MA English Language Teaching & Applied Linguistics

This taught programme is provided by Education & Professional Studies within the School of Social Science & Public Policy.

Programme description
- Covers a balance of theoretical and pedagogic issues relevant to professionals working in increasingly diverse language teaching environments.
- Supports individuals to pursue their own professional interests and develop expertise relevant to their career development.
- Draws on the active research culture of the department.

The programme provides opportunities to explore recent research in the field and find out more about specialist areas such as teacher education, materials development, teaching English for academic purposes, management and evaluation in ELT and intercultural studies.

Core modules deal with language teaching methodology and curriculum design, linguistic analysis for language teaching, issues in language acquisition and use (sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics and SLA) and research methods. The programme also places particular emphasis on the notion of informed teaching and the need for teachers to mediate between theory and practice in constructing pedagogies according to specific teaching-learning contexts.

Programme format and assessment
Students on the standard programme follow all the core modules and choose two optional modules. Students who have the RSA/UCLES DELTA or Trinity House Diploma in ELT may be eligible for the fast track version of the programme which gives them exemption from Principles & Practice in ELT, and one of the option courses. Assessment is by coursework assignments and dissertation. There are no examinations.

Student destinations
This programme is especially popular with UK-based and international students who are at a point in their career when a master's degree can be very helpful in professional advancement. Our graduates have found that their promotion opportunities have been greatly enhanced by this advanced qualification. More recently, some of our graduates have returned to take up part-time MPhil/PhD studies.

Funding
Some students are funded by their employers; others are self-funded. Applicants are encouraged to explore financial assistance from their employers, national governments and other international educational grant providers.

Application procedure
All applications are considered by the Admissions Tutor and one other member of staff. Home students are invited for interview and both home and international students are asked, if appropriate, to complete a short written task. We endeavour to process all applications within four to six weeks of receipt in the department.

Contact for further information
Admissions Tutor, Mr Nick Andon tel +44 020 7848 3715.