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Study Guide

TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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FITOTERAPIA, AROMATERAPIA Y NUTRICIÓN

STUDY GUIDE - TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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Contents

I

•• TEFL programme presentation

1. TEFL programme ................................................................................................ 2

1.1. Courses of the programme ........................................................................... 2

1.2. Pedagogical model and general aims of the programme ................................. 3

1.3. Structure of the courses ............................................................................... 3

1.4. Length of the courses, extensions and temporary leave .................................. 4

1.5. Course contents ........................................................................................... 5

1.5.1. Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) .................... 51.5.2. Máster en Lingüística aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés

como lengua extranjera (MLAEILE) ..................................................... 61.5.3. Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English

as a Foreign Language (TEFL) ............................................................ 71.5.4. Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language

Teaching and Learning (A) ................................................................. 71.5.5. Certificate in Applying the principles of Language

Teaching and Learning (B) ................................................................. 81.5.6. Certificate in Language and Culture (C) ............................................... 8

2. Learning process ................................................................................................ 9

2.1. The sensitization phase ................................................................................ 10

2.2. The teaching phase ..................................................................................... 10

2.3. The final project phase ................................................................................. 12

2.4. Assessment ................................................................................................. 132.4.1. Assessment tasks: submission and extensions ..................................... 13

2.4.2. Grading, exam sessions and reviews ................................................... 142.4.3. Requirements and tips for assignments ............................................... 152.4.4. Assessment criteria ............................................................................ 18

2.4.5. Assessment criteria for Final Project (FP) ............................................ 192.4.6. Reflective tasks ................................................................................. 20

II STUDY GUIDE - TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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3. Study tips ........................................................................................................... 20

4. The PANAL and the Virtual Campus (VC) .............................................................. 22

5. Forms of communication ..................................................................................... 23

TEFL PROGRAMME PRESENTATION

STUDY GUIDE - TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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This document is intended to be a reference guide for students enrolled in one of thefollowing courses:

- Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

- Máster en Lingüística aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera(MLAEILE).

- Advanced Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

- PostGraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

- Certificate A, B or C.

Therefore, it is essential that the student read carefully the academic informationregarding them.

One of the keys to success in studying by distance mode is being able to manage yourstudy time effectively. Below we outline how the program has been designed to helpyou study more effectively, and we also provide you with a number of study tips tohelp you organize your studies in order to ensure that you get the maximum out of yourdistance studies.

Besides, in order to orient yourself to the course more thoroughly, and thus derive themaximum benefit from it, there are a number of short books which we recommend youread. Oxford University Press has brought out a series of books which aim to introducethe reader to basic issues in linguistics. Each of these books is short and very easy toread, and each provides an excellent introduction to key areas which will be coveredduring the course. The series is called Oxford Introductions to Language Study (OILS),and the titles which we recommend, in order of preference, are:

2 STUDY GUIDE - TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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- Ellis, R. (1997): Second Language Acquisition. OUP.

- Scovel, T. (1998): Psycholinguistics. OUP.

- Spolsky, B. (1998): Sociolinguistics. OUP.

In addition to these there is another book from Cambridge University Press that providesyou with a fairly good overview of the central issues in ELT:

- Carter, R. and Nunan, D. (ed.), (2001) The Cambridge Guide to TeachingEnglish to Speakers of Other Languages. CUP.

Try to read at least one of these books during the orientation period. This will provideyou with a solid background for the first term.

- On-line Bookstores. There are a number of good on-line bookshops which willship books at reasonable prices:

- Amazon Bookstore. One of the best-known web bookstores, based in the USAwww.amazon.com

- The English Book Centre. A bookstore which specialises in TEFL books, basedin Br ita in. Discounts (10-15%) are avai lable for IATEFL memberswww.ebcoxford.co.uk

1. TEFL PROGRAMME

1.1. COURSES OF THE PROGRAMME

Courses in the TEFL programme correspond to any of the following modalities:

- Master:

- Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

- Máster en Lingüística aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés como lenguaextranjera (MLAEILE).

- Postgraduate Diploma:

- Advanced Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

- PostGraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

- Certificate A, B or C:

- Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language Teaching and Learning (A).

- Certificate in Applying the principles of Language Teaching and Learning(B).

