Teaching English to Young Learners – US Embassy
About This Course
Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) is an exciting Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designed to introduce the theory and practice of teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) to young learners 3-10 years old. Through engaging videos and practical readings, you will explore approaches for teaching English that are not only effective but also fun and engaging for children. You will learn techniques for teaching new vocabulary and grammar that encourage student participation. In addition, you will gain new ideas for teaching listening, speaking, reading and writing in a meaningful context. Through participation in this MOOC, you will have the opportunity to share ideas with peers and apply course content to your learning environment. Get ready to learn about TEYL and be part of an international learning community with teachers around the world!
Learning Objectives and Learner Outcomes
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- explain the reasons for teaching EFL at early ages.
- use effective approaches and techniques appropriate for young learners in the EFL classroom.
- develop appropriate activities for teaching vocabulary, grammar, and the four skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing to young EFL learners.
- describe your learning environment and develop a lesson for young EFL learners in your context.
- develop yourself professionally in the field of TEYL by participating in a worldwide online learning community and sharing your new knowledge and skills with other TEYL professionals around the world.
Expectations and Grading
This Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has 5 modules and it will be open for 12 weeks. You are expected to spend 3-5 hours to complete assignments of each module. Modules will unlock July 11, 2022 Eastern Time (ET) and close on October 3, 2022 ET. In each module, you will watch videos, read articles, and submit an assignment. You will also be able to access and read many TEYL activities posted by your classmates. This is an excellent opportunity to learn from your peers!
Through this online learning community, you will gain new knowledge and skills to improve the teaching of English to children. You are asked to engage deeply with the course content, to take risks in your thinking, and to learn from your classmates. The following are useful tips to help you be successful in this course.
- Course Week: This online course does not have a “fixed” meeting day. You can complete coursework at your own pace anytime during the 12 weeks that the course is open.
- Log-in Frequency: Downloadable module packets are available on the first page of each module. You can use these to read articles and prepare assignments offline, but you will need to get online to submit quizzes and assignments. We recommend that you actively check Canvas to communicate with peers and to access to course materials as often as possible. You will benefit more from this course if you log in frequently.
- Workload: Please be aware that this course is self-paced. All modules will unlock simultaneously on July 11, 2022 ET. We recommend that you meet the due date – October 3, 2022 ET in order to earn a badge and certificate. No assignments will be accepted after the course close date.
- Technical Issues: If you have technical issues with the course, contact the OPEN team by e-mailing [email protected]. Technical support requests include problems accessing the course, problems with your Canvas account, etc.
- Questions about Course Content: If you have questions about course content, please ask them on the Content Support Discussion Board. MOOC facilitators will answer content-related questions submitted there.
- Citations: If you use a quote or reference someone else’s work in your post, make sure you cite it or provide a link to it.
- Netiquette: The course environment is a collaborative space. Remember that you are not competing with classmates, but sharing information and learning from each other. Experience shows that even an innocent remark typed in the online environment can be misunderstood. Always be open to differences in opinion. Be positive in your approach with others, and keep any criticism of ideas kind and respectful.
Grading
This class is Pass/No Pass. You will automatically receive a final grade as soon as you complete all the required module activities. The maximum grade is 100%. You will need a final score of 70% or higher to pass the course.
Course requirements are weighted out of 100% as follows:
| 10% | Module 1 | Self-Assessment Quiz (5%) Module Reflection Quiz on “A Day in My Life” (5%) |
| 20% | Module 2 | Self-Assessment Quiz (10%) Module Reflection Quiz on Activity Share (10%) |
| 20% | Module 3 | Self-Assessment Quiz (10%) Module Reflection Quiz on Activity Share (10%) |
| 20% | Module 4 | Self-Assessment Quiz (10%) Module Reflection Quiz on Activity Share (10%) |
| 20% | Module 5 | Self-Assessment Quiz (10%) Module Reflection Quiz on Lesson Plan (10%) |
| 10% | Post-course Assessment (10%) |
Course Policies
Late Assignments:
- Keep in mind that the course will close on October 3, 2022 ET, and no tasks can be completed after that date.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is using someone else’s words instead of your own. In this course, you are expected to use your own words and ideas, and to acknowledge any sources you use to gather ideas. Plagiarism is not allowed in OPEN courses.
Assignment Descriptions
Self-Assessment Quizzes
Each module has a self-assessment quiz. It will be based on the videos and the readings in the module. You will need to achieve at least 70% on a quiz in order to unlock the next page or module. You can re-take quizzes until you receive a passing score—70% or higher. Feel free to keep taking the quizzes until you get 100%. Then you know you have mastered the module content!
