Course Profiles

Dr Subhan Zein has contributed to the development of curricula, syllabi, and educational resources. His courses combine the latest theories and trends in Applied Linguistics and practical ideas drawn from his own experience and that of his students. In the way he embraces technology in the design and delivery of his courses, he employs teaching videos, sample lectures, and digital surveys to foster learning. He has utilised learning management systems such as Moodle, Blackboard, Cambridge LMS, and Wattle, as well as platforms such as Padlet, Memrise, Kahoot, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, among others. He has also employs technology for assessment purposes; for example, by developing Digital Storytelling.

He has incorporated all the points above into his courses. Some of the courses he has developed are Introduction to Applied Linguistics, Language Education Policy, Language and Intercultural Communication, Primary English Language and Literacy, and Second Language Curriculum and Pedagogy. These courses are available for download below.

Course Summary: This survey course is designed for Applied Linguistics students at postgraduate level. The course offers foundational knowledge of Applied Linguistics as a discipline. It covers both traditions of the discipline: linguistics applied and applied linguistics. Building upon current literature, excerpts from classroom teaching, as well as other print and digital resources, the course tackles emerging trends and concepts of the discipline including translanguaging, English as a lingua franca, language teaching in the post-methods era, and language and technology.

Course Summary: This course is designed for Applied Linguistics/TESOL students at postgraduate level. It provides a comprehensive overview of language education policy at both theoretical and practical levels. The course covers the scope, categories and domains of language policy, as well as the actors, motives, contexts, and processes involved in language education policy. Building upon current literature, policy documents, excerpts from classroom teaching, as well as other print and digital resources, the course takes a comparative approach to language education policy issues related to Applied Linguistics/TESOL to cover case studies from a range of international contexts including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, the Caribbean, China, India, Indonesia, Spain, South Korea, Thailand, Uganda, Sweden, and the United States. It tackles topics relevant to policymaking and planning at macro-, meso-, and micro-levels in those contexts and beyond where policies on bilingual education, Content and Integrated Language Learning (CLIL), English as a medium of instruction (EMI), and English as a subject in basic education (ESBE) have proliferated. Topics relevant to how teachers can play a role in language policy issues in the school and classroom and how language education policies are intertwined with the nation state, national development goals, globalisation, language revitalisation, as well as the lives of immigrants, refugees, and indigenous minorities, are also explored.

Course Summary: This postgraduate level course examines communication across cultural boundaries. It covers language-related phenomena and themes across cultures including the intercultural, cultural othering, politeness and im/politeness, verbal and non-verbal communication, identity, intercultural pragmatics, intercultural language teaching, and interculturality and globalisation. Drawing on linguistic data, it explores intercultural situations involving speech communities in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, France, USA, Tonga, Portugal, Finland, Georgia, South Africa, UK, among others. In doing so, the course also takes account of perspectives including, but not limited to, social psychology, discourse analysis, semiotics, pragmatics, ideology, and cultural studies for a comprehensive understanding of intercultural communication.

Course Summary: This course is designed for Bachelor of Education (Primary) and Postgraduate Diploma in Education students who will teach English language, literature and literacy within primary school in Australia. The course makes use of current literature, excerpts from classroom teaching, teaching videos and other digital resources to prepare pre-service teachers to teach Language, Literature and Literacy – the three interrelated strands of the English Learning Area in the Australian Curriculum. It offers foundational knowledge of the developmental nature of English learning for primary learners including those coming from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations. The course aims to enable students to cultivate such foundational knowledge in the use and adaptation of literary texts as well as the construction of lesson plans. The course also offers theoretical approaches to teaching as well as practical strategies to assist students in the development of their pedagogical repertoire particularly in the practice of classroom teaching, reflection on the teaching practice, and assessment of learning progress.

Course Summary: This course is designed for Applied Linguistics/TESOL students at postgraduate level. It equips them with knowledge and skills in the analysis, design and development of second language curriculum as well as pedagogical strategies. Drawing upon current literature, curriculum documents, excerpts from classroom teaching, teaching videos and other digital resources, the course covers foundational aspects of language curriculum, processes involved in curriculum design, development and evaluation, as well as the relationship between curriculum, teaching materials, and learning assessment. It includes recent theories of second language acquisition (SLA) and teaching methods to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of a global second language pedagogy for the 21st century characterised by post-method pedagogy and topics such as translanguaging, plurilingualism, English as a lingua franca, and the incorporation of digital technologies into language teaching and learning. The course offers prospective teachers with a solid understanding of the learner dimension and classroom dynamics to assist them to teach in a wide range of settings. It also tackles pedagogical basics such as lesson planning, classroom management and scaffolding, as well as strategies of classroom discourse and various techniques to successfully teach the macro-skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and the micro-skills (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation).

Please contact Dr Zein should you wish to use any of the course profiles above in your teaching.