Master of Arts Program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language Academic Program Master of Arts Program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language Degree Offered Objectives Master of Arts (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) M.A. (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) 1. To develop the quality and standards of English teachers at all levels. 2. To offer a curriculum of effective English teaching theory and practice for those who are interested in this career. 3. To help solve the problem of a shortage of qualified English teachers at primary, secondary and university levels. Admission 1. Applicants must hold a Bachelor s degree or equivalent in any field of study from a local or foreign institution recognized by the Thammasat University Council. 2. Applicants may be graduates of the Graduate Diploma Program in Teaching English as a foreign Language from the language Institute, Thammasat University. 3. Applicants must meet the requirements in Number 8: Admission of Thammasat University s Graduate School under the 1998 Master of Arts Programs Section. 4. Applicants also must successfully pass an English language entrance examination and an interview in English. Academic System 1. The M.A. Program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language is a program where English is the medium of instruction. 2. The academic year is divided into two 16-week semesters (first and second semesters) and one 8-week summer session. Courses are offered on weekends: Saturdays and Sundays (9:00 4:00 p.m.). 3. There are two options available: Plan A Plan A consists of course work and a thesis. Plan B Plan B consists of course work, a comprehensive examination, and independent study instead of a thesis. 3.1 Plan A: Thesis Students can register for a thesis after they have completed at least 30 credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. *To graduate from the program, students must have their theses published in an academic journal. 3.2 Plan B: Comprehensive Examination Students who are qualified to take a comprehensive examination must have completed all credits required for graduation, including 3 credits of independent study, and attained a GPA of at least 3.00. The comprehensive examination will be offered in the second semester of the year in which a student is expected to graduate. 4. Students must pass a foreign language test with a P grade as required by Thammasat University s Regulations for Graduate Students (1996) before they are allowed to defend their thesis or take the comprehensive examination.
5. The process of preparing in carrying out the thesis for Plan A students must follow the Regulations of Thammasat University concerning Master s Thesis Writing. 6. Students from other faculties may take courses in this program with permission of the Language Institute Graduate Committee. Duration of Study Registration The maximum study period must not exceed 14 semesters. Registration is under the requirements in Number 10: Registration of Thammasat University s Graduate School under the 1998 Master of Arts Programs Section. Grading System and Graduation Grading System 1. Academic performance is evaluated as follows: Grade A A- B+ B B- C+ C D F Grade point 4.00 3.67 3.33 3.00 2.67 2.33 2.00 1.00 0.00 2. Only credit courses with grades of S (Satisfactory) or at least C will be counted for graduation. However, the GPA and cumulative GPA will be computed from all courses taken including those for which the student received a D or F. 3. For Plan A, the thesis is given a grade of S (Satisfactory) of U (Unsatisfactory). The thesis with S is equivalent to passing. and can be counted for graduation. 4. For Plan B, the comprehensive examination is given a grade of P (Pass) of N (Not pass). The comprehensive examination with P is equivalent to passing, and can be counted for graduation. 5. The Foreign Language Test is graded P (Pass) or N (Not Pass). 6. Other requirements must comply with Thammasat University s Regulation Number 11: Grading system of the 1998 Graduate Studies. Graduation Students who graduate from this program must have: 1. earned 42 credits in either Plan A or B 2. a cumulative GPA of not less than 3.00 3. received P in the foreign Language Test 4. received S for the thesis in Plan A or received P for Independent Study in Plan B 5. Other requirements must comply with Thammasat University s Regulations for Graduate Students. Numbers of Students Numbers of Students accepted in the previous years Academic year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Students New Class 30 30 30 40 40 35 35 35 Former Class - 30 36 42 58 30 31 30 Total 30 60 66 82 98 65 66 65 Graduates - 24 29 33 46 32 32 - Remark: At least 80% of students are expected to graduate each academic year.
Place of study Library The program is conducted at the Language Institute, Thammasat University. Students can check out books from Thammasat University s Central Library and various faculty Libraries which have many books and journals. Students can also use other libraries: such as any university s central library, the National Library, the British Council Library, the AUA Library and the Government Document Center. Expenses This program is self-supporting. The fees for this 2-year program is approximately Bht 103,000 for a Thai student and Bht 170,500 for an international student. Curriculum Total requirements 42 credits Course Structure: Plan A (Thesis) 7 Required courses 21 credits 3 Elective courses 9 credits Thesis 12 credits Plan B (Non-Thesis) 9 Required courses 27 credits 5 Elective courses 15 credits Course Numbers The first two letters represent the Master s Degree Program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The course listings consist of three numbers: The last number represents required and elective courses. 0-4 represents required courses 5-9 represents elective courses The middle number represents course content: 0-2 represents skills in the language 3 represents language teaching theories 4 represents linguistics and applied linguistics 5 represents language teaching methodologies 6-9 represents general courses or self study The first number represents the level of difficulty: 6 represents basic courses 7 represents advanced courses 8 represents thesis List of courses
