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English Language Teaching MA

Develop and refine skills in teaching and researching the English language on a programme designed to broaden your understanding of the challenges faced by English language teachers and learners worldwide.

Entry Criteria
Structure and assessment
Facilities and features
Opportunities and careers
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Overview

The English Language Teaching MA programme bridges theoretical knowledge of language teaching and learning, with practical classroom experience. You will graduate with both the practical skills and advanced theoretical understanding to succeed as an English Language teacher at all levels, from primary and secondary schools to universities and English Language schools, both in the UK and overseas.

Throughout the course you will hone your theoretical and analytical abilities, examining research into language teaching and learning and its implications for educators. At the same time, you will have the opportunity to practise in the classroom and be encouraged to critically reflect upon your own technique and approach.

Our assessment methods are designed to enable you to develop a range of real-life skills, including writing lesson plans and rationales, carrying out microteaching to peers, and leading seminar discussions. You will also develop as an independent learner and acquire advanced research skills, with the chance to complete a dissertation exploring an area of personal or professional interest. Optional modules will allow you to deepen your knowledge and explore specialised areas, including psycholinguistics, assessment and syllabus and curriculum design.

The English Language Teaching MA is a degree for those interested in becoming an English Language teacher. If you are a non-native English speaker and you would like to improve your English language skills, our dedicated Centre for English Language Learning (CELL) offers a range of courses.

Key features

Boost your employability by gaining a theoretical awareness of issues and trends in English Language teaching, combined with the skills to teach English Language at the highest level.
Our teaching team has a wide range of experience teaching in both the UK and abroad, as well as research expertise, ensuring that current trends inform the curriculum.
Our graduates go on to successful careers as tutors, heads of study and university lecturers, both in the UK and overseas.
Opportunities to gain practical skills include classroom observation, teaching asylum seekers and teaching abroad, with recent visits to Thailand and India.
Join a community that fosters independent learners and encourages ongoing self-improvement through critical reflection on personal teaching practice. Students who demonstrate a high degree of teaching competence have the opportunity to be employed by the Centre for English Language Learning at DMU.

Scholarships:

DMU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International Scholarships

Find out about available scholarships and country specific fee discounts for international students.

UK
EU/International

Duration: One year full-time. Two years part-time.

Start date: September 2023

Fees and funding:

2023/24 tuition fees for UK students: £8,986 (full-time) per year

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at DMU we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Duration: One year full-time

Start date: September 2023

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for EU and international students: £15,800

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

How to apply

Application guidance document

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Typical entry requirements

You should have the equivalent or above of a 2:2 UK bachelor’s honours degree in a relevant subject such as English or Education.

We encourage and welcome applications from applicants with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives.

Interview

Non-standard applicants will be invited to attend an interview.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English Language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

Module overview

This course is designed to improve opportunities for teaching English language in a variety of different situations, both in the UK and abroad. It differs from many other master’s degrees in that it includes a mix of practical and theoretical subjects that will be useful for English language teachers. Modules include:

Core:

Teaching of Receptive and Productive Skills
Trends and Issues in Communicative Classroom
Research Methods
Dissertation or Work-based Project

Optional:

Psycholinguistics
Assessing English Language: Context and Construct
English for Specific Purposes and Course Design

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Overview

As well as traditional written work and presentations, you will be required to submit work in the form of lesson plans and rationales, carry out microteaching to peers as well as lead seminar discussions. The 15,000-word dissertation or work-based project is guided by one-to-one tutorial contact, placing emphasis on independent study with the tutor monitoring your progress.

Contact hours
In your first two terms you will normally attend around six hours of timetabled taught sessions including lectures, tutorials and workshop and studio sessions each week, and be expected to undertake at 30 to 40 hours of independent study each week. Your third term will be pre-dominantly self-directed (including meetings with your supervisor), during which you can expect to undertake 35 hours of independent study each week.

Facilities and features

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available.

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose.

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub.

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team.

Opportunities and careers

DMU Works

We want to help you develop skills that are based on real-world experience. Our dedicated careers and employability team, DMU Works, are on hand to support you with finding placements, volunteering opportunities, CV writing skills, research opportunities and much more.

DMU students are encouraged to pursue their entrepreneurial spirit and the Enterprise Team can help you explore your business idea, business growth, the option of freelancing or being self-employed. There are lots of events, workshops, one-to-one consultation opportunities and enterprise competitions that you can get involved in to progress in your chosen career path.

DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Graduate careers

Our graduates progress on to exciting careers teaching English across the world, such as at universities in Japan and Turkey, a primary school in China, and a language school in Germany.

Through presenting your own work, analysing and incorporating students’ needs in teaching and problem solving, you will enhance and develop your repertoire of transferrable skills and increase your employability in a range of careers.

We place a strong focus on research and developing your skills as an independent learner, meaning that this course also provides an excellent stepping stone to study at PhD level.

Graduate Ghadeer Almudarra said: “Studying the English Language Teaching MA at DMU, I have developed my understanding of pedagogy, socio-linguistics, psycho-linguistics, teacher-student relationships, as well as research methods. My research on the importance of using emotional intelligence enabled me to understand how teachers can deal with students’ problems more effectively within the Saudi Arabian context.”