- Certificate in Language and Culture (C).


3STUDY GUIDE - TEACHING ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

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1.2. PEDAGOGICAL MODEL AND GENERAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME

The programme designed for the Master, Diploma and Certificates in TEFL has manydistinctive features compared to other in-service teacher training programmes:

- It breaks away from the limited reductionist view that is generally hadconcerning on-line distance education, where the student is merely providedwith material and as such only encouraged to engage in individualistic learning.

- Along the lines of the above idea, special attention is paid to the processes thatare essential to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the training(collaborative and constructivist learning).

- The materials and the didactic resources have been specially designed to helpyou monitor and assess your own progress.

- Access is offered to all bibliography that can be considered compulsoryreadings.

- Efficient and flexible channels of communication are available to deal with yourqueries.

- Students are offered constant support and multiple ways in which tocommunicate with teachers and peers, both in relation to academic mattersand to those of personal interest.

This model focuses on four pillars of equal importance: students, teachers, materialsand activities.

The overall objective of the programme leading to the award of the Master, Diplomaand Certificates in TEFL is to provide a base for the development of the academic andprofessional skills required to teach English in any of the various teaching-learningcontexts that exist. The aim thus being to complement professional practice withcontemporary knowledge and insights, concerning the nature of foreign languagelearning and teaching, and to develop the perceptions, knowledge, resources andpractical skills necessary to build on this theoretical base.

The promotion of critical reflection is one of the aspects, which defines the very natureof the project, and bridges the gap between a solid theoretical knowledge and itsrequired practical application.

1.3. STRUCTURE OF THE COURSES

In order to be awarded The Master, Diploma and Certificates in TEFL the candidateshave to obtain a certain number of credits1. The table below summarises the credits foreach course.


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1.4. LENGTH OF THE COURSES, EXTENSIONS AND TEMPORARY LEAVE

The following table summarises the length of each course:

A student may take 1-3 months leave from the university exceptionally. A request mustbe submitted to the academic office of the headquarters in which he or she is enrolled.

Once the course date has expired, a student may request to his or her Final Project'sdirector or the academic office a 1-month extension at no cost.

Students who need more than one month to finish the course may request a 6-monthextension to the academic office in which they are enrolled. An extra fee must be paid.

1. These credits correspond to the courses awarded by Spanish universities. As regards foreign universities, they mayvary.

MASTER POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA CERTIFICATES

TEFL MLAEILE DIPLOMA ADVANCED DIPLOMAa

a. This course is only awarded by the University of Piura (Peru).

A B C

Subjects 51 cr. 48 cr. 33 cr. 68 cr. 18 cr. 12 cr. 12 cr.

Practicum 10 cr. ---- 7 cr.b

b. In this course the Practicum corresponds to the Final Project.

5 cr. ---- ---- ----

Final project 20 cr. 12 cr. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Total credits 81 cr. 60 cr.c

c. 15 credits corresponding to the previous training phase have to be added to the total credit load. Students who havenot been awarded a postgraduate diploma in the required areas of knowledge will have to take these 15 creditsmandatorily.

40 cr 73 cr. 18 cr. 12 cr. 12 cr.

COURSE LENGTH

Master TEFL 25 months

Master MLAEILE Between 18 and 30 monthsa

a. The length of the course will vary between 18 and 30 months according to the academic track chosen by the studentand whether or not it is necessary that he or she carries out the previous training course.

Advanced Diploma 25 months

PostGraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language 18 months

Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language Teaching and Learning (A) 8 months

Certificate in Applying the principles of Language Teaching and Learning (B) 4 months

Certificate in Language and Culture (C) 4 months



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1.5. COURSE CONTENTS

1.5.1. Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)2

SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING 18 creditsa

a. These credits correspond to the courses awarded by Spanish universities. In all other cases, they may vary according tothe university.

