Education (TESOL) (MA)

The TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) pathway through the MA in Education involves six taught modules and a dissertation on a research topic of your choice. The programme accommodates both early career teachers seeking a grounding in the core disciplines of TESOL, and those with considerable experience hoping to consolidate or progress into specialist areas of expertise.

In addition, for students who are 'early career' or who have not studied beyond degree level for some years, Developing MA Literacies has been designed to support transition towards MA level teacher-researcher. It can be taken either as a fully assessed option, or as a support module to run alongside MA studies.

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ma-in-education-tesol/

Why choose this course?

- Course content is tailored to your own professional context, with practical as well as scholarly tasks and assignments, and discussion with fellow TESOL practitioners worldwide on cutting edge practice and research.

- The generic research module gives you a skills and research base that involves you in wider educational debates nationally and internationally.

- The programme builds in explicit support for the academic literacies and skills needed to be successful as an MA teacher-researcher.

- The programme accommodates both the early career TESOL specialist as well as the experienced practitioner seeking career consolidation or development.

- Options allow for a range of professional specialisms, including English as an Additional Language, ELT Materials Development and English for Specific Purposes.

- The programme can be taken fully online at a distance, fully on campus, or a combination of the two. The programme offers the unique opportunity for campus and distance-based students to work interactively with one another online.

- You are also part of the Learning, Culture and Identity research community which includes talks, conferences, guest speakers and the opportunity to hear former MA students in their current work contexts.

- There are opportunities for campus-based students to participate in a volunteer placement scheme teaching Oxford-based asylum seekers. This experience can be built into coursework and assessment.

- The programme is taught by a highly research-active team that is well published and highly visible in the TESOL world. Students will find themselves part of an active research community.

- Because Oxford is one of the world's great academic cities, it is a key centre of debate, and alongside our own excellent libraries and resource centres, our postgraduate students have access to the world-renowned Bodleian Library, the Bodleian Law Library and the Radcliffe Science Library.

- Oxford is a centre of multiple language schools such as St Joseph's School and St Clare's College. This makes it a thriving environment for foreign students and the practice of TESOL.

- We offer a wide range of Postgraduate Certificates, specifically designed for part time students who are working full time. Sessions typically run in the evenings, with some online discussions. On completion of a postgraduate certificate you can then choose to go onto study a further three modules and the successful completion of a dissertation will complete your MA Education.

Teaching and learning

Learning methods include lectures, directed reading, workshops, student and staff-led seminars, and project work. Teaching, learning and assessment draw on the different backgrounds, experience and knowledge of participants, and encourage critical reflection.

Teaching style is highly participatory, and engages you in workshop activities, online discussion, peer evaluation, presentations and research projects, with students drawing on their professional experience, home culture and language.

Campus students are encouraged to meet fortnightly in self-run sessions to follow up class readings and tasks and involve their online peers in these discussions through Skype, Facebook or online discussion.

The programme is supported by a full online ‘virtual learning environment’ which includes readings, discussions, session materials, peer support for assignments, and opportunities for students on campus and online to share professional concerns and debates.

Each course module is assessed separately and is based on coursework such as individual essays, seminar presentations, reports, portfolios, investigative research and group work.

How this course helps you develop

Students on the TESOL programme have been able to make links, develop skills, and identify opportunities which have led to the following career changes:
- setting up a language school
- writing coursebooks for an international publisher
- becoming an editor for a TESOL publisher
- teaching at a university language centre for international students
- teaching mother tongue (eg Mandarin) in the UK
- becoming an English as an Additional Language (EAL) coordinator in a UK school.

- Postgraduate certificates
Alternatively, you can develop your professional practice in specialist areas through our range of Postgraduate Certificate Awards.

Careers

Recent students graduating with an MA Education (TESOL) have moved from teaching into teacher professional development, management of language schools and language businesses, materials and test writing.

Others have gone from school to university teaching and from general English to specific English teaching for academic purposes, business and law.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.