Join Scott Thornbury and a group of like-minded ELT professionals in this reading and discussion course focused on the evolving concepts of 'method', 'methods', and 'postmethod' in language teaching, and implications for the classroom.
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The core text for this course is Method and Postmethod in Language Teaching, which delves into the evolving concepts of 'method', 'methods', and 'postmethod' in language teaching. The book is divided into three sections: ‘Contexts’, ‘Concepts’, and ‘Debates’. It starts by presenting traditional views on teaching methods, explores alternative approaches that extend beyond postmethod thinking, and addresses practical classroom dilemmas faced by educators.
The book emphasizes the significance of teachers understanding their professional contexts, using 'method' as a framework to clarify pedagogic practices and classroom possibilities. It encourages readers to develop their teaching practices in ways that suit their specific contexts, supported by discussion questions, key readings, a glossary of terms, and additional reading suggestions.
Each week teachers will be expected to read one chapter in preparation for a live discussion. There will also be online discussion in a private forum based on the content of the book.
Part I - Contexts: Framing the issues - contexts, communities, and method
Chapter 1 ‘Method’, methods, and postmethod: initial questions, perspectives, and possibilities
Chapter 2 Locating language teaching: contexts, cultures, and cognition
Part II - Concepts: Methods past, present, and future - histories, critiques, and alternatives
Chapter 3 A profusion of methods: progress, ‘products of their times’, and the ‘procession of methods’ narratives
Chapter 4 Beyond method … to postmethod? Critiques, alternative accounts, and local realities
Part III - Debates: Methods and methodologies, theories, and practices - questions, possibilities, and classroom realities
Chapter 5 ‘Language’, ‘language learning’, and the language classroom: theoretical insights and practical implications
Chapter 6 Language teaching in practice: pedagogical debates, possibilities, and realities
Live online Zoom sessions will be held six times (dates to be determined), on Sundays from 10:00 to 11:00 UTC/GMT. Recordings will be available.Live sessions (registered participants only)
Live session dates: To be determined
Time: 10:00-11:00 UTC/GMT.
Cost: 280 USD
We can provide receipts for research funds, if needed.
Required book: In this course we will explore Method and Postmethod in Language Teaching (Graham Hall, 2024). Participants are expected to have a copy of this book before the beginning of the course, and be prepared to read one chapter each week in preparation for live sessions.
Registration includes the six live sessions and unlimited discussions each week in a private forum. Upon successful completion of the course participants will receive a certificate verifying that they are an "iTDi Great Minds Educator".
About iTDi Great Minds in Language Education Courses
iTDi Great Minds in Language Education courses bring up to 25 teachers together in our user-friendly iTDi online classroom every Sunday, and then continue throughout the week – sharing, discussing and reflecting in a private, but vibrant, online community.
As a registered participant, don’t worry if you have to miss a live class or if the time for the live sessions doesn't work well for your time zone. You’ll receive weekly recordings of each class, full transcripts of the text chat during class, assigned readings and a PDF of the PowerPoint slides. Furthermore, the online community will certainly become a wealth of ideas and information, and will remain private and online for your use anytime in the future.
Scholarships
iTDi believes that all teachers deserve the same opportunity to improve themselves. Therefore, a limited number of scholarships will be available for this course. Please apply through our scholarship application. Scholarship applications will be available two months before the course.