TESOL Durham University

Overview

The TESOL course at Durham University is designed for anyone with an interest in the wider aspects of teaching English as a foreign language, combining innovative classroom practices with an understanding of issues such as language structure and research methodology.

Course Structure

The course offers a core of syllabus design and assessment, with greater depth provided through further required modules focusing on both theoretical and practical aspects of the English language and on classroom practice. You will then have the opportunity to broaden your knowledge base by taking three or four further optional modules covering a wide range of relevant areas. The MA is completed by a 15,000-word dissertation.

Course Learning and Teaching

ELC MA courses are delivered via lectures, seminars, practical sessions and micro-teaching sessions, giving you a solid grounding in both the theoretical and practical aspects of the field. In many cases, contact hours will be a mixture of these approaches (rather than a session consisting solely of a two-hour lecture). The balance will depend on the particular module, with some more suited to a lecture/seminar approach, others being of a more practical nature.

The focus throughout the courses is on independent learning and student engagement, with you being expected to participate in presentations and micro-teaching. The average weekly number of contact hours over the first two terms is 12, with you filling the remaining time with reading, class preparation and assignments.

In addition, starting in the first term, you will attend a series of dissertation sessions (typically 2 hours per fortnight) culminating in a poster conference in term 3. You will be assigned a dissertation supervisor and can expect 3 or 4 meetings during term 3 and the summer.

You will each have an academic tutor, with whom they will meet on average once a term, and all staff have office hours.