University Courses Developed and Taught

Survey of Approaches to Foreign Language Teaching

This course examines approaches to foreign language teaching, tracing the development of the field in a roughly chronological format. This gives students an opportunity to become acquainted with important concepts and, especially, debates and trade-offs in which our practice is situated. The course sets the stage for more informed and reflective practice.

Dissertation and Thesis Writing for International Graduate Students

In the course, we consider the sections of a typical empirical research paper with an emphasis upon the norms and linguistic dimensions associated with each as well as the role of each in the research and writing process. Students are invited to reflect upon the specific research writing conventions associated with their own fields of study.

Giving Effective Technical and Engineering Presentations for English Language Learners

This course focuses upon the most typical genres for presentations in technical and engineering fields. Students will have opportunities to practice the linguistic aspects of each as well the cultural norms (such as body language) appropriate for such presentations. Students will practice presentations about a physical apparatus, a process, a problem-solution, and research conference presentations.

Critical Analysis of Foreign Language Teaching Materials

The use of textbooks and other materials is universal in foreign language teaching. In this course, students will have an opportunity to consider how the hidden curriculum may be embedded in such materials, especially in terms of their implicit depictions of society. The tools for materials analysis and responses presented are intended to set the stage for teachers to create materials that are more effective and socially just as well as to adjust their use of required texts so as to better achieve the same goals.

Language Policy, Language Learning, and Language Beliefs in Taiwan

As a diverse, multiglossic, post-colonial society with an ambiguous political status, language use and beliefs surrounding language are complex in Taiwan. In this course, we examine the history of Taiwan from the aboriginal settlement of the island through the present day with a focus on the implications for language beliefs and use. Current language policy and language education are also considered. The course should be valuable for those with an interest in Taiwan, East Asian studies, sociolinguistics, history, and language education.

English Education in Japan: Issues and Challenges

In this course, we consider English education in Japan through cultural and policy lenses so as to better understand connections among issues such as English education, perceptions surrounding the English language itself, and Japanese attitudes linking Japanese-ness, foreignness, internationalization, and language. The course will examine both scholarly articles about Japanese English education as well as samples of English educational materials from Japan.