TESOL Individual Programs

Preparations for Completing Your Program

1. MA in TESOL students must attend one of the Portfolio Guidelines Sessions held near the beginning of every semester AT LEAST TWO SEMESTERS PRIOR TO YOUR GRADUATION DATE. These sessions will be announced at the beginning of each semester in the monthly TESOL Updates and on the TESOL Listserv. For more information contact Prof. Ishihara at ext. 2247.

2. For Master’s students, the registration deadline for your oral comp/ portfolio discussion is one month prior to the comp date. The semester BEFORE you are expected to graduate you must fill out an Application for Graduation which can be obtained from the reception desk in McKinley 156. This must be done before the end of the first week of classes the semester you intend to graduate. This is the way in which you notify the University that you wish to graduate, ensure that your credits are checked and counted, specify the exact spelling of your name on your diploma and provide the address to where you want your diploma to be sent. This form is to be returned directly to the Registrar's office. In addition, the Oral Comprehensive Exam application needs to be filled out and $25 dollars needs to be paid to student accounts. Copies are returned to the TESOL office in McKinley 156 (for MA in TESOL students) or to the School of Education in McKinley 200 (for MAT:ESOL) students.

3. In order to receive a TESOL Certificate, talk to one of the Program Assistants in McKinley 156 one month prior to the completion of your last course.

Observation / Practice Teaching Site Guidelines

Over the years, the TESOL Program has tried to help find class sites for projects for students who have been unable to find them. We want to try to continue to offer this service, especially during summer; and especially for people who have come to this area just for classes -- people who may not have contacts in local schools. NB: MAT:ESOL students must do a supervised 40 hour observation/practice teaching component in conjunction with BOTH ELT I and II courses. Placement for this practicum will be made by Karen DiGiovanni (ext. 3727).

However, two types of pernicious problems have developed. On one hand, we find there are fewer and fewer instructors willing to be placed on an open-list for class observations. They don't wish to receive numerous calls from multiple students and frankly, arranging an observation (and especially student teaching) requires an effort that just can't be made at the drop of the hat. On the other hand, sometimes we locate appropriate teachers and classrooms on a students request only to find that the student has made other arrangements. This is frustrating for the teacher who was willing to let students into the classroom, as well as for those who made the contacts. To avoid these kinds of misunderstandings in the future, the following are suggested:

(a) Sometimes, the best way to arrange rewarding observation sites can be to take the initiative to look for them on your own. Institutions and classes which AREN'T on the standard lists that ‘everyone’ contacts may be more willing to accommodate your desires. However, if you find you do need suggestions for finding sites (for observations, practice teaching or discourse corpora), ask your instructor for tips or contact Brock Brady at 202.885.1446 or by email at bbrady@american.edu . He can provide you with a list of possible contacts. Please be prepared to let him know what level you are interested in, what language skill, what type of project, or anything else that will help him find the best site for you.

(b) Please, if you do ask for help in finding a site, consider it as a commitment. Don't try to make other observation arrangements on your own until the TESOL Coordinator sees what he can do.

(c) If you are interested in observing in a public school, coordinate it through Brock Brady, even if you've already established the contact. Note: The exception is ELT Observations for MAT:ESOL students. This is a special observation requirement - more in-depth than the observations required for all students in ELT classes. MAT observation sites are arranged through Karen DiGiovanni (x3720) in the School of Education.

(d) When you observe, don't forget professional courtesy:
1. Be on time.
2. Arrange your visit at least two weeks in advance.
3. Allow enough time to arrive early. Speak with the instructor before and after class.
4. Dress professionally.
5. If you arrange an observation, you have an obligation to attend.
6. If you can't make a class you arranged to attend, please try to give the instructor at least 24 hours advanced notice.
7. If you have to leave a class early, notify the teacher beforehand.
8. Avoid imposing on observation teachers as resources for reports and projects.
9. Do not, under any circumstances, share your observation reports with the observed teacher or school administrator. If someone insists, ask them to contact the TESOL Coordinator first.
10. Keep in mind that you are a representative of the TESOL Program. If you make a good impression, the instructor will be more likely to accept other AU TESOL observers.

