(Full time) 2021 start
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages MA
Coronavirus information for applicants and offer holders
We hope that by the time you’re ready to start your studies with us the situation with COVID-19 will have eased. However, please be aware, we will continue to review our courses and other elements of the student experience in response to COVID-19 and we may need to adapt our provision to ensure students remain safe. For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, regularly visit our website, which we will continue to update as the situation changes www.leeds.ac.uk/covid19faqs
Overview
Please note: this masters is also available for January 2021 start. Applications for January entry close on 31 October 2020. View, and apply for, January 2021 entry here.
Designed for TESOL professionals, this programme explores how people learn new languages and how to teach the English language most effectively (if you are not a TESOL professional yet you can undertake our MA TESOL Studies programme).
You will consider how to analyse and describe the English language for pedagogic purposes, and examine different approaches and principles to teaching the skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. You will also consider how to analyse a learner’s language to understand their proficiency and track their development.
You can also choose to specialise in certain aspects of TESOL: for example, teacher education, materials development, curriculum reform, the teaching of grammar and vocabulary, the use of ICT, or language assessment.
Language education expertise
The Language Education team in the School of Education is nationally and internationally recognised for its range of teaching, research, knowledge transfer and consultancy work in TESOL, ELT, EFL, ESOL, EAL, Modern Foreign Languages, and Applied Linguistics.
We are one of the largest Language Education teams in the UK. As education practitioners, we have a wide range of experience of teaching and teacher education work in many contexts in the UK and around the world. As researchers, we have a broad range of expertise across the discipline with ongoing research projects in teacher development, language use in migrant communities, learning with digital technologies, and IELTS preparation courses.
Course content
MA TESOL is a comprehensive programme that allows you to develop both academically and professionally.
In semester one, you’ll deepen your understanding of the foundations of TESOL. You will focus on how people learn languages, how to describe and explain language to learners, and consider various approaches to teaching reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.
In semester two, you will expand your knowledge of more specialist areas. You choose from a range of optional modules to suit your own interests and professional contexts, such as developing TESOL materials, teaching young learners or assessing language learning. Alternatively, you could choose modules from other areas of the School’s provision: for example, digital learning, international educational management, or theories of childhood and youth.
In the final part of the year, you will use your newly-acquired knowledge and skills to carry out a small-scale piece of research. Your critical study can be related to your own interests within the field of education. To support your work on the project, you will take a non-assessed research methods course. Help with your academic writing is available throughout the year.
Course structure
The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.
Modules
Year 1
Compulsory modules
- Learning and Teaching in TESOL 30 credits
- Investigating Language for TESOL 30 credits
- Dissertation in MA TESOL programmes and MA TESOL Studies 60 credits
- Research Methods for TESOL (non-assessed module)
Optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)
You will choose 60 credits from the below:
- Directed Study in Education 1 30 credits
- Technology Enhanced Language Learning 30 credits
- The Practice of Supporting Language Teacher Learning 15 credits
- Introducing a Task-Based Curriculum in Classrooms and Systems 15 credits
- Teaching Academic English 15 credits
- Corpus Linguistics in the Classroom 15 credits
- Teacher Education for TESOL 15 credits
- Assessing Language Learning 15 credits
- Teaching Languages to Young Learners 30 credits
Learning and teaching
You will be taught by a range of teaching methods including seminars and tutorials. However, independent study is an important aspect of this programme, either alone or in a group, as it allows you to develop key research, analysis and communication skills and develop your own ideas.
On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.
Assessment
We assess most of our modules through written assignments; you will be able to choose from a range of assignment topics. To help you prepare, you’ll be able to submit a draft to your tutor for comment beforehand.
Applying, fees and funding
Entry requirements
A bachelor degree (hons) with a 2:1 or non-UK equivalent plus two years of relevant experience. We will consider applicants with alternative qualifications or experience on an individual basis.
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.
Improve your English
International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.
This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Education (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Education (10 weeks).
If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.
How to apply
We operate a staged admissions process for this course, with selection deadlines throughout the year.
If you do not receive an offer in a particular stage, you will be notified that your application has been either unsuccessful or carried forward to be considered in the next stage.
Please see our How to apply page for full details and the application deadlines for each stage.
If you require a decision earlier than the dates listed in order to meet a scholarship deadline, please notify us through the My Enquiries section of the application portal once you have applied.
This link takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.
If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.
Documents and information we will need include:
Original or certified copies of your transcripts
Original or certified copies of your degree certificate
Original or certified copy of your IELTS/TOEFL results (if English is not your first language)
Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.
Admissions policy
Faculty of Social Sciences Taught Admissions Policy 2021
Fees
- UK: £9,250 (total)
- International: £20,250 (total)
Read more about paying fees and charges.
Brexit
Visit our Brexit page for the latest information on the effect of the UK's exit from the EU on current students and applicants to the University.
For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.
Part-time fees
Fees for part-time courses are normally calculated based on the number of credits you study in a year compared to the equivalent full-time course. For example, if you study half the course credits in a year, you will pay half the full-time course fees for that year.
Additional cost information
There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more about additional costs
Scholarships and financial support
If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government. Find out more at Masters funding overview.
Career opportunities
Our students frequently find that new career opportunities open up for them, either in their home countries or in new international settings.
Some of our graduates have started work in teacher training, materials creation, or curriculum design. Others have started their own private language teaching business or moved from school to university teaching.
We also encourage students who do particularly well on the programme to consider doctoral level study with a view to an academic career. Students who return to their original classrooms often find they have fresh perspectives and their work becomes more rewarding and effective.
Careers support
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.