Syllabus
Course Description: Our goal in this teacher training institute is to share our collective expertise in world language pedagogy and help participants develop the knowledge, skills, and resources that they need to enhance their current or future Hindi and Urdu teaching experience. We aim to familiarize participants with the latest US-based research and developments in second language acquisition theories, world/foreign language teaching methodologies, classroom practices, and educational technology with the intention of broadening their understanding of the field and encouraging them to reflect on their teaching practices. Through this knowledge sharing and collective learning experience, we invite participants to explore how they can further develop their teaching practices to effectively and meaningfully address the learning needs of their students given their contextual and curriculum realities. Finally, this program includes a diverse group of Hindi and Urdu language educators working across different countries including Canada, Fiji, India, Pakistan, Poland, and the USA. We appreciate the different needs and expectations that each participant will bring to this program and we will strive to address them both through individualized and collective learning experiences and consultations.
Course Expectations: Here are a few course expectations to keep in mind as we get started:
- The course site is on Google Classroom. We will be posting all course materials, announcements, and assignments on this site. Please make sure to log into the site regularly and stay updated with upcoming tasks and meetings.
- We will meet for two synchronous (live/zoom) sessions every week on Thursday and Sunday. In addition to these meetings, participants will be expected to complete some assignments on their own time (asynchronously). These assignments will typically involve reading/scanning/reviewing some materials related to upcoming topics and revising the concepts that we cover each week. Detailed instructions and expected due dates will be posted with each assignment on Google Classroom.
- Learning-by-doing is an important part of any self-reflective learning experience. To that end, participants will start working on a lesson plan early in the program and do a brief teaching demo later. Our team of instructors will work with participants as they develop these lesson plans and regularly provide necessary support and feedback. More instructions around this assignment will be shared in class and on Google Classroom.
Consultations/Office Hours: Each instructor from our team will be available to meet participants for discussions, QnA, and consultations at a specific time slot. We may also use these slots for topic-specific additional sessions such as on technological tools, grammar, etc. if and when needed. Participants are welcome to meet one or more instructors each week. However, participants should make sure that they sign up for the available time slots in advance, so that instructors can arrange their work schedules accordingly. If for some reason your plans change and you cannot attend the office hour you signed up for, please remove your name from the sign-up sheet so that instructors are aware of your changed plans.
Schedule: Below is a link to the course schedule which has the zoom links for the synchronous sessions:
2022 Schedule at a glance