MA in TESOL (not MAT:ESOL)
Practicum Placement Handbook

The Practicum Placement is a complement to the required TESOL Seminar English Language Teaching III. A Practicum Placement is required of all students who do not already have significant teaching experience (as determined through consultation with academic advisors).

I. Practicum Placement Objectives
1. To reinforce methodological principles introduced in previous TESOL courses, especially ELT I, II, III.
2. To give students opportunities to put these principles into practice in
real classroom situations.
3. To provide professional development through observation, participation, and teaching experience in the classroom.
4. To develop a realistic awareness of the structure of particular
institutional settings and the teacher’s role in them.
5. To become more familiar with program development, school curriculum, teaching resources, and technology.
6. To provide a classroom opportunity for students to evaluate and reflect
on the knowledge they’ve acquired in the course of their MA in TESOL program.
7. To help build students’ sense of being colleagues in their professional community.
8. To give students actual experience in assessment and evaluation.

II. Dates and Times
Once the classroom placement begins, the students will be expected to participate in at least 30 (roughly an hour in length) class sessions. By the end of the classroom placement, the student should have taken primary instructional responsibility in at least 5 sessions of the course. Any changes must be agreed upon by the Host Instructor, the Practicum Placement Supervisor, and the student. In addition to the classroom placement, Practicum students also meet weekly with the other students in ELT III.

III. Starting the Practicum Placement
The Practicum Supervisor will arrange an initial meeting with the Host Instructor to explain the procedure for the practicum placement, discuss her expectations, and address any concerns the Host Instructor may have. The Practicum Placement Supervisor will also make every effort to bring the Practicum student to the school and introduce her to the Host Instructor. In the rare cases where this is not possible, the Practicum student will have to call the Host Instructor to arrange their initial meeting. In all probability, this will mean leaving a message and having the Host Instructor return the call. During the call, the student should confirm the time and place of the first visit, ask about nearby bus stops or parking arrangements, and show appreciation for the cooperation that the teacher and her institution are extending to you.

Students must report to teaching site on time (it’s helpful to scout the route ahead of time). Remember that Practicum students represent American University and the TESOL Program. Practicum students should always think of themselves as guests at the host institution. Also, at the host institution, the Practicum student’s role is no longer in the that of "college student.” Students will be seen as teachers. Consequently, professionalism in dress, conduct, and manners is imperative.

In the initial meeting with the Host Instructor, Practicum students should:

a. Discuss the placement schedule
b. Stress that they are there to learn and not to evaluate
c. Arrange for a tour of the institution, and try to find out all that they can about administrative policies that might concern them

NOTE: Students observing in any public school should have a tuberculosis test prior to beginning the placement. This test may be performed by Student Health Center (ext. 3380).

IV. Practicum Placement Activities
During the semester, you should try to gain as much experience as possible in four areas: Observation, Instructional Involvement Activities, Lesson Planning and Materials Design, and Actual Teaching.

A. Observation
The Practicum Placement provides an extended opportunity to observe a teacher’s classroom management and teaching techniques. Students shouldn’t worry about attending to all aspects of the classroom at once. Classrooms by nature are dynamic and complicated. It might be helpful to focus on one aspect of teaching during each observation session (note: weekly seminar topics can provide guidelines). Students are expected to complete five observation reports during the course of the Practicum Semester.

B. Instructional Involvement Activities
The primary opportunity that the TESOL Practicum offers students is the chance to facilitate classroom activities on a regular basis. Students may
feel a bit awkward at first, but the more they get to know the Host Instructor and students, the more comfortable they will feel assuming classroom responsibilities. It is important not to let natural reticence prevent students from jumping in right from the start. However, students also need to temper their enthusiasm and remain open and sensitive to their Host Instructor’s needs and preferences. Students should see the Practicum Placement as
a collaborative venture with the Host Instructor--one where the lines of communication are open and expanding--in order to make the most of the experience.

Below are some suggestions about how Practicum students might offer their time and talents during the placement. However they serve only as examples. Creativeness is encouraged. Practicum students should take initiative in developing their own ways to help students and the Host Instructor.

