• Offered for Year: 2026/27

• Module Leader(s): Dr Christopher Leyland

• Owning School: Education, Communication & Language Sci
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

To introduce students to several different theoretical perspectives and related concepts and empirical research prevalent in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) and to show some ways that these perspectives relate to each other.

Outline Of Syllabus

The syllabus is designed so as to provide students with different perspectives within the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). After an introduction session, we will have three sessions dedicated to prevalent cognitive/psycholinguistic approaches to SLA and key concepts and theories therein. Once this approach has been examined, students will be introduced to alternative perspectives, with a particular focus on more ‘social’ views that investigate learning and teaching in social interaction. In later session, students will focus on a particularly important area of debate within SLA: language learning and age. The module will conclude with a session dedicated to student’s assignment.

Indicative list of topics covered:
•       Module introduction
•       Learning vocabulary
•       Learning grammar
•       Communication and Learning strategies
•       SLA reconceptualized
•       Language learning in the classroom (Sociocultural Theory)
•       Language learning outside of the classroom (Conversation Analysis)
•       Language learning and age
•       Assignment preparation

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture videos provide an introduction to the weekly content, establish a basic level of understanding of the topic, and signal areas for individual further study and essential and further reading.

Follow-up classes provide students with the opportunity to raise questions related to lecture videos, and to discuss material in more depth. Group activities and discussions also allow students to share and engage personal reflections. Group activities are often linked to weekly reading.

Structured Guided Learning activities provide students with weekly opportunities to consolidate learning through guided tasks linked to the weekly topic.

Independent study will enable wider reading, further personal self-reflection and assignment preparation.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

This portfolio assessment is designed to develop students’ ability to critically engage with Second Language Acquisition (SLA) concepts while connecting theory, research, and practice. The three components are interrelated and scaffolded to promote deep learning. Part 1 (Reflective Log) encourages students to link personal language learning experiences to one or two SLA theories introduced in weeks 1–4, fostering metacognitive awareness and contextualized understanding of theoretical constructs. The inclusion of empirical study summaries ensures that students ground their reflections in research evidence. Part 2 (Literature Search Process) requires students to document and explain how they located these studies, reinforcing academic research skills and creating transparency in the research process. This step also introduces an intentional friction and emphasizes authentic engagement with scholarly databases. Finally, Part 3 (Critical Essay) builds on the earlier components by asking students to critically evaluate an SLA approach or debate, integrating insights from theory, research, and their own teaching or learning experiences. Together, these tasks form a coherent progression from personal reflection to research literacy to critical analysis, ensuring that students develop both theoretical knowledge and practical application skills.

Reading Lists

• ALC8026's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• ALC8026's Timetable