EN235: Methods of Teaching Secondary Language Arts, Dr. Michael O'Conner

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This three-credit course, taught by English Department faculty, is required for English Education majors. It is intended to prepare prospective secondary educators with methods and materials for teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing with an emphasis on language development across the curriculum It also is designed to help students combine theory, research and practice into sound strategies for teaching English in middle, junior, and senior high schools. Students will begin to develop a philosophy of secondary Language Arts teaching and learn how to plan instruction that is consistent with that philosophy and with various national, state, and school district standards and guidelines. Content typically includes examination and evaluation of textbooks and other curriculum materials; planning of lessons and units; discussion of issues involving professional educators; development of means to assess learning, and discussion of methods to teach English language arts, including both reading and speech. Language Arts segments of the Education Portfolio will also be initiated within this course, enhanced by course assignments.

Units covered:
History of Teaching Language Arts
Exploring and Teaching the Language Arts
The Integrated Curriculum
Creating Instructional Units
Creating Classroom Community
The Act of Reading and Understanding Literacy
Organizing to Teach Literature
Teaching Writing
Exploring Language
Listening, Hearing and Speaking
Classroom Talk, Drama and Performance
Assessment, Evaluation and Grading

Course Objectives of the Course
By the end of this course students will be able to

  • Familiarity with Illinois Board of Education Illinois Learning Standards for English Language Arts
  • Model reading aloud from a variety of genres to demonstrate group/ individual interpretation and appreciation of literature
  • Understand the significance of adapting written and oral communication to audience, situation, and setting and demonstrate adaptability
  • Utilize choral reading and dramatization to explore literature
  • Recognize the range of components of the communication process and model effective written and oral communication
  • Apply strategies to overcome their own and to aid their future students’ writing and speaking anxieties
  • Demonstrate an understanding of oral, written, and visual literacy
  • Model and teach effective listening skills
  • Demonstrate competence in creating Unit Plans in each of the Language Arts content areas

    • Textbooks utilized:
    Tchudi and Mitchell. Exploring and Teaching the English Language Arts. New York: Longman, 1999.


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