Description:

This course is designed to be a service-component and writing-component course. We will cover much of the same ground as the more general Psychology 337 but there will be at least two significant aspects that are different: (1) a significant portion of the material will survey the literature on multilingualism and linguistic diversity, and (2) each student will tutor an adult or small group of adults in English as a second language. Students will receive training in ESL instruction prior to being assigned to an ESL student.

Each student in the class will be required to complete a certain number of hours (expected average = 3 hours per week) providing free tutoring in English as a second language to an individual or small group. Proficiency in a second language other than English is not required for participation.

A required tutor training workshop will be held early in the semester to prepare all students for their teaching activities.

Each student will write a report on a language-related issue inspired by his or her tutoring experience. This report will include a scholarly component that will require the writer to become familiar with some primary source material in the psychology of language literature. The writing could will be divided into two parts: the "scholarly" component early and the case report at the end of the semester.

Texts:

Bialystok & Hakuta In other words: The science and psychology of second-language acquisition. 1994

Jackendoff, R. Patterns in the mind. 1994

deGroot & Kroll Tutorials in bilingualism. 1997

Grading and Requirements:

Papers: 33.3%

Research Paper (10pp minimum)

Case Report (6pp minimum)

Prerequisites:

Psychology 301 with a grade of C or better, Psychology 418 or an equivalent statistics course with a grade of C or better, upper division standing, and six semester hours of upper division psychology.

Updated 1 November1998
Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts
University of Texas at Austin

Some graphics courtesy of Ann Pommerehn