Suggestions for Possible Practicum Placement Activities

• Lead large or small groups in activities
• Teach lessons that form short segments of the whole class
• Tutor individual students
• Engage in methods for transitioning students from one activity to another
• Design and construct bulletin boards or other visual aids
• Administer tests or evaluation instruments
• Design individualized activities or lesson plans
• Select and preview instructional software, videos, movies or texts
• In K-12 setting, sit in on parent conferences

C. Lesson/Materials Planning and Teaching
Although students may have the opportunity to teach other shorter lessons, they should have primary instructional responsibility for at least 5 class sessions by the end of the Practicum experience. Lessons taught as part of the placement must be prepared in advanced, and discussed with the Host Instructor before presentation. Any time a Practicum student teaches, she should try to meet afterwards with the Host Instructor (or in the case of the official observation, the Practicum Placement Supervisor) to discuss strengths and weaknesses, and to identify elements that might be modified if the lesson were to be taught again.

D. Observation and Evaluation of your Participation and Teaching
The Host Instructor will provide mid-session and final evaluation reports directly to the Practicum Placement Supervisor. The Practicum Placement Supervisor can brief the student on these reports. In addition the Practicum Placement Supervisor will observe one (possibly in exceptional circumstances, two) of the classes where the student has primary instructional responsibility. Again, the Practicum Placement Supervisor will debrief the student on his/her performance later--either in person or by e-mail. For classes which the Practicum Placement Supervisor observes, students must provide a copy of the lesson plan and any materials prior to the class, and submit the Reflective Self-Evaluation (1-2 pages in length, see a complete description in Direct, Teaching, VI-D below) to the Practicum Placement Supervisor within the two days following the lesson.

V. Documentation
As part of the responsibilities for the Practicum Placement, students must keep a notebook that records field experiences, reflects professional development and serves as a reference for future teaching. The notebook should be organized into five sections:

A. Record of Practicum Placement Hours: Students must carefully track the number of hours spent in observation, in instructional involvement activities, and in actual teaching. A log is provided for this information.

B. Observations: Students observe the class and/or the teacher, detailing the process of lessons, the behavior of students in groups, or writing
detailed descriptions of particular students over time. Students must
engage in a minimum of 10 explicit observations periods during their placement (to be recorded on your Practicum Hours Log). Five formal observation reports will be required.

C. Instructional Involvement Reports: Instructional involvement can consist of attending student/teacher or parent/teacher conferences,
teaching shorter single-task lessons to the class as a whole or smaller groups, helping students complete assignments, tutoring individual
students, designing teaching materials and engaging in free conversation with students within the classroom context. Students are required to participate in a minimum of 10 instructional involvement activities (to be recorded in your Practicum Hours Log). Five Instructional Involvement Reports are required.

D. Direct Teaching: Direct teaching is considered instruction, for a significant period of time, for which the Practicum student assumes
primary responsibility. Students must take primary instructional responsibility for at least 5 classes. Typically, to satisfy practice teaching requirements, instruction should be either to the entire class or to a majority group of students. Primary responsibility for teaching typically includes complete lesson design and preparation. Lesson plans should be shown to the Host Instructor well in advance of the lesson. No student should be permitted to teach prior to a review session with the Host Instructor. For each of these five lessons, the Practicum notebook should include the lesson plan, any materials used, and a one to two page personal reflection on the experience. Elements to discuss in the Reflective Self-Evaluation report include (a) which segments of the lesson were successful and why, (b) what segments were less successful (and the student’s analysis of this), (c) modifications that the student would make if she were to teach this lesson again to a similar audience, and the basis for making these modifications.

Whenever the Practicum Placement Supervisor observes lessons (formally or informally), a complete copy of the lesson plan and all materials should be provided.

