OISE Courses

This course offers a historical survey of second language teaching methodologies and provides students with theoretical knowledge of innovative current practices, including the movement to a post-method era, new ways of teaching traditional second language skills, and other key issues current in the field. All learner groups are considered in minority and majority settings in Canada and internationally, though English and French are emphasized.

This course deals with current theory and practice in the development of the second language curriculum -- the planning, needs analysis, objectives, content, structure, and evaluation of second language programs for preschoolers to adults. The course is not an introduction to language teaching methods, but rather assumes that participants have taken such a course previously and/or have significant language teaching experience, which they now wish to consolidate -- by studying fundamental issues, current theory and research, recent publications and curriculum initiatives -- to develop their professional knowledge and capacities in this area.

This seminar focuses on discourse and discourse analysis, and their application to the field of second language education. We will review various approaches to discourse analysis, such as pragmatics, ethnomethodology, conversation analysis, interactional analysis, critical discourse analysis. We will consider language and discourse from the perspective of political economy and the construction of identities. Attention will also be paid to gender, gender performance and sexuality as identity constructs, as these are interrelated with language use and language acquisition.

Linguistic and cultural diversity have always characterized human societies and have usually played a central role in mediating power relations between dominant and subordinate groups. In recent years, theorists working within the framework of Critical Pedagogy have begun to describe how societal power relations are manifested in schools both through interpersonal interactions and the hidden curriculum. In particular, theory has focused on how language use and language learning interact with dimensions such as class, race, ethnicity, and gender in mediating power relations within the educational system. The course will focus on this body of theory and research and explore its applications to current educational issues related to minority students in both Canadian and international contexts.

This course examines theory and research in second language (L2) acquisition, including cognitive, linguistic, social, biological and affective variables that account for relative success in L2 learning. The role of instruction in L2 learning is also discussed.

This course examines bilingual education in its many forms. Particular emphasis will be placed on research questions and findings related to bilingual education in Canada - for English Canadians, French Canadians, immigrant populations, and Native peoples. Issues such as the effects of bilingualism on cognitive functioning, psycholinguistic abilities, and personality will also be explored.

This course provides an overview of current practices and problematic issues in language assessment. Topics include approaches commonly taken to developing and using language assessment instruments and procedures, their evaluation, and their applications in specific educational contexts.

A seminar to examine research on literacy education in second, foreign, or minority languages in subject or medium of instruction programs. Psychological and social perspectives are explored in relation to commonalities among and differences between second-language teaching in various kinds of world contexts.

The study of language politics, language planning and policy-making focuses on how social groups, governments, and other bodies, are involved in language issues, such as language teaching. There are few countries in the world today where language does not give rise to political debates. The state is frequently involved in the way decisions are taken about the languages to be used and promoted in various domains of public life (e.g. education, justice, the media) and even about what ''counts'' as a language. This course aims at providing some understanding of works conducted in this field, the way in which they are developing and the problems they face. There will be an emphasis on practical examples of language planning and policy issues drawn from Canada and other countries, and there will be scope for students to nominate examples, topics or case studies for class consideration. The course is suitable for students interested in the wider policy contexts in Canada and overseas of language education and language issues.

This course focuses on second-language writing, with special attention to relations between research, theory, and practice. Topics include text, psychological and social models of second-language writing instruction and learning, ways of responding to student writing, and techniques for evaluating writing.

In this course the many dimensions of second and foreign language teacher education will be explored. The course will focus on four main areas including 1) the foundations of second language teacher education, 2) initial teacher preparation, 3) in-service education and on-going professional development as well as 4) activities and procedures for second language teacher education. Consideration will be given to the specific needs of different types of second language teachers working in either traditional or non-traditional learning environments with learners of different ages. The implications of responding to these diverse needs for second language teacher education will also be explored.

This course addresses the influences of community, home, school, and cultural heritage on (second) language acquisition and language use. Social and educational implications of language variation are addressed, particularly as they relate to language policy and social and linguistic change. Factors such as gender, ethnicity, race, and socioeconomic background are studied as they relate to language use and perception. The current status of different language minority groups is considered, and related cultural and pedagogical issues are raised. Students will acquire an understanding of basic concepts, findings, issues, and research methods in sociolinguistics as they relate to second and foreign language learning, teaching, and use. They will develop a sociolinguistic perspective for the teaching and learning of second and foreign languages and obtain experience in the use of sociolinguistic techniques for the description of language in society as it pertains to second language learning, teaching, and use.

This course examines theories, research methods, and substantive findings about second language speakers' and learners' pragmatic style and development. Themes to be explored include the relationship between pragmatic and grammatical development, the role of different learning environments (such as study abroad, EFL vs. ESL), options and effects of instruction, individual differences, institutional discourse, cross-cultural politeness studies, electronic communication, and the interrelation of social context, identity, and L2 pragmatic learning. Through the class, students will understand basic concepts, findings, issues, and research methods in interlanguage and cross-cultural pragmatics; develop perspectives on the teaching and learning of second and foreign languages as pertains to the acquisition of pragmatic competence; and investigate in detail a topic related to the field of interlanguage pragmatics.

An analysis of the components of literacy programs in the early years. The course will focus on reading and writing elementary education, and will use a wide range of methods and materials of instruction. Topics include: child- and teacher-centred philosophies, content area literacy, use of digital technology, and assessing growth in reading and writing.

An examination of the nature and function of the study of literature. Children's Literature as a Foundation of Literate and culture in elementary schools. This course is designed for experienced teachers who will develop programs, select texts, explore interpretations, and consider implications and applications for schools.