1. Second Language Acquisition 3 credits

2. Teaching Pronunciation 3 credits

3. Individual Factors in the learner's development 3 credits

4. Observation and Research in the language classroom 3 credits

5. Approaches to Language in the classroom context 3 credits

6. Content & Language Integrated Learning 3 credits

METHODOLOGIES AND MATERIALS IN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING 18 credits

1. Methodological Approaches 3 credits

2. Developing Language Skills in the classroom 3 credits

3. Materials and resources in Efl - design, creation, adaptation and evaluation 3 credits

4. Classroom Management - techniques and reflections on practice 3 credits

5. Computer Assisted Language Learning 3 credits

6. Teaching English through Translation 3 credits

CURRICULUM AND COURSE DESIGN 15 credits

1. Tasks and Projects 3 credits

2. Learning Strategies 3 credits

3. English in the community 3 credits

4. Assessment and Testing in the classroom 3 credits

5. Curriculum and Course Design - principles and practice 3 credits

MASTER FINAL PROJECT / PRACTICUM 30 credits

2. The subjects in the Advanced Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language are the same as the Master's.However, the Final Project requirements in the Advanced Diploma are lower.


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1.5.2. Máster en Lingüística aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera (MLAEILE)

QUALIFICATION MLAEILE 15 credits





5. Materials and resources in EFL - design, creation, adaptation and evaluation 3 credits

MASTER 60 credits





5. English in the community 4 credits






11. Assessment and Testing in the classroom 4 credits

12. Curriculum and Course Design - principles and practice 4 credits

MASTER FINAL PROJECT 12 credits



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1.5.3. Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

1.5.4. Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language Teaching and Learning (A)

SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING 15 creditsa

a. These credits correspond to the courses awarded by Spanish universities. In all other cases,they will vary according to the university.






METHODOLOGIES AND MATERIALS IN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING 15 credits






CURRICULUM AND COURSE DESIGN 3 credits


POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA FINAL PROJECT / PRACTICUM 7 credits







TOTAL CREDITS 18 creditsa

a. These credits correspond to the courses awarded by Spanish universities. In all other cases,they may vary according to the university.


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1.5.5. Certificate in Applying the principles of Language Teaching and Learning (B)

1.5.6. Certificate in Language and Culture (C)

For more details on the content of the subjects please see: http://www.funiber.org/areas-de-conocimiento/formacion-profesorado/






a. These credits correspond to the courses awarded by Spanish universities. In all othercases, they may vary according to the university.






a. These credits correspond to the courses awarded by Spanish universities. In all othercases, they may vary according to the university.



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2. LEARNING PROCESS

All students starting the course on the same date belong to the same group. Forexample, students starting on June the 15th belong to the same group regardless of thecourse they are following. To distinguish one group from another one an identificationlabel is assigned, following the criteria below:

That is to say, a student starting on June the 15th will belong to group fp_tefl_2012-06. The information about the area, the program and the language is immovable. Theonly difference between the groups is the information regarding the year and the monthof the call. At the same time, this information is used to identify the groups.

Every year there are three calls for starting the program: February (02), June (06), andOctober (10). In the previous example, "2012-06" refers to the group starting on June,2012. Therefore, the following groups are: fp_tefl_2012-10 / fp_tefl_2013-02 /fp_tefl_2013-06, and so on.

The Group Forum is a significant communication and academic tool in the course. Theuse of this forum is limited exclusively to the students belonging to the same group.This forum has two aims:

1. First, it is the space that the teacher of every subject uses to communicatepublicly with the whole group. Through it, the tutor specifies the beginning andend date of the tutorials, and provides academic information of general interestrelated to the subject. In this forum the student can state his/her doubts aboutthe information, but always respectful to the chain of messages initiated by theteacher. In case the student wants to consult or contribute on matters notraised by the teacher, he or she must get in touch with the him/her throughprivate mail, then the teacher will decide if it is opportune or not to move theconsultation or contribution to the forum and to share it with the rest ofstudents.

2. On the other hand, the Forum is also conceived to celebrate most of the groupacademic activities, which are programmed beforehand by teachers.

Students should enter this reference forum regularly in order to keep up with the work.

fp = Formación del Profesorado (area)

tefl = Teaching English as a Foreign Language (program)

2012 = Year when the student’s program begins

06 = Month when the students program begins


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The academic calendar for each group is available from the menu. The student mustonly take the subjects belonging to the course in which he or she is enrolled.

