TESOL detailed syllabus

Module 1

Unit 1 - Language Teaching, Language Learning

• Introduction
• Language Teaching
  • Grammar-Translation Method
  • The Direct Method
  • The Audio-lingual Method
  • The Functional Approach
  • The Communicative Approach
  • Task-based learning
  • Conclusions
• Language Learning
  • Motivation
  • Language learning strategies
  • The 'good' learner
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 2 - Working in the Classroom

• Introduction
• Focus on the Teacher and Learner
  • 'Good' teachers
  • The students' and teacher's expectations
  • Interaction
  • Group work and pair work
• Focus on the Classroom
  • Seating
  • Your resources
  • Displays
  • The class library
  • Gestures
  • A general pattern of learning
• Focus on practical skills for the classroom
  • Giving instructions
  • Error correction in the classroom
  • Course books as a basis for your work
  • Board work
  • Useful teaching tips
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 3 - Language Awareness

• Introduction
• What is grammar?
• Grammar in language learning
  • Learning the grammar of our native language
  • Thinking about grammar
• The basic units of grammar
  • Linguistic levels
  • The structure of English sentences
  • Word classes
• Analysing language
  • The form
  • The meaning
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 4 - Issues in Presenting Language

• Introduction
• When to present a new piece of language
  • Grading language
• What to present
  • Content of presentations
  • Grammatical structures - form and meaning
• How to present a new piece of language
  • The presentation stage of the lesson
  • Effective presentations
  • Techniques
  • Explanation
  • Elicitation
  • Discovery learning
• Practical classroom techniques for presentations
• Feedback on the tasks

Module 2

Unit 5 - Speaking

• Introduction
• Speaking and writing
  • The basic building blocks of speech
• The sounds of English
• The phonemic chart for English
  • The consonants
  • The vowels
  • The diphthongs
  • Word stress
  • Indicating stress
  • Stress rules for English
• Elements in connected speech
  • Sentence stress
  • The features of connected speech
  • Intonation
• Speaking in the classroom
  • Getting the students to talk
  • Give the students a reason to talk
  • Some points about pronunciation
  • Practice drills
  • Some more communicative activities
  • What is the teacher's role?
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 6 - Listening

• Introduction
  • An important skill
  • Differences between listening and reading
• There's listening, and then there's listening
  • Clues to understanding
  • Listening and responding
  • The objectives of a programme of listening practice
• Characteristics of listening passages
  • Developing the sub-skills of listening
  • General listening
  • Listening for specific information
  • Listening for the message
  • Following instructions
  • Predicting
• Methods of developing your students' listening skills
  • Questions and answers
  • Short dialogues
  • Short passages
  • Re-ordering information
  • Information transfer
  • Using humour to develop listening skills
  • Dictation
  • Jig-saw listening
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 7 - Reading

• Introduction
  • Intensive and extensive reading
  • Attitudes to reading
  • Reading for a purpose
• Reading skills
  • Skills related to understanding
• Intensive reading
  • Before-reading activities
  • While-reading activities
• Intensive reading: the class reader
  • Selecting the reader
  • Preparing to read
  • Who does the reading?
  • While-reading activities
• Extensive reading - class library books
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 8 - Writing

• Introduction
• Types of writing
• The mechanics of writing
  • Sentences and paragraphs
  • Punctuation
  • Spelling
• Integrate the four language skills
• Controlled and guided writing
  • Controlled writing practice
  • Guided writing practice
• Marking
• Feedback on the tasks

Module 3

Unit 9 - Lesson Planning

• Introduction
  • Lesson planning and variety
• Lesson headings
  • Lesson steps and lesson activities
  • How much time will planning take?
• Sample lesson plans
  • Timing
• Sitting down to plan
• Other approaches to lesson planning
  • ARC
  • Task-Based Learning
• Problems with PPP
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 10 - Teaching Vocabulary

• Introduction
• Focus on vocabulary
  • What is a word?
  • Selecting the vocabulary
  • Productive and receptive vocabulary
  • Idiom, metaphor and similes
  • Word formation
  • Words in context
  • Using dictionaries and keeping a vocabulary record
• Focus on teaching vocabulary
• Developing the students' vocabulary skills
• Feedback on the tasks

Unit 11 - Practical Language Activities

• Introduction
• Word games and activities
• Picture games
• Group/class games
• Role play
• General activities

Unit 12 - Testing in the Classroom

• Introduction
• An introduction to testing
  • The environment
  • Why is the testing being conducted?
• Test types
  • Formative tests
  • Summative tests
  • Norm-referenced and criteria-referenced tests
  • What language skills are being tested?
• Getting the balance right
  • Objective and subjective questions
  • Correctness vs. appropriateness
• Stages in the development of a test
• Designing the questions
• Testing vocabulary
• Testing grammar
• Testing writing
• Testing reading comprehension
• Testing speaking
• Testing listening
• Feedback on the tasks
• Teaching around the world