Improving University Subjects to Enhance Students Teachers Skills in English Language Department at Al.Marj Faculty of Arts and Sciences: Course Description Analysis of Introduction to Applied Linguistics E501

Abstract

The level of English language teaching in Libyan universities is getting very low and no longer of the responsibilities and priorities of the successive ministries of higher education to solve such rooted issues. From this standpoint, the researcher insists that there must be new attempts to increase the effectiveness of English language teaching programs by developing curriculum, syllabus and instruction. This study investigates the characterization of the course description of a university subject that had been taught in the English department at Al.Marj Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Benghazi University. The subject named Introduction to Applied Linguistics (E501) was analyzed by using qualitative content analysis and two adopted models of learning objectives to determine the type of syllabus and instruction, to classify two types of objectives and to what extent they agreed with outcomes and to prove the impact of this course on students' future skills. It was found that there is a lack of agreement between the objectives, the activities and the intended skills that mentioned in the course description what makes it inadequate to support students' future performance with needed professional skills. It was also noticed that in this language teaching program language learning objectives are totally ignored. It was suggested that improving the content and teaching methods used to deliver this subject may play a significant role in solidifying the meaning of becoming English language teachers among students and enhance their teaching skills. It was recommended that language learning objectives need to be more focused on from the very beginning, and obligatory practical classes must be essential in the advanced levels to serve as pre-service development programs.

Key Words: Course Description, Applied Linguistics AL, Syllabus Design, Learning Objectives, Language learning objectives

DOI: 10.7176/JLLL/103-04

Publication date: September 30th 2024