The MA is made up of two sections. The first section is the ‘taught’ component from Oct-June. This is divided into Teaching Block 1 (TB1) from October to January and Teaching Block 2 (TB2) from February to June. The second section is the independent completion of either a dissertation or a portfolio requiring materials design and teaching of English language classes.
- Dissertation option students must take either ALEM18 (Vocabulary Studies) or ALEM20 (Second Language Acquisition) as well as ALEM19 (Research Methods) and ALEM15 (Dissertation).
- Portfolio option students must take ALEM22 (Communicative Language Teaching), ENAM00 (Classroom Teaching Practice) and ENAM01 (Professional Reflective Practice Portfolio).
Compulsory module for all students
ALEM36: Grammatical Analysis (TB1)
This module provides a descriptive overview of English grammar. It surveys English grammatical structures and the major patterns of language use from a grammatical perspective, taking a descriptive, register perspective. While the module is not designed as either a survey of grammatical theories, or a course in ESL methods for grammar instruction, it will offer opportunities for discussion of classroom teaching implications, particularly when we look at the discourse/register characteristics of grammatical features.
Students taking this module will develop the ability to carry out grammatical analyses of naturally-occurring sentences from spoken and written texts. There is only one way to develop this ability: with consistent practice. Students will therefore be expected to complete all readings and assigned homework regularly. Inconsistent class preparation and poor class attendance are unlikely to lead to satisfactory performance.
ALEM21: Discourse Analysis for Language Teaching (TB2)
This course introduces students to discourse analysis, an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and increasingly popular area of language studies. Discourse analysis, broadly understood as the study of language in context and of the interfaces of language, culture, and society, is arguably an essential discipline for prospective language teachers. Accordingly, this course overviews some of the key approaches to discourse analysis with direct applications to language teaching, including text conversation analysis, politeness theory, speech act theory, (cross-cultural) pragmatics, interactional sociolinguistics, systemic functional linguistics, register analysis, and genre analysis. It provides students with hands-on practice in the application of these approaches to discourse analysis, and it systematically draws students’ attention to the implications and applications of these approaches for language teaching and materials design.
Modules available to all students
ALEM18: Vocabulary: Teaching and Learning (TB1)
In this module we will explore the nature of vocabulary and the difficulties associated with defining and categorizing the “Word”. We will examine and identify word components, and look at the ways in which larger language chunks or groups of words- sometimes behave like single vocabulary items. We will analyse what is meant by word knowledge and the various facets of this and in the light of this whether it is realistic to measure how many words a person knows. We will look at models of the L2 lexicon and use this as a basis for the investigation of the manner in which to teach the reading, writing, listening and speaking of foreign language lexis.
ALEM22: Communicative Language Teaching (TB1)
The module covers basic principles, philosophy and the historical development of learning and theory of language learning leading to the communicative approach to language teaching. It addresses the current debate about methods and methodologies in the context of English as an international language.
This modules may also be optionally available to dissertation track students.
ALEM20: Second Language Acquisition(TB1)
How do you learn a second language? What processes are involved? What is the role of the first language? In this module, students will engage with these questions among others. Students will critically evaluate different theories of second language acquisition including what knowledge we have at the outset of the acquisition process and how we develop. Students will also examine different factors that may influence how successful a language learner becomes, including motivation, aptitude etc. We will read empirical studies that have sought to examine different studies and we will critically evaluate their results. The different methods of assessment will require students to critical evaluate research papers, analyse second language learner data and use this to support their arguments.
ALEM34: Young Language Learners (TB2)
This is a module about young language learners and the way children acquire a second language in instructional settings. From the study of theories of first and second language acquisition, students will move on to the analysis of the classroom environment and focus on issues such as classroom management, resources and materials for the low level young learner classroom.
Modules for students taking the dissertation track
ALEM19: Research Methods (TB2)
This module teaches students the relevant research methods in order to be able to carry out their own empirical study for the dissertation. Topics include:
- Theory underlying and practical guidelines for research in ELT contexts. Research ethics.
- Collecting and analysing data.
- Case study research.
- Surveys, questionnaires.
- Descriptive and inferential statistics
- Parametric and non-parametric tests of significance
- Correlations and regression analysis
- Designing, carrying out and reporting on a limited practical project in ELT, which could stand alone or be built on further for the dissertation.
ALEM15: Dissertation (June-Sept)
This is the Directed Independent Learning component (Part 2) of the MA TESOL. Students are required to plan, carry out and write up an extended empirical research project. Students are expected to build on knowledge on empirical research in applied linguistics acquired in the pre-requisite research methods module (ALEM19: Research Methods in ELT)/ Specifically, students are expected to plan and carry out an empirical research project on a topic of relevance to English language learning and teachingm and following established approaches and methods in applied linguistics. They will then write up the project following the structure of empirical research reports and established academic writing conventions.
Compulsory modules for portfolio track students
ALEM22: Communicative Language Teaching (TB1)
The module covers basic principles, philosophy and the historical development of learning and theory of language learning leading to the communicative approach to language teaching. It addresses the current debate about methods and methodologies in the context of English as an international language.
This modules may also be optionally available to dissertation track students.
ALEM32: Classroom Teaching Practice
Practical supervised and assessed English language teaching module open to teachers with qualifications below Cambridge English DELTA or equivalent. Students apply, practise, and critically appraise language teaching methods and principles in ESL classes consisting of volunteer students at two levels of proficiency(CEFR A2/B1 and CEFR B2/C1). The module is prerequisite for ALED00 Professional Reflective Practice Portfolio.
ALED00: Professional Reflective Practice Portfolio
Students will produce a portfolio of language teaching products including a detailed profile of a learner, materials for English language teaching and materials for English language testing. This module requires candidates to apply the theoretical aspects of English language teaching to classroom practice.
Notes
This module is designed for pre-service or in-service English language teachers with less than two years full-time teaching experience (or equivalent) holding qualifications below Cambridge English DELTA level or equivalents
