Course Syllabus

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Required Textbook

Nunan, D. (2015). Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: An Introduction. Routledge: New York, NY.  Print ISBN: 978-1138824676

The required textbook for this course is a low cost, auto access, digital textbook. Access the textbook using the Course Materials link provided in the course menu. Your student financial account will be charged automatically on the first day of class.

If you do not want to use the digital textbook (perhaps you already purchased the print version of the textbook), you must opt out or you will be charged for the digital textbook.

  1. Learn about auto access and learn how to opt out by visiting BYUI Auto Access.
  2. Go to your Course Materials List to opt out of Auto Access materials.

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Required Resources

Microsoft Word and Excel. If you do not already have access to this software, you may download it for free. Please refer to the correct instructions to obtain your free copy:

Course Description

Introduction to the fundamental theories, principles, practices, and policies of bilingual education as they relate to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in the United States and in countries all over the world.

Course Objectives

Students will become acquainted with many practical aspects of TESOL that will enable them to become effective teachers. These include principles and practices of bilingual teaching and learning, multiple factors affecting the learning and school experience of language minority students (for example, cognitive, social, family, community, and linguistic development issues), and historical and current educational and political realities of policy and programs for language minority learners.

Prospective teachers will also learn to identify how their attitudes, assumptions, and beliefs impact their interaction with students. They will be challenged to think deeply and to begin to form values, opinions, ideas, and instructional mindsets concerning the education of English Language Learners (ELLs) in their future classrooms.

Completion of this course will also play a key role in preparing students for careers in teaching English as a second or foreign language.

Course Outcomes

Introduces the fundamental theories, principles, practices, and policies of Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESL or TEFL).

Students will be acquainted with many practical aspects of TESL and TEFL that will enable them to become effective teachers. These include principles and practices of English language teaching and learning including language acquisition theory, pedagogical approaches and methods, error correction, skill instruction and integration, differentiated instruction, curriculum planning, materials adaptation, and target language use.

Prospective teachers will develop a personalized teaching philosophy while learning to identify how their attitudes, assumptions, and beliefs impact their interaction with students. They will be challenged to think deeply and to begin to form values, opinions, ideas, and instructional mind-sets concerning the education of English Language Learners (ELLs).

Students will gain a heightened awareness of the need for English as a second and foreign language in a globalized world and gain understanding of the many career options and opportunities available to them in this field.

Course Requirements

(Details of each assignment can be found throughout the course).

  • Weekly quizzes
  • Weekly learning reviews
  • ELL interview
  • ESL and EFL teacher interview
  • Classroom observations
  • Evaluation of ESL and EFL materials
  • Teaching philosophy
  • Discussion board posts
  • Mini-lesson plans and teaching demonstrations

Week 11 Video Upload

In the Week 11 Discussion, you will create a mini-lesson plan and record yourself teaching it to students (comprised of family members, friends, etc.). You will be required to upload the video of your teaching session. You may choose your own platform (YouTube, Loom, Vimeo, etc.), but must ensure the video is available for anybody with the link to view.

This course includes required synchronous meetings.

How to Understand Due Dates

There are two due dates each week. All times referenced are in Mountain Standard Time (MST):

  • Midweek due date: Wednesday 11:59 pm (except for Week 01 which will be due on Thursday).
  • End of week due date: Saturday 11:59 pm

Weekly Breakdown Weekly Topics
Week 01:
  1. Acronyms
  2. Status of the Field
Week 02:
  1. Getting to Know your ELLs
Week 03:
  1. ESL and EFL Program Types
Week 04:
  1. Language Acquisition Theory
Week 05:
  1. Teaching Approaches and Methods
Week 06:
  1. Backward Design and Program Level Curriculum Design
  2. Course Level Curriculum and Lesson Planning
Week 07:
  1. Proficiency Levels: Teaching and Correcting
  2. Teaching: Listening
Week 08:
  1. Teaching: Speaking
  2. Teaching: Reading
Week 09:
  1. Teaching: Writing
  2. Teaching: Grammar
Week 10:
  1. Teaching: Vocabulary
  2. Integration of the Four Skills and Error Correction
Week 11:
  1. Determining Teacher Expectations
  2. Differentiated Instruction
Week 12:
  1. Materials Evaluation and Adaptations
  2. Classroom Management and Target Language Use
Week 13:
  1. Multicultural Education
  2. Prejudice and Discrimination
Week 14:
  1. Personal Teaching Philosophy

Grades

Activity Points
Quiz  395
Discussions 485
Interviews and Observations 150
Total Possible Points 1030

Grade Breakdown

Percentage Range Letter Grade
100% – 93% A
92% – 90% A-
89% – 87% B+
86% – 83% B
82% – 80% B-
79% – 77% C+
76% – 73% C
72% – 70% C-
69% – 67% D+
66% – 63% D
62% – 60% D-
59% – 0% F

Late Work Policy

Late assignments will be accepted up to seven days after the due date but will be marked down 50%. After seven days, assignments will receive zero credit.

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

The materials in this course are also intellectual property and taking any materials from the course and posting them outside of this course in any manner (such as posting on Course Hero) will be construed as theft. If you post course materials without authorization, the instructor has the right to impose an appropriate academic sanction (for example, give you a failing grade for the assignment and/or fail you from the course).

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

  • Student Honor
    • Academic Honesty
    • Student Conduct
      • Sexual Harassment
  • Student with Disabilities
  • Complaints and Grievances
  • Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due