Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia
Vicerrectoría Académica y de Investigación
Syllabus of the Course Didactics of English, Code 518022
1. Course Information
The course is part of the academic unit: Escuela de Ciencias de la Educación
ECEDU
Academic degree level: Profesional Training field: Disciplinar
Number of credits: 2 Course type: Methodological
The course does not have a re-Take Course designed by: Silvia Juliana
exam León Calderón
Course updated by: N/A
Date of update: Tuesday, June 14,
Date of design: Tuesday, June 14, 2022
2022
Course Description:
The academic course Didactics of English is part of the specific disciplinary field and
is a methodological course (theoretical and practical), which belongs to the route of
the practical component of the Licenciatura en Lenguas extranjeras con énfasis en
Inglés in its Participant Observation phase. This compulsory theoretical and practical
course is divided into two units and is designed to be developed over a period of 16
weeks. The first unit focuses on the generalities of language teaching, including
language teaching terminology and the skills required for teachers. The second unit
consists of an understanding of the four language skills in language teaching.
For this course, students must develop 32 hours of participant observation practice
in which 20 of them are carried out in public or private educational institutions with
which UNAD has a cooperation agreement in either face-to-face or virtual
environments. Therefore, these 32 hours will be completed as follows:
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Task Number Time allotted for the development
of the observation-participant
practicum
Phase 2 - Language theories 8 hours (participant observation
practice)
2 hours (Material Development)
3 hours ESAPEC
Phase 3 - Language Skills 8 hours (participant observation
practice)
2 hours (Material Development)
Phase 4 - Simulated Practice 3 hours for adjusting E-portfolio
3 hours for Simulator
3 hours ESAPEC
The core of the course is NP2, Pedagogical and didactic strategies with the use of ICT
for the strengthening of foreign language teaching. Regarding the learning outcomes
corresponding to each of the activities that are in the structure of the course, they
seek to strengthen the pedagogical skills for teaching a foreign language, thus
involving the use of ICT within the teaching process, applying the methodologies and
effective forms of evaluation. Similarly, the course integrates both the purpose and
the learning outcomes and activities of the NIP structure that are at the heart of the
curriculum design of the program oriented towards the development of pedagogical
knowledge, and answers the following problem question: How can the pedagogical
and didactic foundations be strengthened with the use of ICT in the teaching and
learning of foreign languages to contribute to the training of innovative teachers
acting in different contexts?
The course Didactics of English is part of the participant observation phase of the
practical component of the program, where the student must: complete the assigned
2
number of hours of participant observation practice in an educational institution or a
virtual environment; attend face-to-face or virtual meetings at UNAD (ESAPEC);
participate in synchronous meetings with the tutor of the course. All these strategies
are planned with the aim of developing a permanent feedback process. In this
participant observation phase, students will participate and reflect on the dynamics
of the classroom in the teaching-learning of the foreign language in order to identify
some theoretical principles learned in the learner’s context. It emphasizes on the
procedural knowledge; by its nature it deepens the theoretical-practical relationship
for its pedagogical and educational development in processes, procedures,
techniques, methods, and methodologies necessary for the disciplinary transfer of
knowledge.
2. Course Learning Purpose:
The course learning purpose is:
● Comprehend the fundamental principles of the Didactics of English through the
identification and critical analysis of different teaching methodologies and
language theories in the language classroom in order to identify current
practices in language teaching.
3. Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the course the student will be able to:
Learning Outcome 1: Recognize the characteristics of a didactics of English course
along with the particularities and guidelines of its pedagogical and educational
practice component.
Learning Outcome 2: Recognize foreign language theories and the main features of
a syllabus in the process of observing the teaching of English in educational settings.
Learning Outcome 3: Examine the development of receptive and productive skills in
the teaching of English as a foreign language by creating and implementing material
to foster such skills.
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Learning Outcome 4: Apply the different theories covered in the course in the
solution of a simulated educational problematic situation that may arise in a
language classroom.
Learning Outcome 5: Critically reflect on the process of the participant observation
practice and the process of teaching English through a SWOT analysis that allow to
initiate a research question.
4. Learning Strategy:
The Learning Strategy for the course is: Scenario-based Learning (SBL).
