Programme Specification and Curriculum Map for MA TESOL 1. Programme title MA TESOL 2. Awarding institution Middlesex University 3. Teaching institution Middlesex University 4. Programme accredited by Middlesex University 5. Final qualification MA 6. Academic year 2009/10 7. Language of study 8. Mode of study 9. Criteria for admission to the programme A first degree of a satisfactory standard Relevant previous teaching experience Native English speaker or a good level of spoken and written English appropriate for an academic setting, IELTS 7. Previous study of teaching methodology is desirable. 10. Aims of the programme The MA TESOL is designed for native and non-native speakers of English who wish to develop their careers as teachers of English as a foreign / second / additional language. The programme aims to: deepen the students systematic understanding and critical awareness of the trends and debates in modern ELT pedagogy and, where appropriate, Applied Linguistics by building on students previous learning, teaching and life experience. facilitate the students critical evaluation of current research into areas of teaching and learning theories and methodologies and, where appropriate, Applied Linguistics in order to apply the insights gained to their research of salient issues and problem areas in their own teaching / learning contexts and their own professional practice. develop the students capabilities to analyse contradictions and synthesise concepts from potentially conflicting sources, extrapolate from incomplete data and deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively in their own independent and self-directed research.
enable students to achieve their career goals by developing their relevant knowledge base and critical thinking skills and providing them with research opportunities and an appropriate postgraduate qualification. 11. Programme outcomes A. Knowledge and understanding On completion of this programme the successful student will have knowledge and understanding of : 1. the development of ELT as a discipline and show critical awareness of areas of conflict and congruence between competing theories of ELT and Applied Linguistics and ELT practice. 2. achieve professional understanding of the relationship between course and syllabus design, methodology, classroom procedures, materials design and evaluation procedures, while taking into consideration the demands and constraints on teachers and learners in different ELT contexts. 3. research paradigms within the fields of ELT and Applied Linguistics, especially the distinction between quantitative and qualitative research and how to apply these research methodologies to their own research. 4. methods and models of collecting and analysing empirical language data, and the implications that different models of language analysis and theories of language have for language teachers. 5. pedagogic language description, the relationship between language knowledge and language use and how to incorporate pedagogic grammar into effective teaching and learning practices Teaching/learning methods Students gain knowledge and understanding through: Lectures, guided and independent reading and private study. This base is consolidated through seminars, discussion groups and tutorials. Assessment Method Students knowledge and understanding is assessed by: take home exercises; evaluative critiques of research papers; discursive essays; investigative research projects; sample teaching and evaluation materials; oral presentations; a reflective report based on micro-teaching; a 2- hour examination, and a dissertation research proposal Successful mastery of all the programme outcomes contributes to all the assessments. However, programme learning outcome 1 is primarily met through an investigative research project, an oral presentation and a reflective report. Programme learning outcome 2 is primarily met through an investigative research project with sample teaching and evaluation materials Programme learning outcome 3 is primarily met through evaluative critiques of research papers, a discursive essay, the dissertation research proposal and the dissertation. Programme learning outcomes 4 & 5 are primarily met through take home exercises, an examination, a discursive essay and an investigative research project.
