Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, MSEd
The M.S.Ed. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), housed within the Educational Linguistics Division, provides a foundation in the practical, theoretical, and professional aspects of the field of language education with a focus on English language teaching. The M.S.Ed. in TESOL prepares students to teach English in settings where English is a second, foreign, or international language. The program emphasizes the many roles and functions of English language education in the political, social, and academic climate of today’s globalized world. TESOL’s course of study combines the theoretical and practical aspects of the field while emphasizing the motivations and needs of immigrants who settle in English-speaking nations, international scholars and professionals, and students in countries where English is a second or foreign language. In-depth study and field-based practice prepare students to identify and analyze learner needs, design tailored language curricula, and use a variety of evidence-based teaching and assessment practices.
For more information: https://www.gse.upenn.edu/elx/tesol
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses 1, 2, 3 | ||
| EDUC 6215 | Approaches to Teaching English and Other Modern Languages | 1 |
| EDUC 8215 | TESOL Practice Teaching 4 | 1 |
| EDUC 6205 | Linguistics in Education | 1 |
| EDUC 5299 | TESOL Classroom Fundamentals 5 | 1 |
| EDUC 6210 | Sociolinguistics in Education | 1 |
| EDUC 7225 | Second Language Development | 1 |
| EDUC 6200 | Introduction to Applied Linguistics | 1 |
| TESOL-related Elective | ||
| Select three of the following: | 3 | |
| Citizen Sociolinguistics | ||
| Classroom Discourse and Interaction | ||
| Content-Based Instruction | ||
| Curriculum and Materials Development for English Language Teaching | ||
| Language Assessment | ||
| Language Diversity and Education | ||
| Linguistic Anthropology of Education | ||
| Structure of English | ||
| Teaching Multilingual Immigrant Youth | ||
| Selected Topics in ELX: Adult Literacy for ELLs | ||
| Technology in Language Education | ||
| Selected Topics in ELX: Conversation Analysis for Second Language Teaching and Research | ||
| Selected Topics in ELX: Task Based Language Teaching | ||
| Teaching Writing in Multilingual Contexts | ||
| Technologies for Language Learning and Teaching | ||
| Methods of Discourse Analysis | ||
| Experiential Learning Design for Language, Globalization, and Intercultural Studies | ||
| Issues in Second Language Acquisition | ||
| Genealogies of Race and Language in Educational Research | ||
| Forming and Reforming the Elementary Reading/Writing/Literacy Curriculum | ||
| Literature for Children and Adolescents | ||
| Teaching Reading and Study in Colleges and Universities | ||
| Digital Literacies in a Networked World | ||
| Literacy, Discourse, and Interaction | ||
| Teaching English/Language and Literacy in Middle and Secondary Schools | ||
| Selected Topics in RWL: Literacy and Learning Differences | ||
| Selected Topics in RWL: Critical Literacies | ||
| Assessing Language and Learning Differences | ||
| Picturebooks and the Practice of Literacy | ||
| Participatory Methods in Education | ||
| Literacy and Illustrated Texts: Picturebooks, Comics and Graphic Novels | ||
| Multicultural Issues in Education | ||
| Literacy: Social and Historical Perspectives | ||
| Critical Literacy: Reading the self, texts and the world | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Higher Education | ||
| Introductory Statistics for Educational Research | ||
| Distribution Requirement | ||
| Select 1 Distribution Requirement course 6 | 1 | |
| Capstone | ||
| EDUC 8225 | TESOL Seminar (Final Semester of Coursework) 3,7 | 1 |
| Total Course Units | 12 | |
Required Milestone:
Master’s degree candidates must demonstrate thorough knowledge of the field of specialization by passing a comprehensive examination in their area of study. The examination/portfolio/thesis serves an educational and evaluative purpose through which students are expected to review and integrate what they have learned in their coursework and fieldwork. Comprehensive formats vary.
- 1
Two courses may be transferred into the program (as electives ONLY) with the approval of ELX faculty.
- 2
Full-time registration is 3 CUs. Students must reach and maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA after the completion of the first fall semester in order to register for 4 CUs in subsequent semesters.
- 3
Students must earn a grade of B- or higher in core courses. See the TESOL Handbook for more information.
- 4
Students may teach any language at their EDUC 8215 TESOL Practice Teaching field site.
- 5
Depending on prior academic and teaching experience, students may seek faculty permission to waive EDUC 5299 TESOL Classroom Fundamentals. If waived, this course is replaced with an elective.
- 6
Candidates for the M.S.Ed. degree must demonstrate knowledge of the field of education beyond the area of specialization. This requirement is met by satisfying the distribution requirement. To meet the distribution requirement, students must complete one approved graduate level (5000 and above) GSE course outside the student’s area of specialization, earning a grade of "B" or better. Students should check with their program manager for a list of courses approved to fulfill the distribution requirement. Further requirements regarding these courses may be specified by each division.
- 7
Students must teach English at their EDUC 8225 TESOL Seminar field site.
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.