EIL 445 introduces students to Second Language Reading and Writing, including:
- Theory,
- Research, and
- Practical applications.
This course is designed to:
- First, give you some ideas about how people actually learn to read and write and the theories that we have come up with about the best ways to teach learners to do this (theory). While I don't want to drown you in theory, this information gives you a foundation for your future teaching. Over the course of the semester what you learn about theory should influence your opinions on the research results presented and guide you in your pedagogy.
- Second, we’ll talk about some of the research being done in this field and how to do your own research on second language reading and writing topics. This will show you what we know and the many things we still don't know. While this course does not require that you do your own research, this component will, I hope, challenge your own pedagogical practices.
- Finally, this class will have a very significant practical component that will be spread out over the entire semester. You will design your own materials for teaching reading and writing, including a syllabus to use in such a class, etc. All the materials you create for this class will be shared with your classmates. This portion of the class will also include your taking control of the class to teach your own lesson.