This Learning Strategy is based on: Scenario-based learning courses use real-life
situations to convey content. This allows for an increased level of interactivity as
the simple exposure of theory is replaced by a practical application. In simple
words, scenarios are an ideal resource to bring the student closer to the course
content and to give meaning to what they are learning. (Gutiérrez, 2012).
The Learning Strategy is organized in 5 Phases
• Phase 1: Recognition Activity
• Phase 2: Language theories and syllabus
• Phase 3: Language and teachers’ skills
• Phase 4: Simulated scenario
• Phase 5: Final Activity
5. Course Contents and Bibliographic References
Unit 1: Language Teaching
In this unit, the following contents will be addressed:
• Concept of Didactics of English
• Concept of Syllabus and syllabus design
• Types of syllabi
• Theories of Teaching in Language Teaching
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To address the contents, the following bibliographic references are required:
Bates, A. W. (2019). Epistemology and theories of learning in Teaching in a digital
age (2nd ed.) (pp. 50-62). Tony Bates Associates Ltd.
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/
Breen, M. (2001). Syllabus Design. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge
Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (The Cambridge Guides,
pp. 151-159). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi-
org.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/10.1017/CBO9780511667206.023
Murphy, R. S. (2018). The Concept of Syllabus Design and Curriculum Development:
A Look at Five Major Syllabus Designs. In Issues in Syllabus Design (pp. 1-23). Brill
Sense.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322852723_The_Concept_of_Syllabus_D
esign_and_Curriculum_Development_A_Look_at_Five_Major_Syllabus_Designs
Richards, J. (2002). Theories of Teaching in Language Teaching. In J. Richards & W.
Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in Language Teaching: An Anthology of Current
Practice (Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching, pp. 19-26). Cambridge:
Cambridge University. https://doi-
org.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/10.1017/CBO9780511667190.004
Ur, P. (1999). The syllabus. In A Course in Language Teaching Trainee Book
(Cambridge Teacher Training and Development, pp. 76-78). Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press. https://www-cambridge-
org.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/core/services/aop-cambridge-
core/content/view/E29ADC0F40A58D33B90BDD5B3B243CB6/9780511732928c12_p
76-78_CBO.pdf/syllabus.pdf
Pinto, A. (2020). OVI Unit 1 - Syllabus Design. [Video File].
https://repository.unad.edu.co/handle/10596/35985
VIMEP. (2020). Instructivo para la usabilidad de Normas internacionales de citación
APA 7a Edición [PDF]. Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia.
https://repository.unad.edu.co/static/pdf/Norma_APA_7_Edicion.pdf
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Unit 2: Language Skills
In this unit, the following contents will be addressed:
• Teacher’s skill in the new digital era
• Teaching receptive and productive language skills with the help of techniques
• Receptive and productive language skills in language teaching
To address the contents, the following bibliographic references are required:
Bates, A. W. (2019). The skills needed in a digital age in Teaching in a digital age
(2nd ed.) (pp. 30-33). Tony Bates Associates Ltd.
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/
Bygate, M. (2001). Speaking. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge Guide
to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (The Cambridge Guides, pp.
14-20). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi-
org.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/10.1017/CBO9780511667206.003
Ganesh, M. (2015). Teaching receptive and productive language skills with the help
of techniques. Pune Research an international journal in English, 1(2).
http://puneresearch.com/media/data/issues/55fbb8b0dd37d.pdf
Ivančić, M. & Mandić, A. (2014). Receptive and productive language skills in
language teaching. In Academia.Edu.
https://www.academia.edu/15220943/Receptive_and_productive_language_skills_in
_language_teaching
Leon, S. (2022). Designing English language material [OVI] UNAD Repository
https://repository.unad.edu.co/handle/10596/50302
Reid, J. (2001). Writing. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge Guide to
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (The Cambridge Guides, pp. 28-
33). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi-
org.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/10.1017/CBO9780511667206.005
Richards, J.C. (2011). Exploring teacher competence in language teaching.
Language Teaching, 35, 3. https://doi.org/10.37546/JALTTLT35.4-2
Rost, M. (2001). Listening. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge Guide to
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (The Cambridge Guides, pp. 7-
6
13). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi-
org.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/10.1017/CBO9780511667206.002
VIMEP. (2020). Instructivo para la usabilidad de Normas internacionales de citación
APA 7a Edición [PDF]. Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia.
https://repository.unad.edu.co/static/pdf/Norma_APA_7_Edicion.pdf
Wallace, C. (2001). Reading. In R. Carter & D. Nunan (Eds.), The Cambridge Guide
to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (The Cambridge Guides, pp.
