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travelingCeee
Joined: 17 Jan 2015
Posts: 2
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 Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 6:58 am Post subject: What sort of TESOL MA to program is the best??? |
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I'm Canadian. I've read it best to get a TESOL MA from your home country, as TESOL MAs from Korea aren't recognized outside of Korea as an example.
1. Each TESOL MA program I've looked is different. Some are 1 year, others are 2 years, and some are 1 and 1/2 years. Is it the same material or is it different? Which is better?
2. Does the reputation of the university matter? Is it pretty standard what you get in the end?
3. Universities are somewhat vague in how useful their degree is out in the rest of the world. Like who will recognize their degrees, etc.
Anyone got any answers to these questions or any experiences to from which to recommend from? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 7:27 am Post subject: Re: What sort of TESOL MA to program is the best??? |
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It really depends on your teaching goals and where you want to teach.
You might give "What do you look for in a BA or MA degree program?" (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=95138) a look. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: What sort of TESOL MA to program is the best??? |
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| travelingCeee wrote: |
| I'm Canadian. I've read it best to get a TESOL MA from your home country, as TESOL MAs from Korea aren't recognized outside of Korea as an example. |
It's generally recommended that one get a MA TESOL not necessarily from their home country, but from one of the major anglophone countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia, NZ).
1. Each TESOL MA program I've looked is different. Some are 1 year, others are 2 years, and some are 1 and 1/2 years. Is it the same material or is it different? Which is better?
Master's degrees in the UK are generally 1 year. In the US they are generally 2 years. Not quite sure about Canada, but the Canadian programs I've known are 2 years. There is no 'better'. Personally, I prefer the 2-year model, as it allows one to develop and be exposed to more, but some prefer the 1-year programs because they are (obviously) shorter. Another thing to look for is whether a program includes a teaching practicum (which includes observed teaching).
I'm not sure about Canada, but it is possible at many universities in the US to receive a graduate assistantships while on an MA TESOL course. This often comes with a (full or partial) tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. So, basically the degree is free or almost free, and you get a couple years of university-level teaching experience to boot. It's a pretty good deal.
2. Does the reputation of the university matter? Is it pretty standard what you get in the end?
Some places in the world, the university's reputation does matter, but not in most places. What you get in the end varies by program in terms of the focus of the program and the faculty. So, you should look through the list of faculty and the courses that are offered in the programs you are interested in to see if they fit your interests (e.g., CALL, assessment, sociocultural theory, psycholinguistic approaches, etc.)
3. Universities are somewhat vague in how useful their degree is out in the rest of the world. Like who will recognize their degrees, etc.
Universities won't be able to tell you how useful their degree is in everyplace on the planet. If the university is a recognized, accredited, brick-and-mortar institution then the degree will be recognized most places in the world.
Do you plan to do your MA on campus or via distance learning? Keep in mind that some places in the world (e.g., some places in the Middle East) don't recognize that have substantial coursework online. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2015 10:24 pm Post subject: Re: What sort of TESOL MA to program is the best??? |
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| rtm wrote: |
| travelingCeee wrote: |
| 3. Universities are somewhat vague in how useful their degree is out in the rest of the world. Like who will recognize their degrees, etc. |
Universities won't be able to tell you how useful their degree is in everyplace on the planet. If the university is a recognized, accredited, brick-and-mortar institution then the degree will be recognized most places in the world.
Do you plan to do your MA on campus or via distance learning? Keep in mind that some places in the world (e.g., some places in the Middle East) don't recognize that have substantial coursework online. |
I agree with Rtm. Besides, educational systems vary throughout the world. Additionally, we're talking about a degree to teach EFL and not one to perform open-heart surgery.
As for the Middle East, the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait do not accept degrees that entailed online coursework. Something to keep in mind if you're interested in the region. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:05 am Post subject: |
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| Also, courses through North American schools generally focus on more "Applied Linguistics" with a heavy emphasis on "Linguistics" (think of charts detailing language families and learning IPA charts!) and possibly less stress on the "applied" than schools in Australia / New Zealand or the UK which focus more on Sociolingusitics (think "female speech" versus "male speech" and Learner identity). |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:25 am Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| Also, courses through North American schools generally focus on more "Applied Linguistics" with a heavy emphasis on "Linguistics" (think of charts detailing language families and learning IPA charts!) and possibly less stress on the "applied" than schools in Australia / New Zealand or the UK which focus more on Sociolingusitics (think "female speech" versus "male speech" and Learner identity). |
If I understand you, your position is that the majority of MA TESOL programs in North America (Canada and the US) tend to lean more toward linguistics than on language teaching. That doesn't describe the current MA in TESOL program at the university I'd attended. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:46 am Post subject: |
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I meant that North American programs focus on Chomskyan Linguistics (language primarily comes from the brain, so sociolinguistics is there, but it isn't the main thing) whereas Australian and British programs focus more on Hallidayan linguistics (Halliday and his followers- language comes primarily through society- sociolinguistics really is the main thing and everything branches from it).
I was just trying to do it without name dropping or using jargon. |
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rtm
Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 1003
Location: US
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| Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
I meant that North American programs focus on Chomskyan Linguistics (language primarily comes from the brain, so sociolinguistics is there, but it isn't the main thing) whereas Australian and British programs focus more on Hallidayan linguistics (Halliday and his followers- language comes primarily through society- sociolinguistics really is the main thing and everything branches from it).
I was just trying to do it without name dropping or using jargon. |
I would agree with you in terms of graduate programs in linguistics, but not programs in TESOL (or even most programs in applied linguistics or second language acquisition). Most programs in TESOL in the US give a pretty good balance between cognitive and socio perspectives. |
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