Key issues; overview and critique of published materials; practice in developing syllabi and other materials. Pre: 600.
The course focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of teaching the listening and speaking skills to second language students by examining such topics as the components of conversational competence, approaches to developing a curriculum for the speaking skills, developing learning tasks, methodological issues, use of questions in the classroom, the role of dialogs, group work, games, and role plays. In the area of listening other topics include the process of listening, methodological principles, listening to narratives, conversations, monologs, and lectures. A section is devoted to evaluating materials and the classroom activities which have been discussed.