The learning process of the courses in the TEFL programme consists of three phases:the sensitization phase, the teaching phase and the Final Project phase. Detailedinformation on each of these phases is provided below:

2.1. THE SENSITIZATION PHASE

All the students will be provided with a period of orientation within the first two weeksof the course. This period has the dual purpose of socializing, in order to enhance thegroup atmosphere and the teacher/student relationship, and learning how to use the VC(how to send a VC e-mail, how to send attachments, how to post messages on theforums, etc.). Over the years we have been able to observe exactly how useful thisorientation period is and in fact, at times it can even be seen to be absolutely crucial inestablishing favorable group dynamics for the duration of the course.

In order to achieve these objectives, the student should read carefully the tutorialsincluded at Virtual Campus Orientation section (in the Home Page) and complete thepractical exercises. This practice will allow him / her to get used easily to the campusand quickly get to grips with the ins and outs of it. The completion of the practicalexercises is compulsory and we strongly recommend the student to pay attention to theinformation they provide because it is focused specifically on the programme thestudent is enrolled - tutorials, however, are generic to all Funiber programmes -. Thepractical exercises must be carried out in two weeks.

2.2. THE TEACHING PHASE

The teaching phase begins with the first subject specified in the academic calendar.

Here there is an example of calendar:



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As shown in the calendar above, the academic calendar is organized into semestersduring which the tutorials of three or four subjects take place. Tutorials are academicperiods called 'tutorials' that have a length of a month or a month and a half. During thetutorships of a subject, the student must focus on working with the contents, askingthe teacher for doubts or other issues and participating in the academic activitiesorganized in the Group Forum. At the end of the tutorship period, the student mustsubmit the corresponding assignment and/or exam.

The student should carry out two types of academic activities during his or her learningprocess:

i. Group activities:

- Debates on current issues from challenging questions.

MASTER CALENDAR - GROUP 21

TERM SUBJECTS TUTORIALS ASSIGNMENT DUE

TERM 1June - October 2008

- Virtual Campus Orientation 15/06/08 - 29/06/08 --------

- Methodological Approaches 30/06/08 - 05/08/08 10/08/08

- Second Language Acquisition 11/08/08 - 17/09/08 22/09/08

- Classroom Management 23/09/08 - 26/10/08 31/10/08

TERM 2November 2008 - February 2009

- Materials and Resources in Efl 03/11/08 - 03/12/08 08/12/08

- Developing Language Skills 09/12/08 - 23/12/0802/01/09 - 16/01/09 21/01/09

- Individual Factors 25/01/09 - 23/02/09 28/02/09

TERM 3March - June 2009

- Observation and Research 02/03/09 - 26/03/09 31/03/09

- Tasks and Projects 01/04/09 - 25/04/09 30/04/09

- CALL 01/05/09 - 26/05/09 31/05/09

- Learning Strategies 01/06/09 - 25/06/09 30/06/09

TERM 4July - October 2009

- Content Language Integrated Learning 01/07/09 - 26/07/09 31/07/09

- Teaching English through Translation 01/08/09 - 26/08/09 31/08/09

- Approaches to Language 01/09/09 - 25/09/09 30/09/09

- Teaching Pronunciation 01/10/09 - 24/10/09 29/10/09

- Practicum & Rp questionnaire due -------- 31/10/09

TERM 5November 2009 - February 2010

- Assessment and Testing 02/11/09 - 02/12/09 07/12/09

- Curriculum and Course Design 08/12/09 - 23/12/0904/01/10 - 19/01/10 24/01/10

- English in the Community 25/01/10 - 23/12/10 28/02/10

TERM 6March - July 2010 - Research Project 15/07/10


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- Practical case study and discussion.

- Task solving activities.

- Reflective and analytical activities.

- Material design activities.

- Preparation of assignments.

ii. Individual activities:

- Subject content and literature reading.

- Reflective and self-evaluated tasks.

- Preparation of assignments and exams.

- Raising questions to the teacher.

Before tutorials of a subject, it is strongly recommended that students:

- Read carefully the informative messages sent by the teacher to the GroupForum.

- Access the space which focuses only on the subject in order to get used to thecontent, mandatory readings, available resources (e.g. academic videos) andassessment tasks.

