Master's Degree in TESOL Program

 

 

Mission

The TESOL Teacher education program reflects the mission of The Teachers College and personnel preparation unit of Emporia State University.  The unit developed a new conceptual framework titled “The Professional” with program goals, outcomes, and assessment procedures that build on our earlier program goals, outcomes and assessment procedures.  This new conceptual framework captures the continuing philosophy that for educators to help all students learn, they must have a command of content, critical ideas and skills, and the capacity to reflect on, evaluate, and learn from their practice so that it continually improves.  The unit embraces the idea that while successful professionals can be highly effective in different ways, common proficiencies draw on shared understanding of how to foster student learning.  

Accreditation

The University is accredited by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges. The ESOL teacher licensure program is accredited by KSDE and the teacher education unit of ESU is accredited by NCATE.

Licensure Level and Subject: The program is designed to allow Kansas-certified teachers to apply 15 credit hours to obtain a licensure in TESOL. However, it is NOT required to have a teaching certification to join the MATESOL program. 

 

Admission Requirements and Procedures

The graduate program in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages is designed to serve the increasing need for Teaching English as a Second and/or Foreign Language nationally at the college and public school level and internationally in private and public institutions world-wide. This program prepares its graduates to fill many jobs in this area both nationally and internationally. This program is the first of its kind in the state of Kansas.

The program offers 36 hours of in-depth graduate study in the areas of applied linguistics, TESOL Methodology, Language Assessment and Evaluation, Sociolinguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Cross-cultural Communication, TESOL Research Methods, Computer-Assisted Language Learning in TESOL, Composition Theory and Rhetorics, and Literacy/Reading Theory and Practice.

Procedures and Criteria for Admission to the Master of Arts TESOL Program

The following are admission requirements for MA TESOL degree seeking students:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Adequate preparation in the proposed area of specialization (to be determined by the program specialized committee members).
• A grade point average of not less than 2.75 in the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate study.
• International Students must submit a 550 TOEFL score as part of the admissions criteria
• Submission of official transcripts from each institution attended.
• Payment of a non-refundable application fee.
• Three letters of recommendation written by persons with knowledge of the candidate’s potential for success in graduate school.
• A one-page essay career goal statement.
• A copy of an updated resumé
• Admission Essay Writing:

Topic: “The best method is one which you have derived through your very own careful process offormulation, try-out, revision, and refinement” (Brown, 2002). Write a two-page essay that includes:

A. First, a critical discussion of this statement.

B. Second, a description of your own ESOL/EFL methodology which includes your views/theory about:

1) What language is,

2) How a second language is acquired, and how it can be effectively taught. (20points: 8 points for discussing/explaining the statement, 12 points for describingyour theory and practice)

ALL application material must be sent to the Graduate School or via the Office of International Education for international students.  Click on the link below to apply to ESU's Graduate School:

http://www.emporia.edu/grad/admissions/

http://www.emporia.edu/oie/apply-to-esu/ (for international students only)

Requirements for Degree Candidacy

Students who have met the admission requirements, submitted an approved degree plan/advisement form, and completed a minimum of six credit hours of course work in the graduate program will be admitted to degree candidacy.

Requirements for Program Completion

• Satisfactory completion of TESOL PRAXIS CONTENT TEST (Code 0361) with a minimum score of 138 or above immediately after the completion of fifteen (15) core credit hours is a program completion requirement.
• Completion of 36 credit hours in the MA TESOL program
• Students who choose to do the 6 hour thesis are exempt from three credit hours of Program Electives AND from three hours of Open Electives
• Required internships and practica–After a candidate has successfully completed Admission to Program of Study requirements and has been approved by the appropriate chair orgraduate coordinator, the candidate is permitted to participate in practical field experience in TS 735 (either section A or Section B, depending on whether they are education majors eligible to obtain an ESOL Licensure or not). Candidates who are eligible to seek an ESOL Licensure are supervised by ESU and school supervisors and are placed in a public school settings. Otherwise, candidates will take section B of TS 735 which will prepare them with practical and hands-on experiences in, for example, the Intensive English Program at ESU or a similar program.

For students seeking an ESOL Licensure through their MA TESOL program (in TS735 Section A) and based on the candidate’s performance and input from the University supervisor and off-campus supervisor, if applicable, the University supervisor assigns a grade for the field experience. The candidate is required to have a minimum grade of “B” in the field experience before being allowed to proceed to the Program Pre-completion decision point.

