HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Course: LANGUAGE TEACHING PRACTICE
Semester offered: Summer 2015
Schedule: Saturdays, 8:30 to 11:30 Room: 305
starting 04 July 2015
Instructor:

Dr. Nguyen Thuy Nga

nguyennga06@gmail.com
Participants: Candidates in TESOL 9
The principal aims of the course are
to deepen students understanding of the pedagogical implementation of foreign
language curricula;
to provide students with opportunity to reflect on real teaching practices, lesson plans,
and teaching materials;
to help students develop classroom management skills, taking into account issues
including big or multi-level classes and issues involved in the application and
adaptation of ideas about methodology to contemporary EFL teaching in Vietnam.

Workload
The student workload commitments are:
Four/five-period contact time in class per week;
Ten to fifteen hours of personal study per week for the reading and assignment
expectations;
Allocation up to 5 hours per week preparation for group presentation,
newsgroups/discussion groups.
Teaching Approach
The unit, which was designed for students with some previous pedagogical training and
classroom practice, comprises mainly activities involving enquiry-based learning and sharing
of professional experience.
Modes of instruction
- Micro teaching
- Oral presentation
- Lecture
Course requirements
a. Micro teaching with written lesson plans and a self-assessment recorded in a teaching
journal,
b. Classroom observation. Observation of and participation in ESL/EFL classes, using a
variety of techniques for analysis,
c. Teaching demonstrations. Participation in several microteaching, videotaped sessions,
each demonstrating an innovative ESL teaching technique, followed by peer and selfanalysis,
d. Teaching Journal. Completion of the assigned readings, including responses to
specific articles in the teaching journal and teaching philosophy paper,
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e. Group Participation. Participation in groups, discussions, demonstrations and other

activities. Attendance is expected at every class period.
f. Final Paper/ Final Test.
Course assessment
Attendance and participation
10%
Teaching portfolio
20%.
(3 observations, lesson plan reflections on teaching, peer feedback, response to
readings)
Oral presentation/ Micro teaching 30%
Assignments / Final tests
40%

Required reading
Crookes, G. (2003). A practicum in TESOL. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Gower, R., Phillips, D. & Walters, S. (2005). Teaching Practice Handbook. Oxford:
Heinemann
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching (4th ed.). Harlow, England:
Pearson Education.
Ur, P. (2012). A course in language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Reading materials
Adrian, D. (2009). Teach English. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Brown, H.D. (2001). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language
Pedagogy. London: Longman
Burns, A. (2010). Doing Action Research in English Language Teaching: A Guide for
Practitioners. New York: Routledge
Dudeney, G., & Hockly,N. (2007). How to teach English with technology. Harlow: Pearson
Education Limited.
Ewing, R, Groundwater-Smith, S, Le Cornu, R. (2003). Teaching Challenges and dilemmas:
2nd Edition. Sydney, NSW: Primary English Teaching Association.
Harmer, J. (2007). How to teach English. England: Pearson Longman.
Hedge, P. (2000). Teaching and learning in the language classroom. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Hughes, G.S. (2001). A Handbook of classroom English. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2011). Techniques and principles in language teaching. Oxford
University Press
Littlewood, W. (1981). Communicative Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge.
University Press.
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Nunan, D. (1999). Second language teaching & learning. Boston: Heinle & Heinle
Publishers.
Nunan, D., & Lamb, C. (2000). The Self-directed teacher. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.
Scrivener, J. (2005). Learning teaching. Oxford: Macmillan Education.
Woodward, T. (2007). Planning lessons and courses: Designing sequences of work for the
language classroom. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.
Further Reading
Carliner, S., & Shank, P. (2008). The e-learning handbook: Past promises, present
challenges. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Carter, Ronald and David Nunan (eds.). (2001). The Cambridge Guide to TESOL.
Cambridge: CUP.
Dornyei, Z. (2001). Motivational strategies in the language classroom. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Farrell, T. S. C., & Jacobs, G. (2010). Essentials for successful English language teaching.
London: Continuum International Publishing Group.
Hedge, Tricia. (2000). Teaching and Learning in the Language Classroom. Oxford: OUP
Jones, Leo. (1998). Communicative grammar practice. Cambridge: CUP
Liu, M., & Huang, W. (2011). An exploration of foreign language anxiety and English
learning motivation. Education Research International, 2011, 1-8.
Morrison, B. R., & Navarro, D. (2012). Shifting roles: From language teachers to learning
advisors. System, 40(3), 349-359.
Nieto, S. (2010). Language, culture, and teaching: Critical perspectives (2nd ed.). Hoboken:
Taylor and Francis.
Nunan, David. (1998). Designing tasks for the communicative language classroom.
Cambridge: CUP
Richards, J. C. (2006). Communicative language teaching today. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Richards, J. and Willy A. Renandya. (2002). Methodology in Language Teaching. Cambridge:
CUP.
Richards, J. C. & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching
(2nd Ed.).Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Tanner, R. and C. Green. (1998). Tasks for Teacher Education: A reflective Approach.
Harlow: Longman
Ur, Penny. (1981). Discussion that Work. Cambridge: CUP.
Journals
1 Teachers Edition A Publication of the English Language Institute, Hanoi, VN
2 English Now The Magazine of Vietnams English Teacher and Trainer Network
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3 Guidelines SEAMEO Regional Language Center, Singapore

