MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL

Course Details You will take three 30 credit and two 15 credit taught modules. In order to be awarded the MA you must complete 180 credits including a 20,000 word dissertation (60 credits).

The Postgraduate Diploma is awarded upon the successful completion of 120 credits (no dissertation) and the Postgraduate Certificate following the completion of two modules worth 60 credits.

Assessment All 30 credit modules are assessed by 6,500 words of essays or equivalent (portfolios etc); 15 credit modules are assessed by 3,500 words of coursework. Topics may be prescribed by the module tutor, but can often be negotiated to address your specific interests. Assessment takes a variety of forms emphasising self-reflection and practical application wherever possible e.g. essays, case studies, projects, small-scale empirical studies, or portfolios. The final dissertation comprises 20,000 words on a topic of your choice.

Entry Requirements We ask for a good second class honours degree or equivalent from another country. Normally at least two years’ experience of teaching or learning a language is required. We will, however, interview applicants who do not meet these requirements, but believe they have the academic ability or practical experience to work at postgraduate level. Please contact the Pathway Leader if you wish to discuss your suitability for the course.

The Staff Team: Sebastian Rasinger DPhil Linguistics PG Cert Sociolinguistic and discourse analytic approaches to second language acquisition and multilingualism, language and ethnicity, language change, research methodology.

Mary O’Leary BEd Dip TEFLA MA TESOL Discourse analysis, language learning, development of good practice and training.

Sarah Fitt Grad Dip RSA DIP TEFL MA Discourse analysis, interculturalism, language transfer, learning styles, learning and culture.

Melanie Bell MA RSA Dip TEFL MPhil English compound nouns, with particular reference to the boundaries between phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics.

Cambridge & Chelmsford

MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences

Nick Hillman BA DipTEFLA MA Lexis, pragmatics, spoken interaction, teaching methodology with a focus on grammar instruction.

Alicia Peña-Calvo MA Ed. PhD Second language acquisition and second/ foreign language teaching and learning, with special interest in the area of vocabulary learning; materials development.

Jenny Hardacre English as a Foreign Language, English Language Teaching, CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults), second language reading skills.

You will require a score IELTS 6.5 or equivalent if you are a non-native speaker, with a minimum writing score of 6. If you do not have the required level of English language you can apply to join our Masters Foundation Programme.

For further information Click: Email: Call:

www.anglia.ac.uk/alsspg answers@anglia.ac.uk 0845 271 3333

To apply please download a form or apply on-line:

www.anglia.ac.uk/apply

Available via Distance Learning www.anglia.ac.uk/alsspg

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“The MA offers a combination of the theoretical and practical aspects of language teaching and learning.”

MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL The MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL is suitable for people from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds.

This may include educators from the state and private sector in both Foreign Language Teaching and in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, language testers, curriculum developers, material writers and others involved in teaching and learning languages. The MA offers a combination of the theoretical and practical aspects of language teaching and learning.

The modules focus strongly on practical classroom application, encouraging you to be reflective about your own classroom practices and help to provide an in-depth understanding of current theories about language systems and how languages are taught and learned.

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How the MA is organised The MA consists of five taught modules taken over one year by full-time students or two years by part-time students and a major project undertaken at the end of the taught part of the course. The MA is available in two modes of delivery: in the traditional, Cambridge-based face-to-face course, teaching takes place in two 12-week semesters from September to December and January to May. Each 30 credit taught module meets weekly for the duration of the semester for one two-hour session; 15 credit modules meet fortnightly.

Face to face teaching is supported by extensive use of the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The Distance Delivery uses the VLE as a ‘virtual classroom’ as well as supplementary material to deliver the course online.

Students may commence the course in either semester.

Teaching The emphasis throughout this programme is on student participation and on collaborative activity. The major part of inclass learning is in the form of seminars, either staff or student led, which explore and analyse theories, approaches, techniques, and materials. You will be expected to undertake substantial reading and investigation in preparation for the seminar sessions, either on an individual or group basis. For the distance delivery, seminar interaction takes place through the VLE, both synchronously and asynchronously, allowing for the simulation of a real classroom environment in the virtual world.

Modules 1 Materials and Course Design (30 credits) This module identifies and explores the factors related to the construction of courses and materials. It examines the evolution and bases of syllabus design, studies different types of syllabuses and explores the contribution of Second Language Acquisition research, language teaching and learning theory and practice, and linguistics. These principles will be applied in order to analyse and evaluate recent and current courses, methods and materials, and also to assist students in evaluating, adapting and creating materials for use in teaching. The module will also explore the nature of language areas (grammar, vocabulary and language skills) within the syllabus and the effects of different approaches and methods on how these may be taught and what materials might be used.

2 Second Language Acquisition (30 credits) The Second Language Acquisition module focuses on seeking understanding of the available evidence about the secondlanguage acquisition process. The module surveys the literature on second language learning, focusing on the major themes to have emerged over the last three decades. It examines some of the research evidence for the second-language acquisition process, looks critically at reports of second-language research, and examines some of the theories which endeavour to interpret research evidence.

3 Classroom Theory and Practice (30 credits) This module is intended for students who are seeking to develop their knowledge and understanding of learning and teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The module examines current and recent research and explores key concepts and issues through relevant professional and academic literature A more practical element is realised through live and filmed observation of teachers in practice. Students are also encouraged to reflect on their teaching and learning experience and analyse and discuss their beliefs and attitudes towards learning and teaching.

4 Discourse in Society (15 credits) This module familiarises students with theoretical and methodological approaches in sociolinguistics and discourse analysis, with an emphasis on issues relevant to language learning and the educational context.

5 Research Methods in Applied Linguistics (15 credits) This module provides an introduction to research methods in preparation for the MA dissertation. The fortnightly sessions will familiarise students with the basic processes of conducting research, including general methodological approaches as well as research ethics. Particular emphasis will be paid to the analysis and discussion of both qualitative and quantitative data, in order to develop students’ critical-evaluative skills

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