Program: M.A., Teaching English as a Second Language
Overview
The Masters of Art in Teaching English as a Second Language consists of 54 units.
Program Requirements
Academic Standards for the M.A. Degree in TESL
Prerequisites: Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in all prerequisite courses. Students who earn a grade of “B-” or lower in a prerequisite course may repeat up to 2 such courses for grade improvement. Students will be disqualified from the Program after receiving a third grade of “B-” or lower in prerequisite courses.
Required Courses and Electives:
A. University regulations:
Graduate students will be placed on academic probation whenever their GPA falls below 3.0 in all units attempted. To be removed from probation, students must earn sufficient grades in the following semester of enrollment to raise their GPA to 3.0 or above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the University. University regulations allow graduate students to repeat up to 6 units of credit in which a grade of “B-” or below has been received. (See Graduate Studies section of this Catalog.)
B. Additional Regulations for the M.A. Degree in TESL:
- Students will be disqualified from the Linguistics/TESL Program if they do not pass the comprehensive exam on their second attempt.
- No grade below “B-” can be counted in the formal program. Any grade of “C+” or lower must be repeated. If the student does not receive a grade of “B-” or better on the second attempt, the student will be disqualified from the Linguistics/TESL Program. University regulations allow graduate students to repeat only up to 6 units. The repeat grade will appear on the transcript. Students must request approval to repeat a course using the Course Repeat Request Form from their Advisor in advance of enrolling in the course.
Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in TESL
TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) also is termed Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and is closely related to TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). TESL deals with teaching methods, principles, ways to teach different kinds of students, curriculum design, lesson planning, attention to the 4 skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and assessment. Along with its own focus, the field draws from research and methods in Linguistics, Education and other fields. This Degree is for candidates preparing to teach English to speakers of other languages.
A. Admission Requirements
In addition to meeting the General Department Admission requirements stated above, applicants without a background in linguistics will be required to take LING 300—Approaches to Linguistic Analysis as a prerequisite during their first semester.
B. Foreign Language Requirement
Students are required to take 2 semesters or equivalent of a language foreign to them. This requirement may be met with course work completed within 2 years of acceptance into the Program.
C. Culminating Requirement:
M.A. Degree candidates in TESL complete their degrees by taking a Comprehensive Exam. Students will enroll in LING 697—Directed Comprehensive Studies in the semester during which they plan to take the examination. Students on probation or who have remaining incompletes will not be permitted to take the examination. Students who fail the examination at the first attempt will be required to register for the examination again the following semester. Students who fail the Comprehensive Examination a second time are disqualified from the Master’s Program.
D. Required Courses (36 units)
LING 402 Phonetics and Phonology (3)
LING 404 Syntax (3)
LING 417 Language Development and Acquisition (3)
or CHS 433 The Chicana/o Child (3)
LING 502 Seminar in Second Language Acquisition (3)
LING 520 Issues in ESL Reading and Writing (3)
LING 521 Issues in ESL Listening and Speaking (3)
LING 525 English Structures for ESL/EFL Teaching (3)
LING 530 Introduction to TESL (3)
LING 555 TESL Practicum (3)
LING 566 Research Methods for Linguistics (3)
LING 568 TESL Testing and Assessment (3)
ESL Methods for specific populations (Choose EED 570 or 577, or SED 529) (3)
E. Electives (6 units) Partial List:
LING 501 Seminar in Phonology (3)
LING 503 Seminar in Cognitive Linguistics (3)
LING 505 Seminar in Discourse Analysis (3)
LING 515 Survey of Applied Linguistics (3)
For electives in other disciplines, see the Advisor or the Chair.
F. Culminating Activity (3 units)
LING 697 Directed Comprehensive Studies (3)
G. Unit Count for M.A. Degree in TESL
LING 300 Approaches to Linguistic Analysis (3)
Foreign Language: 6
Required Courses: 36
Electives: 6
Comprehensive Exam: 3
Total Units for the M.A. Degree: 54
Contact
Chair: Evelyn McClave
Staff: Katherine Draper, Reyna Campos Kennedy
Sierra Tower 805
(818) 677-5019
www.csun.edu/humanities/linguistics
Student Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate a basic knowledge of linguistic theory in phonetics, phonology, morphology and syntax.
- Demonstrate a solid knowledge of TESL theory and methodology.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how theories of language structure and theories of language in context can be applied in teaching language.
- Demonstrate the ability to read, analyze and critically evaluate research, and demonstrate a high level of critical thinking and problem solving.
- Demonstrate skills in the design of TESL testing and assessment, as well as TESL curriculum development.