For students who are NOT seeking an ESOL Licensure in their MA TESOL program, based upon the candidate’s performance and input from the University Practicum Instructor (in section B) and on-campus supervisor, if applicable, the instructor assigns a grade for this hands-on experience that will involve on-campus class observation/teaching (both via videotaped lessons and via Distance Education Tools). The candidate is required to have a minimum grade of “B” in the field experience before being allowed to proceed to the Program Pre-completion decision point.

 

MA (Master of Arts) TESOL Curriculum

Core Courses: 21 hours required
TS 719 Language Assessment & Evaluation	(3 credit hours)
TS 734 Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language	(3 credit hours)
TS 700  Linguistics for Language Teachers	(3 credit hours)
TS 701 Introduction to Graduate Research	(3 credit hours)
TS 720 Second Language Acquisition	(3 credit hours)
TS 735 Practicum in TESOL	(3 credit hours)
Program Electives:  12 hours required
TS 710 Sociolinguistics	(3 credit hours)
TS 770 Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition	(3 credit hours)
TS 780 Structure of English	(3 credit hours)
TS 790 Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching	(3 credit hours)
Open Electives: 3 hours required
ED 535 Cultural Awareness for Educators	(3 credit hours)
IT 700 Foundations of Instructional Technology	(3 credit hours)
EG 715 Seminar in Rhetoric	(3 credit hours)
EG 770 Seminar in Linguistics	(3 credit hours)
EL 721 Reading Theory and Literacy Practices: Elementary	(3 credit hours)
EL 723 Reading Theory and Literacy Practices: Secondary	(3 credit hours)
ED 837 Brain-based learning for educators	(3 credit hours)
EG 790 Seminar in Pedagogy	(3 credit hours)
TS 732 Special Topics in TESOL	(3 credit hours)
EL 821 Reading Curriculum Development and Strategies	(3 credit hours)
Thesis: 6 credit hours
TS 800 Thesis Hours	(6 credit hours)
Students who choose to do the 6-hour Thesis will take only 9 credit hours from Program Electives and will NOT take any Open Elective credit hours.
Total Required Credits:	36 credit Hours

NOTE: ALL MATESOL coursework is offered online only.

 

Job Opportunities

• http://www.kansasteachingjobs.com/
• http://www.eslcafe.com/joblist/
• http://www.tesol.org/careers/index.html
• http://www.kansasregents.org/resources/PDF/2239-current-teachscholarshipinfo.pdf
   

TESOL Teacher Education Standards

Standard #1 The teacher ESOL understands the contributions of general and applied linguistics to second-language education, including the understanding of the sound system, forms, structures, and the lexicon of English.

Standard #2 The teacher of ESOL understands the fundamentals, similarities, and differences of first- and second-language acquisition.

Standard #3 The teacher of ESOL acknowledges the diverse, historical tapestry of cultures that make up the United States and the role language plays in the development of cultural identities.

Standard #4 The teacher of ESOL effectively communicates with students parents, and members of various cultural groups in the community.

Standard #5 The teacher of ESOL understands the importance of using language in socially and culturally appropriate ways by developing communication skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, viewing, and representing visually across the curriculum.

Standard #6 The teacher of ESOL understands and uses formal and informal first-and second-language assessment techniques to evaluate the progress of English language learners, including knowledge and use of assessment tools to determine program placement, exit criteria, and participation in state assessments.

Standard #7 The teacher of ESOL understands and uses a broad range of methodologies to provide academic learning experiences for English language learners, understands and uses strategies that encourage full participation of English language learners in the school environment, and understands the foundations of second-language instruction.

Standard #8 The teacher of ESOL demonstrates a high level of proficiency in English commensurate with the role of an instructional model.

Standard #9 The teacher of ESOL understands and uses a variety of methods and techniques suitable for second-language instruction for English language learners with special needs, including the ability to adapt existing materials in collaboration with teachers of students with exceptionalities to meet the needs of all English language learners.

Standard #10 The teacher of ESOL understands and uses a broad range of literacy methodologies, programs, and assessment tools for English language learners and acknowledges the important role of family literacy in second language acquisition.

For more information about this program, contact the ESU Graduate Office

For cost and registration, call the Office of Distance Education, 620-341-5385.

or contact

Dr. Abdelilah Salim Sehlaoui at:

Professor of TESOL and Applied Linguistics
Director of MA TESOL and TESOL Licensure Program
Emporia State University
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Department of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism
1200 Commercial St. (Campus Box 4019)
Emporia, KS 66801
Office: Plumb Hall 304
asehlaou@emporia.edu
Phone: 620-341-5237
Fax: 620-341-6237