Postgraduate Module Descriptor


EFPM787: Teaching English to Young Learners

This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.

Module Aims

  1. To provide a survey of theoretical perspectives concerning child learning and development, and second language acquisition.
  2. To provide a critical overview of a variety of important issues in the teaching of English to young learners within the context of the growth of English as an international language.
  3. To consider the implications of these theories and issues for the development of appropriate practice for teaching English as a foreign or additional language to young learners.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate a thorough and critical understanding of children as foreign or additional language learners.
2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of different aspects of teaching English as a foreign or additional language and associated issues and the ability to address these in ways appropriate to their own teaching contexts
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Undertake a critical analysis of practice informed by theoretical insights regarding teaching and learning in TESOL classrooms.
4. Apply aspects of language learning theory to the evaluation and design of programmes and materials for a specific group of learners in a particular teaching setting.
Personal and Key Skills6. Engage in independent and cooperative learning with peers from different cultural and pedagogic backgrounds, as evidenced in group discussions.
7. Undertake a critical analysis of the relevant academic literature.
8. Digest, select and organise material to produce, to a deadline, a coherent and thoughtful analysis of theory to particular professional and socio-cultural situations.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Group presentations of activities for teaching young learners ( 1-2 and 4-5)Verbal comments and review

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
A presentation of a task cycle for teaching a specific group of young learners with a rationale informed by relevant literature.1003,750 words(1-7)Written feedback

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.