A Way to Enhance Your Education
Teaching English abroad is an excellent intermediary step between a UCLA degree and professional life. The Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESFL) minor gives students the necessary credential for finding a job in the burgeoning field of English language instruction. The minor is also well suited to students who wish to pursue graduate studies in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language and Applied Linguistics. The minor can enhance students' job prospects, applications to graduate programs, and chances of obtaining a teaching assistantship at a university.
Program Goals
This program is designed to provide you with:
- an overview of current second language pedagogical theories and practices;
- the experience of observing the second language acquisition process both in and out of the classroom;
- a supervised practicum experience in a variety of second language classroom settings; and
- an opportunity to reflect on the interaction of theory and practice in the teaching of English as a second or foreign language.
Program Requirements
The minor requires 8 courses, or 32 quarter units, of study. A minimum of 5 of these courses must be taken in the Department of Applied Linguistics & TESL.
Required Courses:
Pedagogical Skill Elective Courses: These courses focus on specific pedagogical aspects of second/foreign language education. Participants in these courses will explore the research and theoretical rationale for skill-specific pedagogical approaches, review published textbooks and classroom materials in light of this information, and prepare sample teaching materials focusing on skill development. Minor students must complete at least two of these courses as part of the minor program.
Language and Educational Issues Elective Courses in language and/or educational issues: These courses focus on larger issues related to second and foreign language acquisition and use. Minor students are expected to relate knowledge derived from these courses back to the more practical application of second/foreign language teaching. Minor students may complete no more than two of these courses to their studies for the minor.
- AL/TESL C153: Functional Foundations of Language
- AL/TESL C155: Foundations of Language Acquisition
- English 121: History of the English Language
- English Comp 120A: Language Study for Teachers: Elementary School
- English Comp 120B: Language Study for Teachers of English: Secondary School
- English Comp 132C: Topics in Rhetoric and Writing – Cultural Studies
- Linguistics M10: Structure of English Words
- Linguistics 130: Language Development
- Linguistics C140: Bilingualism and Second Language Acquisition
- Linguistics 175: Linguistic Change in English
Descriptions:
101W: Introduction to Language Learning and Teaching. This course is an upper division elective for students interested in understanding their own second language learning experiences and strategies in light of second/foreign language theory and research. Students will explore the skills and conditions involved in successful second and foreign language learning, using this knowledge to develop a framework for teaching second and foreign languages.
C110: Theories of Language Education and Learning. This course provides a survey of theory and practice in the teaching of second languages. Included are the following components: 1) current and historical views of effective second language classroom instruction; 2) a brief overview of first language acquisition and a comparison with second language acquisition; 3) a survey of factors (e.g., cognitive, sociocultural) which affect the second language acquisition process; 4) an analysis of past and current second language acquisition theories; 5) an examination of communicative competence and its impact on proficiency-oriented second language teaching; 6) a presentation of second language teaching/learning models; and finally 7) an examination of second language teaching styles and philosophies.
C111: Writing for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course is designed to explore various perspectives on recent theory, research, and practice in composition and rhetoric for both first language and second language writers. We will examine the implications of this theory for second language composition teaching. The aim of this study is to help you begin to develop your own philosophy of teaching composition in the ESL context and competence to deal with the pedagogy of writing classes. You will also examine and develop your own strategies and abilities as a writer.
C112: Reading for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course, designed for second/foreign language teachers and teachers-in-training, focuses on the important theoretical and methodological issues related to the teaching of second language reading. While much of the theory and research has been conducted in English as a Second Language, the same issues are relevant and pertinent to instruction of all second and foreign languages. Course participants will be asked to survey current research and theory and report their findings in class, as well as evaluate current reading textbooks and develop classroom materials.
C113: Phonetics for Second/Foreign Language Education. This is a practical course designed to give students an overview of the phonetic and phonological features of North American English (NAE) which relate to the teaching of English as a second/foreign language. In addition to an understanding of how the English sound system contrasts with the sound system of another language, students will gain skill in developing activities for teaching pronunciation as well as the opportunity to evaluate current materials for teaching pronunciation (textbooks, videotapes, computer software, internet resources). Topics covered include curriculum design, research on phonological acquisition, theory & practice in the communicative teaching of consonants, vowels and suprasegmental features of English; pronunciation assessment and the intersection of pronunciation with the areas of listening, grammar and orthography.
