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аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¿ª½±½á¹ûing our English with TESOL BA (Hons) course will equip you with the skills and knowledge to teach English as a second language with the combined studies of the English language, linguistics and literature. As an English student, you will also be introduced to a range of literary genres including poetry, drama and fiction in our Approaching Literature unit while also exploring a range of theoretical approaches to these texts. Similarly, our Children’s and Young Adult Fiction unit will familiarise you with a range of fictional genres written for children, including film adaptations, fairy tales, and other popular fiction. In core areas of English study, our unit in Describing Language aims to introduce you to the main structures of English language while also familiarising you with the anatomy of the vocal tract and how sounds are produced.ÌýÌý

You will then build on key elements of English grammar, descriptive and communication skills in our English Sentence Structure unit while also looking at speech in The Sounds of English unit where you will study the relationship between phonology and grammar, speech and accent variation. This is discussed further in our Exploring Language unit where you will identify aspects of language and its value in specific career fields. Similarly, you will learn How Talk Works and How Text Works by focusing on the rules of conversation, its patterns and norms, and how it varies between people and situations. You will do the same with the written word by exploring the different ways texts are produced, its purposes and meanings to help build your language interpretation skills. In areas of teaching, you will be exposed to research in second-language learning in our Language Teaching, Learning and Assessment unit. Similarly, our TESOL Teaching Practice unit will allow you to apply current theoretical issues in language teaching and methodology to practice. This unit will help you gain the skills to design and deliver your own lessons and materials by exposing you to various teaching techniques and tasks.ÌýÌý

You will also be given an Introduction to Linguistics and Phonetics where you will learn how speech and language works, including on a scientific level, by exploring the anatomy of the vocal tract and how speech is produced. Furthermore, you will be provided with an overview of the nature of literacy in our Language, Literacy and Cognition unit and you will look at this on a cognitive level in our Psycholinguistics - Language and the Brain unit. Here, you will explore how language is developed and realised by the human mind and brain. Similarly, you will engage in the study of semantics in our unit called The Meaning of Meaning that will allow you to explore the nature of language interpretation from a cognitive perspective. Moreover, you will focus on how behaviour is understood within educational contexts in our Perspectives on Pedagogy and Behaviour. This unit particularly focuses on children and young people with impairments as well as prioritising their inclusion.ÌýÌý

Language Teaching, Learning And Assessment

This unit aims at applying certain second language learning theoretical principles into the practice of TESOL and ELT. It first examines current theories and research findings relating to second language learning research and then provides the opportunity to explore possible applications of such research to the practice of teaching and learning in context. This will help you to get an insight into research in the field of Second
Language learning and gain a level of expertise which will enhance your job prospects.

This unit aims to enable you to:

investigate certain factors that can affect second language learning;

collect and analyse inter-language data;

raise your awareness and critical understanding of issues involved in second language learning and language teaching;

promote a more principled, research-based approach to language teaching and learning.

This unit is a core element of the course for those looking to gain a TEFLi status and it is directly relevant to the content, aims and objectives of this course.

English Sentence Structure

The sentence is a fundamental unit of language whose internal structure is a combination of words whose behaviour and characteristics are measurable and predictable. Grammatical terms and concepts have always been at the fore in ELT but less so in mainstream English classrooms, until now.  Today, primary and secondary teachers need to understand the principles that determine word forms, word classes and how nouns and verbs combine to produce different types of sentence.  

Accordingly, this unit provides a solid grounding in the structure of words and sentences: key elements of English grammar, all of which underpins your entire English degree.  

Topics we discuss will be central to all writers, teachers, students and analysts, and relevant to a broad range of careers where the ability to recognise, describe and analyse the structure of English. 

In this unit we aim to: 

• Build on grammatical knowledge from first year units
• Develop your familiarity with the concepts and terminology used to describe grammar
• Provide experience in analysis and highlight its potential
• Establish the relationship between cognition and grammar
• Develop your descriptive and communication skills which  readily transfer to other units and professions.

The Sounds Of English

How speech is organised, realised and chunked in everyday language is fundamental to any study of language.  The underlying principles, mechanics and rhythms of spoken English and how these vary affords an area of expertise that is uncommon, and yet central to classrooms, clinics and courtrooms, to say nothing of the stage.  This is because accents and pronunciation provide subtle clues to a speaker’s sense of identity, background, and state of mind.  

This is not just directly relevant to speech and language therapists, English teachers and sociologists, it also appeals to actors, artists and poets.  The scrutiny of spoken English involves  abilities to recognise, understand and analyse the patterns of spoken English, as much as the motives that underlie them.