B. Cognitive (thinking) skills On completion of this programme the successful student will be able to: 1. explore and critique intellectual issues and analytical methods in the fields of ELT research and, where relevant, Applied Linguistics. 2. analyse data and texts, apply critical analysis in evaluating arguments and theories in order to construct valid arguments. 3. select an appropriate research methodology to design viable research projects. 4. demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems. Teaching/learning methods Students learn cognitive skills through independent and guided reading of books and articles, tutor-led discussions and discovery exercises and student-led presentations and discussions in seminars based on students reading, research and prior experience in the field. The one to one tutorials enable the students and tutors to work to the individual students level in promoting cognitive development through focused discussion and by setting appropriate goals in relation to assessment preparation and feedback. Assessment Method Students cognitive skills are assessed by take home exercises and an examination which test the students ability to apply given analytical models to data and also test their prior cognitive development in the discussion of subject-specific relevant issues. The assignments test the students ability to carry out small scale research projects and apply critical analysis to their research methods and research findings. The reflective report tests the students ability to reflect on and analyse their own reactions to novel experiences of classroom procedures and the ability to extrapolate from this experience potential future applications of these procedures. The oral presentations and micro-teaching test their ability to extract the key issues and present them in clear form to their peers. The evaluative critiques of research papers and discursive essays test the students abilities to apply critical analysis to the theories and work of others and engage in analytic debate concerning key issues in the field. However, the main test of cognitive skills is the dissertation, a lengthy piece of independent research
C. Practical skills On completion of the programme the successful student will be able to: 1. effectively identify research resources and collect data. 2. present research findings 3. design a context-appropriate course, set of learning materials and evaluation procedures for an identified group of learners and demonstrate practical consideration of how this course can be implemented. 4. act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level. D. Graduate Skills On completion of this programme the successful student will be able to: 1. reflect on personal career development in order to engage in reflective learning. 2. communicate effectively 3. work in teams 4. display information technology skills as appropriate and use numeracy skills as relevant. 5. mastery of complex and specialised areas of knowledge and skills. 6. ability to conduct research and communicate its results. 7. ability to accept accountability for decision making, including use of supervision. Teaching/learning methods Students learn practical skills through Initial guidance on how to identify and locate materials in the library or elsewhere. Bibliographies are provided for each module and students are encouraged to use these as a starting point to identify further useful sources for their individual research projects. Students are given practical instruction on how to use concordancing computer software. Assessment Method Students practical skills are assessed by all the assessment procedures. Practical skill 3 is assessed through the course work for the module ELT 4122. Practical skills 1, 2 & 4 are assessed by all the other assessment procedures. but particularly through the dissertation. Teaching/learning methods Students acquire graduate skills through graduate research raining in individual modules, in the Research Methods module, a special seminar on statistics in graduate research, the teaching and learning of individual modules, as well as seminars, tutorials, independent study and research projects. Assessment method Students graduate skills are assessed by a variety of ways. Skill 3 is prioritised and assessed in peer micro-teaching, in seminar discussions and the preparation of materials to present in seminar group work. Skills 1, 2 & 5 are necessary to participate constructively in seminars and are assessed in the discussions. Skill 1 is assessed in the reflective report. Skills 2 & 5 and to a large extent skill 1 are assessed in all the written work. In skill 4 IT is assessed through all course work. Numeracy is primarily assessed through the Research Methods module and the discussion of individual research findings where appropriate. Skill 6 is assessed in the module research assignments. Skill 7 is assessed through module course work. Skills 2, 4, 5, 6 & 7 are
