The development of learners’ listening and speaking proficiency are fundamental goals in most foreign and second language teaching environments. The three main purposes of this class are to familiarize students with current theoretical models of listening comprehension and speech production, to expose students to common listening and speaking pedagogical approaches, and to have students evaluate and produce materials and research related to L2 listening and speaking pedagogy. We will use the assigned readings as a basis for discussing a variety of topics related to teaching and assessing listening and speaking. We will also analyze and critique instructional activities proposed to develop learners’ listening and speaking proficiency. By the end of the course, students will be familiar with the current theoretical models of L2 listening comprehension and speech production, be able to apply current approaches to L2 listening and speaking pedagogy, and have refined their abilities in critiquing, adapting, and developing instructional materials as well as original research in related areas of their interest.

Students in the course will be responsible for carefully reading and reflecting on all assigned texts, actively participating in class discussions, reviewing/developing L2 listening and speaking instructional materials, completing a final test on theory and pedagogical practice, and completing a final written project in a relevant area of their choosing.

There will be 13 class sessions for this course, and students are additionally required to attend the first three hours of any one of the Distinguished Lecturer Series weekend seminars to be held online during the summer semester: either Dr. Judit Kormo’s seminar on Saturday, May 11 or Dr. Pellicer-Sanchez’s seminar on Saturday, June 22.

Required Textbook:

• Bailey, K. M. (2020). Teaching listening and speaking in second and foreign language contexts. Bloomsbury Academic. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

The purpose of this course is to enable participants to develop an understanding of the theory and practice of Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT). We begin by exploring prominent definitions of a task, before looking briefly at the theoretical underpinnings for a task-based approach. Syllabus design is considered, before the introduction of a comprehensive framework for implementing TBLT in the classroom. We look at tasks related to the four skills of reading, listening, speaking, and writing, before moving on to discuss assessment. In the final part of the course, we consider individual differences and tasks, and also some criticisms and potential problems with TBLT in different contexts. We also practice adapting existing materials to a task-based approach.

Students will be encouraged to engage in group discussion of key ideas in the course. They will also be asked to design their own tasks, adapt existing materials for the TBLT classroom, and present ideas for tasks to classmates. Course requirements include leading a group discussion based on an assigned reading, giving a presentation, and completing a final project involving implementation of TBLT in your teaching context.

Students will also be required to attend Dr. Ana Pellicer-Sanchez’s seminar of the Distinguished Lecturer Series weekend seminars on Saturday, June 22 from 18:00 to 21:00 in lieu of the class on Friday, May 17.

Note that the day and time for the following two regular classes will be changed as below:
The day and time of the class on Friday, July 5, 18:00-21:00 will be changed to on Saturday, June 15, 14:00-17:00
The day and time of the class on Friday, July 26, 18:00-21:00 will be changed to on Saturday, July 13, 14:00-17:00.

Required Textbook:

• Willis, D, & Willis, J. (2007). Doing task-based teaching. Oxford University Press. (Buy on Amazon.co.jp New Tab / Buy on Amazon.com New Tab)

Students are required to register for this course in the semester they take the MSEd Comprehensive Examination. This course is a Pass/Fail course. If the student is taking the January Comprehensive Exam, the student must register for this course in the spring semester. If the student is taking the May Comprehensive Exam, the student must register for this course in the summer semester.

PhD students are required to take two 3-credit Research Apprenticeship courses.

If you wish to take an apprenticeship course, you first need to write a 300-400-word abstract of your proposed project (unless you are assisting a professor with one of his or her studies). This abstract should include basic information such as (a) the gaps in the literature you are addressing, (b) the purpose(s) of the study, (c) specific research questions, and (d) your methodology, including information about the participants, instruments, procedures, and the analyses you will perform. You will then need to send the abstract to the advisor you wish to work with (Consult the list of Apprenticeship advisors on the registration form to see who is available), and if the advisor approves your plan, you can then register for the course with that advisor.

This course is for those PhD students who have passed the Preliminary Examination and working on their dissertation proposal.

The PhD students are required to take Culminating Courses (6 semester hours overall, minimum 2 semester hours of EDUC 9999). Culminating Courses: Preliminary Preparation Course (EDUC 9994), Dissertation Proposal Design Course (EDUC 9998) and Doctor of Education Dissertation Course (EDUC 9999).

