MA English Language Teaching
Course overview
Start date
September 2019
Subject area
Teaching and Education
Attendance
Full-time
Part-time
Learning
On campus
Course summary
This Master’s programme is the only one in London with an
exclusive focus on ‘teaching’ encompassing the areas of TESOL and TEFL – as
opposed to Applied Linguistics and is aimed at practising teachers as a form of
continuing professional development.
Please note that the course is not a teaching qualification but an academic award which not only enhances job opportunities but also enables
graduates to pursue further studies at a doctoral level. However, if you do not have enough classroom experience and want to become a qualified teacher of English as you study the MA, we offer a module (Teaching Practicum) leading to CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults). At UEL, the certificate can be obtained in only 12 weeks.*
Upon completion, our graduates normally apart from following a PhD route, also become teacher trainers, consultants and advisors in the areas of English Language Teaching and Education, publishers, and school managers, among other high-stake posts
Speaking our native language comes naturally. Acquiring a second language is a much more complex undertaking that a skilled teacher can make easier. This fascinating course will give you a deeper understanding of the field of English language teaching in the UK and in a global context. It addresses the language systems of English, as well as reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. You will also examine second-language acquisition theories and the impact that these have on English language teaching pedagogy.
You will explore the implications of the global spread of English, the rise of ‘new Englishes’ around the world and the political and cultural dimensions of teaching English as an international language.
Ultimately, the course will open up exciting and stimulating career opportunities, both nationally and internationally, as a teacher of English or as someone who will shape the future of English language teaching.
*A minimum additional fee applies, this option is only available to on-campus students.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, please contact our Applicant Enquiries team on +44 (0) 20 8223 3333 or email study@uel.ac.uk
Get in touchStudy in a multilingual environment
You could not choose a location in which English language teaching is more relevant. East London is a hugely multicultural, multilingual environment.
Personalised tuition
The student-to-staff ratio on this course is low – less than 10:1 – which means that you will receive personalised tuition and dedicated support when it comes to choosing your areas of study and research.
A diverse student body
Our student intake on this course is highly diverse and international, with students coming from countries all over the world. Everyone has plenty of direct experience to share, which makes for an extremely rich learning environment.
What we're researching in our School
At Cass School of Education and Communities we have developed an expertise on language education, in particular, teaching and learning in multicultural contexts. Dr Mario Moya, Programme Leader for the MA English Language Teaching, focuses his research on second language acquisition and the role of language learning strategies in second/additional languages. He is a Consultant for the British Council and works in cooperation with Universities worldwide to improve teacher and learning in English-medium instruction environments. The MA in English Language Teaching is linked to the Higher Education and the Teacher Education Research Groups
Making a difference
UEL is one of the UK’s leading modern research universities. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF), 17 per cent of our overall research submission was classified as ‘world-leading’ for its quality and impact – almost double our previous REF score. A further 45 per cent of our work was considered ‘internationally excellent’.
Fees and funding
£10,280 to fund your Masters Programme under the Postgraduate Loans (PGL) scheme
Postgraduate Loans (PGL)
The Postgraduate Loan (PGL) provide non means-tested loans of up to £10,906 to taught and research masters students. It will be paid to students as a contribution towards tuition fees, living costs and other course costs.
Applications are made directly through Student Finance England
Eligibility
Whether you qualify depends on:
• if you’ve studied on a postgraduate course before
• your course
• your age
• your nationality or residency status
Full eligibility can be found here
Please take a look at the Postgraduate Loans for an overview of the new funding.
The scholarship is open to full-time and part-time UK and EU students of taught postgraduate courses.
Find out more about full eligibility criteria and how to apply.
Terms and conditions apply.How we can help you
Did you know that with a postgraduate qualification you can expect to earn more than someone who only holds an undergraduate degree?If you want to build new skills, change career paths, or further your career prospects, a postgraduate degree can help you. Our range of scholarships and bursaries will make financing your education that much easier. Below is some of the funding available to support you in your studies:
- Alumni Discount – up to 15% fee waiver
- Early Payment Discount – 5% fee waiver
- Asylum Seekers scholarship – 100% fee waiver
- Civic Engagement – £1,000
- Hardship Bursary – up to £2,000
- Sport Scholarships – Up to £6,000
Terms and conditions apply.
