Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages MEd

This programme explores how people learn new languages and how to teach the English Language most effectively.

Designed for TESOL professionals, 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 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.

MEd TESOL follows the same syllabus as the MA TESOL programme, but asks you to apply a more practical, rather than theoretical, orientation to your final critical study. You will focus upon a professional issue within language education and apply ideas from your reading and a small-scale research study to find solutions to genuine English Language teaching problems.

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’re 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

MEd TESOL is a comprehensive programme that will allow you to develop both academically and professionally.

In semester one, you will deepen your understanding of teaching the English Language. You will focus on how people learn languages, how to describe and explain language to learners, and the approaches you can take to teaching reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.

In semester two, you will expand your knowledge of more specialist areas. You will choose from a range of optional modules to suit your own interests and professional contexts: for example, the development of TESOL materials, teaching young learners, or language learning assessment. Alternatively, you could choose modules from another area of the School’s provision: for example, you may want to study 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. As a condition of the MEd programme, your study needs to have a practical focus and respond to a real-life professional issue in TESOL 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

Compulsory modules

• Dissertation 60 credits
• Learning and Teaching in TESOL 30 credits
• Investigating Language for TESOL 30 credits
• Research Methods for TESOL (non-assessed module)

Optional modules

• Directed Study in Education 1 30 credits
• Technology Enhanced Language Learning 30 credits
• The Practice of Supporting Language Teacher Learning 15 credits
• Learning and Teaching Vocabulary 15 credits
• Grammar, Learning and Teaching 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
• Materials Development for TESOL 15 credits
• Teaching Languages to Young Learners 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages MEd Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages MEd Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You will generally have around eight to ten hours of classes per week including seminars, tutorials and lectures. 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.

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.

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.

Visit the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages MEd page on the University of Leeds website for more details!