Course overview

The MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL is designed for teachers who intend to teach English as a foreign language (EFL) or who wish to enhance their professional competence and career opportunities. It combines elements of general and applied linguistics with the theory and practice of teaching English.

When accrediting private language schools the British Council considers the academic profile of teaching staff. An MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL is considered, in this context, to be equivalent to a Cambridge DELTA or Trinity College London Licentiate Diploma in TESOL qualification, when it is accompanied by five hours of evidenced observation. This observation should be conducted by a qualified teacher (usually a teacher-trainer or a Director of Studies) and the evidence required is in the form of a portfolio.

The MA in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is designed for teachers who intend to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or who wish to enhance their professional competence and career opportunities. It combines elements of general and applied linguistics with the theory and practice of teaching English.

Applicants should normally have a good degree or equivalent from a university or other approved institution of higher education, or an equivalent international qualification.

Applicants will be expected to demonstrate teaching experience of TEFL and/or familiarity with TEFL methodology, for example, from within an undergraduate programme.

Applicants whose first language is not English should have reached grade 7 IELTS or have obtained a TOEFL score of at least 620 (260 computer-based) or equivalent.

Course content

The MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL aims to develop an understanding of the general and applied linguistic issues that have a bearing on the learning and teaching of English as a foreign language. It will also enable teachers to reflect on their current teaching practice.

The course is structured on the basis of core units and optional units.

• Theory & Practice of Applied Linguistics
• Theory & Practice of TESOL
• Dissertation / Major Project
• 2 options from:
  • Analysing, Evaluating & Writing Materials
  • World Englishes
  • Independent Learning
  • Using Technology & Corpora in Language Teaching & Research

Please note. All optional units are subject to staff availability and student demand.

Exit levels

The credit system creates a flexible framework in which you can graduate with one of the following awards, depending on the number of credits gained:

• MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (four core units plus the research management and dissertation units) 180 credits
• Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Linguistics and TESOL: 120 credits
• Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Linguistics and TESOL: 60 credits

Teaching and assessment

Assessment is undertaken through essays, coursework assignments or dossiers, presentations and/or in-class tests. There are no formal end of year examinations.

When pursued full time the course is delivered over one year, three afternoons per week, (Wednesday to Friday). Part-time students study for a period of two years and normally attend one afternoon and one early evening or two afternoons per week.

The dissertation is written in the summer period of the second year of study.

Career prospects

Graduates will be able to progress to jobs in higher education in their own country or elsewhere, or continue on to undertake doctoral research in teaching and related fields. Possession of a Master's qualification is often viewed as a requirement for promotion to a more responsible position in either the private or public sectors or to diversify a career into areas such as educational management, materials evaluation and production, teacher education or external assessment.

Facilities and features

You will have easy access to lecturers with a rich variety of experience in terms of both theory and practice, as well as to modern communications equipment that includes:

• satellite receivers
• 150 computers
• three dedicated digital multimedia laboratories
• a multimedia development unit

We also have our own Learning Resources Centre, which provides a variety of open access resources ranging from newspapers and journals, self-access texts, reference resources such as dictionaries and grammar books, to audio booths, video viewing facilities and stand-alone computers.

Entry requirements

The entry requirements for MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL are shown above, for more detailed information please contact:

Department: School of Languages and Area Studies (SLAS)
Tel: +44 (0)23 9284 8299
Email: humanities.admissions@port.ac.uk

2013 Entry requirements

A good honours degree, preferably in English, plus a minimum of three months experience teaching English to speakers of other languages and preliminary teacher training. Experience in teaching other languages will also be considered.

2013 English language requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 or equivalent with no component less than 6.5.