M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language
The M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program prepares students for teaching in ESL classrooms, and also provides training for teaching English as a second language in colleges and language institutes in the U.S. and abroad. Students are strongly encouraged to pursue the degree as full-time students, and all students will complete either a practicum or a student teaching experience.
Program Requirements
The TESL program requires 33 credit hours of coursework by students who are not seeking certification. Students who are seeking certification take 42 credits. All students take the following education core courses, Linguistics, and TESL courses:
Education Core Courses (12 credits)
- EDUC 613: Adolescent Development and Educational Psychology
- EDUC 619: Diversity in the Classroom
- EDUC 627: Models of Instruction
- EDUC 740: Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners
Linguistics and TESL Courses (18 credits)
- LING 676: Second Language Acquisition
- LING 677: Structure of English
- FLLT 622: Language Syllabus Design
- FLLT 624: Second Language Testing
- EDUC 672: Teaching English as a Second Language
- EDUC 647: Advanced ESL Teaching Methods, Design and Strategies
Teaching Practicum or Student Teaching
Students who are not seeking certification complete a 3-credit Teaching Practicum. Students who are seeking certification as a classroom teacher take EDUC 400: Student Teaching (9 credits) plus a 3-credit elective selected from the following list:
- LING 604: Dynamics of Language Contact
- LING 617: Language Planning
- LING 680: Sociolinguistics
- LING 697: Sociolinguistics of the Inner City
- LING 699: Issues in Teaching LEP Students
- EDUC 614: Teaching Exceptional Adolescents
- EDUC 639: Learning Technologies Across the Curriculum
- EDUC 685: Multimedia Literacy
- EDUC 639: Technology and Cognition
Advisors
Faculty affiliated with the TESL program include:
- Dr. Scott Stevens, Coordinator; also Director, English Language Institute
- Dr. Gabriele Hermon, Professor, Linguistic & Cognitive Science
- Dr. Gail Rys, Assistant Director, School of Education
- Mr. Joseph Matterer, Associate Director, English Language Institute
- Ms. Deborah Detzel, Assistant Director, English Language Institute
