TESOL and Applied Linguistics

Entry requirements

A good first degree (normally a UK 2.1 or equivalent) plus at least one year of English language teaching experience. Check the full list of equivalent qualifications

Months of entry

September

Course content

Durham Centre for Academic Development’s MA TESOL and Applied Linguistics course offers excellent opportunities to develop careers in English language teaching for both inexperienced teachers and those starting out in the field, and for more experienced teachers.

The course is designed for anyone with an interest in the wider aspects of teaching English as a foreign language, combining innovative classroom practices with an understanding of issues such as language structure and research methodology.

Course structure

The course offers a core of modules focusing on teaching methods and key ideas and thinking in English Language Teaching, with greater depth provided through additional core and optional modules looking at both theoretical and practical aspects of the English language and on classroom practice. Optional modules are divided into two pathways, TESOL, and Applied Linguistics, You will have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge base by taking three or four of these optional modules covering a wide range of relevant areas and may choose modules across pathways with course director permission. The MA is completed by a 15,000-word dissertation in which you conduct your own empirical or library research.

Core modules

• Language for Teaching
• Language Teaching Methods
• Research Methods
• Fundamentals of English Language Teaching
• Dissertation

Optional modules for those on the TESOL pathway include:

• Evaluation and Assessment
• Practice of English Language Teaching
• ELT Management
• Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching
• ELT Materials Development and Evaluation
• English for Specific Purposes
• Language Teaching Methodology
• Teaching Young Learners
• Technology-Enhanced Language Learning

Optional modules for those on the Applied Linguistics pathway include:

• Sociolinguistics
• Intercultural Communication and Education
• Global Englishes
• Teaching English for Academic Purposes
• Pragmatics and the Language Classroom
• Worlds of Discourse
• Language Teaching Methodology
• ELT Management
• Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching

Information for international students

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Fees and funding

For further information see the course listing.