further extensively assessed through the dissertation. 12. Programme structure (levels, modules, credits and progression requirements) 12. 1 Overall structure of the programme Overall structure of the programme MA TESOL The course will build on students previous teaching experience and professional training to develop their systematic understanding and critical awareness of the trends and debates in modern ELT pedagogy and Applied Linguistics. Throughout the course students will be encouraged to consider how insights gained from their own personal experiences as teachers and learners of foreign languages relate to the issues and debates in both ELT pedagogy and Applied Linguistics. There are four main strands to the programme. The first strand (ELT 4121 Second Language Acquisition and Language Teaching Methodology) combines a study of the history of teaching methodology with the study of Second Language Acquisition. The development of ELT as a discipline will be examined for its pedagogic, social / cultural and linguistic trends and how these trends are manifested in classroom practices. These classroom practices will then be examined in the light of SLA research findings in order to see how insights from SLA may be used to evaluate the effectiveness of various teaching methodologies and classroom practices. The second strand (ELT 4122 Course Design and Evaluation in ELT) is wholly pedagogic in focus. It encourages students to look beyond the day to day choices they make in terms of classroom practice to consider the wider social and practical implications of course and syllabus design and student assessment / evaluation. The relationship between course and syllabus design and the design of assessment and evaluation procedures is be explored within the context of societal and institutional demands and personal goals. Different frameworks for different client groups in different working contexts are examined, for example, course design and assessment procedures for adult and child general purpose English (GPE) courses, specialist English courses for specific and academic purposes and English teacher education courses. Where possible, links will be made between this module and ELT 4121 Second Language Acquisition and Language Teaching Methodology. This is to encourage students not only to see the relationship between SLA and classroom practices but also to see the relationship between classroom practice and the broader social, educational and institutional implications of course and assessment design. The third strand of the programme is Research Methods (ELT 4123 Research Methods in TESOL and Applied Linguistics). This module introduces students to types of research paradigms and the scope of research topics in the field of TESOL and Applied Linguistics. The nature of research data is explored and the role of evidence and the interpretation of evidence in building a coherent argument are examined. A focus on Action Research enables students to see how they can participate in researching their own teaching / learning contexts whilst the evaluation of published research helps students to develop their own critical analysis. This module culminates in the dissertation research proposal. The fourth strand of the programme is the language study strand. In the MA TESOL this focus is very much on the analysis of real language data and its relation to pedagogic grammar. This strand is made up of two 15-credit modules (ELT 4101 Empirical Investigation into Language Structure and Use and ELT 4202 Grammar Analysis for ELT). The first module looks at empirical
investigation of language data and so links with the content of the Research Methods module concerning types of data. The second module looks at how language knowledge is presented as pedagogic grammar. The contrasts between idealized pedagogic grammars and the reality of empirical language data are examined. The implications for classroom practice of this contrast are explored. In this respect the language strand in the MA TESOL makes strong links with the ELT Methodology aspects of the module ELT 4121 Second Language Acquisition and Language Teaching Methodology and the content of ELT 4122 Course Design and Evaluation in ELT. The assessment procedures contain formative and summative assessments and are very varied. They include take home tasks, discursive essays, a reflective report, an oral presentation, a 2-hour exam and various research projects. These research projects are flexible enough to allow students to tailor the focus of their research projects to their own personal and professional interests. This feature of the research projects enables students to make personally meaningful links between what they are studying on the programme and their working context. Each module has more than one assessment form associated with it, so allowing students several opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities in the quality of their work. The assessment culminates in a dissertation proposal and a dissertation, an extended piece of individual research (16,000 words +/- 10%) in an area of the student s choice. This is started at the beginning of the summer period and submitted in December. The time allowed for the dissertation enables students to engage in classroom based research, an opportunity that would not be available to them if it had to be completed by the end of the summer. Over the duration of the course, students will write a combined total of approximately 18,000 words for their assignments (excluding take home exercises, oral presentations and the exam) plus 16,000 words (+/- 10%) for the dissertation. In this way the design of the MA TESOL provides a comprehensive view of common core principles in the field of ELT whilst allowing students to develop their own particular research interests appropriate for their career aspirations. The focus on research methods and the broader aspects of course design and evaluation allows students to see the day to day methodology and language concerns of teaching in their wider context. As well as providing a good knowledge base, the MA programme facilitates the development of students critical faculties in the evaluation of data analysis, research design and theoretical argument.