2.3. THE FINAL PROJECT PHASE

Obviously, this phase only takes place for courses in the programme in which a FinalProject must be carried out by the students.

Broadly speaking, the Final Project consists of choosing a topic in which you areinterested and doing a monographic project on it. The project can be practical andclassroom-oriented (e.g. teachers who want to improve their teaching practice) or it canbe research-oriented (e.g. teachers who want to do research in the TEFL field). It canalso be a combination of both orientations.

During the process, in different deadlines established in the academic calendar,students must hand in different documents to be reviewed by the Final ProjectSupervisor. This phase starts before the teaching stage is finished, although it isconsidered a different stage during the learning process. For more details, please seethe space in the campus devoted to this topic and the academic calendar from thegroup you belong to.



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2.4. ASSESSMENT

The way a subject is assessed will vary depending on learning objectives. The type ofassessment usually consists of a combination of test and qualitative activity (e.g.participating in a debate, doing an assignment). However, some subjects are onlyassessed by means of a test or an assignment. You will find the test and/ or assignmentin the icon “Evaluation” (within the subject itself). To know how to do them, you shouldsee the tutorials.

Taking into account that there are many possible tools for evaluation, the studentshould pay careful attention to any instructions posted in the Group Forum by theteacher. The student should also read carefully the guidelines that he/ she will find inthe icon “Evaluation” (within the subject itself).

2.4.1. Assessment tasks: submission and extensions

The assignments and tests must be sent in by the date indicated in the academiccalendar. Nevertheless, if a student is not able to send them on the date specified, he/she must contact the corresponding teacher immediately. The teacher will concede him/her an extension of 10 days (if the reasons for the delay are acceptable). In the finalanalysis, the tutor has the last word in these cases. All petitions asking for extensionsand late submissions must be made BEFORE the deadline. Any such petitions receivedafter the deadline may not be granted.

If a student cannot submit the assessment tasks within the extension period, he/ shewill have to do them the following semester, taking into account the date in which theaccess for the following group will be open (please see the academic calendar).

Nevertheless, please note that if, for any reason, you receive these materials later thanon the specified date, this does not alter your obligation to send in the relevant work onthe original dates specified in the academic calendar, given that up to the date ofreceipt a student can consult the relevant material corresponding to the particularsubject on the Virtual Campus.

If a student, for whatever circumstances, cannot continue to study on the coursewithin the norms laid down or if he/she has not been able to do the work over a periodof time, he/she would need to get into contact with the Academic Secretary. Once thecase has been studied by this department, the most adequate solution will be offered.


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2.4.2. Grading, exam sessions and reviews

All subjects will be assessed in the Virtual Campus (VC) on a scale of 0 to 10. The passmark is 7/ 10. The programs in Teaching English as a FL are interuniversity and they areoffered by several universities. Students enrolled in this Master’s degree will be able tochoose which university will award it. If the university uses a different scale, the markthat the student has obtained in the VC will be converted to the internal scale theuniversity focuses on. Afterwards, this new mark will be included in the student’sacademic record (PANAL). For example, if a student obtains 7/ 10 in the virtual campusand the pass mark in his/ her university is 8/ 10, the mark that will be included in his/her academic record will be 8/ 10.

On the other hand, if a student obtains a mark lower than 7 and then the mark forparticipating in other academic activities pushes this mark over 7, this is not consideredto be a pass.

The subjects assessed by means of a multiple-choice test together with theparticipation in extra academic activities are also graded on a numerical scale of 10points - 5 belong to the test and 5 to the extra academic activities. In order to pass thesubject, it is necessary to get a minimum of 7 points.

If a student obtains a failing grade, he/ she will be permitted to make up tests thefollowing semester. He/ she will have to do it taking into account the date on which theaccess for the following group will be open (please see the academic calendar).

There are three opportunities for passing a subject. If the three of them are used up, thestudent may take a special re-sit.

Group assignments and activities done by the student individually, without the tutor'sapproval, will get a maximum score of 8/10. One of the transversal competencesdeveloped within the program refers to knowing how to work in groups. In this regard,students have to comply with the academic requirements.

Likewise, once the student has been assessed and received a passing score, he/ she willnot be allowed to resubmit the corresponding activities or tests in order to improve thatscore.

