Course overview
Applicants with a Cambridge University Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) and sufficient English teaching experience will also be considered.
This route is an opportunity for you to explore an aspect of TESOL relevant to your interests and career development aspirations. You reflect upon your own practice, identify areas of professional relevance and explore possible approaches to TESOL. You are encouraged to share your experiences and perspectives on aspects of educational practice. Learning is shared with students on other MA in Education routes, who come from a variety of educational settings and backgrounds.
This gives you the opportunity to develop a systematic and critical understanding not only of TESOL, but also of the breadth and depth of knowledge in educational research and practice. Therefore, students can discuss and explore themes that are particularly relevant to TESOL, and develop a sense of belonging to the whole MA in Education cohort.
Peer-led discussions on the range of research and practice areas covered in sessions provide the opportunity for inter-professional discussion and debate, and to consider relevant issues from the perspectives of other professional educational groups which in turn supports you to integrate and synthesise a diverse range of knowledge. You are encouraged to consider potential progression beyond completion of the MA in Education (TESOL), for example to doctoral studies.
Study this course and you may be eligible for a £2,500 Sir Keith Skeoch postgraduate scholarship.
Course details
Course structure
Core modules
Approaches in English Language Teaching
You examine the background to and contemporary issues in teaching, learning and assessment approaches in ELT in a range of contexts. You also develop your critiquing, evaluating and debating skills to be able to effectively analyse the efficacy of approaches, so that you can design and adapt teaching plans to suit specific learners and ELT contexts.
Combining Professional and Academic Practice
You study with other students from a range of educational backgrounds, and you can consolidate your professional development and academic knowledge. You focus on an educational issue that is relevant to you, negotiated with your tutor. You apply learning from contemporary academic theory and research, reflecting on how the issue may enhance practice. Assessment is a 4,500-word critical commentary supported by a portfolio of evidence focused on an aspect of professional educational activity. This assessment is 100% of your final mark.
You work closely with an allocated supervisor, who is matched to you based on the topic area of your Dissertation, to conduct research into an area appropriate to your course route. You review relevant literature and select appropriate research methodology.
As part of the MA in Education (TESOL) route, the topics explored within the Using the Literature to Inform Educational Research and the Dissertation modules are chosen by you, but they must be around current debates and issues in TESOL.
Educational Research: Practice and Planning
You gain an in-depth understanding of research methods in education, and the knowledge and skills required to develop an independent research study into an area of education which you conduct for your dissertation. The selection of research area and the method of enquiry will be decided in consultation with the module tutors.
Using the Literature to Inform Educational Research
You develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to undertake a literature search and plan a literature review, in preparation for your work on the Dissertation module. You discuss the importance of literature reviews in the research process, in your chosen area of knowledge or professional practice. The formative assessment is a literature search which you carry out individually and discuss in seminars. The summative assessment is a 4,500-word essay, in which you compare and contrast two approaches to literature review, and reflect on, and critique, your chosen literature-search strategy. This is 100% of your final mark.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You are encouraged to share your experiences and perspectives on aspects of practice within taught sessions and through discussions on the University’s online learning environment.
You study with students from a variety of educational settings and backgrounds, which gives you the opportunity to develop a systematic and critical understanding of the breadth and depth of knowledge in educational research and practice. Peer-led discussions in workshop and seminar sessions, on a range of research and educational practices, provide you with the opportunity for inter-professional debate and sharing. You consider relevant issues from the perspective of other professional educational groups. This, in turn, prompts you to integrate and synthesise a diverse range of knowledge. Moreover, you are encouraged to consider your progression after the course.
How you are assessed
Staff teaching on the course have a wide range of educational backgrounds and specialist interests to support cross-disciplinary interests and multi-agency working. Another important element is how your transition to studying at level 7 is supported. You are offered academic support to help you understand the requirements of master’s level study, to develop your skills in academic writing and referencing, as well as critical thinking and critical writing, and in the key information technology skills, including in literature searching. The assessment has been designed to prompt you to reflect on your own practice and specific professional context. Student feedback on the course has consistently highlighted the level of support from the staff as a major contributor to their success.
Entry requirements
You should have a good honours degree (at least a 2.2) and at least one-year full-time experience of teaching English as a foreign or second language in any context. Applicants with a Cambridge University Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) and sufficient English teaching experience will also be considered. In exceptional cases, applicants who are able to demonstrate suitable significant experience or further study may be considered for the course, and may be asked to attend an informal interview to assess their suitability.
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting Your Country
Employability
Career opportunities
Career opportunities are numerous, from progressing in your current role to moving to a more senior role within the TESOL field.
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
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Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.
