Participants: MA candidates

Course description: In this course, participants will examine and discuss key
concepts and issues in English language teaching. They will be exposed to an
overview of different teaching methods and critically analyze their
appropriateness in the Vietnamese context.

Course aims and objectives: By the end of this course, participants will be
able to
 Demonstrate skills, knowledge and sensitivities as an EFL professional
 Critically evaluate different English teaching methods/approaches and
the appropriateness of western TESOL methods for EFL contexts
 Develop as a reflective practitioner
 Critically review English language teaching methods according to
students' needs and teaching contexts
 Reflect on how to teach and how to extend and improve teaching skills

Assessment:
Attendance and participation: 10%
Teaching demonstration: 30%
Final project 60%

Note: You are expected to attend all classes and participate in all class
discussions and presentations to be awarded 10% of your final mark.

Course materials: Instructor's handouts and the following required readings

Required Book:
Larsen-Freeman, D (2000). Techniques and principles in language teaching.
Oxford University, 2000.

Articles:
1. Alptekin, C. (2002) Towards intercultural communicative competence in
ELT. ELT Journal 56(1), 57-64
2. Beaumont, M. and Chang, K. (2011). Challenging the
traditional/communicative dichotomy. ELT Journal, 65/3, 291-299.

3. Bell, D. (2007). Do teachers think that methods are dead? ELT Journal,
61/2, 135-143.
4. Holliday, A. (1994). Appropriate methodology and social context. Part
C: Appropriate methodology design, pp. 160-179. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.

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 5. Knight, P. (2003). The development of EFL methodology. In C. Candlin
and N. Mercer (Eds). English language teaching in its social context.
London: Routledge.
6. Kramsch, C. And Sullivan, P. (1996). Appropriate pedagogy. ELT
Journal, 50/3, 199-212.
7. McKay, S. (2002). Teaching methods and English as an international
language. In Teaching English as an international language. NY:
Oxford University Press.
8. Rodgers, T. (2000). Methodology in the New Millennium. In Forum (Vol. 38,
No. 2, p. n2). http://e. usia. gov/forum/.
9. Savignon, S. (2006). Communicative language teaching for the twenty-
first century. In M. Celce-Marcia (Ed). Teaching English as a second or
foreign language. NY: Heinle and Heinle.
10. Stern, H. H. (1983). Fundamental concepts of language teaching.
Chapter 20: Language teaching theories as theories of teaching method,
pp. 452-476. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
11. Thompson, G. (1996). Some misconceptions about communicative
language teaching. ELT Journal, 50(1), pp. 9-15.
12. Waters, A. (2012). Trends and issues in ELT methods and methodology. ELT
journal, 66(4), 440-449.

Course Outline
Session 1 Course introduction. Participants' information.
Language teaching methods: A critical analysis
Readings

Stern, H. H. (1983). Fundamental concepts of language teaching. Chapter

20: Language teaching theories as theories of teaching method, pp. 452-
476. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

The grammar translation method

Session 2 Language teaching methods: A critical analysis (continued)

Larsen-Freeman, D. (1986). Techniques and principles in language
teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Reading
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2012). From Unity to Diversity: Twenty-Five Years of
Language-Teaching Methodology. In English Teaching Forum (Vol. 50, No. 2,
pp. 28-38). US Department of State. Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,
Office of English Language Programs, SA-5, 2200 C Street NW 4th Floor,
Washington, DC 20037.

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 1. The Direct method (Group 1)
2. The Audio-lingual method (Group 2)

Session 3 Communicative language teaching

Larsen-Freeman, D. (1986). Techniques and principles in language
teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Rodgers, T. (2000). Methodology in the New Millennium. In Forum (Vol. 38,

No. 2, p. n2). http://e. usia. gov/forum/.

Group presentations
1. The Silent Way (Group 3)
2. Suggestopedia (Group 4)

Session 4 Communicative language teaching (continued)

English teaching in the Vietnamese context

Thompson, G. (1996). Some misconceptions about communicative

language teaching. ELT Journal, 50(1), pp. 9-15.

Kramsch, C. And Sullivan, P. (1996). Appropriate pedagogy. ELT Journal,

50/3, 199-212.
Group presentations
1. Community Language Learning (Group 5)
2. The Total Physical Response method (Group 6)

Session 5 Appropriateness of teaching methods/approaches

Savignon, S. (2006). Communicative language teaching for the twenty-

first century. In M. Celce-Marcia (Ed). Teaching English as a second or
foreign language. NY: Heinle and Heinle.

Bell, D. (2007). Do teachers think that methods are dead? ELT Journal,
61/2, 135-143.

McKay, S. (2002). Teaching methods and English as an international

language. In Teaching English as an international language. NY: Oxford
University Press.
Group presentations

1. The Communicative Approach (Groups 7, 8)

Session 6 Trends and issues in TESOL Methodology

Group presentations on the following required readings
Readings

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 Holliday, A. (1997). Appropriate methodology and social context. Part C:
Appropriate methodology design, pp. 160-179. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.

Waters, A. (2012). Trends and issues in ELT methods and methodology.

ELT journal, 66(4), 440-449.

Course review and evaluation

Teaching demonstration (demo, group work): Present a demo of a teaching

method from the course book Techniques and principles in language teaching
by Larsen-Freeman (2000). The demo should reflect the major principles of
language learning and teaching of the method. Be creative.

Final project (individual work):

Choose one teaching method in the course book Techniques and principles in
language teaching by Larsen-Freeman (2000). Write a critique to discuss its
advantages and disadvantages and how it should be used in teaching English in
Vietnam.
The essay should be about 5 pages long, typed and double-spaced.

Essay assessment
Total mark: 10 points

Critical analysis: 7 points

References (at least 5 references, APA style required): 1.5 points
Length, grammar and spelling: 1.5 points