English Linguistics: the Acquisition of English

6 ECTS credits
150 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4020124FNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Languages & Humanities

Department

Linguistics and Literary Studies

Educational team

Alexis Housen
Bram Bulté (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

6 contact hours Lecture
7 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
25 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study

Course Content

This course introduces research on the development of English as a first and, particularly, as a second/foreign language, paying special attention to the cognitive, psycholinguistic and affective variables that account for relative success in learning English as a second/foreign language.

Course material

Course text (Recommended) : Reader, A reader to the course English Language Studies - The Acquisition of English, Alex Housen

Additional info

Not applicable

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

Leerresultaat    AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, students should:
•    be familiar with the essential properties of (English) learner language and with scientific methods for independently collecting and analysing (English) learner data.
•    be able to discuss how linguistic, learner-internal and contextual factors can affect the acquisition of English (esp. as a second/foreign language).
•    be familiar with a range of theories of (second) language acquisition and discuss them critically.
•    be able to discuss issues in the acquisition of English in a well- informed, nuanced and critical way, using the technical jargon of the field.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
PRAC Presentation determines 40% of the final mark.
SELF Paper determines 60% of the final mark.

Within the PRAC Presentation category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Oral presentation with a relative weight of 8 which comprises 40% of the final mark.

Note: FIRST SESSION
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
- WPO: Presentation determines 40% of the final mark
- SELF: Paper determines 60% of the final mark
Within the WPO Presentation category the following assignments need to be completed:
- Working in groups of five or six students, students will review the state of the art in research on a selected topic in the study of second language acquisition based on their reading of (a) recent anthologies and textbooks in SLA and (b) key articles in journals and edited volumes (see bibliography at the end of this chapter for some suggestions). They will identify and summarize the major issues, arguments, key studies and research findings related to their topic. They will present the results of their literature review to the class during a 30- to 40-minute mini-lesson (make use of slides and/or provide a handout).
- Active participation in the classroom discussions of the presentation is required.

Within the SELF Paper category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Paper with a relative weight of 12 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

Note: Within the SELF Paper category, the following assignment needs to be completed: the paper must present a proposal for a potential empirical study to be carried out on a specific topic in second language acquisition (different from the topic of the oral presentation).

SECOND SESSION
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
SELF: Paper determines 100% of the final mark. Within the SELF Paper category, the following assignment needs to be completed:
An extensive written term paper on a topic in research on SLA and ESL (100% of final mark).
As the evaluation in the second session only consists of a written paper, the obtained grade for the oral presentation in the first session cannot be transferred to the second session.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Participation in both modes of evaluation (oral presentation and written term paper) is mandatory to pass the course in the first session.

The evaluation of the oral presentation (FIRST SESSION ONLY) is based on a set of criteria that will be communicated to the students in advance and which will also be shared with the students in the form of a handout. This handout will also be used for informal peer evaluations.

The evaluation of the term paper (FIRST AND SECOND SESSIONS) is based on the relevant criteria from the MA thesis evaluation document used in the TALK MA and MUMA.

Students are required to work independently on both assignments and are recommended to rely on their self-study of the reader in order to lay the foundation of their oral and written assignments.

As the evaluation in the second session only consists of a written paper, the obtained grade for the oral presentation in the first session cannot be transferred to the second session.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context