This course provides educators an in-depth exploration of the theoretical foundations that inform the practice of teaching English as a second language (ESL). A wide range of theoretical perspectives and pedagogical approaches will be explored, with an emphasis on critical analysis and practical application. Included will be an overview of the historical, social, and cultural factors that have shaped the field of ESL teaching, including the role of English as a global language and the implications of language policy and planning. Then the course will delve into various theoretical frameworks, including behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, and examine their relevance to language learning and teaching.

*20 hours of clinical work in course: Included in this course is 20 of the 100 required hours of clinical work for the ESL/bilingual endorsement.
**Clinical hours alternative: As an alternative to the clinical hours you may provide an administrator’s letter stating that you are assigned to classes with English learners and/or in a bilingual setting. If you are using this option you will need to provide this documentation to each instructor in the 5 courses you are taking for the endorsement.

At the completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

• Analyze and evaluate the historical, social, and cultural factors that have shaped the field of ESL teaching and their implications for current practice. InTASC 4,10
• Compare and contrast different theoretical frameworks, including behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism, and evaluate their relevance to language learning and teaching. InTASC 1,4
• Analyze and evaluate different pedagogical approaches to teaching ESL, including communicative language teaching, task-based language teaching, and content-based language teaching, and assess their strengths and weaknesses in relation to different learning contexts and student needs. InTASC 1,8
• Apply theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches covered in the course to develop and implement a teaching project that addresses the language learning needs of a specific group of learners. InTASC 1,2,6
• Reflect on their own teaching practices and consider how the theoretical frameworks and pedagogical approaches covered in the course can inform and enhance their teaching. InTASC 3,7,9