Course Summary
Gain the skills to teach English to speakers of other languages and put your learning into practice with an overseas teaching placement. Whether you are a qualified teacher or have no previous teaching experience, the MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Ulster is designed to enhance your teaching and communication skills and explore how people from different cultures learn languages.
College Link
Career Sectors
This course prepares you for working in the Career Sectors below. Follow the links to get a fuller understanding of the sectors you are preparing for.
Entry Requirements
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
A second class honours degree from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; and evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).
A satisfactory criminal record check from your country of residence.
See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants for further information.
Application Details
Your Application
Application is through the University's online application system (see "Application Weblink").
Start Date: September 2024
Fees
Application is through the University's online application system (see "Application Weblink" below).
The Student
Career Interests
This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.
Social
The Social person's interests focus on interacting with the people in their environment. In all cases, the Social person enjoys the personal contact with other people in preference to the impersonal dealings with things, data and ideas found in other groups.
Many will seek out positions where there is direct contact with the public in some advisory role, whether a receptionist or a counsellor. Social people are motivated by an interest in different types of people and like diversity in their work environments. Many are drawn towards careers in the caring professions and social welfare area, whilst others prefer teaching and other 'informing' roles.
Linguistic
The Linguistic's interests are usually focused on ideas and information exchange. They tend to like reading a lot, and enjoy discussion about what has been said. Some will want to write about their own ideas and may follow a path towards journalism, story writing or editing. Others will develop skills in other languages, perhaps finding work as a translator or interpreter. Most Linguistic types will enjoy the opportunity to teach or instruct people in a topic they are interested in.
Career Progression
Graduates of this programme have gained work as English language teachers in private language schools, further education colleges, universities and schools in the UK, Ireland and in many countries all over the world. Some have progressed to work in EAL related fields, others to doctoral study whilst others have got jobs as on-line English language teachers or developer of online language teaching resources. Students have gone on to work in teaching related areas: for example, developers of online English language teaching materials; whilst some of the students use their qualification to work for charities abroad in developing countries.
Duration
MA full-time: normally 4 days per week in semester one; 3 days per week (6 weeks) plus 8 weeks teaching practice in semester 2; followed by independent study for the dissertation during semester three (summer semester). This can be done at a distance.
MA part-time: Year 1: normally, 2 days per week in semester one, 4 weeks teaching practice semester 2. Year 2: normally, 2 days per week in semester one, and 4 weeks teaching practice in semester two. This is followed by independent study for the dissertation during semester three (summer semester) and during semester one and two of year 3. This can be done at a distance.