This course is for those PhD students who have passed the Preliminary Examination and working on their dissertation proposal. 

The PhD students are required to take Culminating Courses (6 semester hours overall, minimum 2 semester hours of EDUC 9999). Culminating Courses: Preliminary Preparation Course (EDUC 9994), Dissertation Proposal Design Course (EDUC 9998) and Doctor of Education Dissertation Course (EDUC 9999).  

Cognitive Diversity in Language Learning, Teaching and Assessment by Dr. Judit Kormos, Lancaster University, U.K., will be conducted by 3-hour online Zoom sessions for four days: Saturday, May 11, Sunday, May 12, Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 from 18:00 to 21:00 (JST).  Students taking this seminar for credit must attend all four days. The students can add/drop this seminar course by 22:00 on Saturday, May 11.

The pre sign-up (or course registration for those who are taking this seminar for credit) is required for anybody attending the public session on Saturday, May 11 from 18:00 to 21:00. The sign-up process must be completed through the "Distinguished Lecturer Series Seminar Sign-Up Form" that is available on TUJ Grad Ed website. The sign-up deadline is Friday, May 10 at 12:00. The public session Zoom link will be provided to those people who completed the online sign-up (or course registration) process by 18:00 on Friday, May 10. The zoom link for the remaining sessions will be provided to the creditors and auditors between 13:00 to 14:00 on Sunday, May 12.

Language learners can vary along a wide range of cognitive, affective, social, educational, and contextual dimensions. Second language acquisition research has long acknowledged the importance of cognitive factors in the effective learning of additional languages but cognitive diversity among learners is rarely considered from the perspective of inclusion and access in our field.

This seminar aims to increase awareness of cognitive diversity and its impact on learning and teaching another language. The course will provide relevant theoretical background to help students understand the concepts of working memory and foundational first language skills (e.g. phonological awareness) that can account for variable outcomes in language learning and that can be indicative of specific learning differences such as dyslexia.  We will also learn about the underlying principles of inclusive language teaching methods that cater for the needs of students with different cognitive profiles. We will also evaluate resources used in teaching languages to students with learning difficulties and design language teaching tasks that meet the needs of students with different ability profiles. The seminar will equip participants with relevant skills and knowledge to design and administer language tests that offer fair opportunities for everyone to display their second language skills.

Learning Vocabulary in a Second Language: A Focus on Processing and Instruction by Dr. Ana Pellicer-Sanchez, University College London, IOE, U.K., will be conducted by 3-hour online Zoom sessions for four days: Saturday, June 22, Sunday, June 23, Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30 from 18:00 to 21:00 (JST).  Students taking this seminar for credit must attend all four days. The students can add/drop this seminar course by 22:00 on Saturday, June 22.

The pre sign-up (or course registration for those who are taking this seminar for credit) is required for anybody attending the public session on Saturday, June 22 from 18:00 to 21:00. The sign-up process must be completed through the "Distinguished Lecturer Series Seminar Sign-Up Form" that is available on TUJ Grad Ed website. The sign-up deadline is Friday, June 21 at 12:00. The public session Zoom link will be provided to those people who completed the online sign-up (or course registration) process by 18:00 on Friday, June 21. The zoom link for the remaining sessions will be provided to the creditors and auditors between 13:00 to 14:00 on Sunday, June 23.

Vocabulary is an essential component of second language (L2) proficiency and crucial for achieving successful communication, which explains the current, prominent role of vocabulary studies in research on language learning and teaching. The aim of this seminar is to introduce participants to the study of vocabulary and to achieve a better understanding of how L2 learners process novel vocabulary in different learning conditions and of the most effective approaches to teach vocabulary.

The first part of the seminar will start with an introduction of the different components involved in vocabulary knowledge and the main approaches to second language vocabulary learning. The session will then focus on learning vocabulary from written input, and on the relationship between vocabulary and reading. It will provide an overview of empirical findings on the benefits of reading for vocabulary development, as well as of the role of vocabulary knowledge in reading. The seminar will then explore vocabulary learning from other modes of input, including multimodal exposure. We will also discuss factors affecting vocabulary learning and will focus on the learning and teaching of formulaic language, as one aspect of lexical competence that has been shown to be difficult for learners. The last part of the seminar will apply the knowledge gained throughout the previous sessions to the analysis of vocabulary learning conditions and activities through hands-on exercises.