Subject Name

Didactics of English Language

Study

Grado en Maestro de Educación Primaria (Grupo bilingüe)
ECTS Credits
6
Year and four month period
Third year, first four month period
Type of subject Compulsory

Competences

Basic competences

  • BC1. Students have shown that they have and understand knowledge in an area of study, starting from the basics of general secondary education, which is usually found at a level that, although supported by advanced textbooks, also includes some aspects that imply knowledge from the cutting edge of their field of study.
  • BC2. Students know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner, and possess the skills that they usually demonstrate through the development and defence of arguments, as well as the resolution of problems within their area of study.
  • BC4. Students can transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to a specialised and non-specialised public.
  • BC5. Students have developed the learning skills required to undertake further studies with a high degree of autonomy.

General competences

  • GC2. Design, plan and evaluate teaching and learning processes, both individually and in collaboration with other teachers and professionals in the school.
  • GC3. Effectively address situations of language learning in multicultural and multilingual contexts.
  • GC4. Encourage reading and critical commentary of texts from the various scientific and cultural areas in the school curriculum.
  • GC7. Stimulate and value the effort, perseverance and personal discipline in the students.
  • GC12. Assume the educational dimension of teaching and promote democratic education for active citizenship.
  • GC16. Acquire habits and skills for autonomous and cooperative learning and promote it among students.
  • CG17. Know and apply information and communication technologies in the classroom.

Specific competences

  • SC46. Know the school curriculum of languages and literature.
  • SC51. Address situations for learning language in multilingual contexts.
  • SC52. Express yourself in a foreign language, orally and in writing.
  • SC53. Develop and evaluate curriculum content through appropriate teaching resources and promote the corresponding competences in students.

Program

Unit 1. Learning theories and styles: towards the teaching-learning of foreign languages

Piaget: the child and the interaction with the social environment
Vygotsky: the importance of social interaction
Bruner and the concept of «scaffolding»
Gardner and the theory of multiple intelligences
The emotional dimension of learning
Learning styles
References

Unit 2. Teaching-learning foreign languages

Introduction to teaching and learning foreign languages
Influence of age on learning a foreign language
Influence of the mother tongue in learning a foreign language
Individual differences and their influence on the learning of a foreign language
Bilingual education and multilingual education
The English language as an international language or lingua franca
References

Unit 3. Learning the spoken English language

The importance of oral language in the process for learning a foreign language
Basic principles for the teaching-learning of spoken language
Development of oral discourse in children
Encouraging interaction in English: cooperation in the classroom
Written language as support for the development of spoken language
The use of “authentic” materials
Non-threatening atmosphere: verbal and non-verbal communication and the role of the teacher
References

Unit 4. Learning vocabulary in English

Basic principles for the teaching-learning of vocabulary
Word categories applied to vocabulary learning
Vocabulary learning and teaching techniques
Selecting vocabulary
Expanding vocabulary
Examples of exercises for working on vocabulary
References

Unit 5. Introduction to literacy in English

Literacy process
Factors that influence literacy learning in the English language
Create a favourable environment for literacy learning in the English language
Methods for literacy teaching in the English language
Following steps in literacy teaching-learning in English
References

Unit 6. Learning of the English language through literary devices and games

Using stories to learn the English language
Organising the discussion for stories
Using the language from the stories
The quality of the stories as a material for teaching a foreign language
Developing tasks around the story
Using songs and rhythms/poems in class
Using games to maintain culture. Different concepts of culture in the classroom
Games and the moral and social development of children. Theories of Piaget, Kohlberg Mead and Vygotsky
Using games to learn the English language
References

Unit 7. Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)

CLIL definition and principles
Learning the content: cognitive development
Curricular models for CLIL in Early Years and Primary Education
Planning CLIL sessions
References

Unit 8. Topic-based approach or project-based work

Holistic approach of language learning: topic-based approach or project-based approach
Class preparation regarding topic-based approach or project-based approach
Communication in the topic-based approach or project-based approach
Results after a lesson with topic-based approach or project-based approach
References

Unit 9. ICT in the teaching-learning of English

Advantages and risks of ICT in the classroom
The role of ICT in the English class
Prepared materials
Interactive whiteboards
WebQuests
Material design: software for language teaching with the Internet
References

Unit 10. Formative/informal assessment of teaching-learning of the English language

Introduction to assessments
Basic principles of assessments
Quality criteria in assessments
Planning assessments <
Different types of assessments
Formative/informal assessments types and characteristics
References

Methodology

Metodología

The different tasks and activities programmed during the semester have been developed with the goal of adapting the learning process to the different capabilities, necessities and interests of the students.

