquaints students with current theories, models, and practices employed in the field of second/foreign language acquisition while briefly surveying the history of approaches to second/foreign language teaching. Students will also examine major issues in second language classroom research. Students will engage in an on-going discussion about objectives and standards for foreign language teaching, including the national standards, Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century, and the Proficiency Guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), types of instruction (i.e., contextualized language instruction, content-based and content-enriched instruction, etc.), learning styles and strategies, individual learner variables (i.e., aptitude, motivation, proficiency, affective filter, etc.), the role of technology in foreign language teaching, assessment of teaching/learning, and so forth. Students will develop techniques for teaching and testing foreign language skills, curriculum development, lesson planning, and material selection. They will also have practical experience through mini-teaching situations. Course required for DML candidates.