Besides, the student can ask for a subject's grade review during seven days after thepublication of the final grade, never more. If he/she wants to ask for it, must do thefollowing:



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1. Firstly, contact the corresponding teacher through his/her internal e-mail, askfor a grade review, and justify why does not agree with the subject's finalgrade.

2. Then, if having discussed it with the teacher still disagrees with the subjectgrade, he / she can ask for a different teacher's review. To do so, the studenthas to write to Co-ordination and explain why does not agree with the subjectgrade. The decision will be issued in no more than one month.

2.4.3. Requirements and tips for assignments

Depending on the subject, the assignment and other academic tasks will be of apractical or an expositive-argumentative nature. By doing this, the student will have todemonstrate that he/ she masters the content in the mandatory readings of the subject,which are available in the icon “Subject material”.

Communication is a valuable skill that a student can demonstrate through the way he /she presents his/her assignments. Certain formal requirements are necessary in them,and the guidance below outlines these step by step:

i. Content and structure:

While each assignment draws on themes, issues and debates from particularsubjects included in the course materials, a student can obviously draw onmaterial either from elsewhere in the course or any wider reading he / she mayhave done or relevant experience he / she may have had. Students will beexpected to develop the course material with their own contribution. At thevery least, this means avoiding regurgitation of the course material and, inparticular, quotation of passages at length. The teachers marking assignmentswill have read the course materials, so students can make a point by simplereference and summary.

Understand and answer the question

If a question has several key phrases, students must make sure that theiranswer deals with all of them. Highlighting key phrases in the question is auseful technique to help students make sure they fully answer the question.Look particularly at important words like “critically explore”, or “compareand contrast”. Students should take care that they see phrases like “either/or” so that they do not provide more information than the answer requires.

Structure your assignment

Usually the best assignments give, in the opening paragraph, an outline ofthe intentions of the answer, and finish with a summary and conclusion.However, the introduction should not be longer than necessary to set outstudent's intentions. There is no need to stick strictly to essay format.Student's answers can include subheadings, which help to set the structure


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for the assignment. At certain points students may find it more economic touse devices such as lists rather than discursive continuous prose.

We recommend students to make sure there is a logical flow to thearguments that they develop. This may mean carefully selecting a limitednumber of arguments supported by appropriate examples, rather than tryingto regurgitate the entire contents of a subject.

Referencing

When referencing to books, articles, course materials, etc. in assignments,it is advisable to follow the format to be found in the course materials. It isimportant that the teacher marking the assignment can find the argument orquotation to which the student refers.

Below is an example of correct referencing, taken from an article entitled“Lesson art and design” by Scott Thornbury, ELT Journal 53/1:4-11.

It has been shown that, when planning, experienced teachers draw onmental schemata, or mental scripts (Shavelson and Stern 1981), andthat these provide a kind of template on which to map lower-orderplanning decisions. These mental scripts are often conceived in visualterms as lesson images. Westerman (1991:298), quotes oneexperienced teacher as saying, when asked to describe his planningdecisions: “I have a vision. I sort of know exactly how it's going to go.I've imagined it will happen”.

In the above extract, previous research into an area (lesson scripts) issummarized in Thornbury's own words, but reference is made to the originalauthors of this research, along with the year of the work (Shavelson andStern 1981). When a direct quotation from another work appears, as in theteacher's own words at the end of the extract above, the name of theauthor, the year and the exact page number appear in the reference. Both ofthese works (the one by Shavelson and Stern, and the one by Westerman),would then need to appear in the Bibliography of the assignment.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is copying another's work without stating the source from whereit is taken.

This is heavily penalized on the course, and could result in failing anassignment or being expelled from the course.

For this reason, it is very important to include correct referencing inassignments, following the conventions outlined in the paragraph above.

Style

Assignments need to be written in a suitable academic style of English, andthey should be both coherent and cohesive: teachers should easily be ableto understand it. Correct spelling is expected; students can easily checktheir spelling by running a simple Spell Check program once the assignmenthas been written.



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ii. Presentation:

The assignments' page limit changes depending on the subject and the kind ofassignment that must be done. In any case, this information will be available inthe “Assessment” section (see each subject in the Virtual Campus).