21-27). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi-
org.bibliotecavirtual.unad.edu.co/10.1017/CBO9780511667206.004
Muñoz, M. (2019). Four Core Language Skills [Video File].
https://repository.unad.edu.co/handle/10596/25881
6. Organization of Weekly Academic Activities and Course Evaluation Plan
Initial Moment:
Phase 1 Recognition Activity
To be developed from week 1 to week 2
This responds to Learning Outcome: 1
The activities are: Record a video where you state your definition of didactics of
English, summarize the key points of the practice guidelines and clearly state the
numbers of hours, their distribution, and the forms you must use for the pedagogical
practice.
Initial moment evaluation
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: Review the main characteristics of the
course and the pedagogical practice process in a video and define the concept of
Didactics of English.
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The highest score for this activity is 25 points, corresponding to 5% of the course
evaluation.
Intermediate Moment
Phase 2 - Language theories and syllabus
To be developed from week 3 to week 8
This responds to Learning Outcome: 2
The activities are: Analyze some language theories, and comprehend the elements
of a syllabus, in order to reflect upon how they play a crucial role within the
pedagogical practice scenarios.
Evaluation of Phase 2
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: Make a significant analysis of some
theories of teaching in language teaching, the syllabus design in didactics of English
course and display them using ICT tools to create a presentation.
The highest score for this activity is 120 points.
Phase 3 Language and teachers’ skills
To be developed from week 8 to week 11
This responds to Learning Outcome: 3
The activities are: Propose didactical and digital activities to develop the four
language skills taking into account the needs and demands of the students in the
pedagogical practice scenario and describe the English teachers’ competences and
skills.
Evaluation of Phase 3
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: Design activities to teach receptive and
productive language skills within the context of the pedagogical practice.
The highest score for this activity is 120 points.
Phase 4 Simulated scenario
To be developed from week 11 to week 14
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This responds to Learning Outcome: 4
The activities are: Develop a reflective analysis about common situations in
educational contexts using a simulated practice scenario and their own practice
scenario.
Evaluation of Phase 4
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: Develop the simulated practice scenario
and reflect upon his/her practice process in situ.
The highest score for this activity is 110 points.
The highest score for this evaluation moment is 350 points, corresponding to 70% of
the course evaluation.
Final Moment
Phase 5 Final Activity
To be developed from week 14 to week 16
This responds to Learning Outcome: 5
The activities are: Identify problems in the English teaching within the observation
context in order to formulate research questions by means of a SWOT analysis.
Evaluation of Phase 5
The evaluation criteria for this activity are: The SWOT analysis is complete and
coherent with the two research questions proposed.
The highest score for this activity is 125 points, corresponding to 25% of the course
evaluation.
7. Teacher’s Support
To develop the course activities, you will have the support of a teacher or tutor. The
options for this academic support are:
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• Virtual Campus E-mail
• Collaborative Forums
• Skype Sessions
• Online Conference Sessions or Web Conferences
• Support Sessions in Professional Practice Site
Didactics of English is a methodological course (theoretical-practical) that is part of
the practical component of the program “Licenciatura en Lenguas Extranjeras con
Enfasis en Inglés” in its Participant Observation phase. Students taking this course
must complete 32 hours of participant observation practice in a private or public
educational institution as follows.
Phase 2 - Skills for Teachers: 13 hours
Phase 3 - Language Skills: 10 hours
Phase 4 - Simulated Practice: 9 hours
To respond to the quality criteria required by pedagogical and educational practice,
established in Resolution 18583 of 2017, among the strategies developed by the
ECEDU, the "Face-to-face Accompaniment Strategy of the School of Education
Sciences" or “ESAPEC” is defined. This strategy consists of a certain number of face-
to-face meetings with a group of practice students at a specific site defined by UNAD
teachers. It involves the interaction of teachers in training and practice teachers of
ECEDU in each site, as established by the criteria of pedagogical and didactic order
of each course and in correspondence with the number of contact hours in the
practice setting, which establishes a total of 6 hours for this course. In this context,
students must fulfill 3 hours in the framework of the "ESAPEC Strategy" which will
be linked to phases 2 and 3 of the course.
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