Required Courses for Plans A and B TE 600 English Proficiency Development 3 credits TE 605 Academic Writing 3 credits TE 631 Introduction to Foreign Language Acquisition 3 credits TE 632 Teaching English as a Foreign Language Methodology I 3 credits TE 633 Teaching English as a Foreign Language Methodology II 3 credits TE 641 Phonetics and Language Education 3 credits TE 642 Comparative Grammar in Foreign Language Acquisition 3 credits TE 660 Research Methodology 3 credits TE 750 Teaching Practicum (for Plan B students) 3 credits TE 790 Independent Study (for Plan B students) 3 credits TE 800 Thesis (for Plan A students) 12 credits Electives Plan A: Choose 3 courses Plan B: Choose 5 courses Plans A and B students can choose electives from the following courses or from the courses offered in the Master of Arts Program in English for Careers. TE 735 Psychology of Learning 3 credits TE 736 Language and Culture 3 credits TE 745 Psycholinguistic Applications to Language Teaching 3 credits TE 746 Sociolinguistics 3 credits TE 755 Materials Development 3 credits TE 756 Testing and Evaluation 3 credits TE 757 Instructional Media 3 credits TE 758 Computer-Assisted Instruction 3 credits TE 759 Teaching English for Specific Purposes 3 credits TE 765 Seminar in Foreign Language Acquisition 3 credits Academic Plan First Year (Plans A and B) First Semester TE 600 English Proficiency Development TE 631 Introduction to Foreign Language Acquisition TE 641 Phonetics and Language Education Second Semester TE 632 Teaching English as a Foreign Language Methodology 1 TE 642 Comparative Grammar in Foreign Language Acquisition 1 Elective Summer 2 Electives Second Year First Semester
Plan A Plan B TE 633 Teaching English as a Foreign TE 633 Teaching English as a Foreign Language Methodology 2 Language Methodology 2 (Prereq. TE 632) (Prereq. TE 632) TE 660 Research Methodology TE 660 Research Methodology 1 Elective Second Semester Plan A TE 800 Thesis Summer Plan A TE 800 Thesis * Oral Defense Plan B TE 750 Teaching Practicum TE 790 Independent Study 1 Electives Plan B * Written Comprehensive Exam Course Descriptions Required Courses TE600 English Proficiency Development Development of the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing to enhance the learner s effective competency in the English language. Systematic study of English grammatical structures included. TE631 Introduction to Foreign Language Acquisition Examination of some of the theoretical and practical issues involved in acquiring and teaching a foreign language. Study of recent theories of language learning and teaching, as well as an introduction to the practical issues involved in teaching a foreign language in class. TE632 Teaching English as a Foreign Language Methodology 1 Study of fundamental English teaching methods for the four language skills, with an emphasis on listening and speaking. Preparation of lesson plans and practical experience in peer teaching with classmates. TE633 Teaching English as a Foreign Language Methodology 2 (prereq: TE 632) Study of teaching methods and foreign language teaching theories and research, with an emphasis on reading and writing. Preparation of lesson plans and practical experience in individual teaching. TE641 Phonetics and Language Education Study and practice of physiophonetics and phonological theory. Application of linguistic theory to language teaching of English learners at different proficiency levels. TE642 Comparative Grammar in Foreign Language Acquisition Study of theories and analysis of English structure to acquire grammatical rules for teaching speaking and writing accurately. TE660 Research Methodology Introduction to general principles of empirical research in language teaching, and an explanation of the simplest and most commonly used statistical procedures for the evaluation of quantitative data. Emphasis on conducting research into typical problems in language teaching and learning. TE750 Teaching Practicum (for Plan B students)
Training and practice in writing lesson plans, using activities for integrated skills instruction, and evaluation of students. Peer teaching with classmates, culminating in real practice in actual classrooms at different levels with feedback from teaching experts. TE790 Independent Study (for Plan B students) In-depth investigation of topics related to teaching and learning English as a foreign language, with the aim of offering opportunity and challenge in self-directive, independent study under the supervision and guidance of an advisor. Completed research papers are presented in a course seminar. TE800 Thesis (for Plan A students) Electives TE605 Academic Writing Practice in the writing skills necessary to handle academic writing such as summarizing, paraphrasing, answering essay questions, and report writing. Extensive practice in organizing information and writing well-organized texts of various lengths. TE735 Psychology of Learning Study of the interaction between psychological factors and linguistic behavior. Analysis of language learning problems and application of theories of language learning to English language teaching. TE736 Language and Culture Study of cultural factors which affect English as a foreign language teaching and learning. Practice of language appropriate to a variety of cultural situations. Includes presentations on body language, etiquette, levels of politeness, and concepts of time in various English-speaking cultures. TE745 Psycholinguistic Applications to Language Teaching Psycholinguistic study and analysis of factors and problems in language learning and language development, with special attention to the practical application of psycholinguistic processes in teaching, developing, teaching materials and evaluating language learning. TE746 Sociolinguistics Study of the relationship between language and society, especially language variation associated with different geographic, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups as well as different social situations. Implications for teaching English as a foreign language. TE755 Materials Development Study of elements and steps of building up English lessons focusing on content and presentation using media and published materials devised to fit different contexts. TE756 Testing and Evaluation To increase learners awareness of the theory and process of testing and to make those involved in testing more critical of the tests they use or develop, and more able to evaluate, adapt, and improve them. Detailed consideration of the place of testing within teaching and the different purposes testing may have. TE757 Instructional Media Study of forms, types and benefits of a wide variety of modern teaching equipment, resources and instructional media. Training and extensive practice in designing instructional media suitable for course content and learners proficiency levels and in using those media in realistic classroom settings. TE758 Computer-Assisted Instruction Study of methods and processes of using computers as instructional media. Training and practice in designing lessons, writing and testing computer programs for English language instruction.
TE759 Teaching English for Specific Purposes Discussion and analysis of text, vocabulary, and structure of English for specific purposes, including preparation of instructional materials and activities, as well as evaluation of teaching English for specific purposes. TE765 Seminar in Foreign Language Acquisition Discussion of research studies on various topics of foreign language acquisition. Emphasis on conducting research and presenting research findings on English language instruction at different educational levels.