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This unit introduces a range of psychological theories to explain L2 language learning and asks participants to use one theory to understand a real-world psychology of language learning issue.

The course unit will develop enhanced awareness of language learning, including how theory may be used to understand learning experiences. This develops valuable employability skills for language educators.

The unit aims to:

• provide an overview of currently relevant research and theory in psychology of language learning and to  examine its implications for language education.
• provide opportunities for the in-depth study of one specific issue/puzzle, and associated theory, in the psychology of language learning.

Upon completion of the unit, students should be able to:

• the contribution of psychology and psycholinguistics, and other parallel disciplines, to the development of recent thinking and practice in language education;
• individual differences in language learning, including: age, aptitude, intelligence, personality, cognitive and learning styles, learning strategies;
• motivation in language learning and teaching, including: instrumental and integrative motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic factors, general determinants of motivation in educational settings;
• how language is processed (including: issues of input and intake; the role of declarative, procedural and episodic knowledge in the comprehension and production of language; the role of working and long-term memory in language learning);
• second language acquisition (including: models of the language learning process, recent research developments such as the role of formulaic language in language learning and form-focused instruction); and
• social processes in language development (including: social construction of language; mediation; ZPD; interpersonal and affective factors in language learning; ecological perspectives on language development).

The course unit includes the following learning and teaching methods:

An introduction to the course unit structure, content, teaching methods and assessment, so to give the students confidence about what to expect.

An introduction to the social, environment and epistemic implications of learning technologies, including AI, with links made to the fundamentally analogue nature of language learning.

Weekly sessions with in-depth introductions to historical and contemporary theories of language learning.

Structured analogue learning experiences, leading to mini submissions that are assessed.

An enquiry-based learning stage, where students identify an issue/puzzle of concern in their own practice and/or past language learning experience and use one theory to develop new understanding of this issue/puzzle.
  
A poster session where each student presents on their issue/puzzle, the theory used, and their new understanding.

A written assignment builds and extends on the poster session.
 

• Explain and use theory in a chosen area of psychology relevant to language learning.
• Use psychology of language learning theory to develop context-specific understanding of a language learning experience.
  
   

• Critically reflect on their own position and assumptions within a language learning experience.
• Reflect and analyse their own and/or others’ learning processes and preferences.
   

• Present clear and integrated understanding of context, personal experience, and relevant theory using digital formats

• Use appropriate academic conventions in writing

Feedback provided as per Faculty Policy.

IEllis, R. (1997). Second Language Acquisition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Hummel, K. M. (2020). Introducing Second Language Acquisition: Perspectives and Practices (2nd Edition). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2021). How Languages Are Learned (5th Edition). Oxford University Press. [Earlier editions will be useful as well].

Lantolf, J.P. & Thorne, S.L. (2006). Sociocultural Theory and the Genesis of Second Language Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Mitchell, R., Myles, F., & Marsden, E. (2019). Second Language Learning Theories (4th Edition). New York: Routledge.

Stelma, J., & Kostoulas, A. (2021). The Intentional Dynamics of TESOL. Boston/Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.

More specific readings will be assigned each week of the semester

This is an optional course unit for MA TESOL students and an elective course unit for other MA programmes.