ENGL578A/SPAN 590 - SPECIAL TOPICS SEMINAR
CLASSROOM INTERACTION AND SECOND/FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
TTh, 3:30-5:00, Winter 2009
Communicative language teaching approaches emphasize the importance of group work and oral interaction in the foreign language classroom. In this course we will explore the relationship between this form of interaction and second/foreign language acquisition.
We will discuss current theoretical approaches to studying learner-learner interaction, with a special emphasis on the sociocultural perspective. We will also examine the empirical research conducted from these approaches, its main findings and their pedagogical implications. As part of the activities for the course, students will design and carry out a small-scale classroom-based study.
The course focuses on second/foreign language learning and teaching, regardless of the language in question. It is therefore open to students interested in applied linguistics, TESOL or Spanish foreign language teaching. The language of instruction will be English.
Required text: course pack