This course focuses on literacy strategies for language learners in various contexts (EL students, EFL settings, immersion programs, etc.). These graduate credits are paired with attendance at the STAR literacy conference and allow attendees to use their time at the literacy conference to make connections to their own classroom. Participants in this online course will engage in selected readings related to the conference, reflect on the readings and their experiences at the literacy conference, and create literacy materials for their own classroom that demonstrate how they will meet the needs of the different learners in their teaching context.

Students will examine past and present methods of teaching a second language, drawing on their own experiences to enhance the discussions and understandings. Models and principles for immersion instruction will be contrasted with second language instructional principles. Observation and analysis of a variety of methodologies in action at the Language Villages will help students define their personal instructional philosophy and methodology.

Students will be introduced to the vocabulary, theory, primary principles, methods and techniques of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods of inquiry in the education field. They will also learn about action research in the classroom. Students will read and review a variety of research articles in the field of education, in general, and in their specific content area.

Students will discuss how technology can be used in the second language classroom to motivate language learners. Through observations and discussions of how technology is used at the Language Villages, students will design a unit of instruction incorporating technology.

Based on High Leverage Teaching Practices (HLTPs) and current research and methodological approaches, students will explore the ways they can leverage the HLTPs and current research in the field to advance their practices as language teachers. This course will be offered online.

Note: Multiple sections of this course may be taught in different languages. This course is designed to engage students in listening, reading, writing, and speaking around the topics of technology, media, and human relations in target cultures around the world. Particular attention will be paid to students in K-16 educational contexts, such as the influence of social media on students, students' abilities to engage in current events through technology and social media, and the way in which technology and media affects human relationships and communication in target language countries. Students will read, listen to, and view a variety of authentic texts, and they will also engage in text analysis and discussion on these topics.

Students will develop the ability to teach culture for intercultural communicative competence and the goal of helping their students to gain intercultural citizenship. They will learn how to leverage authentic resources, meaningful tasks, and Web-based instructional materials effectively to help students to become intercultural interlocutors and global citizens.

Note: Multiple sections of this course may be taught in different languages. This course will ask students to examine the relationships between products, practices, and perspectives found in 21st century diaspora within particular countries. Depending on the language being studied and the countries most influenced by the diaspora, students may examine Hispanic diaspora, African diaspora, Arab diaspora, etc. Diaspora comes from the Greek word "to scatter about" and refers to a group of people with the same or similar heritage or ethnicity who have moved to new places throughout the world. Students will examine cultural topics through different lenses in order to understand that the relationship between products and perspecitives or practices and perspectives can vary within one particular culture. Human experiences such as emigration and immigration also greatly influence perspectives. Students will read, listen to, and view a variety of authentic texts, and they will also engage in an ongoing portfolio project and discussion on these topics.

Students will discuss the theoretical and practical foundations in learner-centered and performance-based assessments. The role of national standards, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) K-12 Performance Guidelines and the LinguaFolio in assessing language learning will be presented. Students will examine a variety of assessment tools and their use in providing meaningful feedback to both teachers and students.

Students will examine the principles and characteristics of content-based instruction in the second language classroom. A continuum of program models ranging from content-driven to language-driven instruction will be discussed along with implications for curriculum and instruction. Students will design a content-based unit of instruction to demonstrate understanding of the methodology.

Students will have an intensive experience in the Concordia Language Villages where they will increase knowledge of the target language and culture(s) by using the language to participate and collaborate in Village activities, and by engaging in reflective practice (TESOL teachers will be placed in the English Language Villages). This course is repeatable up to three times.

Note: Multiple sections of this course may be taught in different languages. In this course, students will examine some of the problematic aspects of advanced target language grammar, focusing on such concepts as indicative times (past tenses), subjunctive tenses (values and uses in simple and complex structures), the values and uses of particular prepositions, and a variety of other concepts. The course will also pay special attention to concepts that are particularly confusing for non-native speakers of the language. However, the course also allows for individual exploration of advanced concepts in order to increase students' own knowledge of the language. In order to examine grammar within authentic, meaningful contexts, students will read and view a variety of texts such as short stories, news, and social media, paying close attention to the values and uses of the concepts being studied.

Note: Multiple sections of this course may be taught in different languages. In this course, students will read and discuss several young adult novels written in the target language. Although there are a number of competing definitions of this genre, this course will mostly focus on literature that is written and published in the target language expressly for young adults between the ages of 14-20 (or older). Students will focus on the way in which aspects of culture are represented and reflected in the various examples of young adult literature we will read in this course. Often young adult literature pushes boundaries, and students will also examine critical questions and topics that arise in the literature within the context of the target culture(s) in which the novel takes place.

Note: Multiple sections of this course may be taught in different languages. In this course, students will view, discuss, and write about various target language films that they could integrate into their own classrooms in order to teach historical, political, and cultural content through film. Students will read about and research the themes present in the films in order to gain a stronger understanding of the content, themselves, allowing them to develop course materials for their own classrooms. The films will lead to an exploration of different genres of film, various historical and political events, and diverse views of society, human relationships, and other aspects of the target culture.

Note: Multiple sections of this course may be taught in different languages. This course is designed to allow students to explore current critical and social justice topics in the target cultures. As these are dynamic topics that are ever changing, the topics of the course will change to reflect current issues in need of examination in various target language countries and within the diaspora. Some examples might be the exploitation of natural resources and environmental justice, gender and sexuality movements, or women's rights and access to reproductive healthcare. Students will read, view, discuss, and write about the topics this class will examine, considering action that they and/or their own students could take to address similar topics in their own communities and beyond.

Students will participate in an online seminar to work on their thesis with their faculty adviser and to share progress with others who are working on their thesis. Instruction will be provided in online units that will vary according to the students' needs and the topics of the theses.

Continuing enrollment in graduate studies. This option is used for registration after completion of all course requirements or when not otherwise actively enrolled. This course may not be used to meet any program or graduation requirement.

The thesis will be a written work of publishable quality and will include documentation of literature review and evidence of extensive research to inform the work.