E. Teaching Video: A teaching video is a required part of the TESOL Master’s Portfolio. The Practicum student should work with the Host Instructor to determine which of the 5 direct teaching sessions will be the most appropriate to videotape. The Master’s Portfolio is a showcase style portfolio, so the lesson recorded should be one that is based on current English Language Teaching theory and methodology, and one that shows the student-teacher in the best light possible (e.g., it wouldn’t be advisable to focus on a writing class where students spend most of their time engaged in composition). The video should be at least 15 minutes long and should not exceed 30 minutes in length. Cuts at times may be desirable, but the nature of every class activity should be established before cutting to a new segment. The Practicum Placement Supervisor is available if students desire advice on structuring the lesson to be recorded. As a general practice, it is best to have someone operating the camcorder, rather than leaving it in a fixed position, so as to follow the focus of activity and be able to move close up when needed. Most institutions these days have video recording equipment available, but it this is not the case for a particular placement, the Practicum Placement Supervisor and the TESOL Program will work to find the necessary equipment. Purchasing the video tape is the student’s responsibility. Students must prepare a short lesson description (if not the lesson plan itself) and copies of all materials used because these will be required for the Master’s Portfolio. Also, a short written reflection based on the student’s own reaction to the video would be a valuable learning experience and an excellent supplement to your Master’s Portfolio.

F. Supplemental Evaluations/Observations of the Practicum Student
This section should include any written observations or evaluations which the Host Instructor or Practicum Placement Supervisor have provided to
the student (note that such observations and evaluations are not required). Also any self-assessments or assessments from students in your class
may be included.

MA in TESOL Portfolio Requirements

At the end of your program, all MA students are required to put together an MA in TESOL Portfolio, which consists of the following elements.

Required Elements

1. Table of Contents
-- Include full name and student number
-- Include all elements with relevant page numbers

2. Philosophy of Teaching Statement
Write a statement of your philosophy of teaching as it may be directed at a potential employer (1-2 pages, double-spaced). Note: Once the first draft of your Philosophy of Teaching Statement is completed, you are encouraged to contact Portfolio Advisor to arrange a mock oral comprehensive exam based on your philosophy of teaching (see Mock Oral Comp under “Completion Schedule for the Portfolio.”)  Note:  One of your ELT III assignments is to write your Philosophy of Teaching.

3. Samples of Pedagogic and Academic Work
(a) Lesson Plans
You need to submit two lesson plans for classes about 1-2 hours (each) following a format you will be/have been introduced to in your TESOL courses.  We encourage you to design your lesson plans according to the format used in ELT II (see your Portfolio Advisor for guidelines and models.  Lesson plans need to be "user-friendly" in that they would enable someone other than yourself to easily teach the lesson.  You can submit lesson plans you have developed for classes that you will teach/have taught or lesson plans you have previously submitted in TESOL classes.  Under certain rare circumstances -- and with prior approval -- one of the lessons may be designed for teaching a foreign language (other than English).

(b) Teaching Demonstration Video
You need to submit videotape that shows you teaching a lesson to ESL/EFL students.  The TESOL program has a camcorder that students can check out for their teaching video.  Students may purchase the cassette from the TESOL office.  The teaching video should be accompanied by all materials for the lesson and an outline of the class lesson plan.  This lesson plan does not need to be as exhaustive as the ELT II Lesson Plan Blueprints, but it should make clear the lesson context, including student audience, previous and following lessons and an easy to follow description of the entire lesson sequence for the class recorded.  IT IS REQUIRED to view your teaching video before submitting it and to include any reflections you might have (such as activities you might do differently.)  Note: the Teaching Demo Video and critique is an assignment for ELT III.

(c) Academic Papers/Written Projects
You need to submit one formal research paper (or project), complete with references, from your TESOL course work.  It must demonstrate your ability to conduct meaningful research according to conventions of our field.  The paper must be approved for submission by the Portfolio Advisor.       

Assignments that are NOT appropriate for fulfilling the academic paper requirement are portfolio or journal entries from TESOL courses, homework or task assignments, and group projects.  Note: When you include assignments from a previous TESOL course, you must submit both the original (with teacher comments and grade) and the revised version to the Portfolio Advisor.

Note:  Although literature reviews and extensive citation are not required for Projects assign in Cultural Issues in the ESL/EFL Classroom, Teaching Pronunciation, and Curriculum Design, if you want to submit on of these projects as a portfolio piece a literature review section must be added and additional citation is required (the assumption is that the potential reader might not be as well informed about your field of study as your course instructors are).  In any case, if you have questions as to the acceptability of any element of your portfolio, please consult with the Portfolio Advisor.

