PMELTEDL - MA English Language Teaching (Distance Learning)

The Distance Learning MA English Language Teaching (DL MA ELT) offers the chance to enhance students’ disciplinary knowledge and understanding, introduces them to new ways of thinking about the English language, language pedagogy and practice and opens them up to career opportunities that they may not have previously considered. In so doing, it provides advantage to students, whether in the early stages or in the middle of their career.

With its international orientation, the course explores the sociocultural, political, cultural, linguistic and other contexts in which the English language is learned, taught and used worldwide. It enables students to become both more reflexive and reflective in their practice and encourages them to think of themselves as global language professionals with a strong contribution to make in the field.

The course structure allows students to develop their professional and academic interests through wide reading and supported research, encouraging them to develop the abilities they will need to become highly skilled and globally employable teachers, policy makers, educators and researchers. It provides modules which allow students to deepen their understanding of the fundamental disciplinary areas of language pedagogy, linguistics and sociolinguistics while also expanding into other areas which involve a closer focus on more specific theoretical and/or practical themes. These include key areas such as language awareness and the psychology of the classroom as well as the more specialist areas of language testing and assessment. Students also undertake a supervised research study leading to a dissertation and in preparation for this take a module in research methods.

All students will take part in an Induction Module (unaccredited) in which the navigation skills necessary for online learning will be presented and explained and students will have the opportunity to test their own skills to make sure that they can fully participate and understand what is required of them.

Students will have access to a dedicated module site on the VLE where they will find learning activities and online forums. They will have access to the university library website and make use of electronic journals, ebooks, databases and full text journals. Support for developing and improving IT skills as well as information on other web-based study support are available on the library website. Students will have a nominated tutor who will support and guide them through the module, who will assess their written work and who they can consult by email, telephone or Skype. The teaching on the course is through workbooks which include various activities and discussion questions for learners. The workbooks are written with the needs of distance learners in mind to ensure that students engage with the modules and are guided step-by-step to achieve the learning outcomes and submit their assignments. Module lecturers will be in contact with the distance learners on the VLE and via email, telephone or Skype.

On-line resources in the form of journals and ebooks are available through the university library and there are also relevant sources on the internet. The course has its own specific Weblearn resource to accompany the teaching. This means that students can access materials and participate in asynchronous on-line discussions from anywhere and at any time.

It should be noted that the DL MA ELT should not be considered as an initial teacher training course although in some countries it may be accepted as such.

The Distance Learning MA ELT aims to:
1. provide an appropriate context for professional, academic and personal development in the field of ELT which builds upon the concept of reflective teaching and a critical approach to theory and practice;
2. offer a programme of study that is academically challenging and professionally rigorous in that it stretches the participants’ critical thinking and encourages them to develop their knowledge and skills in evaluation, analysis and research at Master’s level;
3. provide an opportunity for the participants to develop an in-depth insight into a wider range of disciplinary perspectives on theory, practice and policy and to extend their knowledge and understanding of the common themes in English language teaching and learning;
4. help them become independent professionals who can critically evaluate and analyse issues related to their professional practices and can solve practice-related problems;
5. develop their knowledge, skills and experiences that can help them accept leadership responsibilities in their future jobs;
6. enable participants to apply theoretical knowledge to practice-oriented tasks by becoming independent researchers.

On successful completion of the module, the participants should be able to:

1. demonstrate a critical knowledge and understanding of important concepts in theory, practice and policy of English language teaching and learning;

2. locate their own professional practice, or the policies and practices of their home institution and country, within a global linguistic, sociolinguistic, cultural, social and pedagogic context, at an advanced level;

3. understand, analyse and critically evaluate the main theoretical issues influencing current debate on matters of the English language, language learning and teaching;

4. relate current theories and debate to their own situation or that of their national situation, and be able to contribute to the development of specific responses to the problems faced in that situation;

5. have developed the ability and the confidence to carry out independent, scholarly research in an area of professional interest to them, including the selection and review of relevant literature, the collection of data, its sustained and detailed analysis, and the drawing of substantiated conclusions.

In terms of cognitive and intellectual skills, by the end of the course students are expected:

1. to have developed appropriately postgraduate-level intellectual skills, particularly with regard to critical thinking and researching and to be able to produce persuasive, well argued, coherent ideas at an appropriate scholarly level;

2. to have demonstrated the ability to participate as a member of the ELT disciplinary community.

Module Codes

LN7062DL LN7075DL LN7006DL LN7063DL LN7055DL

Learning Outcomes: Demonstrate a critical knowledge and understanding of important concepts in theory, practice and policy of English language teaching and learning

LN7062DL LN7063DL LN7075DL LN7006DL LN7055DL

Learning Outcomes: Locate their own professional practice, and the policies and practices of their home institution and country, within a global linguistic, sociolinguistic, cultural, social and pedagogic context, at an advanced level

LN7055DL LN7063DL LN7062DL LN7075DL

Learning Outcomes: Understand, analyse and critically evaluate the main theoretical issues influencing current debate on matters of language, language learning and teaching

LN7062DL LN7075DL LN7006DL LN7063DL LN7077DL

Learning Outcomes: Relate current theories and debate to their own professional and national situation, and be able to contribute to the development of specific responses to the problems faced in that situation

LN7077DL LN7063DL LN7P08DL

Learning Outcomes: To have developed the ability and the confidence to carry out independent, scholarly research in an area of professional interest to them, including the selection and review of relevant literature, the collection of data, its sustained and detailed analysis, and the drawing of substantiated conclusions

LN7062DL LN7075DL LN7006DL LN7063DL

Learning Outcomes: To have demonstrated the ability to participate as a member of the ELT disciplinary community

LN7062DL LN7075DL LN7006DL LN7063DL LN7077DL LN7P08DL

Learning Outcomes: To have developed appropriately postgraduate-level intellectual skills, particularly with regard to critical thinking and researching and to be able to produce persuasive, well argued, coherent ideas in both written and spoken format at an appropriate scholarly level

Assessment includes: presentations, poster presentations, test development, journal and diary writing, case studies, coursework, academic essays and dissertations.
A final dissertation (12,000-15,000 words) is the single assessment on the guided independent research study.
A combination of summative and formative strategies are also in place.
Students will be supported by bespoke on-line module materials and with access to an allocated tutor who is available to support them on the VLE, by e-mail, telephone or Skype.

Any three modules totalling 60 credits result in a PG Certificate.

Any six modules totalling 120 credits result in a PG Diploma.

To obtain an MA, all seven modules should be covered (180 credits).

Independent and critical thinking and development are central to the focus of the course and therefore encouraged from the beginning of the course. Personal development takes place through tutorials and feedback sessions.

Job promotion may occur as a result of following the course; teaching in schools (private and public), at colleges and universities worldwide; accepting managerial roles in the education sector; setting up business and private enterprise; continuation to PhD courses.

The MA offers opportunities for career advancement both in the UK and abroad. Most of the graduates can find employment after completion of the MA, some returning to more senior positions in their previous employment while others can move into new areas such as school management or language advisory work. Some of our students continue with us to study at doctoral level.

Many of our current and former students secured English language teaching jobs at schools and colleges in the UK, Switzerland, Poland and Saudi Arabia. A couple of them are doing or have already finished their PhDs with us at London Metropolitan University.

You will be required to have:

• a good degree in a relevant field (eg languages, linguistics, English, TESOL, TEFL, ELT, applied linguistics, education, English literature)
• all applicants (except native speakers of English) must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language.

Applicants who require a Tier 4 student visa may need to provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. For more information about English qualifications please see our English language requirements.

Students are expected to find a school, college or university where they can observe four hours of English language teaching.