Also, the assignment must be labeled carefully (see information available in the“Assessment” section) and fulfill the following conditions:

Type Font: Times New Roman or Arial.

Font size: 11.

Line spacing: 1.5.

Alignment: Left- and right-justified.

Students need to make sure that their assignments conform to the abovementioned requisites. Assignments that are too short (i.e. do not reach thelower page limit) will be penalized, while assignments that are too long (i.e. gobeyond the upper page limit) will only be graded up to the page limit provided inthe table above.

iii. Naming the assignment and academic tasks files:

Students must follow these rules to name the assignment and academic tasksfiles:

- An individual assignment:

The assignment file name must contain this information:

- The student's group number.

- The student's name initial.

- The student's surname/s.

- The subject name's initials.

For example:

Student: Samuel López Cifuentes

Group: 2012-06

Subject: Second Language Acquisition

The right file name would be: 2012-06SLopezCifuentes_SLA

- A group assignment:

- The group number.

- The first student's name initial and his/her first surname.


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- The second student's name initial and his/her first surname.

- The subject name's initials.

For example:

Students: Samuel López and Rosa Sallán

Group: 2012-06

Subject: Tasks and Projects

The right file name would be: 2012-06SLopezRSallan_T&P

The assignments not following these rules will not be accepted.

2.4.4. Assessment criteria

A number of key criteria will be used in the marking and awarding of grades for yourassignments and other academic tasks. These are:

- Content:

- Have you answered the question in the title?

- Are relevant concepts and information included and accurately described?

- Have you drawn on, and do you clearly understand, the relevant parts of thesubject for the main content of your assignment?

- Have you made appropriate use of evidence for your arguments?

- Reflection:

- Has the content of the subject been critically explored and analyzed? (Thiswill include the systematic relating of theories and concepts to personalexperience).

These two areas (Content and Reflection) make up for 70% of the total mark.

- Structure and presentation:

- Have you presented a coherent argument?

- Is the assignment written in an appropriate style, with a good command ofwritten English?

- Is the assignment well written? (i.e. Is it easy to read?)

- Is the assignment appropriately structured, with a clear introduction,separate paragraphs for different arguments, and a conclusion?

- Have you properly acknowledged any quotes/ideas, and have you usedbibliographic conventions?



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This area (Structure and Presentation) make up 30% of the total mark.

An assignment may obtain a failing grade if it does not fulfill one of the followingconditions:

- The student's proficiency level is not minimally adequate.

- The length of the assignment is less than 75 of the minimum allowable limit.

- The assignment does not follow the instructions.

Once the assignment has been assessed, the student will be sent detailed commentsthrough the VC.

From the official date of submittal, teachers will have one month in which to assess theassignments.

2.4.5. Assessment criteria for Final Project (FP)

The usual assessment criteria are also applied to the Final Project. However, particularemphasis will be placed on the criterion of reflection and critical thinking, as well as onthe ability to apply the necessary skills and knowledge to carry out the type of FinalProject selected. Higher marks will be awarded to those students who are able to usethe Final Project as an effective learning experience.

Here are assessment criteria:

- Correct, accurate, complete, coherent, logical content.

- Maturity and mastery of the subjects which have been done during the course.

- Depth of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, interpretation and/ or resolution of thechosen topic.

- Relevance of the topic to contemporary, global, technological reality.

- Search, analysis, verification, information processing ability.

- Proper, updated literature management.

- Creative, critical contribution to the problem, situation or settings which arebeing analysed.

- Concrete, explicit, well organized presentation of information (additionalinformation must be included in the appendices).

- Appropriate language and presentation of information.

- Fulfilment of the required academic standards regarding the Final Projectcontent development.


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The Final Project will also be assessed on a numerical scale of 0-10:

- Students will pass the Project if they get a mark between 7 and 10.

- Students will fail the Final Project if the mark they get is below 5. Thedocument will be returned to students so that they can review it following theteacher's indications. Then students will have to resubmit the reviewed FinalProject to their Supervisor and the Academic Office so that it can bereassessed.

