MA Course Descriptions

AL 8240 GENERAL LINGUISTICS 3.0

General Linguistics.
An introduction to linguistic theory focusing on subtopics of particular relevance to language teachers: phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.

AL 8250 SECOND LANG ACQUISITION 3.0
Second Language Acquisition.
Survey of the complex variables underlying second language acquisition and the various perspectives that inform second language acquisition theories. Current theories of second language acquisition and their implications for second language teaching.

AL 8320 SOUND SYSTEM OF ENGLISH 3.0
The Sound System of English.
Comprehensive treatment of second language pronunciation pedagogy drawing on current theory, research, and practice. A thorough grounding in the sound system of North American English and in research on the acquisition of second language pronunciation abilities. In-depth discussion of instructional issues.

AL 8330 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION 3.0
Intercultural Communication.
An overview of intercultural communication, including cultural differences in pedagogy and the role of culture in second language acquisition.

AL 8450 APPROACHES TO TCH SEC LANG 3.0
Approaches to Teaching Second/Foreign Languages.
An overview, description, and analysis of methods and approaches to second language teaching. Focus on theoretical perspectives, major issues, and current controversies. Examination of the historical and theoretical foundations. Particular attention to long-term development of language teachers as decision-makers and problem-solvers.

AL 8460 ENG GRAM FOR ESL/EFL TCHR 3.0
English Grammar for ESL/EFL Teachers.
Investigation of the characteristics of the English language with emphasis on form and meaning in discourse. Discussion and applications to the teaching of ESL/EFL, especially the development and modification of language-teaching curricula, lessons, and materials.

AL 8470 SOCIOLINGUISTICS 3.0
Sociolinguistics.
The fundamental concepts of sociolinguistics: the study of the interplay of linguistic, social, and cultural factors in human communication. Relation of those concepts to the concerns of language teaching, particularly the teaching of English as a second or foreign language.

AL 8480 CLASSROOM PRAC IN TESL/FL 3.0
Classroom Practices in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language.
Emphasis on practical needs of prospective English language teachers and complement to the department’s required AL 8450 course. Focus specifically on classroom techniques, instructional procedures, and teacher/learner behaviors. Familiarization with instructional procedures consistent with established theoretical principles of second language teaching/learning.

AL 8500 PRAGMATICS & LANG TCHNG 3.0
Pragmatics and Language Teaching.
A survey of pragmatic theory, its influence on the development of notions of communicative competence, and the bridge between theory and classroom practice in communicative language teaching.

AL 8520 PSYCHOLINGUISTICS 3.0
Psycholinguistics.
A broad introduction to psycholinguistics at the graduate level, covering general methodology for the study of psycholinguistics, the nature of language, biological bases of language, language and the brain, animal communication systems, language comprehension, discourse processing, speech perception and production, and first and second language development.

AL 8530 ISS IN SEC LANG WRITING 3.0
Issues in Second Language Writing.
Theories and practices underlying the teaching and learning of second language writing. Emphasis on developing the background necessary for graduate students to examine and refine their own pedagogical positions on the teaching of writing.

AL 8550 SECOND LANG EVALUATION 3.0
Second Language Evaluation and Assessment.
An overview of language testing with a focus on the development of teacher-generated tests to measure students’ achievement in a second language.

AL 8570 SECOND LANGUAGE READING-WRITING RELATIONSHIPS
Examination of evolving theories o reading and writing as interconnected sociocognitive processes and of the changing nature of these processes in the transition from print to electronic illiteracies. Exploration of pedagogical implications of the new multiliteracies for second language classrooms.

AL 8660 MATER DESIGN & PUB 3.0
Materials Design, Development and Publication.
Analysis of materials used in teaching ESL/EFL. Investigation of teacher and student use of materials. Design, development, and publication of a set of materials.

AL 8710 RESEARCH METHODS IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS 3.0
Research Design and Statistics for Applied Linguistics.
Fundamental concepts of research design and statistics. Research planning for experimental design and data analysis.

AL 8760 CORPUS LINGUISTICS 3.0
Corpus Linguistics
Review of the literature on corpus linguistics with a focus on both the conceptual and methodological underpinnings of the field. Analysis of a selection of corpora of English. Development of corpora. Use of concordancing software in corpus analysis.

AL 8770 CONVERSATION ANALYSIS 3.0
Conversation Analysis Introduction to the principles, tools, and methods used in the empirical study of the structure of conversation, with special emphasis on analysis of differences between cultures and issues arising in native/non-native speaker interaction.

AL 8780 DISCRSE ANALYS 3.0
Discourse Analysis for Language Teachers.
In-depth investigation of various topics related to the analysis of oral discourse. Using insights from several approaches to discourse analysis, this course focuses on the nature of spoken communication with special emphasis on how discourse analysis can be effectively used in L2 classrooms. A primary goal is to develop analytical skills for purposes of teaching and research.

AL 8900 PRACTICUM: TEACHING ESL 3.0
Practicum in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Practical teaching experience for preservice teachers of English as a second language. Enrollment is limited to AL/ESL graduate students whose schedules permit them to observe and participate in the practicum supervisor’s ESL course.