4 ELT Journals
5 TESOL Quarterly
ONLINE RESOURCES
http://www.macmillanenglish.com/Default.aspx
http://www.cambridge.org/elt/resources/
http://www.onestopenglish.com
http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/rthompso/tman.html
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/index.shtml
http://tlc.eku.edu/tips/teaching_styles/
http://members.shaw.ca/mdde615/tchstyles.htm
https://sites.google.com/site/bichlanau/Home
Humanising Language Teaching www.hltmag.co.uk
Attendance and participation
Course participants are expected to attend all classes and participate actively in class
activities. Good attendance (including active participation in class activities and oral
presentation) will be awarded 10% of the final mark.
Oral Presentation, Microteaching (maximum 30 minutes/group)
Course participants are required to read and discuss practical methodology-related reading
from the articles selected for the course related to the main foci of EFL methodology (listed
in the course outline). Although all participants are expected to read all of the readings for
each occasion, each group (of 3 to 4 members) will be required to prepare an oral
presentation of an EFL methodology issue which is presented and discussed in the suggested
Focus/certain readings. The group should be divided into two sub groups; one to present on a
selected topic of the week and one to conduct micro-teaching related to the topic, followed by
a question-answer section (30 minutes in total).
The focus should thereafter be on the questions, comments, and points for discussion
prepared by the presenters, by the other course participants, as well as by the course lecturer.
The presentation should focus on one specific issue of EFL methodology as assigned to each
group. Each group has to present key points summarized from reading/research studies
related to the topic (findings, consensus, and controversy) and its implications for the
language classroom. The maximum time for each presentation and discussion is 30 minutes.
Unit
schedul

Topic

Activities

Readings

e Week
1

Introduction
Participants needs analysis.
Necessary adaptations of the course if needed.
Focus 1:
Basic Principles of Teaching and Learning
Beliefs and philosophy of teaching and
learning
Introduction to Micro-Teaching
Focus 2: The effective teacher
1. Teacher as learner
3. Communication in the educational
environment
4. Managing the classroom learning
environment
Micro teaching
Focus 3: Change in ELT methodology
1. Conceptual basis of EFL methodology
2. Grammar-translation and direct methods
3. Communicative competence and
communicative language teaching
4. Appropriate methodology
Micro teaching
Focus 4: Contemporary issues in EFL
teaching and learning in Vietnam
1. Common issues and possible solutions
2. Multiple intelligence
3. Lesson Plan-Syllabus/course design
Micro teaching

Focus 5: Classroom management

1. Classroom interactions
2. Pairing and grouping
3. Classroom culture and humour
4. Teaching big and multi-level classes
Micro teaching
Focus 6: Classroom techniques
1. Teaching integrated basic language skills
(i.e. Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing,
Translation-Interpretation)
2. Teaching speaking and pronunciation
Micro teaching

Feedback on pre-course
questionnaire
Lecture
Whole class activities
Choice of group
presentation topics and
microteaching

Summary of Princ
Language Teachin
Crookes, G. (200
Richards, J. & Loc
(2011). Chapter 2

Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture
Review

Teaching challeng
Dilemmas. Chapte

Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture
Review

Forty years of lan

Approaches and m
Language teachin
chapter 4
Toward a Postmet
Beyond Methods:
for Language Teac

Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture
Review

University English
Viet Nam
Planning lessons a
Chapter 7
Reflective teaching
language classroo
Teaching challeng
Dilemmas. Chapte
Teaching Practice
Teaching practice.
Reflective teaching
language classroo
A course in ELT.C

Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture
Review
Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture- Review

Teaching Practice
Teach English

Focus 7: ICT in ELT

Classroom techniques: Teaching integrated
basic language skills: Teaching communicative
grammar

Focus 8: Discourse analysis and EFL

teaching-Learning - Issues of using textbooks
and authentic materials
Micro teaching
Classroom techniques: Teaching integrated
basic language skills: Teaching listeningspeaking
Focus 9: Assessment and Testing

Classroom techniques Teaching integrated

basic language skills: Reading- Writing/
Integrated skills
Error Correction
Feedback (in oral and written forms)
10

Focus 10: Action Research

Classroom techniques Teaching Interpretation
and Translation
Micro teaching

11

Review- Feedback
Micro teaching
Preparation for End-of-course
Assignment/Examination

Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture-Review
Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture-Review

ICT in ELT: how d

and where are we
journal

Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer

A course in ELT. C
The practice of EL

Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture-Review
Conceptual framework
Group Presentation(s)
Micro teaching
Question-Answer
Feedback (Peer-Instructor)
Lecture-Review