The activities included in the subject are:

  • Work. These are activities of different types: reflection, case analysis, practice, etc.
  • Participation in events. Events are scheduled every week of the semester: virtual face-to-face sessions, discussion forums, tests.
  • Reading commentary. This is a very specific type of activity that consists in the analysis of texts of articles by expert authors in different units of the subject.

In the weekly program you can find the specific tasks you need to complete in this subject.
Descarga el pdf de la programación

These activities are combined with the following aspects:

  • Personal Study
  • Tutoring. The tutoring class can be implemented through different tools and means. During the course of the subject, the teacher-tutor plans the individual tutoring on specific days for the resolution of academic-oriented doubts through “Consultation sessions”. Supplementing these sessions, students have also available the “Ask your teacher” forum through which they can formulate questions and check the corresponding answers on general aspects of the subject.  Due to the very nature of the media used, there are no fixed schedules for the students.
  • Mandatory on-site final exam.

 

You can personalize your study plan choosing the type of activity that best matches your profile. The tutor will advise you and help you elaborate your study plan. S/he will always be available to guide throughout the course.
evaluación

Evaluation and assessment

The evaluation system is based on the following numerical chart:

0 - 4, 9

Suspenso

(SS)

5,0 - 6,9

Aprobado

(AP)

7,0 - 8,9

Notable

(NT)

9,0 - 10

Sobresaliente

(SB)

The grade is made up of two components:

calificación

On-site final exam (60 %). At the end of the semester, you need to assist a mandatory on-site final exam. You need to pass the final exam so the grade obtained from the assignments (continuous assessment) is summed up to the final grade of the subject. 

Continuous assessment (40 %): this type of assessment will be measured through the different assignments you need to complete during the course:

    • Active participation and involvement in forums, online classes.
    • Tasks. The completion of the different activities the students need to send through our virtual classroom such as research, critical thinking, practice cases.
    • Self-evaluation tests. At the end of each unit, students will find a short quiz which will help the students to check the knowledge acquired during the course.

Remember that you can check the points (value) of each assignment in the weekly program.

Take into account that the sum of the grades of the assignments included in the continuous assessment is 6 points. You can do as many as you want to until a maximum grade of 4 points (which is the maximum grade you will be obtaining in the continuous assessment)In the weekly program, you can find the grade of each assignment. .

Assessment method
Min. Score
Max. Score
Participation in forums, classes, etc.
0%
40%
Task, practice cases and activities
0%
40%
Self-evaluation test
0%
40%
On-site final exam
60%
60%

 

Bear in mind…
That if you decide to only take the final exam, you will need to have 5 points out of 6 to pass the subject.

Tips

Orientación para el estudio

Studying online means you can organize your study as you wish, as long as you meet the due dates of the different assignments (activities, tasks and tests). In order to help you, we propose the following steps:

  1. From our online platform you will have access to each of the subjects you are enrolled. Apart from this, the virtual classroom of Lo que necesitas saber antes de empezar (All you need to know before starting). In this section, you have available all the documents on how to use the different tools included in the virtual classroom, how a subject is organized and you will also have the possibility to organize your study plan with the tutor.
  2. Do not forget to check the weekly program. You will see which part of the content of the course you have to work on every week.
  3. After knowing your work for the week, go to Temas in your virtual classroom. There, you will have access to the study material (theory and practice) from the unit you need to study throughout the week.
  4. Start by reading the Key ideas of each unit, there you will find the specific study material and it will help you understand the most important points of the unit. Afterwards, check out the sections Specially Recommended and More Information where you will find more resources in order to deepen on the topic of the unit. .
  5. Devote some time to the practical cases and tasks in the subject (assignments and test). Remember that in your weekly program you find all the information related to the schedule for each assignment and the maximum grade you can obtain in each of them.
  6. We strongly recommend you to participate in the Events of the course (online classes, forums….). To know the precise schedule of the events, you need to check the communications tools in the virtual platform. Your teacher and tutor will inform you on the updates of the course.
In the virtual classroom of Lo que necesitas saber antes de empezar (All you need to know before starting) you will always find available information on the structure of the units and information on their sections

Remember that in Lo que necesitas saber antes de empezar (All you need to know before starting) you can check how the different tools of the virtual classroom work: email, forum, online classes, sending the tasks, etc.

Please, take into account the following tips…

  • Whatever you study plan is, go often to the virtual classroom so that you are always up to date about the course and you are in contact with your teacher and your tutor.
  • Remember you are not alone: send an email to your tutor if you have any doubt. If you attend the online classes, you can also ask your teacher about the contents of the unit. Also, you can always write your doubts and questions about  the contents in the Forum of each subject (Ask the teacher).
  • Be active and participate!  Whenever it is possible, attend the online classes and take part in the forums. The exchange of information, opinions, ideas and resources enrich us and the course.
  • And, remember, you are studying online: your effort and perseverance are the key element to obtain good results. Don’t leave everything to the last minute!!!