MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Arts
- Course Length
- 1 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2024
Chat to us on Unibuddy
Any questions? Chat online with current students, staff and experts. This is your chance to ask anything about UEA, university life, Norwich and more.
Course Overview
Learn to teach English to speakers of other languages at UEA, advance your career prospects internationally and help people all over the world unlock their potential and communicate across borders.
More than 1.5 billion people speak English around the world, and the number is likely to grow in the future years. With more and more people learning English, the demand for high-quality English language teaching is set to grow as well.
With this MA TESOL qualification from one of the UK’s leading universities, you'll be able to meet TESOL professional demands. You’ll kick start a career that could see you work anywhere in the world and/or progress your existing career in any number of different sectors.
The careful design of this academic Master’s course will meet your specific needs as a current or future English language practitioner. You'll acquire in-depth expertise in your field and graduate ready to contribute to the teaching of English worldwide, for example, as a teacher, policy maker, or academic researcher.
Over one year of full-time study, you'll develop your advanced teaching and learning skills and cultivate a breadth of knowledge about teaching English to speakers of other languages. You will also benefit from the depth of study that comes with this unique Master’s-level programme.
You’ll study with top academics, who are active researchers and educators in the fields of TESOL, language education, applied linguistics and education. These highly experienced professionals have worked in a range of different countries and will share their pedagogical/research expertise with you.
During your MA TESOL, you’ll develop critical awareness of both current practice and research in English language teaching in the UK and internationally. You’ll also become an expert in matters of professional responsibility, integrity and ethics – essential for your later career. At the same time, you’ll build your academic and linguistic skills, including transferable skills such as independent study, critical thinking, and effective spoken and written communication in English.
One key feature of your time as an MA TESOL student at UEA is the ability to customize the curriculum to your own needs. For example, you’ll have the option to complete a dissertation, focusing on a research topic of your choice, or to add to your breadth of knowledge by taking additional taught modules.
Upon completion of the MA TESOL, you may also decide to pursue an additional qualification – a CELTA – with a local partner of ours. You’ll have the opportunity of starting it right after the MA TESOL, and you’ll benefit from a promotional rate.
Study and Modules
Structure
You’ll be able to adapt your curriculum to suit your educational needs and wants as well as to prepare you for your career path. As an MA TESOL student at UEA, you’ll have the option of choosing between (1) the research route, which entails the completion of a dissertation; and (2) the pedagogical route, which gives you the opportunity to study a wider range of modules. Both routes are of equal status, and you’ll enjoy the same quality of support from your experienced tutors in whichever route you choose.
Irrespective of your chosen route, you’ll develop your reading skills in Critical Reading, and you’ll learn about the foundations of our field in Principles and Practice in Second Language Education,
If you decide to go for the research route, you’ll undertake the Educational Research Methods module in your first term to prepare for your dissertation in the second term.
You’ll have the chance to choose from a range of optional modules, which are routinely updated to cater for our students’ needs. This is a great opportunity to explore the areas that interest you most and to tailor your studies to your career aspirations.
The structure of the course allows for a large amount of choice so that you can select the route and the modules that best suit your needs. You'll be assigned an adviser, who will give you academic advice and support. Your adviser will also provide pastoral guidance and be a key point of contact throughout your time with us. We work hard to make sure that your academic and personal experience at UEA is exceptional and that your own use of the English language develops too as you progress through the year.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
You'll study through a combination of research-informed and practice-oriented workshops, seminars, lectures, group work, and small-group/individual supervisions.
You’ll be provided with reading lists per module and per class to help you navigate through the course content. You'll have the benefit of our excellent library and online resources as well as learning from an internationally diverse community of students and staff members, all of whom are committed to attaining advancement in the field.
The School of Education and Lifelong Learning is committed to rewarding academic excellence. Every year, the best Master’s dissertation is conferred the Lawrence Stenhouse Dissertation Award, which will be an excellent addition to your CV if your dissertation is selected as the best one.
Independent study
You’ll be expected to complement your taught sessions with independent study, including reading and academic writing. This means that you'll leave the course with the skills and confidence to keep learning and enhancing your knowledge throughout your career. There is also the option to complete a dissertation, which allows you to investigate a topic of your own choice in consultation with your supervisor, who will oversee your work on the project.
Assessment
You’ll be normally assessed by summative essays submitted at the end of each module. There may also be alternative forms of assessment during the course such as poster presentations, reports, or annotated bibliographies. You’ll receive specific feedback within 20 working days, indicating what you did well and what you could do to improve your performance.
In order to help you prepare for summative coursework (i.e. the coursework which is marked), there’ll be formative assessment in each module.
Those taking the dissertation route will submit a 15,000-word dissertation to complete their studies.
Entry Requirements
- Degree Classification
- UK Bachelors Degree - 2.1 or equivalent
- Degree Subject
- English Language Teaching, English Language, Education, English Literature or a related English / Education / Linguistics subject area.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
-
IELTS: 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in all components).
Test dates should be within 2 years of the course start date.
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
-
- Intakes
This course is open to UK and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in September each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
Additional entry requirements
English language teaching experience is welcome but not essential.
Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2024/25 are:
-
UK Students: £9,975 (full time)
-
International Students: £21,200 (full time)
If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).
We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of additional course-related costs.
How to Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.
Employability
After the Course
You’ll graduate ready to teach English to speakers of other languages in a variety of contexts. You could work as a language teacher in schools, colleges or universities, or language institutes worldwide. You could also work as a private teacher or tutor, or for multinational companies and organisations. You could decide to capitalize on your language-related skills and work as a proof-reader, editor or translator. Alternatively, you might use your language teaching expertise to work in policy in governments or other organisations.
You may wish to go on to further study and enrol on a professional language teaching course such as a CELTA, which a local partner of ours offers for our MA TESOL students at a reduced rate.
If you take the dissertation route, you’ll be ideally placed to continue your studies at PhD level and make an original contribution to the latest thinking and practices in the field.
Whichever route you choose, your MA TESOL degree from UEA could take you anywhere in the world.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Example of careers that you could enter include:
-
Primary-/secondary-school teachers, coordinators or principals
-
Teachers, academic supervisors and/or managers at language institutes
-
University lecturers
-
Freelance teaching or tutoring
-
Positions in government or policy organisations
-
Language educational posts in non-governmental organisations
Discover more on our Careers webpages.