Master of Education in Languages
 
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Curriculum

The M.Ed. requires 36 credit hours of study, of which no more than nine may be transfer credit. Of the 36 hours, 15 are "core" courses in foriegn language education and linguistics; 15 are language-specific; and 6 are electives. At the conclusion of the program, degree candidates are required to pass a comprehensive examination or submit a professional portfolio for evaluation.

To fulfill the six-hour elective requirement, students may choose to pursue a traditional research thesis or an action research study (based on classroom research). Alternatively, the student may take six credit hours of coursework beyond the basic 30 hours. Elective courses, all related to the language area under study, are available in a number of disciplines at the College, including History, Political Science, and Psychology.

For all students: Core Curriculum
Language-specific: Spanish, French, ESOL

Core Curriculum

All students take a 15-hour "core", which includes courses on Research Methods, Applications of Technology, and Applied Linguistics. The core for all students includes the five following courses:

  • EDFS 635 Educational Research (3)
  • EDFS 687 Technology Education for Teachers (3)*
  • LALE 601 Applied Linguistics(3)
  • LALE 602 Advanced Methods of Second Language Teaching (3)
  • LALE 603 Second Language Acquisition (3)
*or an approved intermediate or advanced technology course.


COURSE DESCRIPTIONS - CORE COURSES

EDFS 635 EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH (3) - All Students

An in-depth study of methods used in different types of educational research. Includes involvement of the student in the process of educational research design, implementation, reporting, and evaluation.

EDFS 687 TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS (3) - All Students

This is an introductory course for pre-service and in-service teachers using technology in the classroom. Students become familiar with application software such as word processing, databases and hypermedia, desktop publishing, and telecommunications, and learn to evaluate hardware and software.

LALE 601: APPLIED LINGUISTICS (3) - All Students

This course provides an overview of linguistic disciplines and their application to language teaching. It addresses the complexities of second language learning, language teaching, and issues surrounding the training of language teachers.

LALE 602: ADVANCED LANGUAGE TEACHING METHODOLOGY (3) - All Students

This course incorporates the latest research findings on foreign language pedagogy and theory. Students will do an in-depth research report on a specific aspect of foreign language teaching and an action research project in their own classroom. Class sessions involve discussion of assigned readings, application of the content of the readings to teaching situations, and creation of lesson plans and classroom activities.

LALE 603: SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION (3) - All Students

This course introduces the field of second language acquisition from a theoretical and methodological perspective. Students will explore the most important linguistic, psychological, and social influences that affect the rate and course of second language acquisition. The course draws comparisons between the acquisition of a first and second language. Students will analyze actual second-language learner data. Prerequisite: Applied Linguistics.

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LANGUAGE-SPECIFIC COURSES (15 HOURS)

SPANISH COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

SPAN 614: TOPICS IN SPANISH CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION

Intensive exploration and analysis of Spanish culture through the study of selected topics in history, film, the arts, and popular culture. This course prepares teachers to incorporate and/or adapt cultural aspects as appropriate for middle and high school Spanish curricula.

SPAN 615: TOPICS IN LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION

Intensive exploration and analysis of Spanish American culture and civilization through the study of selected topics in history, film, the arts, and popular culture. This course prepares teachers to incorporate and/or adapt cultural aspects as appropriate for middle and high school curricula.

SPAN 624: LATINOS/AS LITERATURES AND CULTURES

An in-depth study of topics in U.S. Latino/a literature and culture focusing on Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cuban-Americans.

SPAN 630: SEMINAR IN HISPANIC STUDIES

An in-depth study of topics in Hispanic literature, linguistics, and/or cultures. May be repeated as topics change.

SPAN 671: YOUTH LITERATURE IN SPAIN

Examines youth literature in Spain from multicultural perspectives. Also treats topics such as fear, gender, race, and drugs in literature published at the turn of the century.

SPAN 682: ORAL PROFICIENCY

Emphasis is on practical activities designed to increase students' level of proficiency. Assignments focus on analyzing oral skills, diagnosing problem areas, and applying strategies.

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FRENCH COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

FREN 602: MODERN APPROACHES TO LITERATURE AND TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

This course is an introduction to various critical theories for literary analysis (genetic, thematic, stylistic, sociological, psychological, etc.) Students are provided with tools for analysis and will use them to write critical research papers and modern "explications de text."

