HENK0390AU English - Free topic 1: Reading and Writing in a Foreign Language – Focus on Processes

Literacy skills form an important part of the teaching of English as a foreign language in the Danish sixth-form college. Therefore, the aim of this course is to give participants a specialised background for discussing, evaluating and researching different aspects of reading and writing in a foreign language. The focus of the course will be on language processing: on understanding the complex nature of foreign language production and reception processes. Therefore, theoretical models of reading and writing processes and empirical studies of these processes with regard to reading and writing in the foreign language as well as in the mother tongue will be dealt with. To apprecia_te results of empirical studies, familiarity with research methods is essential. To illustrate some of the issues, actual learner data will be presented and analysed during the course. Finally, the question of the language learning potential of reading and writing in a foreign language will be addressed and implications for the foreign language classroom will be discussed. For some participants the course might provide inspiration for research projects in relation to their thesis ('speciale'). The course will be conducted using a mixture of lectures, group work and dis_cussions. Readings will mainly consist of a number of research articles selected from scholarly journals.

The list of essential reading will be available 4 weeks before the course starts.