MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Degrees offered
Campuses
Summary
The demand for teachers of English as a second or modern world language—both in the United States and abroad—is higher than ever. The Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) provides an advanced Program of Study for professionals who wish to pursue careers in teaching English as a second or modern world language. Through graduate study in pedagogy, linguistics, cross-cultural communication, and second language teaching methodology, this Program develops competencies essential for English as a Second Language/English as a Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) educators.
Courses in pedagogy introduce students to state-of-the-art practices in education, as well as relevant research in education, enabling students to build a research-based approach to language teaching. In addition, courses in linguistics introduce students to current knowledge with regard to both first and second language acquisition, which will allow students to develop a sound theoretical foundation for their future language teaching practices. Students also study specific issues in applied linguistics and sociolinguistics relevant to the ESL/EFL classroom, such as linguistic variation. Finally, through various methodology and assessment courses, students develop practical skills required for excellence in teaching English as a second or foreign language.
The Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) consists of six core courses, which are required for all students enrolled in the Program. Students' additional course requirements depend on their choice of concentration.
Program of Study
The Program offers two concentrations. The first prepares students to teach ESOL in U.S. public schools (PreK-12). The second prepares students for teaching ESOL in post-secondary education, in addition to non-traditional educational settings, such as adult education ESL programs, or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) programs abroad.
PreK-12 Concentration
The PreK-12 Concentration prepares students to teach ESOL in U.S. public schools (grades PreK-12). Candidates pursuing the PreK-12 concentration will complete a 39-credit Program of Study including a year-long student teaching internship in a Maryland public school.
Post-Secondary Concentration
The Post-Secondary Concentration prepares students to teach ESOL in post-secondary education, in addition to non-traditional educational settings, such as adult education ESL programs, or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) programs abroad. Candidates pursuing the Post-Secondary Concentration will complete a 33-credit Program of Study including a practicum experience where they work with adult learners in the community.
MA in TESOL (Initial PreK-12 Certification) (39 Credits)
Curriculum (39 credits)
EDU-508 Issues in TESOL (3)
EDU-519 Human Development and Learning (3)
EDU-543 Reading, Analyzing and Interpreting Educational Research (3) OR EDU-604 Analytic, Reflective and Research Seminar
EDU-545 Principles of Linguistics (3)
EDU-546 Methods and Materials for TESOL (3)
EDU-547 Assessing Second Language Acquisition (3)
EDU-548 Language Learning (3)
EDU-556 Technology for Instruction and Management (3)
EDU-586 Techniques of Teaching Reading & Writing to English Language Learners (3)
EDU-596 English Grammar for ESL Teachers (3)
EDU-600 edTPA for Educators (1)
EDU-611 Internship (5)
SPE-526 Special Education for the Classroom Teacher (3)
MA in TESOL (Post-Secondary Education)
Curriculum (33 Credits)
EDU-508 Issues in (TESOL) (3)
EDU-543 Reading, Analyzing and Interpreting Educational Research (3)
EDU-545 Principles of Linguistics (3)
EDU-546 Methods and Materials for TESOL (3)
EDU-547 Assessing Second Language Acquisition (3)
EDU-548 Language Learning (3)
EDU-556 Technology for Instruction and Management (3)
EDU-586 Teaching Reading and Writing to English Language Learners (3)
EDU-596 English Grammar for ESL Teachers (3)
EDU-697 Language and Intercultural Communication for Changing Populations (3) or
EDU-698 Linguistic and Cultural Diversity (3)
EDU-595 Practicum (3)*
*If candidates obtain 150 documented hours of teaching adults in the community, they may choose an EDU 500 elective to complete the 33-credit program.
- The following degree requirements pertain to all MATESOL candidates:
- completion of all courses with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher;
- attainment of a grade of B or better in the methods course EDU 546;
- attainment of a grade of B or better in the internship or practicum course;
- candidates for PreK-12 teacher certification must pass Praxis Core tests (or MSDE-approved test or qualifying GPA of 3.0) prior to the internship and Praxis II exams required for ESOL certification prior to certification stamping. These are national teacher examinations required by the Maryland State Department of Education for Certification. Students will also be required to complete ePortfolio assignments and submit an edTPA portfolio documenting work completed during the internship semester.
Effective Fall 2019, all initial certification teacher candidates (including teachers of record) at Notre Dame of Maryland University are required to complete the edTPA in their content area; i.e., their planned area of certification. Thus, a teacher candidate who is interning as an elementary teacher and planning to be certified as an elementary teacher would take the edTPA in Elementary Education. Teacher candidates who are pursuing more than one area of certification are generally expected to complete this assessment in their ‘primary’ content area.
The Maryland State Department of Education will require (effective July 1, 2025) all candidates who are seeking to become certified to pass the edTPA (or the PPAT) as part of new licensure requirements. Notre Dame of Maryland University opted to require the edTPA, an assessment that is more tailored to each content area than the more generic PPAT, as of Fall 2019.
Effective Fall 2020 NDMU will require all initial certification teacher candidates to achieve a minimum score based on the number of rubrics associated with each edTPA, i.e., 37 (for 15 rubric portfolios), 42 (for 18 rubric portfolios, or 34 (for 13 rubric portfolios), respectively. A minimum passing score is required for graduation from NDMU’s School of Education. Additionally, all candidates will be required to fully and successfully participate in the online/face to face support process that is provided to teacher candidates during their internship experience. Moreover, they must have a completely scored portfolio in order to receive a passing grade for their Internship (also a graduation requirement). This edTPA requirement is an intensive one-credit requirement.