Students

APPL7250 – Advanced Topics in Second Language Acquisition

2023 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Peter Roger
Philip Chappell
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit explores a variety of approaches to the study of second and foreign language acquisition in both instructed and naturalistic settings. The unit focuses on the range of factors that influence the learning/acquisition of a second language, as well as ways of studying the characteristics of learner language. Throughout the unit, participants are encouraged to reflect on the relevance of second language acquisition research to their own experiences as both language learners and professionals working in educational contexts or other language-related areas.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Identify and explain current issues and research trends in the field of second language acquisition (SLA)
  • ULO2: Demonstrate familiarity with and the ability to critically evaluate two areas of SLA research
  • ULO3: Communicate knowledge of SLA research to a professional audience
  • ULO4: Demonstrate an understanding of the range of internal and external factors that influence an individual’s learning of a second language
  • ULO5: Apply knowledge of SLA research to an educational context of personal relevance

General Assessment Information

Grade descriptors and other information concerning grading are contained in the Macquarie University Assessment Policy.

All final grades are determined by a grading committee, in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Policy, and are not the sole responsibility of the Unit Convenor. Students will be awarded a final grade and a mark which must correspond to the grade descriptors specified in the Assessment Procedure (clause 128).

To pass this unit, you must demonstrate sufficient evidence of achievement of the learning outcomes, meet any ungraded requirements, and achieve a final mark of 50 or better.

Further details for each assessment task will be available on iLearn.

Requesting an extension to assignment due date

On occasion, you may be in a situation when you aren't able to submit an assessment task on time. Extensions are only given in special circumstances, by completing a Special Consideration request. For more information on Special Consideration, see https://students.mq.edu.au/study/my-study-program/special-consideration  

Late submission of assignments

If you haven't been approved for an extension and you submit your assessment task late, penalties are applied. You should consult your unit convenor if you are in this position. Late submissions will receive a 5% per day penalty. If you submit the assessment task 10 days or more beyond the due date, without an approved extension, you will be awarded a maximum of 50% of the overall assessment marks. Weekends and public holidays are included. 

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online Key Concepts Quiz 10% No 27/03/2023 - 28/03/2023
Critical review 20% No 25/04/2023
Annotated bibliography presentation 20% No 16/05/2023
Applying SLA Research 50% No 07/06/2023

Online Key Concepts Quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 27/03/2023 - 28/03/2023
Weighting: 10%

This quiz consists of multiple choice questions that students complete online during a 48 hour period when the quiz is open


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and explain current issues and research trends in the field of second language acquisition (SLA)
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the range of internal and external factors that influence an individual’s learning of a second language

Critical review

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 18 hours
Due: 25/04/2023
Weighting: 20%

Students will write a 1000 word guided critique of a scholarly journal article in the field of second language acquisition


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and explain current issues and research trends in the field of second language acquisition (SLA)
  • Demonstrate familiarity with and the ability to critically evaluate two areas of SLA research
  • Communicate knowledge of SLA research to a professional audience
  • Apply knowledge of SLA research to an educational context of personal relevance

Annotated bibliography presentation

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 16/05/2023
Weighting: 20%

For this assignment, students will prepare a short (5 minute) PowerPoint presentation with oral commentary detailing three academic references, and their relevance to their proposed research topic for the final assignment.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and explain current issues and research trends in the field of second language acquisition (SLA)
  • Demonstrate familiarity with and the ability to critically evaluate two areas of SLA research
  • Communicate knowledge of SLA research to a professional audience
  • Apply knowledge of SLA research to an educational context of personal relevance

Applying SLA Research

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 32 hours
Due: 07/06/2023
Weighting: 50%

For this assessment task, students will write a 2500 word essay in which they apply research findings in one area of SLA research to a context/purpose of personal or professional relevance.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify and explain current issues and research trends in the field of second language acquisition (SLA)
  • Demonstrate familiarity with and the ability to critically evaluate two areas of SLA research
  • Communicate knowledge of SLA research to a professional audience
  • Apply knowledge of SLA research to an educational context of personal relevance

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

APPL7250 is co-taught with APPL8250, and is delivered through a weekly two-hour lecture-seminar on campus. These lectures will also be offered simultaneously on Zoom, and will be recorded.  It is essential to attend the weekly classes OR engage with the class recording each week. In most weeks, students will be asked to complete some reading to accompany the topics that we are studying. Details of weekly reading and links to the relevant articles and chapters can be found on the Leganto block on the iLearn site. There is no set textbook for this unit.

*Please note that the assessment for APPL7250 differs in some respects from the assessment for APPL8250.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Inclusion and Diversity

Social inclusion at Macquarie University is about giving everyone who has the potential to benefit from higher education the opportunity to study at university, participate in campus life and flourish in their chosen field. The University has made significant moves to promote an equitable, diverse and exciting campus community for the benefit of staff and students. It is your responsibility to contribute towards the development of an inclusive culture and practice in the areas of learning and teaching, research, and service orientation and delivery. As a member of the Macquarie University community, you must not discriminate against or harass others based on their sex, gender, race, marital status, carers' responsibilities, disability, sexual orientation, age, political conviction or religious belief. All staff and students are expected to display appropriate behaviour that is conducive to a healthy learning environment for everyone.

Professionalism

In the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, professionalism is a key capability embedded in all our courses.

As part of developing professionalism, students are expected to attend all small group interactive sessions including clinical, practical, laboratory, work-integrated learning (e.g., PACE placements), and team-based learning activities. Some learning activities are recorded (e.g., face-to-face lectures), however you are encouraged to avoid relying upon such material as they do not recreate the whole learning experience and technical issues can and do occur. As an adult learner, we respect your decision to choose how you engage with your learning, but we would remind you that the learning opportunities we create for you have been done so to enable your success, and that by not engaging you may impact your ability to successfully complete this unit. We equally expect that you show respect for the academic staff who have worked hard to develop meaningful activities and prioritise your learning by communicating with them in advance if you are unable to attend a small group interactive session.

Another dimension of professionalism is having respect for your peers. It is the right of every student to learn in an environment that is free of disruption and distraction. Please arrive to all learning activities on time, and if you are unavoidably detained, please join activity as quietly as possible to minimise disruption. Phones and other electronic devices that produce noise and other distractions must be turned off prior to entering class. Where your own device (e.g., laptop) is being used for class-related activities, you are asked to close down all other applications to avoid distraction to you and others. Please treat your fellow students with the utmost respect. If you are uncomfortable participating in any specific activity, please let the relevant academic know.


Unit information based on version 2023.01R of the Handbook