FUNDACIÓN UNIVERSITARIA UNICOLOMBO

Licenciatura en bilingüismo con énfasis en inglés

Lecturer: Loraine Galván Zúñiga
E-mail: lgalvan@unicolombo.edu.co
Subject: Approaches to Language Teaching Semester: V
Allotted Time: 3 hours per week Tutoring: Thursdays 6:45 pm-9:00 pm
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Course description

Welcome to our Approaches to Language Teaching course. This course intends to present a critical,
analytical and historical overview of the approaches and methods used in teaching foreign languages to
young and adults, especially applied to English Language Teaching (ELT) as well as a review of modern
approaches in ELT, such as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Task Based Language Teaching
(TBLT), and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). It presents the definition, analysis and
evaluation of the teaching/ learning process and the factors determining its success: students’ needs,
motivation, learning styles, and type of intelligence as well as teachers’ competences. Modern teachers
require professional development in the theoretical knowledge, and the pragmatic skills of various methods,
according to the different learning styles and contexts.

Objectives
At the end of this course students should be able to:

● Explore main teaching theories' development, and to conceptualize the general characteristics of the
different methods with their contribution to ELT.
● Analyze the approaches and methods developed in the 19th and in the early 20th centuries for
language teaching and evaluate the contribution of each for language teaching nowadays.
● Apply methods of language teaching in order to contrast an effectiveness of them in ELT nowadays.
● Discuss the principal points of view in the past and the current models of teaching.
● Draw valid conclusions about an effective foreign language teaching methodology.
● Develop awareness in language teaching methodology.

Course Content and Schedule

Date Topics

Introduction: discussing the syllabus.

Key concepts:

Feb 21st
Grammar Translation Method,
Direct Method, AudioLingual Method
The Silent Way & (De) Suggestopedia.

Feb 28th Community Language Learning & Total Physical Response.

Mar 7th I midterm exam

Mar 14th Communicative Language Teaching

Mar 21st Task Based Learning & Project Based Instruction

Mar 28th Content Based Instruction

Apr 4th Content and Language Integrated Learning CLIL

Apr 11th II midterm exam

 HOLY WEEK

Apr 25th SIOP

May 2nd SIOP

May 9th Micro Classes

May 16th III midterm exam

May 23rd General feedback

Course Requirements:

Attendance: punctuality is expected. 4 unexcused absences in a class will result in loss of credit for the course.
Students arriving 10 minutes late will lose 1 hour of classes. 8 hours of unexcused absence will result in losing
the course. Late assignments will result in ½ a reduction of the grade for that particular assignment.

Readings: Students are required to critically appraise articles and book chapters providing a critical
commentaries and relevant participation on selected course readings.

Quizzes: As part of the integral evaluation considered for the program. There will be some quizzes in order to
measure your development through the course. Some of these quizzes will be announced and some will be
unannounced. Make sure you complete the readings since most of the information will be taken from them.

Class participation: Class participation includes doing the readings, coming to class prepared, contributing
regularly and thoughtfully to class discussion, participating in small group work, debates, and role playing
activities and completing all class writing activities. Some form of class participation is required in every
class.

ATLT classroom project report

Fecha Items

Front page: The report must have a front page in which indicates the title of the work, name
of the students, name of the teacher, the subject, the institution and the year.

Introduction: The introduction must be brief and without subtitles in order to give the reader
a clear and precise idea about the topic and it should state the purpose of the project report.
Mar 11th The introduction should not exceed one (1) page.

Theoretical Framework: In this section you must present the main theories to support your
project e.g. methods for language teaching seen in class. The statements must be coherent
with the topics and the literature worked in class. It must include citations of relevant
authors in the field of study and other important sources to give support to the project. The
theoretical framework should not exceed two (2) pages.

Observations and analysis: In this section you must define in detail the findings in your
observations (every member of the group should have 2 observations) by following the
steps given in the observation guide. In addition to it, you must present a detailed analysis
in terms of the roles, interaction, view of language, skills, materials, techniques and
April 13th
assessment.
 Conclusion: In this section you must summarize include a reflection of the finding in your
observations, including a critical analysis of the construction of this project. This section
May 9th should not exceed two (2) pages.

References: You must include all the references that were cited explicitly in the report using
the last version of the APA format. You must have at least 10 references for the whole
project.

Appendices: Include any evidences collected in the observation process, pictures,

transcriptions of conversations, materials, etc.

Evaluation

I mid-term (30% of final grade) II mid-term (30% of final III mid-term (40% of final
grade) grade)

Bibliography:

● Alan, B. & Stoller, F. (2005). Maximizing the benefits of project work in foreign language
classrooms. English Teaching Forum Online, 43(4). Retrieved December 13, 2006 from
http://exchanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vol43/no4/p10.htm
● Bachman, L. & Savignon, S. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing (Vol. 107).
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
● Canale, M. (1983). From communicative competence to communicative language
pedagogy.Language and communication, 1.
● Chávez, L. C. (2013). SIOP components: Application and assessment through PBL in a content-
language college classroom. Latin American Journal of Content & Language Integrated Learning,
6(1), 37-54.
● Dalton-Puffer, C. (2011). Content-and-language integrated learning: from practice to
principles?.Annual Review of applied linguistics, 31, 182-204.
● Dueñas,M.(2004). A Description of Prototype Models for Content-Based Language Instruction in
Higher Education. BELLS: Barcelona english language and literature studies, (12) Retrieved from
http:// www.raco.cat/index.php/Bells/article/.../108658
● Echavarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. (2013). Making content comprehensible for English learners:
The SIOP model (Fourth ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.
● Grabe, W. & F.L. Stoller. (1997). Content based instruction: research foundations. The content based
classroom: perspectives on integrating language and content. White Plains: Longman, 5-21
● Heo, Y. (2006). Content-based instruction (Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 25-32).TESL Working Paper Series.
● Hymes, D. (1972). On communicative competence.Sociolinguistics, 269, 293.
● Larsen-Freeman, D. (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
● Moss, D. (1997). Project-based learning and assessment: A resource manual for teachers. Arlington,
VA: The Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP). (ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED442306)
● Nunan, D (2004) Task Based Language Teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
● Rodgers, T. S., & Richards, J. C. (2001). Approaches and methods in language teaching. Cambridge,
UK: Cambridge University Press.
● Richards, J. C. (2005). Communicative language teaching today. SEAMEO Regional Language
Centre.
● Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies: What Every Teacher should Know.
New York: Newbury House Publishers.
● Stryker, S. B., & Leaver, B. L. (1997). Content-based instruction: From theory to practice. Content-
based instruction in foreign language education: Models and methods, 3-28.
● Tarnopolsky, O. (2013). Content-Based Instruction, CLIL, and immersion in Teaching ESP at
Tertiary Schools in Non-English-speaking countries. Journal of ELT and Applied Linguistics
(JELTAL), 1(1), 10-21.