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University of Texas University of Texas Libraries

Language Teaching Pedagogy

This LibGuide serves as a pedagogical resource for teachers of a second language. Organized into modules that address specific elements of teaching a second language - such as classroom planning, evaluations and assessments, communicative approaches to te

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Introduction

Welcome to this guide about language teaching pedagogy. This is a pedagogical research guide insomuch as – beyond providing lists of pertinent resources and their access points in the library catalog and online – its contents are likewise meant to serve as a resource for language teaching pedagogy. While the topics of this guide are general in scope – and thus applicable to all educators of language – it was conceived in part to accompany a teaching methodologies course in the French and Italian Department. Each of the subsections of this guide address a singular aspect of second language acquisition and/or language teaching through brief overviews and illustrations of these aspects. In addition to these overviews and illustrations, links to both online resources and books in the PCL Library are provided in order to point researchers in productive directions for furthering their knowledge on the particular subjects indicated.  

Below, on the remainder of this pager, users will find tutorials for using the UT Library's website to find books, ebooks, articles, and databases. While many of the resources in this guide are directly linked to their respective library catalog entries, familiarity with the searching operations outlined below will allow users to effectively continue their research / studies with more autonomy.

How to Find Books through UT Library Website

Search for a Book

From the UT Libraries' homepage, type the book title you are searching for in the search box. Then, select "Books and Media" from the dropdown arrow to narrow your results.

A photo of the main search box on the UT Libraries website homepage. The prompt reads "What can we help you find?" with a search box underneath. To the right of the search box there is a drop down menu to narrow your search. To the right of the drop down menu there is a "Search" button that will display results once pressed.

 

Understanding your Results 

After searching, you need to look for four details:

The image shows an example of a search result listing. On the left, there is a small photo of the cover of the book. Listed to the right of the book there are descriptors that tell a patron the type of resource it is, "book," (with the addition of a red circle graphic with a "1") the title of the book "Of mice and men / John Steinbeck ; with an introduction by Susan Shillinglaw," the author of the book and their birth/death dates, "Steinbeck, John, 1902-1968," the year it was published, "1994," and the publisher of the book, "Penguin twentieth-century classics." Under these descriptors, there is a red circle graphic with the number 2. To the right of the graphic, it reads "Available as Perry-Castañeda Library PCL Stacks (PS 3537 T3234 O2 1994)" Above the library name there is a red circle graphic with a "3" inside. Next to the call number there is a red circle graphic with a "4" inside.

1. Ensure you see "Book" (rather than "Video").

2. If you see the word "Available" in green text, the book can be checked out. Print books will have the library name and a call number, while ebooks will say "Available Online." If a book is checked out, it will say "Not Available - Loan" in gray text. 

3. For print books, you have a couple of options for retrieving:

              a. You can request a book through the "Pick It Up" service. The book is sent to the hold shelf at the library location of your choice. (You can choose this option for books that are marked as "Not Available" too! It could take several days for the current borrower to return it.) Wait for an email telling you your books are ready before you come get them!

This image demonstrates where to click to access the "Pick It Up" resource. The text reads "Get It," and "Request: Pick It Up" with a red box around the "Pick It Up" button and a red arrow pointing toward it.

      b. You can get the book off the shelf yourself. Proceed to 4 if this is your preferred method. 

4. Use the call number (the book's address in the library) and the floor map (PCL call number map) to find where the book is located. If you need help understanding how to read call numbers, see the side bar or visit the check out desk to ask a friendly library staff member. 

 

Checking out Books

Visit the check out desk once you have the books you need or once you get an email that your items are ready for pick up. You need your UT ID to successfully check out books. Happy reading!

How to Find Articles on Libraries Website

Start searching with the big search box on the library homepage.

It searches most but not all the library's resources and will show results across six different categories: Articles & More, Books & Media, Journals, Databases, Research Guides, and the Library Website.

A more targeted place to search is at the link for Articles & More beneath the search bar.

We also encourage you to explore the other databases and journals we offer since Articles & More doesn't show results from all sources.

How to Find Articles through Databases

In addition to the general search options above, search in library databases to find more articles related to your topic. 

Some databases like Academic Search Complete are multidisciplinary:

  • Include popular and scholarly articles on all topics
  • Useful if scholars from multiple disciplines would write about your topic or if you don't know where to start
  • Great for assignments in UGS and other undergraduate courses where you may only need a few sources

For subject-specific databases, look on the Databases List (use the "All Subjects" dropdown menu) or on the guide for your class or subject on this Guides List.

  • Include scholarly and specialized articles from a specific discipline
  • To choose a database, think about what department on campus would have scholars researching your topic, then use the "All Subjects" dropdown menu on the databases page to find that department, or find the guide for that subject (ex. PsycINFO for Psychology topics).

Author

This guide was created by Aaron Witcher in the Spring Semester of 2025. 

If you have any questions about the guide, please contact Ian Goodale, European Studies and Linguistics Librarian.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Generic License.