TESOL MA

Program Overview

The MA TESOL program at the University of Sheffield equips students with the knowledge and skills to become effective teachers of English as a Second Language. Through a combination of theoretical coursework and practical experience, the program prepares students for a wide range of careers in diverse international educational contexts, including advanced TESOL careers, business, publishing, translation, and interpreting. Graduates develop professional recognition with opportunities to gain the TKT qualification and TEFLi certification.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The MA TESOL program at the University of Sheffield is a one-year full-time or two-year part-time program designed to equip students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary for a successful career in teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL). The program combines theoretical approaches to TESOL with practical experience in the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC).

Objectives:

The program aims to:

• Develop students' awareness of the theoretical principles underpinning TESOL practice.
• Equip students with the practical skills to work in diverse international educational contexts.
• Provide students with the opportunity to complete a professional portfolio and gain an internationally-recognized teaching qualification (TKT).
• Offer students the chance to achieve professional recognition as TEFLi-qualified (certificate-level ELT qualification equivalent) based on criteria from Accreditation UK.

Description:

The MA TESOL program is ideal for:

• Individuals with little or no English language teaching experience who are interested in pursuing a career in the field.
• Individuals with up to two years of English language teaching experience who wish to develop their careers by deepening their knowledge and skills in TESOL.
• Those interested in applied linguistic and language teaching research and/or classroom-based practitioner research.
The program focuses on key areas of learning and teaching second languages, including:
• Language teaching methodology
• Teaching skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening)
• Language systems (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and discourse)
• Materials selection and use
• Classroom pedagogy
• Reflective practice
It explores the processes involved in language production and reception in a second language and the implications for teaching the language skills. It also reviews and assesses developments in the teaching of grammar and vocabulary of a foreign language. Other issues explored include the role of feedback, task-based approaches, and the impact of language learning theory on teaching. (15 credits)
• Teaching Practice 1: This module provides students with the opportunity to develop practical TESOL skills and demonstrate their theoretical knowledge of English Language Teaching applied in the classroom.
Students will reflect on their current practices in TESOL, develop their range of classroom procedures and techniques, and apply existing knowledge of approaches and methods. They will evidence their teaching skills linked to TESOL theory and receive support in both lesson planning and delivery. The teaching practice focus of this module is teaching learners in a one-to-one context. Students can also gain an optional Cambridge Assessment Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) Modules 1, 2, and/or 3 qualifications, provided its external criteria and entry costs are met. (15 credits)
• Teaching Listening and Speaking: This module equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to support the development of second language learners' listening and speaking skills.
Students will be introduced to different approaches to learning and teaching listening and speaking in a range of TESOL contexts and consider how to make principled pedagogical decisions, informed by underpinning theory and research. They will also develop their ability to select, adapt, or create appropriate listening and speaking materials relevant to learner needs and evaluate procedures and techniques for assessing and developing second language listening and speaking skills. (15 credits)
• Teaching Practice 2: This module builds on the contents of Teaching Practice 1 and further develops practical TESOL skills and consolidates theoretical knowledge of English Language Teaching as applied in the classroom.
The teaching practice focus of this module is teaching groups in online contexts. As with Teaching Practice 1, students have the opportunity to take the optional Cambridge Assessment Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) Modules 1, 2, and/or 3 qualification, provided its external criteria and entry costs are met. (15 credits)
• Teaching Reading and Writing: This module familiarizes students with the theory and practice of how to teach reading and writing in TESOL contexts.
Students will study the main approaches to teaching second language reading in the English language classroom, how to develop learners' intensive and extensive reading abilities, how reading can be assessed, and how popular TESOL textbooks teach reading. For the Teaching Writing part of the module, students will study the main approaches to teaching second language writing, how writing can be corrected, whether correcting writing works, how writing can be assessed, and how popular TESOL textbooks teach writing. They will practice designing and assessing reading activities and practice correcting and assessing writing. (15 credits)
• Teaching Vocabulary, Grammar, and Discourse: This module is aimed at students interested in the acquisition, learning, and teaching of vocabulary, grammar, and discourse in second languages.
Students will be introduced to some of the principal theories, concepts, descriptive categories, and methodologies central to the teaching of English vocabulary, grammar, and discourse. Taking a predominantly functional approach to language description, students will be familiarized with some of the key ways in which the lexico-grammar functions as a resource for creating meaning in use and the implications for teaching the language systems with a functional and communicative purpose. Throughout the module, students will draw on the principles derived from second language acquisition research that inform effective teaching practice of vocabulary, grammar, and discourse. Overall, this course has three main objectives:
• Familiarize students with the current knowledge and developments on the learning and teaching of vocabulary, grammar, and discourse (i.e., language systems) in second languages.
• Help students develop the necessary background knowledge to understand and critically examine the ways in which the language systems function and are taught in second languages.
• Prepare students to be able to evaluate, select, and apply the teaching principles, techniques, and methods that are most appropriate for the instruction of language systems in different educational contexts.
(15 credits)
• Materials and Course Design: This module familiarizes students with the theory and practice of TESOL course design and language teaching.
Students will look at different scholarly approaches to the design of language teaching curricula, materials, and tests, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches, and their usefulness in various TESOL situations in diverse secondary and tertiary education contexts. The module will provide students with the opportunity to practice designing language courses and language teaching materials. The module therefore will provide students with an essential theoretical and practical foundation to design TESOL language courses and teaching materials and to critically assess existing examples of each and their appropriateness in various learning contexts. (15 credits)
• Practitioner Research and Development: This module aims to provide students with English language teacher skills and knowledge in the areas of practitioner research methods and techniques as well as theories and frameworks for teacher professional development.
Over the course of this module, students will engage in reflective practice on their own teaching and learning experiences through engagement with current practice and literature. They will evidence their knowledge through critical analysis of a range of approaches to research and development skills that will aid their future teaching profession and help them plan for their educational career. (15 credits) Over the course of the module, students will complete a comprehensive professional literature review in the chosen area(s) and link this to subsequent final teaching observations. They will evidence their application of their teacher research skills and development plans in their extended essay and teaching practice. (60 credits)

Assessment:

Assessment methods vary depending on the module but include essay assignments and classroom coursework tasks.

Teaching:

• Students are taught by a dedicated and enthusiastic team of teachers.
• The program's internationally recognized research feeds directly into the teaching, with students sometimes taking a hands-on role in research activities.
• The staff are leading figures in their fields, in many cases having written the books and papers students will be studying: Kook-Hee Gil (Second Language Acquisition), Nigel Harwood (TESOL Materials), Jane Mulderrig (Critical Discourse Analysis), Valerie Hobbs (English for Specific Purposes), Beth Melia-Leigh (Teacher Education), and Beatriz González Fernández (Vocabulary).
• Students spend about eight hours a week in lectures, seminars, and workshops, and there are chances to take part in classroom-based research projects.

Careers:

Graduates of the MA TESOL program develop TESOL practitioner professional skills and valuable teaching experience and go on to advanced careers in TESOL all over the world. They also work in business, publishing, translation, and interpreting.

Other:

• The English Language Teaching Centre is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.
• The ELTC is also an accredited Cambridge English Language Assessment test center, providing students on this course with the option of taking the Teaching Knowledge Test qualification.
• The content of the courses is reviewed annually to ensure it is up-to-date and relevant.
Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn in response to discoveries through world-leading research, funding changes, professional accreditation requirements, student or employer feedback, outcomes of reviews, and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change, the university will consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimize disruption.

Home (2024 annual fee) : £10,710

Overseas (2024 annual fee) : £23,760