OPTIONAL ELEMENTS

These optional elements will not be formally evaluated by TESOL faculty, but they will strengthen your portfolio should you show it to a potential employer.

1. Current Resume
If you are unsure about what to include in your resume, consult with TESOL faculty.

2. Teaching Evaluation
Official evaluations and/or recommendations of your teaching ability/effectiveness from your supervisors at teaching institutions. You may also include student evaluations of ESL/EFL courses you have taught.

3. Teaching Materials
If you have developed your own original teaching materials, you may also include them in your portfolio. (Note: These items may not be the same as the two lesson plans).

4. TESOL Projects
This includes papers, group projects, and evaluations of assessment instruments.

5. Papers Published or Presented at Conferences
If you have submitted papers for publications and/or have developed presentation materials (handouts, OHP slides, etc.), you may also include them in your portfolio. (Note: These items obviously may not be the same as the two required academic papers/projects.)

Completion Schedule for the MA in TESOL Teaching Portfolio

Note: MAT:ESOL Students have a different type of portfolio and a written comprehensive exam. They should see the School of Education’s
Graduate Advisor, Judy Swanee for details of their program completion requirements.

Information Session
Every Fall and Spring semester, an information session will be held for all MA candidates. Portfolio requirements and the portfolio process are explained. You should plan to attend the portfolio session in the first semester of your academic program so that you can begin compiling the elements required from the outset of your program (and not three weeks before you plan to graduate).

TESOL faculty and the Portfolio Advisor (Noriko Ishihara) will help you identify assignments that you might want to consider for inclusion
in your portfolio. Feel free to consult with the Portfolio Advisor on any of your work at any point during your academic program.

Mock Oral Exam
The semester prior to the semester you plan to graduate, you are encouraged to complete a first draft of your Philosophy of Teaching as early as possible. Once you have submitted this exam to Prof. Ishihara we can, if you wish, schedule a short Mock Oral Exam. The purpose of this mock exam is to familiarize you with the format, style and question types of the oral exam, and to provide feedback which may be used to revise your Philosophy of Teaching. The Mock Oral Exam will typically be based on your Philosophy of Teaching statement alone and will last no more than twenty minutes. The Mock Exam is given for your experience only. You can neither pass nor fail the Mock Oral Exam.

Submission of Draft Portfolio
A draft of your portfolio (original as well as revised versions) must be submitted to the Portfolio Advisor for review at a date specified by her at that semester’s Portfolio Information Session (typically within the first three weeks of that semester). This early deadline is so that students will have time to revise/rework certain elements for their final portfolio submission. Few pieces of work are ever perfect.  The Portfolio revision process provides you with an opportunity to do really polish the work you did earlier in your courses.   If the work you are submitting was work you completed in one of the portfolio advisor’s classes, then you will submit that work to Professor Brady for review.  Otherwise, the portfolio advisor reviews all submissions.

Submission of Final Portfolio
Your final portfolio must be submitted by the following deadlines during the semester in which you intend to graduate:

Fall semester graduation --> portfolio due Nov. 1
Spring sem. graduation --> portfolio due April 1
Summer sem. graduation --> portfolio due July 15

Two versions of the portfolio are submitted: one via binder with all videos and supplementary materials and the original versions of lesson plans and research paper/project and another clipped version without the original version of lesson plans and research project.  Exceptions to the above deadlines are only possible with prior approval by the Portfolio Advisor.

Graduation Paperwork
In order to graduate, you must complete the following two forms during the semester in which you intend to graduate:
* Application for Graduation (this must be completed by the end of the first week of classes in the semester you wish to graduate)
* Application for Comprehensive Examinations (cost is $25)
It is your responsibility to pick up and fill out these forms (obtained from the Program Assistants in McKinley 156).