Module Reflections
At the end of each module, you will submit a reflection to show what you learned. It will be one paragraph, and a template will be provided for each reflection. Each reflection will require you to read some of your classmates’ posts in that module and apply the module content as part of your response.
Other Assignments (optional)
All other assignments will be posted on a discussion board for other MOOC participants to read. You will choose one of the following discussion boards to post in. Grades and ages may vary slightly from country to country, so we have include all grades associated with primary schools (up to grade 6).
- PK-K: Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten (ages 3-5)
- G1-2: Grades 1 and 2 (ages 6-7)
- G3-4: Grades 3 and 4 (ages 8-9)
- G5-6: Grade 5 and 6 (ages 10 and up)
You will code each post by grade level, and size of class. This will allow you to search for key words to find the most relevant activities for your teaching context. You can even search for classmates’ names and countries, if you identify classmates who share similar classroom contexts as you. Instructions for coding posts will be included on each discussion board, and are available on the page titled “Coding and Searching Posts.”
About The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program offers two types of professional development opportunities for English language educators: Global Online Courses and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The OPEN Program Courses are freely open for any interested participants.
All OPEN Programs courses use the latest in instructional technology to provide participants with an interactive distance-learning experience and are designed to familiarize participating teachers with current methods and issues in the field of English as a Foreign Language.
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) Program also connects participants with U.S. English language teaching experts and creates a professional network of international colleagues.
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) program offers virtual learning opportunities to foreign English language educators, professionals and learners worldwide. OPEN promotes the mutual exchange of culture and provides free access to teaching and learning materials that can be reused, adapted, and shared with others. OPEN professional development opportunities are developed by U.S. academic institutions and experts in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
The Online Professional English Network (OPEN) offers professional development courses for English language teachers and educators, as well as other professionals around the world. The goal of the program is to increase the capacity of participants to use English effectively in their professional contexts, increase access to openly licensed learning materials, increase understanding of U.S. society, culture and values, provide opportunities for mutual exchange, and build the capacity of participants to apply what they have learned within their educational and professional communities.
Who
The OPEN program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State (Links to an external site.), Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, with funding from the U.S. government, is administered by FHI 360.
The professional development opportunities offered through the program are designed and taught by a variety of partners, including universities, non-profit companies, private sector partners, and consultants. Together, the U.S. Department of State, FHI 360, and our partners offer online professional development opportunities to English educators and learners in over 100 countries.
What
OPEN offers online courses on a variety of topics, including teacher training topics such as Critical Thinking, Educational Technology, Assessment, and Teaching English to Young Learners, among others, as well as English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses such as English for Media Literacy, English for Journalism, and English Communications for Health Professionals, among others.
Where
OPEN professional development opportunities are offered entirely online. Courses are offered asynchronously via the Canvas learning management system (LMS).
Courses Offered:
- Integrating Critical Thinking Skills into the Exploration of Culture in an EFL Setting
- Teaching Grammar Communicatively
- Using Educational Technology in the English Language Classroom
- Teaching English to Young Learners
- Professional Development for Teacher Trainers
- Content-based Instruction
- TESOL Methodology
- Assessment of English Language Learners
About Canvas Network
Canvas Network is an open space for educators to share, experiment, analyze, and create.
OUR MISSION:
To promote OPENNESS, INNOVATION, and EXPERIMENTATION in education by providing educators access to professional development courses and programs that will help them thrive and succeed in their careers.
To Canvas Network ‘open’ means:
- Open entry and open access. Open entry for learners around the globe and continual access to course content after the course end date.
- Open content. Open licensing options and content sharing to Canvas Commons where other instructors reuse, revise, remix, retain, and redistribute content.
- Open platform and ecosystem. Open platform to integrate and innovate with third-party tools.
- Open data. Open, de-identified Canvas Network data for researchers to analyze and synthesize.
- Platform neutrality. Your course. Your goals. Your way. We provide the platform for open innovation and experimentation.
About US Embassy
What does the US Embassy Do?
The primary purpose of an embassy is to assist American citizens who travel to or live in the host country. U.S. Foreign Service Officers also interview citizens of the host country who wish to travel to the United States for business, education, or tourism purposes.
U.S. Embassy, LondonEmbassy in London, England
The Embassy of the United States of America in London is the diplomatic mission of the United States in the United Kingdom. It is the largest American embassy in Western Europe and the focal point for events relating to the United States held in the United Kingdom.
Embassy of the United States, BeijingOffice in Beijing, China
The Embassy of the United States in Beijing is the diplomatic mission of the United States in China. It serves as the administrative office of the United States Ambassador to China. The embassy complex is in Chaoyang District, Beijing.
