Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE LHA5009

 
TITLE Issues Related to Foreign Language Teaching in the Maltese Context

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 5

 
DEPARTMENT Languages and Humanities Education

 
DESCRIPTION The study-unit will be divided in various parts. Initially it will define the concept of ‘differentiated pedagogy’ and will present various examples of contexts which students might experience once they start teaching in actual contemporary FL classes. Students will become familiar with the different characteristics, situations and target audiences they could encounter in different and/or within the same FL learning context.

This section will also present and discuss strategies based on multimodal principles. The latter should help prospective FL teachers when trying to address the needs of different students learning in different and/or in the same FL learning contexts. Apart from just obtaining in-depth theoretical multimodal knowledge, students will also have the opportunity to link theory to practice. These links should help prospective teachers to critically design appropriate FL resources addressing the particular needs of different future FL students.

Another part of the study-unit will deal with the various syllabi/programmes designed to teach FL in local schools, namely the SEC syllabus, the LOF and the SPA programme of studies. The contents, similarities and differences between the programmes will be discussed and analysed. Particular reference will be made to the Learning Outcomes Framework which will be implemented in schools as from September 2016. Consequently the difference between lesson objectives and learning outcomes will also be discussed in detail.

The study-unit will deal also with the teaching of language through literature. When a student reads a literary text, he/she is involved in the reading process. Literary critics and experts have classified this as reader-response criticism. Language teachers can make use of a variety of verbal and non-verbal stimuli through short narratives, stories, dialogues, conversations and interviews. These may enable students both to understand better the different cultural aspects of the language being studied and to help them acquire grammar implicitly.

The growing impetus of inclusive education necessitates a clear definition of what inclusion is and how it is manifested in schools.

The study-unit will enable students to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate their approaches to inclusion.

Study-Unit Aims:

The study-unit aims to assist the students:
- to become knowledgeable in the fundamental theories of the use of literature to teach language;
- to explore how literature can be adapted for language teaching;
- to become knowledgeable in the use of short stories, poems, songs and other forms of literature to teach specific grammatical notions;
- to explore how multimodal principles can help them create motivating activities addressing the specific needs of different students;
- to reflect on the role of the language teacher especially in relation to the choice, adaptation and presentation of literary texts in class;
- to design inclusive learning settings to match teaching to the each learner’s needs.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- demonstrate knowledge of theories regarding the use of literature in the language classroom by being able to choose the right texts and and use them in class;
- choose, adapt and present literary material in class for language teaching;
- elaborate on principles and practices relating to Inclusive Education;
- manage children with disabilities, specific learning disorders and other kinds of school-related difficulties;
- implement multimodal theories in practice while designing FL pedagogic resources;
- value the role of literature in the teaching of grammar and linguistic notions by identifying those texts which can be useful to the learners and demonstrate an ability to use them in a context based manner.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:
- analyse and modify different types of literary texts in order to render them didactically fit for purpose by showing that these can be used for the teaching of language;
- develop adequate teaching materials from literary sources like short stories, poems, songs etc;
- develop motivating student centered multimodal resources addressing the different needs and abilities residing within the same FL learning context;
- design didactic activities for linguistic purposes from literary texts;
- utilise cooperative learning strategies for maximizing the potential of each student;
- design flexible learning paths suited to the learning needs and levels of the pupils;
- select assessment models, build and adopt appropriate tools, assess learning processes and products.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

- EGAN, K. (1988). Teaching as Storytelling. London: Routledge. N.A.
- HANCOCK, M. (1998). Singing Grammar: Teaching Grammar through Songs. New York: Cambridge University Press. A.
- KRESS, G. and VAN LEEUWEN, T. (2001). Multimodal discourse: the modes and media of contemporary communication. London; New York: Arnold; Oxford UP.
- KRESS, G. and VAN LEEUWEN, T. (2006). Reading images: the grammar of visual design. (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
- MCRAE, J. (1994). Literature with a small 'l'. Basingstoke: Macmillan Education.
- SPOSET, B.A. (2008). The Role of Music in Second Language Acquisition: A bibliographical review of seventy years of research 1937-2007. Queenston, Ontario: The Edwin Mellen Press.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Pre-requisite Qualifications: A first cycle degree (70 ECTS) in Languages or Humanities

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Examination (2 Hours) Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S George Cremona (Co-ord.)
Mario Pace

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit