MA TESOL

Course Overview

The MA offers a broad introduction to many of the key concepts and theories that lie behind language teaching and learning. You will be encouraged to think of language as more than a set of rules. Instead, you will recognise it as a complex, constantly evolving process with personal, social and educational consequences.

The practical teaching module provides you with the opportunity to practise and develop your practical teaching and reflective skills in a supportive environment and enables you to apply the knowledge gained during the course to developing your own teaching style.

Northumbria is one of the largest university-based providers of English Language teaching in the UK, with extensive experience of teaching TESOL qualifications.

You will recognise approaches to primary and secondary research, the importance of critical reflection, and an ability to judge the characteristics of a good piece of research. Assessment tasks for the TESOL core modules are designed to develop the practical and theoretical skills necessary for your dissertation; skills you will draw on throughout your teaching career.

Your research-based learning will be supported by knowledgeable team members who have strong links in the sector including the English Language Teaching Journal (Oxford University Press), British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL), International Cognitive Linguistics Association (ICLA), International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) and the British Council.

Your Future

There is a worldwide demand for highly qualified English Language teachers and teacher trainers, as well as for managers, course planners, material developers and consultants.

The MA has been designed to enhance career prospects and fulfil industry need for graduates with the skills to work across a variety of professions. It will equip you with important practical and transferable skills and offers opportunities for personal and professional development, including further study at doctoral level. As a result, previous graduates have gone on to good careers as English teachers overseas or in their home countries and, in many countries, job prospects for those holding the MA TESOL qualification are excellent.