The English language is in a state of flux. This, of course, is nothing new: English has always taken from other languages. It is a glorious hybrid.

While this may be a cause for celebration in some aspects, it necessarily makes things difficult for the English language teacher.

• How do I know if the English I am presenting to my students in the classroom is ‘correct’ English?
• Is this the English that native speakers are actually using, or something that is preserved in an out-of-date textbook?
• Do the ‘rules’ I learnt at school and university still hold true?
• And given that most English is now used in interactions between non-native speakers, what standards apply?

These are all questions that this course, brought to you in association with Nile, will address.

This course will cover the following areas:

• Gaining familiarity with the technology used
• Looking at a wide range of print and online media, television and radio
• The language used to discuss and describe a current affairs story
• Looking at text-speak, synchronous chat, the language of emails, Facebook and Twitter
• Reading a text related to the topic (e.g. a review or report) and analysing the language used in it
• Considering changing professional roles and the language used to describe them
• Considering the questions of standards in global English
• Looking at how English has become a global language

This course will extend the participant’s understanding and critical awareness of:

• Some general ideas of what constitutes contemporary English
• A number of different language corpora, and how these can be useful tools for the teacher and the student
• The processes involved in word formation and coinage
• The concept of a grammar of spoken English (including vague language, ellipsis, backchannels)
• The cultural and intercultural aspects of their topic, their role in social change and popular culture and the language generated by this
• A list of lexical items relating to the world of work and particular professional spheres
• A list of lexical items relating to loan words
• The English ‘language landscape’ of their own environment

To know more about the course, watch this introductory video by Nile course leader Chris Rose.

The course consists of 8 online units, each lasting one week and requiring about 5 hours of individual study and work on Nile’s online platform. The online work is then explored more in detail during two face-to-face workshops in Thiene, as well as two online live sessions.

At the end of the course, participants have the opportunity to complete a final assignment that will be graded by the tutor. Those who complete the final assignment will receive a Certificate of Achievement. Should you chose not to complete the assignment, you will still receive a Certificate of Attendance.

The quality of online teaching and learning is guaranteed by:

Timetable and dates

• 19th October-18th December 2020: online course (8 units, one per week with a one-week break half-way)
• Monday 19th October 2020: Zoom live session (about one hour) to get to know the tutor, course participants as well as the objectives and logistics of the course
• 7th November 2020: 4-hour face-to-face workshop in Thiene, Italy
• 5th December 2020: 4-hour face-to-face workshop in Thiene, Italy
• 18th December 2020: Zoom live session (about one hour) to conlude the course and discuss the final assignment.
• Week of 14-18 December 2020: one.to-one tutorials with course participants who wish to complete the final assignment
• 11th January 2021: deadline for submission of final assignment.