It may occur that the Final Project is refused because some professional or ethical codehas been violated. Then the academic committee will evaluate whether the student hasto be expelled from the program. If the committee decides that he or she can continue,the student will have to submit another Initial Proposal and begin the process of theFinal Project again.

2.4.6. Reflective tasks

These tasks are also available in the “Assessment” section (see each subject in the VC).They do not have a numerical grade and they are an optional component of the course.However, we would like to stress the important pedagogic value that is attached tothem in that they allow you to progress and assimilate the issues introduced in thecourse material in an orderly and reflective manner.

The main aim of these tasks is thus to help students in the understanding of the basicconcepts and topics that are dealt with in the subjects, while reflecting on these inrelation to their own teaching experience and context. The tasks should be answeredbriefly and succinctly, although there will be tasks which require slightly shorter (orslightly longer) answers.

3. STUDY TIPS

Research into motivation and learning strategies has shown that successful learnerstend to have well-developed resource management strategies, such as setting asidespecific regular times for study, studying in an appropriate place, and developinggeneral study plans to help them cope with workloads. These strategies are even moreimportant when one is learning by distance mode. Strategies, which students onprevious courses have developed, and which have been found to be very helpful,include:



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Work management strategies

- Drawing up a timetable at the beginning of the term in order to distributethe workload evenly.

- Putting this timetable up near the desk and ticking off work as it is done.

- Devising a way to approach the materials, which you find helpful, andfollowing it (e.g. the suggested procedure above).

- Working at regular scheduled times.

- Trying always to work in the same place, free from distractions.

- Not panicking when falling behind the work schedule, but ensuring thattime is put aside to catch up again.

- Ensuring regular free time for oneself and/or family.

Support strategies

- Finding colleagues who are interested in the same issues and talking overaspects and questions, which you are learning on the course.

- Making contact with peers on the course, by telephone and/or e-mail and/orthe Virtual Campus where you can contact peers and tutors via the VCmail, the group discussion lists and the on-line chat.

- Setting up study groups, who meet regularly (e.g. once/twice a month) withpeers. This can also be done via the Virtual Campus.

- All queries and doubts should be addressed to your course tutors and/or thecourse co-ordinator.

Metacognitive strategies

- Using study techniques, which work for you (e.g. highlighting the materialswhile you read; taking notes...).

- Evaluating and managing your learning during the course (e.g. by taking onboard feedback on assignments in subsequent assignments, attendingtutorials...).

- Breaking down questions into manageable parts in order to ensure that youreally know what the question is asking.


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4. THE PANAL AND THE VIRTUAL CAMPUS (VC)

The student interacts mainly through two platforms: the PANAL and the VirtualCampus. It is important that the student familiarize himself/ herself with these twowords from the beginning of the course.

PANAL is the abbreviation for "Punto de Acceso Normalizado a Aplicaciones e-Learning" (Standard Access Point to e-Learning Applications) and the gateway to theVirtual Campus for the program (or programs) the student is enrolled in. In this page thestudent has to enter his/ her access keys in order to see his/ her academic record andthe icon through which he/ she can access the Virtual Campus (and other resources).Once the student has entered his/ her access keys, the following page should appear:

Virtual Campus (VC) is the environment through which the academic program isdeveloped (including the communication between teachers and students). Below youwill find an example of the Virtual Campus home page:



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5. FORMS OF COMMUNICATION

This program has two academic offices. You must understand the function of each ofthe offices to know where to send your requests. Otherwise, your request may not beaccepted. To find the offices in the PANAL go to "Contact" and choose the appropriatearea (Teacher training).

a) Academic office (unique to the program): the academic office deals with VirtualCampus tutorials, it answers academic messages related to exam dates,assignments, re-sits, teachers and Final Projects (FP). Messages will bereceived immediately and they will be answered 24-48 hours later. Messageswill not be answered on weekends or during holidays. This office does not dealwith issues related to Funiber material, payements, extensions on payements,diploma processing or other administrative matters.

b) Academic and administrative office: this office provides access to the platform,and it deals with issues related to FUNIBER material, reinstatements, academicbreaks and academic extensions. Messages will be received immediately andthey will be answered 24-48 hours later. Messages will not be answered onweekends or during holidays.


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Documents

Presentacion Fpmtfl Eng