MA TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) and Translation Studies

Study the MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) and Translation Studies at Aston University to pursue a career in teaching English to speakers of other languages and gain additional expertise in translation theory and practice to give your career a head start.

Course outline and modules

What you’ll learn

The core TESOL modules cover the practical and theoretical background to TESOL/English Language Teaching (ELT), helping you to foster a principled approach to pedagogic practice. You will study how the English language works and put your learning into practice with real classroom teaching. Through English teaching, you will develop a deeper understanding of the key principles of classroom activities and will be able to evaluate different approaches to teaching and learning.

On the Translation Studies strand of the degree, you will study the translation industry in-depth and gain an thorough understanding of translation theories and strategies so that you are able to take on an informed, critical approach to translation practice. You will also become familiar with the most popular and cutting-edge computer-assisted translation tools in the market, including translation memories, machine translation and localisation tools, and develop expertise in multilingual specialised translation. You will also have the opportunity to work towards SDL Trados certification (the world's leading translation software solution).

The course provides the flexibility to choose from a wide range of optional modules, enabling you to develop in-depth skills in different areas of interest to suit your future career goals.

Modules are shared with the MA in Translating for Business and International Institutions, which is a member of the European Masters in Translation (EMT) network and a corporate member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI), so you will have access to professional advice and support, including events, workshops, journals and career bulletins.

Career prospects

Demand for translators and interpreters has greatly increased as business and other organisations become more globalised and interconnected. Graduates of the TESOL and Translation Studies masters course at Aston have gone on to work as translators, technical editors and translation project managers for translation companies and software developers, both in the UK and abroad.

Graduates of Aston’s TESOL programmes are employed as teachers in a wide range of educational settings, both in the UK and internationally.