Students also present a 12,000 - 15,000 word dissertation. In this unit you will develop the skills you need to undertake small-scale research studies in your own professional contexts. You will also have opportunities to evaluate examples of published research. You will be introduced to a range of approaches for collecting and analysing data and for designing small-scale research, including the research may form the basis of your dissertation. You will have opportunities for collaborative practical work in the design and use of interviews and questionnaires, classroom observation, and teacher action research.
Students have the experience of learning a new language.
In previous years Russian, Thai Xhose and Mandarin Chinese have been the chosen languages, but the choice depends on the linguistic background of the group. This unit investigates the issues relating to decisions involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of programmes of language education. It focuses on the selection, sequencing and presentation of language, topics and tasks, on the factors influencing the choice of techniques and procedures, on the assessment of learning and on the evaluation of courses, methods and materials. This unit develops a theoretical framework for the analysis of discourse in language teaching and learning, providing an introduction to the social, political and cultural issues associated with spoken and written discourse, informed by sociolinguistic and linguistic theories. It begins with an appraisal of the developing meanings around the concepts of context of situation and communicative competence, using these as the basis for reasoned approaches to the study of discourse in social and educational settings.