The Applied Linguistics & English Language Teaching MA course offers you opportunities to explore current research and specialist areas such as teacher education, materials development, teaching English for academic purposes, management and evaluation in ELT and intercultural studies.
You will study required modules covering language-teaching methodology and curriculum design, linguistic analysis for language teaching, issues in language acquisition and use (sociolinguistics, and aspects of second language learning) and research methods. We also place emphasis on the view of informed teaching and the need for teachers to mediate between theory and practice in constructing pedagogies according to specific teaching-learning situations.
If you are studying full-time, you will complete the 180 credit course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying part-time, your course will take two years to complete. If you have the Cambridge ESOL Delta or Trinity House Diploma in ELT, you may be eligible for the ‘fast track’ version of the course which will give you exemption from Principles and Practices in Second/Foreign Language Teaching. The fast track option can only be studied part-time. As students on this pathway are exempt from a module, they will not take any taught modules in one of the terms (normally Term 1 of Year 2). They may, however, be working on their dissertation during this time.
Teaching
You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars.
| Module | Lectures, seminars and feedback | Self-study |
|---|
| Per 30-credit module |
The total contact time for each 30-credit taught module is typically 40 hours (20 hours per 15 credit module). These sessions will include lectures, teacher-led and student-led group discussions based on the main areas of study, in addition to other practical, technical and analytical activities. |
Each 30-credit taught module has 260 hours of self-guided learning time (130 hours for a 15 credit taught module). |
| Each 30-credit taught module has 260 hours of self-guided learning time (130 hours for a 15 credit taught module). |
Each 30-credit taught module has 260 hours of self-guided learning time (130 hours for a 15 credit taught module). |
574 hours. |
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a combination of essays, language analysis tasks, exams and oral presentations. Most optional modules are assessed by a 3,500-word essay. The dissertation will be assessed by one 15,000-word extended piece of writing.
The format of your optional module assessment will depend on the options chosen.