Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) MA

Course overview

This programme is designed for graduates in an English language-related subject who wish to become teachers of English as a second language. The programme provides you with the opportunity to deepen your knowledge and accurate use of the English language, with particular focus on grammar, lexis, discourse, genre and phonology.

It also raises your awareness of the varied roles English has across the globe and the current debates around varied ELT approaches, methodologies and assessment strategies when applied to a range of ELT contexts, whilst also developing your academic and teaching skills. Furthermore, the final dissertation project allows you to specialise in an area of TESOL of particular interest and importance to you as well as further developing your research and analytical skills. Teaching is delivered predominantly via seminars which include a mix of tutor-led input and student-to-student activities, which not only focus on presentation and discussion of theories and models but also actually expose you to a range of ELT teaching approaches and methodologies first hand. You will then be encouraged to reflect on these and, perhaps even use yourself, when you are an ELT professional in the UK or overseas.

The course has 2 entry points: September and January. For the September intake, the course lasts one calendar year and 2 x 30-credit modules are studied in each of the first 2 semesters, then you focus on your dissertation for semester 3, June – September. For the January intake, the course lasts 18 months: semester 1 runs January – May followed by the summer break, then semester 2 runs September – January and then you will focus on your dissertation in semester 3, ie the following January – May.

How you learn

A range of learning and teaching methods ensure the learning outcomes can be explored in-depth in a variety of ways. Lectures will provide the information that will be built on in seminars where a more interactive and exploratory approach will be taken. Whereas on some modules, the teaching and learning takes place solely in seminars, which will include a mix of tutor-led input and student-student tasks and debates.

How you are assessed

The programme assessments reflect the module aims and require you to work autonomously to develop your subject knowledge, as well as your critical analysis, evaluating, research and academic writing skills by applying these to real contemporary issues or case studies. The assessment includes a range of written assignments, a 90-minute examination and a final 18,000-word dissertation.

Career opportunities

The TU China office has links with partner institutions in China looking for graduates to teach English at their universities and are offering good packages to our graduates.

You should have a good honours degree (at least a 2.2) in TESOL, English Language or a related subject.