Oral Comprehensive Examination
After submission of your portfolio, your Oral Comprehensives will be scheduled. This one and a half hour exam addresses aspects of both your TESOL courses and your portfolio. Please direct any questions you may have about the portfolio requirements, selection of portfolio elements, and/or the submission process to the Portfolio Advisor, Noriko Ishihara (ext. 2247; email: ishihara@american.edu).

Comprehensive Examination

What is an Oral Comprehensive Exam?
The intention of any comprehensive exam is to test your general knowledge of your discipline. In some ways, the comprehensive exam asks you to demonstrate your awareness of the values and beliefs of your discipline, and your mastery of its forms of discourse (of which, terminology is an obvious component).

The point of departure for AU TESOL Oral Comp is always your Portfolio. This ensures that each student’s Comp is personalized. This makes the Oral Comp fair - you are assessed primarily on the materials that you have chosen to represent you . Therefore, in a certain sense, the AU TESOL Oral Comp is a defense of your Portfolio, in the same way that one defends her thesis or dissertation.

What is the Structure of an Oral Comp?
Currently, the Comp lasts about one and a half hours. There are always at least two examiners, although students are permitted to have a third professor participate if they desire. To begin, the examiners will take a few moments to discuss some of the positive elements of your participation in the TESOL Program. Then, simply, examiners take turns asking questions. Initial questions almost always concern the Portfolio. Supplemental materials you include in the Portfolio are rarely topics for questions in the Comp.

While efforts are made to make the Comprehensive Exam as pleasant as possible, the nature of the Oral Comp is conducive to some stress. Students should expect a critical analysis of their efforts. Those who respond with an openness about ways to improve their instruction are typically those who fare best.

If the Comp goes well after discussing the Portfolio, examiners may ask some general knowledge questions. Care is taken to be sure that you’re only asked questions about topics studied in your particular program of courses. Please note that your examiners frequently need to refer to your Portfolio during the examination. Therefore, if you wish to refer to Portfolio documents during the examination, you are permitted bring your own copy.

Realize that the examiners are not “out to get you”. They have an obligation to ensure that you can represent yourself as a TESOL professional. Therefore, if you don’t understand a question, or don’t know an answer, or answer incorrectly, the examiners will usually ask follow-up questions to lead you to the right answer. In fact, the examiners see the Oral Comp as a teaching opportunity as well as an assessment process. Missing one or two specific questions will not cause you to fail. No one is perfect, as the examiners know.

At the end of the examination, you will be asked to leave the examination room for a few minutes while the examiners discuss their impressions of
your responses. Then you will be called back, your performance discussed, and suggestions for improvements are made.

If problems arise:
In cases where examiners feel that an element of the student’s performance was not up to standards, the student may be asked to return
for a follow-up session before passing the Comprehensive. To date, these sessions have been of two types:

(1) students are asked to prepare a short list of specific topics which they were unable to address appropriately during the first Comp session, or
(2) they might be asked to give a teaching demonstration to the examiners. For such lessons, the topic, the student audience, and the aspects of the topic that the lesson should address are provided by the presenters.
(3) They might be asked to submit a revised lesson or a enw lesson on a different topic.

The type of follow-up asked for will depend on the kind of problem that the student had in the comprehensive. The students will decide with the examiners the date and time of the follow-up session.

Lines of Inquiry to Anticipate
(a) If Prof. Ishihara has suggested a modification/revision in one of your documents and you choose not to make it, that’s your prerogative, but obviously you may be asked to defend your decision in the Oral Comp.

(b) If there’s an apparent contradiction or discrepancy between what you claim to believe and what you practice (e.g. you claim one thing in your “Philosophy of Teaching” but do something different in your “Teaching Video”) you may be asked to explain this. There are probably two ways you can do this:
--defend and contextualize the contradiction
--(particularly in the case of Teaching Video) acknowledge that, in light of what you’ve learned, you might now do things differently (and explain what changes you’d make)

(c) Since our program stresses “bringing theory into practice” and “experiential learning”, and since this is a test of your comprehensive knowledge, you may be asked to apply theory or principles mentioned in Portfolio documents to realistic situations. For example, if you do a paper on collaborative learning, we might ask you how you’d structure a small group task for third graders to ensure that is genuinely collaborative learning and not just “students sitting around in a group."