This course examines a number of theoretical perspectives on literacy exploring their implications for work with Theory and Practice in Elementary literacy, learning and instruction. Topics such as literacy across the curriculum, reading comprehension, beginning writing instruction, use of media and technology in writing, and sociocultural influences on literacy learning, will be explored in terms of various theoretical approaches.

This course explores ways to bring children, cultural diversity and literature together in an interactive manner. Stories - whether traditional folktales or contemporary multicultural works - not only help define a child's identity and understanding of self, but also allow others to look into, appreciate, and embrace another culture. Class discussions revolve around an annotated bibliography of articles and books concerned with multicultural children's literature prepared specifically for the course and designed primarily for teachers in mainstream as well as ESL (English as a Second Language) and heritage language classes. The practical aim is for teachers to learn how to take advantage of the cultural diversity and interests that children of varied backgrounds bring to the classroom and to explore themes in folklore in order to open up the world of literature to all their students. The focus is to develop strategies for engaging students in classrooms in meaningful dialogue about diversity using the medium of personal interaction with the multicultural text. Throughout the course, we focus on how to encourage students to share their own cultural stories and ''border cross'' from one world to another. Particular emphasis is placed on the relevance of multicultural children's literature to minority students' self-esteem and literacy formation and to the school's relationship to minority and majority communities in addition to its relevance in confronting issues of human rights and social justice.

This course addresses theories of writing instruction and assessment that influence current classroom practice. Connections between theory and practice will be explored in terms of what it means to be a writer and a teacher of writing. Issues such as the teaching of writing conventions, writing assessment, sociocultural influences on students' writing, and the teacher's role in guiding student writing will be examined.

An exploration of the relationships between theory, research findings, course members' teaching experiences. Course members contribute their teaching experience as a context in which the group discusses ideas drawn as far as possible from original sources read and reported on. The topic, language and learning, cuts across various areas commonly taught in the school curriculum and embraces original work in a number of disciplines (e.g., philosophy, linguistics, psychology, sociology, literary criticism).

"New Literacies: Making Multiple Meanings" is a graduate seminar for masters and doctoral students interested in exploring issues and research literature in the field of literacy. This course takes up the notion that literacy is not singular, but multiple and ideological: diverse social practices that are embedded in local contexts. The course is designed as a collaborative inquiry into uses and associations that "literacy" has in particular educational projects and contexts. Using a seminar format, we will look at theoretical and empirical literature as well as examples from practice to explore the social functions of literacy in work, home, and school settings, with an eye toward how these conversations and ideas can be useful for researching, theorizing, and teaching in our own areas of interest. We examine new and historical developments in New Literacy Studies, multiliteracies, multimodality, critical literacy, as well as practitioner and activist traditions, and other work that considers literacy in relation to critical, social, political, technological, and educational factors.

Note: CTL3034H-New Literacies: Making Multiple Meanings, is cross-listed between LLE and C&P and therefore also counts towards C&P program requirements.

This course focuses on critical literacy and the theories that underpin it. Throughout the course participants are asked to explore issues raised by critical literacy in relation to their own circumstances, particularly as these pertain to educational issues within society. This course challenges participants to develop critical questions with application to personal/professional contexts. Video clips of interviews with renowned scholars in literacy studies form the basis of this interactive course. Major questions discussed throughout the course are: What is literacy? What is critical literacy? What is the history of critical literacy? - What is so critical about critical literacy? What are the theoretical underpinnings of critical literacy? How do critical literacies converge and diverge with multiliteracies? What does critical literacy look like in practice? Graduate students will be asked to generate additional critical questions that contribute to individual or collective critical inquiry projects such as a critical literature review, a thesis research project or a curriculum analysis that investigates burning questions about critical literacies.

This course focuses on the pragmatics of expressive writing in a range of pedagogical settings. Students will experience the ways in which a range of styles and modes of expressive writing operate in various prose forms including personal narratives, arguments, evaluations, interviews, and reports. Students will consider the implications of this expressivist pedagogy for educational practice from elementary to post-secondary learning. Students will work both independently and collaboratively. Assessment will be portfolio-based.

This course, focusing on (auto)biography, provides graduate students the opportunity to critically analyze biographical contexts of influential educational researchers and scholars such as Henry Giroux, Maxine Greene, and William Pinar, amongst others. Using relevant theoretical frameworks, course participants will engage with the biographies of numerous scholars and will critically discuss the important contributions they have made to the educational field. Students will also have the opportunity to explore and reflect on their own lived experiences and circumstances, particularly in relation to educational issues within society. Video clips of interviews with renowned scholars form the basis of this interactive course.

This course brings together research and practice in primary classrooms, introducing sociolinguistic and sociocultural perspectives on young children’s oral language and literacy (with a focus on writing and other symbolic representation), and play-based pedagogy supporting literacy. In addition to contributing to ongoing online conversations about readings, students will learn a story well enough to tell it to an audience and discuss the play-based pedagogical possibilities of the story. Students will also develop a creative collaborative curriculum activity intended to support young children’s oral language and literacy.

This course is designed primarily for graduate students whose first language or dominant language is not Standard English. In this course students will use an action research approach to analyze their own progress in actively acquiring Academic English proficiency. They will learn about the research, theories, and practices which inform our understanding of academic language skills necessary for success in graduate studies, and how they are acquired by learners of English as a Second Language. This will be achieved through a combination of critically reviewing scholarly articles/lectures on the acquisition of academic English proficiency and the sub-skills this comprises, applying second language acquisition research methods in a self-study project, and engaging in collaborative learning to develop graduate level academic language and literacies. Learning outcomes are assessed on the basis of students’ progress, self-evaluations, peer-to-peer feedback, and language acquisition; as such, grades for the class are credit/no credit only.