Välkommen till kursen English for Teachers in Secondary Education, 1-30 30 Credits

Information från kursansvarig

Welcome to English for Teachers in Secondary Education!
My name is Lisa Johansson and I am the course coordinator for this course. Please contact me if you have any questions about the course.

You will study five modules in total within this course.

0010 Language Structure 7.5 cr.
0020 Written Communication 5 cr.
0030 Contemporary Literature in English 7 cr.
0040 English Didactics 7.5 cr.
0050 World English 3 cr.

During the first part of the term (weeks 36-45) we will study modules 0010 Language Structure, 0020 Written Communication in parallel. This means that you need to obtain the course literature for these two modules before week 36 when the course starts. When the Written communication module ends you will continue studying 0050 World English in parallel with Language structure. During the second part of the term we will study modules 0030 Contemporary Literature in English 0040 English Didactics and 0050 World English.

You can find the preliminary course schedule with times and dates in Kronox, our digital scheduling platform, four weeks before the course starts. This course is taught in two formats, distance (Distans) and campus (Normal), so please make sure you find the correct schedule. The first modules’ syllabi and detailed schedules with reading instructions will be available on Canvas, our digital learning platform, two weeks before the course starts.

It is important that you get hold of the course literature for all modules well before the course starts. A good idea is to order the books indicated in the syllabus (kursplan) during the summer vacation or make sure that you can borrow them from the library. You will find a link to the syllabus and reading list in the first section of this online welcome letter.
For Language Structure, you will need A University Grammar of English with a Swedish Perspective by Maria Estling Vannestål and Spotting the Error: A Problem-Based Workbook on English Grammar and Usage by Erik Smitterberg.

For Written Communication, you will need The Digital Classroom: Transforming the Way We Learn by Ann Michaelsen (available for download via the HiG library) and Longman Academic Writing Series 4: Essays by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue. Please check the literature list to ensure you get the correct editions.

In the module Contemporary Literature in English, we will study Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, and The Color Purple by Alice Walker. You should also order Teaching Literature to Adolescents by Richard Beach et al. Literature in the Language Classroom by Joanne Collie and Stephen Slater and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad are not required. The instructor will also select one young adult novel based on student suggestions.

When it comes to novels, it is not important to get a specific edition. However, make sure to order copies in English and that they are unabridged.

For all other modules, please order the books listed under “Kurslitteratur”, unless otherwise noted. Books under “Referenslitteratur” are optional but recommended for deeper exploration. Some titles, like Teaching English in a European and Global Perspective by Marko Modiano, are available as eBooks through the university library. These can be accessed using your student account once the course begins.

It is important that you register for the course in Ladok as soon as registration opens. This will give you access to our course page in Canvas two weeks before the course starts. Canvas will be our main channel for communication, and this is where you will find material about our course such as the timetable, instructions, assignments, etc. This is also where the different instructors will post general announcements concerning the course and the individual sessions. Your instructors will use the email client to send individual messages when necessary. Therefore, check the Canvas page and your email regularly.

Students attending courses in English at the University of Gävle are required to attend class in order to receive a passing grade. Studying English at our college not only involves gaining subject knowledge but also developing the ability to speak and write English, and this can only take place if students meet their teachers and actively participate in the instruction. Furthermore, most modules feature live, face-to-face group work in order to accommodate the general course objective that “students should be able to compare and critically evaluate one’s own and others' work”. Failure to participate in such activities will therefore make it impossible to attain a course objective. For these reasons, we require attendance, with only minor exceptions.

Since the course runs at 100%, you must be prepared to allocate 40 hours of study per week, including class attendance, reading and writing assignments. Studying for 30 credits in one term is like a full-time job.
Lastly, remember that cheating and plagiarizing are serious academic offences, which result in failing the module in question and being reported to the university’s disciplinary board.

You will also be asked to take a plagiarism test on Canvas before you can access any of the course material.