12.2 Levels and modules Level 4 COMPULSORY OPTIONAL PROGRESSION REQUIREMENTS Students must take all of the following: ELT 4101 ELT 4121 ELT 4122 ELT 4123 ELT 4201 ELT 4300 Students must also choose at least XX from the following: Students must pass all the taught modules, so gaining 120 level 4 credits to progress to the dissertation stage (ELT 4300) 12.3 Non-compensatable modules Modules may additionally be designated non-compensatable. Module level Module code ELT 4300 13. A curriculum map relating learning outcomes to modules See Curriculum Map attached. 14. Information about assessment regulations Middlesex University assessment regulations apply. Except where specified, students are expected to pass all assessed components of a module. 15. Placement opportunities, requirements and support (if applicable) N / A 16. Future careers Gaining an MA TESOL will enable students to further their teaching career by gaining positions of responsibility in teaching organisations or allowing them to move into university teaching, or publishing houses, or pursuing MPhil or doctoral research. 17. Particular support for learning (if applicable)
18. JACS code (or other relevant coding system) 19. Relevant QAA subject benchmark group(s) X162 Languages, Linguistics and area Studies 20. Reference points QAA frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications Middlesex University Learning and Teaching and policies strategy Middlesex Guide and Regulations Middlesex University Strategic Plan Middlesex University New Learning Framework Middlesex University Mission Statement 21. Other information This programme, revised under the New Learning Framework, is a continuation of an existing programme which has run successfully for over five years. The staff expertise gained in the previous five years concerning the learning needs, interests and aspirations of students enrolled on the programme has been used in the new structure. The re-writing of the modules has allowed for grater synergy to be created between the various elements of the original programme, for example, between Methodology and SLA, or between course design and evaluation / testing procedures. This will add to the value of the programme for the students. The clear division between the MA TESOL with Applied Linguistics and the MA TESOL has been maintained through the division and separation of the language strand of each programme. This is in direct response to student demand. Some students are very clear that they have no interest in studying linguistic grammars, which they see as being far removed from their immediate concerns with the classroom. These students are usually relatively inexperienced teachers who are still getting to grips with the day to day concerns of teaching. More experienced teachers, who already have a strong grounding in pedagogic grammar gained through their professional work, are usually more interested to explore the wider field of Applied Linguistics which forms much of the theoretical base of ELT. The separation of the language study strand into linguistic grammars for the MA TESOL with Applied Linguistics, and pedagogic grammars for the MA TESOL not only directly addresses the students demands for a clear separation of focus concerning language study, but also encourages the students to look at the content of the other modules through the prism of either an applied linguistic or pedagogical framework. Please note programme specifications provide a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve if s/he takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information about the programme can be found in the student programme handbook and the University Regulations.
Curriculum map for MA TESOL This section shows the highest level at which programme outcomes are to be achieved by all graduates, and maps programme learning outcomes against the modules in which they are assessed. A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 C1 C2 C3 C4 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Module Title Module Code by Level A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 B1 B2 B3 B4 C1 C2 C3 C4 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 Empirical Investigation of Language ELT 4101 X X X X X X X X (x) Second Language Acquisition and Language Teaching methodology Course Design and Evaluation in ELT Research Methods in TESOL and Applied Linguistics ELT 4121 X (x) X X X X X (x) ELT 4122 X (x) X X X (x) ELT 4123 X X X X X (x) Grammar Analysis for ELT ELT 4202 X X X Dissertation ELT 4300 X X X X X X X X X X X
Programme learning outcomes Knowledge and understanding A1 the development of ELT as a discipline and critical awareness of areas of conflict and congruence between competing theories of ELT and Applied Linguistics and ELT practice Practical skills C1 effectively identify research resources and collect data A2 achieve professional understanding of the relationship between course and syllabus design, methodology, classroom procedures, materials design and evaluation procedures, while taking into consideration the demands and constraints on teachers and learners in different ELT contexts C2 present research findings A3 research paradigms within the fields of ELT and Applied Linguistics, especially the distinction between quantitative and qualitative research and how to apply these research methodologies to their own research C3 design a context-appropriate course, set of learning materials and evaluation procedures for an identified group of learners and demonstrate practical consideration of how this course can be implemented A4 methods and models of collecting and analysing empirical language data, and the implications that different models of language analysis and theories of language have for language teachers C4 act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional level A5 pedagogic language description, the relationship between language knowledge and language use and how to incorporate pedagogic grammar into effective teaching and learning practices C5 A6 C6 A7 C7
Cognitive skills B1 B2 B3 B4 explore and critique intellectual issues and analytical methods in the fields of ELT research and, where relevant, Applied Linguistics analyse data and texts, apply critical analysis in evaluating arguments and theories in order to construct valid arguments select an appropriate research methodology to design viable research projects demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems Graduate Skills D1 D2 D3 D4 reflect on personal career development in order to engage in reflective learning communicate effectively work in teams display information technology skills as appropriate and use numeracy skills as relevant B5 D5 mastery of complex and specialised areas of knowledge and skills B6 D6 ability to conduct research and communicate its results B7 D7 ability to accept accountability for decision making, including use of supervision