C114: Listening and Speaking for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course provides a survey of theory and practice in the teaching of listening and speaking to non-native learners. Included are the following topics: (1) a detailed view of oral communication: the nature of spoken language, the listening process, and the negotiation of meaning; (2) the theoretical underpinnings of current listening & speaking pedagogy; (3) learner needs with regard to listening & speaking; (4) practical ideas for teaching listening & speaking to different types of learners, including integrating these skills within the curriculum; (5) a review of current listening & speaking materials, both textbooks and software; and (6) the assessment of listening & speaking
C115A: Media for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course is designed for students interested in learning about the use of media & technology in the language classroom. The course will address non-mechanical media (blackboard, cartoons, realia, etc.) as well as the effective use of standard media equipment (overhead projectors, audio and video playback/recorders). We will also explore the use of computers and the internet in language teaching. The central focus of the course will be on the pedagogical rationale for the use of media in a particular lesson. The class will function primarily as a workshop, with in-class demonstrations and activities to familiarize you with media equipment, materials, and techniques. The projects will give you a chance to develop materials for an audience and topic of your choice. These projects will consist of a language lesson (or series of lessons) in which it is clear how media is incorporated at particular stages of the lesson. These projects will be presented for discussion and feedback while they are still in progress, with a view toward improving the final product before it is turned in to me in written form for evaluation. Due to the workshop format, you are expected to attend all sessions and participate fully.
C115B: Computer-Enhanced Language Teaching and Learning. Computers have had a major impact on how second/foreign languages are taught today. This course examines the impact of computer enhanced-language learning on second/foreign language environments. The course will address the basics of creating and maintaining a class website, designing computer-enhanced teaching materials (e.g., Power Point presentations), managing classroom data (e.g., Excel grade calculation), and developing an electronic teaching portfolio. The central focus in all these activities will be on the underlying pedagogical rationale for classroom instruction and on professionalizing current second/foreign language teaching methods through the application of computer technology. The seminar is project-based and encourages participants to develop materials, either individually or collaboratively, for their current or intended teaching settings/populations. All those interested in the innovative teaching of English as a second language and/or other languages are encouraged to participate.
C116: English Grammar for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course will cover English grammatical structures which are central in ESL and EFL teaching. Not only form but also meaning and use (i.e., discourse function) will be considered. The pedagogical component of the course will provide ways to analyze learners' oral and written language, organize grammar information for learners and help them practice structures communicatively.
C117: Literature in Second/Foreign Language Education. This course explores the place of literature in ESL and EFL teaching and presents guidelines for selecting, evaluating, and using fiction, poetry, personal essays, and film to teach language and language skills. Students will design course materials that are built around literary texts and critically evaluate literary pedagogy based on course readings, discussions, and independent research. Course projects may be based on either English language or foreign language literary texts. The aim of this course is to help students begin to develop ways to enrich the teaching of any aspect of language by drawing on the rich language found in literature.
C118A: Fundamentals of Second/Foreign Language Teaching. This course is designed for students interested in the micro-components of effective teaching. Included in the course will be an in-depth examination of the various stages of a lesson and the decision-making process underlying the planning and implementation of each stage. For students with limited prior teaching experience who plan on taking the teaching practicum, the course will provide a structured environment in which to hone fundamental teaching skills such as conducting warm-up activities, managing student dynamics, eliciting student contributions, correcting errors, sequencing lesson components, and transitioning between them. Central to the course will be the use of peer/peer microteaching and feedback. Additional assignments include the self analysis of a videotaped micro-teaching segment, detailed lesson plans, and a synthesis of how theory informs a selected area of practice.
C118B: Second/Foreign Language Teaching Practicum. This course is oriented to both the theoretical concerns regarding second language teaching and the practical issues instructors face in the language classroom. Emphasis is placed on classroom teaching and learning experiences. Participants are expected to ground solutions to the pedagogical issues they encounter in current research in language education and pedagogy. The class meetings once a week will provide a chance to coordinate teaching and observation schedules, discuss topics of interest, share materials and solutions, and brainstorm about lesson planning and implementation. Students are also expected to meet informally with the course instructors to define instructional goals, discuss observations and videotaped sessions, and negotiate solutions for challenges faced while teaching/observing. The Field Experience: Participants will be spending a total of forty hours in the classroom to which they have been assigned. While there, they may perform a variety of tasks (e.g., working with small groups, assisting individual students, responding to student homework, planning lessons with the mentor teacher). Participants should be responsible for whole-group instruction at least six to eight times during the quarter. The exact amount of time of each lesson will be determined in consultation with the mentor teacher. Counted in the 40 hours are peer observations and any observations of other levels and other mentor teachers.
C119: Current Issues in Second/Foreign Language Education. This course is a variable topics course – each time it is offered it covers a different area of second/foreign language education. An example of a recently offered topic is Teaching Heritage Language Learners. The course considered issues relevant to Heritage Language Learners (HLLs) and Heritage Language (HL) teaching. Readings and discussion focused on such topics as definitions of HLs and HLLs; linguistic, demographic, sociolinguistic and sociocultural profiles of HLLs, particularly HL groups most represented among UCLA students; institutional and instructors’ attitudes toward HLLs; the impact of students’ motivation and expectations on the HL curriculum and teaching approaches; similarities and differences in teaching methods and materials for HLLs and foreign language learners (FLLs); HL diagnostic testing and needs analysis; using oral/aural HL proficiency as a springboard for literacy instruction; optimizing instruction of mixed HL & FL classes.