M.A. in TESL/Applied Linguistics

Overview

The MA in Teaching English as a Second Language/Applied Linguistics (TESL/Applied Linguistics) is a two-year advanced degree covering teaching methods and research in English language teaching. The program consists of 30 credits.

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate independence, reflective practices and professionalism in teaching and assessment of English as a second language.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of and confidence with the use of computer applications relevant to teaching English language teaching.
3. Formulate important research questions to for guiding investigations that contribute to theory and practice in one or more areas of applied linguistics.
4. Carry out research in one area of applied linguistics that will increase understanding of English language teaching.
5. Evaluate research in the field to identify its contribution to theory, research and practice in applied linguistics.
6. Communicate ideas, discoveries, and findings to others in a professional and creative manner.
7. Collaborate with other professionals to create and investigate new knowledge, practices and products for English language teaching.

Curriculum

The program of study (POS) consists of four types of requirements:

Pre/Co-requisites representing basics that all students should have before or early in their degree program (knowledge of linguistics, and English grammar);

Linguistics Analysis and Applied Aspects of Second Language Acquisition that teach the knowledge and skills that are fundamental to all work in TESL/Applied Linguistics;

Electives chosen by the student and in consultation with their assigned program advisor or major professor;

Language requirement that can be met through college-level study, or otherwise demonstrated proficiency. See below for more details.

Curriculum for TESL/Applied Linguistics

(30 credits minimum)

PRE/CO-REQUISITES

Includes the following courses, or their equivalents. You must document previous coursework that meets pre/co-requisites by submitting a Pre/Co-requisite Equivalency Petition signed by your assigned program advisor or major professor. Students who have not completed the prerequisites upon entry into the program must complete them as soon as possible after admission.

• ENGL 2200: Descriptive English Grammar or passing the online Engl 220 test-out
• ENGL 2190: Introduction to Linguistics
• ENGL 5100: Introduction to Computers in Applied Linguistics

Pre-requisite equivalency
You need to document previous coursework that meets prerequisites by submitting a Pre-requisite Equivalency Petition signed by the appropriate faculty member for the course you are petitioning for and your assigned program advisor or major professor prior to emailing to the Graduate Program Office (englgrad@iastate.edu) for approval by the DOGE.

CORE REQUIREMENTS = 15 CREDITS

Linguistics Analysis and Applied Aspects of Second Language Acquisition

• ENGL/LING 5120: Second Language Acquisition
• ENGL/LING 5190: Second Language Assessment
• ENGL/LING 5240: Literacy: Issues and Methods for Nonnative Speakers of
  English or ENGL/LING 5250: Research and Teaching of Second Language Pronunciation
• ENGL/LING 5370: Corpus Approaches to Grammatical Analysis
• Choose one of the following:
• ENGL/LING 5880: Supervised Practice Teaching in Teaching English as a Second Language, or
• ENGL/LING 5000: Teaching Multimodal Composition, or
• ENGL/LING 5130: Language Assessment Practicum

ELECTIVES = 12 CREDITS

Students must choose electives and should consult with their assigned program advisor or major professor concerning relevant courses.

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH= 3 CREDITS (only 3 credits count towards the degree)

• Engl 699: Thesis or Engl 5990: Creative Component

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

Satisfying the MA TESL/AL Language Requirement may require additional coursework. The spirit of this requirement is that students, before they graduate, will have had a language-learning experience either in the recent past or concurrent with working toward their degree. All students are required to submit a Language Requirement Form indicating how this requirement is to be met signed by your assigned program advisor or major professor prior to emailing to the Graduate Program Office (englgrad@iastate.edu) for approval by the DOGE..

Native speakers of English

• have completed one year (or its equivalent) of college-level study in a single foreign language with a grade of B or higher, as shown on a transcript, no more than ten (10) years before beginning graduate work in the TESL/Applied Linguistics program; students who finished at least one year of college-level language study more than ten (10) years before beginning graduate work in TESL/Applied Linguistics must complete one semester of college-level study of any foreign language with a grade of B or higher, concurrent with working toward the degree OR
• complete one year or its equivalent of college-level study in a single foreign language, with a grade of B or higher in the second semester, concurrent with working toward the degree OR
• demonstrate proficiency in a single foreign language by means of a CLEP exam available through the College Board equivalent to one year of college-level study OR
• provide clear evidence of a bilingual background

Nonnative speakers of English

• Nonnative Speakers of English must pass the English Placement Test (as a graduate student) unless the student is exempt (see http://apling.engl.iastate.edu/english-placement-test/) if students fail the EPT, they will be required to take English classes.
• All graduate in the TESL/Applied Linguistics MA program whose first language is not English are required to pass the OECT as part of their program requirements. To pass the OECT, students must receive a Level 1 pass and be fully certified or may be exempted from taking one or both of the OECT components. Check the OECT website for further information.

Information for Applicants

• M.A. applicants must have completed a Bachelor’s degree prior to their first semester in the program.
• Nonnative speakers of English: required minimum scores are 95 IBT* (100 preferred); 587 PBT (600 preferred); 7.0 IELTS; 68 PTE. Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s (or higher) degree from a country where English is the only official language are exempt from this requirement.
  *Applicants scoring below the above minimum score requirements may need to take English support courses.
  **Minimum score of 25 IBT Writing or 7.0 IELTS Writing required for teaching assistantship consideration.
• Most of our M.A. students are funded.

Application Process

Before you apply for admission to the program read the detailed information on the MA in TESL/AL section of the English Department Graduate Program of Study Manual.