CONT938: Language Fundamentals
What does it mean to be a language-sensitive teacher? Language is fundamental in academic learning and literacy development in K-12 classrooms. How might educators’ knowledge of the English language system contribute to effective instruction for diverse learners?
In this course, you’ll explore the essential components of language and linguistics that are most relevant for teaching reading, writing, and oral communication and supporting learning within and across academic disciplines. You will also learn instructional strategies to enhance students’ linguistic competence and academic success.
By the end of the course, you’ll be confident in your knowledge of how English works to plan learning experiences that effectively support students in their language and literacy development. In addition, you will know ways to enhance students’ abilities to process and communicate academic language at the word, sentence, and discourse levels within and across disciplinary contexts.
Learning Outcomes
What You Will Learn and Do
In this course you’ll have the opportunity to
- understand how language-sensitive teachers adapt disciplinary-specific teaching to enhance its effectiveness
- discover how language is a social and cultural tool that reflects one’s identity
- learn key concepts in phonetics, phonology, morphology, grammar, syntax, semantics, orthography, discourse, and sociolinguistics
- explore ways in which components of the language system influence language and literacy development
- learn how language works in the subjects you teach
- identify ways to address the components of language through intentional and explicit instruction in oral language and literacy development
- incorporate a language lens into disciplinary teaching and learning
- plan for language and literacy development with attention to linguistic form and function
- design and maximize opportunities for students to engage in productive and effective classroom discussions that empower learning and improve the quality of student discourse
- explain how English works confidently and competently to students
Assessments
Module 1
Why Study Language?
Module 2
How Is Language a System?
Progress Update 1
Module 3
What Is the Role of Orthography?
Module 4
How Do You Increase Vocabulary Knowledge?
Formative Assessment
Module 5
How Important Is Syntax?
Progress Update 2
Module 6
How Do You Respond to Linguistic Diversity?
Module 7
How Do You Build Language Across the Curriculum?
Module 8
Course Culminating Task
Summative Assessment