Language Teaching/Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) MA

This MA Language Teaching/Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is ideal if you are a language teacher wishing to progress to a more senior or specialist role. It will help you develop specialised knowledge in key areas of language teaching, reflect on your own teaching practice, and enable you to engage critically and constructively in debates relating to language teaching.

Why choose this course?

* An important feature of this MA is its flexibility. You can choose to study aspects of teaching English and graduate with an MA TESOL, or you can focus on the teaching of languages other than English and graduate with an MA Language Teaching.

* It brings together teachers of English and teachers of other languages to offer you a unique focus on the multilingual and multicultural contexts of language learning and teaching.

* MA Language Teaching/TESOL is an essential qualification for those who wish to teach languages at university level, whether for general or more specific purposes. For those with less teaching experience, the MA will give you a competitive early career advantage as you gain more experience in teaching posts.

What will I learn?

This course is specifically structured to bridge the gap between language teaching theory and practice, and help you reflect on the important balance between them. You will advance your knowledge of current literature in key areas of research in language teaching and, more broadly, in applied linguistics, and gain further confidence in your own practice through appreciating the variety of factors shaping language teaching and learning in the classroom.

How will I learn?

This course is available to study full- or part-time. It has an evening timetable with classes on campus, online or a combination of both. You will learn through lectures, seminars and by carrying out your own research. You will also benefit from guest lectures, symposia and workshops.

For your dissertation you can choose between an empirical research investigation and an independent library-based project.

If you are not yet ready to commit to an MA, we also offer this course as a Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate.

This course gives you the choice of studying on campus, online or via flexible learning.

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.

Highlights

* You will benefit from academics and practitioners in language teaching and applied linguistics. Birkbeck is an institutional member of the British Association of Applied Linguistics and International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.

* We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.

* You can apply for UBEL funding through the Multilingual Practices UBEL Pathway. The deadline for applications is 10 November.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this course you will have gained an array of transferable skills, including:

* the capacity to think and communicate creatively and critically

* a sophisticated use of written and spoken English

* an ability to understand and apply complex ideas

* effective organisation and time-keeping

* facility and precision in the use of analytical tools

* strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up clear, well-presented reports.

If you are an experienced teacher this MA will help you to progress to a more senior or specialised position in language teaching, such as a:

* senior teacher

* director of studies

* teacher trainer

* consultant

* materials developer.

Graduates can also pursue careers in local and national government, the charity sector, public relations and the media, marketing, lexicography and translation, tourism/hospitality, academia and research.