• By telephone
• In person at our Docklands or Stratford campus
• Bank transfer
- Apply for a Postgraduate Loan
- Take advantage of UEL scholarships and bursaries
- Ask your employer to sponsor your study
- Study part-time so you can work at the same time
- Look at Research Council Awards
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate
your finances while you're a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and
university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
Entry requirements
INTERNATIONAL
(Including European Union)
We accept a range of qualifications from across the world. Please see our country pages for information on specific entry requirements for your country.
If you don’t quite meet the academic requirements for this course, you can apply with an additional foundation year. Read more about the International Foundation Programme. SEE YOUR COUNTRYIf you do not meet the academic English language requirements for your course, you may be eligible to enrol onto a pre-sessional English programme. The length of the course will depend on your current level of English and the requirements for your degree programme. We offer a 5-week and an 11-week pre-sessional course. Find out more here.
Please note that some courses require applicants to meet the entry requirements outlined on the course page. Our pre-entry Information Advice and Guidance Team are able to provide further advice on entry requirements and suitability for study.
What you'll study
We consistently review and develop our courses and modules to ensure they are up-to-date with sector and industry graduate skills demands. Course structure, modules and options are subject to change.
- Second Language Acquisition and ELT (core)
- Applied Research Project in ELT (core)
- Language Awareness for ELT (core)
- Approaches to Teaching and Learning in ELT (optional)
- Teaching and Learning ELT (Mental Wealth) (core)
- Teaching Practicum (CELTA) (core)
How you'll be assessed
As the course is practical in nature, there are no examinations. There are written assignments for each module (either one of 5,000 words or two of 2,500 words each). These may include essays, book or article reviews, the creation and evaluation of pedagogic materials and small-scale action research projects.
You will also write a 14,000-word dissertation, which is your opportunity to investigate a specific field of study in depth. An important part of the dissertation and overall assessment will be research methods training.
Course specification
How you'll learn
This rewarding master’s course can be studied on a one-year full-time basis or part-time for between two and six years. This means it can fall in with your life or teaching commitments.
The course has a strong focus on classroom practice and emphasises discussion and student contribution throughout.
Your fellow students will come to the MA from a wide range of countries and educational contexts. Such diversity guarantees a rich learning environment to which you can contribute your deepening knowledge of a complex and rapidly developing field.
The lectures have more of a seminar feel, with every student encouraged to respond to the lecture material and to contribute your own anecdotal experience.
You will study one module per term. You are expected to show independent thinking and to read and critically engage with a wide range of set and recommended texts.
Extra essay seminars will be laid on for all of the assignments and main essay assessments. In these seminars, preliminary draft essays produced by students will be taken as the starting point for discussions.
It is envisaged that a series of external speakers will share their expertise in particular topics throughout the year.
What you'll learn
The course consists of four modules and a dissertation, which includes research methods training.
You will look at the theoretical, conceptual side of language systems within the field of applied linguistics. You will explore how we can draw on these theories to devise a curriculum and learning materials.
Because English is a world language, both power and ideology are intertwined with its teaching. The course offers a chance to examine the politics or the social dimensions of teaching English as a foreign and as a second language.
For instance, English is associated with modernisation in some parts of the world. In developing countries it can be seen as key to social mobility, even if that is more discourse than reality.
Subjects such as these will form the basis of discussion seminars as you explore how theory works in practice.
You will also be exposed to research methodologies in the Second Language Acquisition module and have the opportunity to work on a dissertation that involves language data collection, perhaps from your own students.
Your future career
This master’s course is one of the ways you can become qualified to teach English to speakers of other languages, either in the UK or abroad, but it also offers much more.
On the teaching side, you may decide to enter the burgeoning world of English language teaching schools. There are a huge number of these in London.
You may want to teach English in other parts of the world. A master’s qualification will increase the opportunities to pursue such a career.
By upgrading your professional qualifications, you will also open up promotion opportunities.
It could you help you become the subject head in English language teaching or assume deputy head and head teacher roles in the future.
You will become qualified to lead other teachers and to shape the future of English language teaching by devising and writing learning policies and materials or by working in a curriculum coordinator role.
Some of our international students have returned to their home countries to take up Ministry of Education roles that require a postgraduate degree in English language teaching or language studies.
The course will also equip you to pursue an academic career in the field of English language teaching, perhaps through the research route or in an associated subject such as Applied Linguistic Studies.
