Master of Arts in TESOL For Practicing Teachers of English
Academics
Coursework
The two semesters of on-campus coursework allow students to acquire the theoretical knowledge and develop the professional competencies that are essential for effective language teaching. To complete this degree, students must complete a set of core courses. All students are also required to take a Beginning Language Study course during their first semester.
The tables below show a typical course of study and breakdown of credits for this degree program.
FIRST SUMMER
| Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Approaches to Teaching Second Language | 3 |
| Teaching the Four Skills | 3 |
| Language Analysis for Lesson Planning | 3 |
| Intercultural Communication for Language Teachers* | 2 |
| Beginning Language Study (undergraduate credit) | 1 |
INTERIM YEAR
| Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Fall Interim-Year Teaching Practicum | 3 |
| Spring Interim-Year Teaching Practicum | 3 |
SECOND SUMMER
| Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Intercultural Communication for Language Teachers | 1 |
| Curriculum Design and Assessment* | 3 |
| English Applied Linguistics | 3 |
| Second-Language Acquisition | 3 |
| Sandanona Conference Presentation | 1 |
POST SUMMER
| Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| Independent Professional Project | 6 |
| Total graduate credits: | 34 |
| Elective: Independent Study | 1-3 |
Students who take additional credits will be charged on a per-credit basis.
* Includes contextualized work during the interim year
For exact course requirements for the For Practicing Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages track, refer to the Summer Masters in TESOL Courses (PDF).
Interim-Year Practicum
The Interim-Year Teaching Practicum, between the two summers of coursework at SIT, is an integral part of the Summer Master of Arts in Teaching program. After you finish the coursework of the first summer, you will return to your school for the Interim-Year Practicum (IYTP). It is intended to be a time of significant professional growth, when you can reflect on the learning experiences of the first summer and experiment with new skills, attitudes, knowledge, and awareness in your classroom.
For several days during the Practicum, advisors will observe you as you teach in your classroom. This is a time to examine your work and to act purposefully to improve your effectiveness as a teacher. You do this on your own and with the guidance of a supervisor from the faculty. You set goals for your own learning, and these goals are the basis for your work with your supervisor. The IYTP also provides a way for you to evaluate your teaching competencies, for your practicum advisors to assess strengths and weaknesses, and for you and your advisor to determine future directions for improvement and growth. You will communicate regularly throughout the year with your supervisor in a variety of ways: telephone calls, emails, reports, and during on-site observation visits.
This work is best described as a 9-month seminar in developing a reflective practice. You are encouraged to build the skills and awareness for describing what happens in your classroom, separating observation from judgement, finding valid explanations for what happens, and devising informed and workable solutions to enhance students’ learning and improve your teaching.
The Interim-Year Teaching Practicum site is the student’s usual place or places of employment. The teaching load must consist of a minimum of 12 hours of classroom teaching per week for a minimum of eight months.
Professional Project
The Independent Professional Project, or thesis, completes the Summer Master of Arts in TESOL program. In addition to being a significant personal experience, it should be of interest and value to others in the profession and of publishable quality. The project requirement may be met in a variety of ways:
- An academic research paper
- A classroom-based action research project
- A materials development project
- An exchange group leadership project
- A language/culture study abroad project
This range of options allows you to focus on a topic that will benefit you most in your development as a second language teacher.
Recent Independent Professional Projects
- Research into theories of first language use in second language classrooms
- An exchange project for high school Spanish students and elementary ESL students
Phone:
802.257.7751
Admissions:
800.336.1616 (toll free in US)
802.258.3510 (outside the US)
TTY:
802.258.3388
Fax:
802.258.3428
Mailing Address:
PO Box 676, 1 Kipling Road
Brattleboro, VT 05302 USA