ALC8028 : Thinking Skills in ELT (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Dr Mei Lin
- 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.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
This module reviews recent development in integrating teaching thinking in teaching English to speakers of other languages. It will introduce key concepts, theories and perspectives of thinking, as well as a selection of thinking skill frameworks. A variety of tasks will guide you to integrate teaching thinking in EFL (English as a foreign language) lessons, and to reflect on ‘why to do’ rather than ‘how to do’ as a teacher.
Specific aims include:
• To understand key concepts of thinking, including critical, creative thinking and thinking perspectives
• To understand Bloom’s higher order thinking and implications on task designs and teacher questioning
• To understand Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and mediation
• To apply learned theories to design and evaluate teaching materials
Outline Of Syllabus
1. Introduction of integrating teaching thinking into EFL curriculum
2. De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats & parallel thinking
3. Revised Bloom’s taxonomy & applications to EFL teaching activities
4. Higher order thinking questions and fostering student thinking
5. Mathew Lipman’s Community of Inquiry & reasoning skills
6. Socratic questioning and dialogic discussions
7. Mediation and conducive environment to forester thinking in EFL classroom
8. Paul & Elder frameworks of critical thinking & EFL
9. Technology assisted teaching/learning of critical thinking
10. Assessment of higher order thinking
11. Drop-in session
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 50:00 | 50:00 | N/A |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 10 | 0:30 | 5:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 10 | 1:00 | 10:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | N/A |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 83:00 | 83:00 | N/A |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures provide an introduction to the weekly content, establish a basic level of understanding of the topic, provide opportunities for discussion, and signal areas for individual further study and essential and further reading.
Seminars offer an opportunity for further exploration, discussion, and personal reflection, through small group activities. Seminar activities are often linked to post-lecture 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
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reflective log | 2 | M | 40 | Reflective Learning Log (1,500 words) |
| Essay | 2 | A | 60 | Essay - 2000 words |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Study skills, and other relevant knowledge and skills, will be assessed through the reflective learning journal. Critical understanding of relevant theory will be assessed through the end of module essay.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- ALC8028's Timetable