Teaching Grammar Communicatively - Syllabus
Massive Open Online Course

Spring 2023 May 8- July 31, 2023

Download a pdf version of this page, together with module plans.

Course Overview

Description

In this practice-oriented course, participants will explore how to adapt grammar instruction to meet their students’ needs. They will also focus on integrating grammar instruction with teaching language skills, learn about task-based grammar learning and evaluate different error correction strategies. Participants will discuss different challenges their learners may have with learning grammar and discover how they can adapt grammar instruction to improve students’ fluency and accuracy.

Learning Objectives and Learner Outcomes

By the end of the course you will be able to…

• understand key issues concerning grammar acquisition;
• incorporate effective approaches and techniques of presenting and practicing grammar into your regular teaching;
• plan communicative grammar lessons for mixed ability classes;
• self-assess and improve your grammar lessons;
• give effective feedback to students.
  
  

Expectations and Grading

The course will be open from May 8 to July 31, 2023. In order to complete the modules, participants should work on and off line for about 3-5 hours per module.

This is a self-paced MOOC. You can complete course work anytime while the course is open, but you must move through the modules sequentially. Assignments can be completed at any time before the course close date on July 31, 2023. No late assignments will be accepted.

Technical Support

For technical support, please view the Technical Support page.

Content Support

For questions related to course content, please refer to the Content Support Discussion Board.

Netiquette

In the virtual classroom, learning is generated from active participation in discussion forums and the free exchange of ideas and experiences. Therefore, when communicating on the discussion board, it is important to follow a set of core principles which will help us increase the quality of online discussions, achieve group cohesion and maintain the community of practice – the key components of teacher professional growth:

1. Try to be clear and direct
   Make sure that your content title reflects the content of your post and that your post is succinct and direct.
   
   
2. Post relevant content
   Only post content relevant to the “Teaching Grammar Communicatively” MOOC. Any other content which is found to be unsuitable or irrelevant will be deleted.
   
   
3. Make it easier for colleagues to read your comments
   Put a blank space at the beginning of a message and between paragraphs.
   Be brief and specific. This is especially important in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which have thousands of participants. When writing a contribution, try to keep it within a 100-word limit. Your responses should preferably be up to 50 words.
   
   
4. Be constructive
   Respond to colleagues’ postings or comments in an encouraging and supportive tone. Think before you write or respond. Any criticism should be constructive—if in doubt, think about how you would feel reading a posting.
   
   
5. Be open to differences in opinion
   Be open to other people’s opinions and try not to get emotional if someone disagrees with you. Make your learning experience a constructive and positive one by avoiding ‘flaming’. For example, capitals can be interpreted as shouting. Words are powerful and can hurt; avoid anything which could be misinterpreted in any way. Think before you push the ‘send’ button.
   
   
6. Accept others
   Accept your peers’ differences (e.g. cultural and language differences). You are part of a community which means caring about your own progress and that of your colleagues’.
   
   
7. Cite other people’s work.
   If you use a quote or reference in your post; make sure that you cite it or provide a link to it.
   
   
8. No spamming
   Please don’t send advertisements to your peers or use your peers’ emails in any way other than how they intend it to be used.
   
   

Assessment and Certification

Participants who satisfactorily complete all required tasks with a score of 70% or above before the course close date will receive a digital badge and certificate of participation.

Evaluation Standards

The course also contains ungraded tasks:

1. Brief surveys (1-3 questions) and practice quizzes. These tasks are not graded, but you have to complete them in order to move forward to the next task.
   
   
2. Discussions. In this course, discussion forum participation is optional, but discussions will be facilitated. We encourage you to engage in a dialogue with fellow teachers from all over the world.
   
   
3. Reflection tasks. All modules end with self-reflection questions to get you thinking about the course content, your teaching and what you can do to improve it. You can complete these tasks in digital format or using an ordinary notebook. Please note that these tasks will not be submitted through Canvas or graded, but they will help you keep track of your learning and development.