Foreign Language Pedagogy
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PEDAGOGY
Summer 2026 Professional Development Course
Offered by the Center for International Foreign Language Teacher Education (CIFLTE) at Teachers College, Columbia University, in partnership with Osaka Gakuin University, Foreign Language Pedagogy provides a foundational understanding of the concepts and strategies involved in teaching a second or foreign language.
The course connects principles of language learning and teaching with practical instructional decision-making. Through course sessions, guided study of academic materials, discussion, and project work, participants will examine approaches to language pedagogy and apply course concepts to their own teaching contexts.
Participants may attend in person at Osaka Gakuin University, join synchronously online, or complete the course asynchronously online.
What Participants Will Learn and Do
During the course, participants will:
- Strengthen their understanding of foundational concepts and strategies in second and foreign language teaching;
- Examine how principles of language learning can guide instructional decision-making;
- Read and discuss academic materials related to language pedagogy;
- Consider how course concepts can be applied in different instructional contexts; and
- Develop a lesson-planning project tailored to their own educational setting.
Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate of participation.
Course Format and Assessment
The course is project-based. Participants will begin working on their lesson-planning project at the outset of the course and continue developing it throughout the week.
Successful completion is based on:
- Attendance and participation*
- Reading and discussion of assigned academic materials
- Completion of the lesson-planning project
Course materials include session handouts and academic texts for guided independent study.
*Asynchronous participants must view the session recordings and complete the assigned readings, discussions, and project work by the stated deadlines.
Who Should Apply?
This course is designed for:
- Aspiring, pre-service, and in-service teachers of any second or foreign language
- Graduate students in TESOL, applied linguistics, foreign language education, and related fields
- Educators working in a range of instructional contexts, including English-medium instruction (EMI)
- Educators seeking professional development in second and foreign language pedagogy
Course Information
Dates: July 20–24, 2026
Scheduled Session Time:
- 9:00AM–12:00PM (JST): asynchronous
- 1:00–4:00PM (JST): synchronous
Venue: Osaka Gakuin University (Osaka, Japan)
Modalities:
- In person
- Online (synchronous)
- Online (asynchronous)
In addition to the scheduled sessions, the course includes independent study, assigned readings and discussions, and project work to be completed outside the scheduled session hours.
Course Fee: $2,500 USD
Tuition is due in full within one week of admission or by the program start date, whichever comes first.
Application Process
Requirements
- Completed application form
- Receipt for payment of the $50 application fee
To Apply
By July 17, send the required application materials as attachments in a single email to ciflte@tc.columbia.edu.