This course will focus on the theory and practice of language teaching. It will investigate key areas of linguistic and applied linguistic theory pertinent to language teaching in areas such as principles of language learning, learning styles and language teaching methodology as well as the effects of specific teachers' views of language, culture and what makes teaching effective. It will also review a range of teaching methodologies and evaluate their relative effectiveness. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their learning experiences and to develop their own approach to language teaching.

As part of the course students will undertake a small, guided research project on a topic of their own interest, related to language teaching and write it up in ways appropriate to the discipline. At the end of the course students without prior teaching experience will have been given an opportunity to give a short language lesson with comment, demonstrating their developing approach to language teaching and their ability to articulate its main features. Students with prior teaching experience will instead outline their approach to teaching at the beginning of the course and re-evaluate this at the end in the light of content and issues addressed in the course.

Students will have gained insight into the complex nature of language teaching and be able to identify a range of factors affecting its success. These include teachers' knowledge of key areas such as principles of language learning, learning styles and language teaching methodology as well as the effects of specific teachers' views of language, culture and what makes teaching effective. Students will be able to systematically observe and analyse language teaching. Students will also have developed, or further developed, their own approach to teaching and be able to articulate its main features in terms of fundamental concepts in language teaching theory and practice. Students will furthermore be able to conduct a small-scale research project related to language teaching and write up the results in ways appropriate to the discipline.

2 written assignments (40%), 1 essay/research project (5,000 words) (40%); 1 teaching demonstration and articulation of approach to teaching (1,000 words) (20%).

In addition to the contact hours, students will be expected to spend an average of 7 hours per week reading and reflecting, writing learning journal entries, completing assignments and preparing for their teaching demonstrations.

Diane Larsen-Freeman (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. New York: Oxford UP, Second Edition. (Available from the bookstore and on short loan in Chifley library);

Reading brick (Available on Wattle).