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Foreign language acquisition Module 3A
Vocabulary: Description, Acquisition and Pedagogy
In recent years more and more researchers and language teachers have stressed the central role of vocabulary knowledge in language use and language learning. In the course current theories of lexical competence, vocabulary acquisition and vocabulary teaching will be presented and discussed. Firstly, we will try to define and describe vocabulary. We will then investigate how vocabulary is acquired, stored and retrieved from the mental lexicon both from the perspective of the children learning their first language and learners learning a second- or a foreign language. One of the crucial questions here is how we can ensure that newly learnt vocabulary items are remembered and made available for production and reception. Moreover the role of incidental vocabulary learning through reading will be explored. Finally, a number of pedagogical issues relating to teaching materials, methods and vocabulary testing will be raised. Throughout the course the question of different research approaches will be addressed. For some of the 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 discussion. Course material will be based on a course book and a number of empirical research articles.
Writing in a foreign language: Process and product
The aim of this course is to give participants a specialised background for discussing, evaluating and researching different aspects of writing in a foreign language. The focus of the course will be on writing processes and on the written product. Theoretical models of writing processes and empirical investigations of these processes in relation to writing in the foreign language as well as in the mother tongue will be dealt with. The written product will be discussed in relation to discourse analysis and in relation to empirical studies of student texts. To appreciate results of empirical investigations of writing in a foreign language, familiarity with various research methods is essential. Finally the question of the language learning potential of writing in a foreign language will be addressed
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