Building on your knowledge of pronunciation from the first year, this unit aims to:

• Develop your understanding of underlying phonological concepts
• Explore how speech varies and is represented in transcription 
• Establish objective facts surrounding accent variation and the relationship between phonology and grammar
• Develop your descriptive objectivity and analytical skills which can be readily transferred to other units as well as professional contexts.
• Provide experience of intonation analysis and highlight its significance

The Meaning Of Meaning

The significance of knowing how meaning is conveyed cannot be overstated: all humans focus on meaning in any wakeful situation, and more.  Semantics is the study of how meaning is stored in sounds and words, and pragmatics considers how we actually use language to communicate in everyday contexts in order to convey and interpret meaning.   

This unit provides an overview of the study of linguistic meaning (semantic and pragmatic) and aims to explore, from a cognitive perspective, the nature of language interpretation in the light of current theories. 

Such matters underpin any act of reading writing, speaking and listening regardless of social, domestic or professional situation.

Tesol Teaching Practice

This unit provides the opportunity to apply current theoretical issues in language teaching methodology to the practice of language teaching. It is designed to meet the needs of students who are planning a career in English language teaching in the UK and abroad. 

This unit aims to enable you to:

• develop your awareness of various current issues in language teaching and learning
• experience different teaching techniques and tasks, design and deliver your own lessons and materials
• increase your knowledge and critical awareness of different language teaching and learning contexts.
• This unit is a core element for those seeking to gain a TEFLi status and it is directly relevant to the content, aims and objectives of this course.

Psycholinguistics - Language And The Brain

If eyes are said to be windows of the soul, then language must be a window to the mind.  Language is an intricate network of mental representations, of concepts, sounds and words, represented electrochemically in the brain. Our knowledge of language is as much a psycho-biological phenomenon as it is a sociocultural one. 

This unit explores current theories of how language develops and how it is realised in the human mind and by the human brain.

English Language Foundation

This unit focuses on your ability to understand and use the English language accurately when you read, speak, listen and write. We will concentrate on the English you need for undergraduate level study in your chosen subject area, covering grammar, subject area vocabulary and the four language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking.

A key element of the unit is the grammar of the language, and particularly the verb tense system in English, because your ability to use the verb tense system accurately will be extremely important when you come to write essays and reports. This unit will focus in particular on the grammar of the language.

We will also focus on reading, listening and speaking skills in the context of your chosen subject area. Beginning with short texts, we will practise each skill and practise it again, so that gradually you will see, hear and feel that your command of the language is improving. 

A recurring focus of the unit will be your acquisition of 'learner autonomy'. This means your ability to acquire the language yourself, without needing a teacher's help. This is important because from next year you will not have an English teacher to help you. So we will consider and practise strategies to help you gain confidence in your own ability to increase your knowledge of and ability to use the language, including for instance guessing meaning of difficult words, deciding which words are important in a text, recognising differences between formal and informal language, and other strategies, so that as the first semester continues, you begin to feel more confident in your use and experience with the English Language.

Academic Skills Foundation

When you begin your undergraduate level studies, you will be expected to have knowledge of and ability to use a large range of 'study skills'. You will also be expected to have some knowledge of the subject area you will  be studying. This unit deals with both of these aspects of your preparation for undergraduate level study. 

All of the academic skills are practised in English, so you will use your developing acquisition of the language from the partner unit 'English Language Foundation' to practise and gain mastery of these skills. You will also use your language and study skills as you learn the foundation of your subject area, putting the skills into practice as you learn.

Developing English Language Skills

This unit builds on the progress you made during its partner semester 1 unit 'English Language Foundation' and increasing your level from that which you had achieved by the end of semester 1. 

We will recycle the tense system in English and other elements of the grammar system, but you will  now learn how to use other aspects of the grammar, including the passive voice, as well as linking words and phrases and devices which enable you to write longer sentences but retain grammatical accuracy. 

You will notice that we gradually introduce more specialist language that you need in preparation for your degree and we will expect you to use and develop the skills that you gained in the previous units so that you are able to work more independently.

Academic Skills Development

This unit builds on the skills learnt and practised in its partner semester 1 unit 'Foundation Academic Skills'. We will add more skills to the list, including summarizing and synthesising, argumentation, critical thinking and referencing and citation skills, as well as several others and practise and test them in the same way as with the semester 1 unit.

We will also investigate the research skill and you will learn how to prepare a research proposal and conduct a literature review, and how to plan a research project, learning about the research tools available and how they can be used to conduct research in your chosen field. 

You will continue to broaden your knowledge of key current issues and theory in your chosen subject area, and apply the critical thinking and argumentation skills you acquire in this unit to argue for and against propositions you have studied in the form of in both essays and presentations and in seminar situations, ensuring that you are ready to step up to your chosen undergraduate course with a base level of subject area knowledge from which to continue your academic development as you progress to level 4 study.