MA TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

This module will ensure you have a foundational knowledge of English across grammar, lexis (vocabulary), phonetics and phonology. While the core reference model will be standard British English, we will also note social and regional variants and the broader issue of variation.

The module will also extend your understanding of language use to include pragmatics and discourse analysis. This will provide a foundation both for understanding the experience and practice of language learners and teachers, but also the wider context of 'real-world' language use more generally.

^{*If studying the part-time route, you will take this module in Year 1.}

This module aims to prepare you for your final project. To achieve this, it will develop your understanding of contemporary issues in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, alongside a critical awareness of how these topics can be researched. In doing so, the module will provide you with a wider sense of the contemporary subject area and also help you to identify what you want to research, as well as how you might approach that research.

^{*If studying the part-time route, you will take this module in Year 1.}

You will undertake a research project and write it in a length and format typical of professional journal articles. This may include a range of project types for both MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL, such as a practice-oriented action research project. While the preceding Researching Applied Linguistics and TESOL module will prepare you in terms of methodology and proposal writing, the taught component of this module will help you understand the development of a research paper for a peer-reviewed journal. Students who produce high-quality outputs will be encouraged to submit their work for publication.

In this Part 1 module, you will review key research literature for your project, devise appropriate research questions, and determine a suitable methodology for answering them. Based on this, you will write a brief introduction to the whole project, setting out the key background and overall aims. You will also document the process step-by-step to help you plan and review what you've done, which will be essential for your final reflection in Part 2.

^{*If studying the part-time route, you will take this module in Year 1.}

In this module, you will investigate the development of language teaching theory and practice as a platform for examining current principles and methods in a range of educational settings around the world in the so-called 'post-method era'.

You will reflect on your own beliefs and experiences of language learning and teaching. This reflection can then form the basis of the development of your own practice through experimentation and research in further modules.

^{*If studying the part-time route, you will take this module in Year 2.}

This module offers an interactive experience where you apply theories and approaches to TESOL, building on the Exploring ELT module. This will be achieved through discussion, small group collaboration and peer trialling. Students’ varied teaching contexts will shape their approaches and enrich the experience for all, as we learn about different cultural contexts from each other.

You will have the opportunity to design and trial innovative materials and/or pedagogical approaches, honing your critical reflection skills in the process. This experience will help you reflect on and determine your future professional development. For students with an appropriate work context, there may be an opportunity for a more formal teaching practice component, where you are observed by a supervisor in your workplace.

^{*If studying the part-time route, you will take this module in Year 2.}

You will undertake a research project and write it in a length and format typical of professional journal articles. This may include a range of project types for both MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL, such as a practice-oriented action research project. While the preceding Researching Applied Linguistics and TESOL module will prepare you in terms of methodology and proposal writing, the taught component of this module will help you understand the development of a research paper for a peer-reviewed journal. Students who produce high-quality outputs will be encouraged to submit their work for publication. Data analysis and discussion are often the most challenging parts of students' research.

In this Part 2 module, we will guide you through gathering and analysing the data collected in Part 1. This will produce a final written version of Results and Discussion, which will form the basis for your Conclusions and Recommendations. To support your development of skills as a researcher, we will also guide you through an overall review and reflection on your whole research process, so lessons can be learnt for future projects.

^{*If studying the part-time route, you will take this module in Year 2.}