FREN 603: STYLISTICS

This course combines stylistic analysis of texts with improving students' writing of literary analysis in French. Students will be introduced to various analytical tools, as well as notions of rhetoric, linguistics, and semantics. Students will apply these techniques to their own writing.

FREN 614: FRENCH COLONIAL LEGACY AND FRANCOPHONY

This course examines the French colonial legacy and determines its role in the expansion of the French language and in the birth of francophone societies.

FREN 630: SEMINAR IN FRENCH LANGUAGE STUDIES

The study of a topic in language that is outside the routine offerings of the department.

FREN 680: FRENCH PHONETICS AND PHONOLOGY

This course equips teachers with the knowledge and control of how spoken French is produced and enables them to identify and correct their own and others' non-French performance. Standard French at a neutral stylistic level is the dialect studied, but some exposure is given to the less formal pronunciation often used by native speakers and to phonetic variation according to demography, social status, or ethnic origin. The course also provides an overview of the historical evolution of sounds.

FREN 681: ORAL PROFICIENCY IN FRENCH

In this course students improve in interpersonal communicative competence and make cross-cultural comparisons of language events such as complaints, apologies, and exclamations. Instruction follows closely upon the Oral Proficiency Interview itself, allowing students to improve in language production while incorporating linguistic understanding into the language acquisition process.

FREN 682: FRENCH FOR MASS MEDIA

Acquisition of practical and advanced vocabulary and syntax used in mass media as well as an understanding of the role of print and electronic media and the Internet in shaping public opinion and effecting social, political and economic change, focusing on the role and practice of mass media in Francophone countries. The course prepares High School teachers to design and adapt an honors course in Media of Francophone countries.

FREN 683: REALISM AND NATURALISM IN FRENCH LITERATURE AND ART

A study of Realism and Naturalism through the works of painters such as Courbet and Manet, photographers such as Nadar, and writers such as Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, Zola, Maupassant, Baudelaire, and Huysmans. The first part of the course will place the evolution of Realism and Naturalism in the historical and social context of the time. The second part will be devoted to the study of a selection of visual works and literary texts.

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ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL) COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Students may qualify for the M.Ed. with a concentration in ESOL by completing 15 credits of the following ESOL courses.

EDFS 670: PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES OF TEACHING ENGLISH TO NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS

A survey course intended to provide pre-K through grade 12 educators knowledge of the principles underlying methodologies and techniques for promoting acquisition of a second language through academic content. The main focus is to demonstrate a variety of instructional strategies that can benefit all students in a multi-cultural classroom.

EDFS 671 TEACHING READING AND WRITING TO K-12 SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (3)

This course is intended to provide a theoretical foundation for the teaching of reading and writing English to limited English proficient (LEP) learners in K-12 schools. Participants will learn about dialogue journal writing, reading/writing workshops, family literacy, writing for publication, and writing in the content areas.

EDFS 672 LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION (3)

This survey course provided pre-K through grade 12 educators with an understanding of the issues affecting linguistically and culturally diverse learners in American schools. Topics include: history of ESOL and bilingual education, cultural and learning style preferences, cultural influences in curriculum and materials, legal issues, assessment, etc.

EDFS 673 ASSESSING STUDENT PERFORMANCE (3)

This class will provide a theoretical foundation for gathering and analyzing the data necessary for effective assessment of instruction serving language minority learners. Students will learn to question what kinds of data are collected, why and how data are used, and what kinds of data may be overlooked in the assessment process.

EDFS 680 TEACHING ENGLISH THROUGH THE CONTENT AREAS (OR CONTENT MODIFICATION FOR ESOL STUDENTS K-12) (3)

This course will focus on successful techniques for teaching both content and related academic language to all students. Students will learn how to make modifications for LEP students by using several techniques: graphic organizers, scaffolded lessons, cooperative learning, alternative assessment, and multicultural activities, etc.

EDFS 704 PRACTICUM IN THE INSTRUCTION OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE TO ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY LEARNERS (3)

This course will allow participants to practice teach for a minimum of three months in public schools. During this 100 hour practicum, students will visit and teach in at least two of the following: elementary, middle, and high school settings.

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