Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA) |
2024-2025 GRADUATE STUDIES CATALOG
Effective 1 June 2024 through 31 May 2025
Please see the Graduate Catalog Archives for PDF versions of past catalogs.
This program is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. It is available online, at the St. Louis main campus and at select international campuses.^ Please see the Campus Locations and Offerings section of this catalog for a list of campuses where this program is offered.
Program Description
The master of arts in teaching English to speakers of other languages (MA in TESOL) at Webster University is designed for individuals who seek to develop the English skills of non-native and multilingual speakers living in either English-speaking or non-English-speaking communities. The program allows candidates to develop a solid theoretical background in critical aspects such as culture, language structure, first and second language acquisition theory, curriculum and materials development, teaching methodology, assessment and research, while preparing them to become effective language teachers.
The MA in TESOL has three emphases:
- ESL/EFL education emphasis – designed to meet the needs of future educators of adults in the United States and/or teaching English as a foreign language overseas. In this case, prior teaching experience is not required.
- International education emphasis – designed for current and future teachers of English in settings outside of the United States. In this case, prior teaching experience in not required.
- K-12 English language learner (ELL) education emphasis – designed to meet the needs of existing content area educators interested in expanding their knowledge of teaching ELLs. In this case, a certificate of license to teach is required.
^The ESL/EFL education emphasis is available online and at the St. Louis campus. The K-12 ELL education emphasis is available online and at the St. Louis campuses. The international education emphasis is available at the Athens, Webster University Tashkent, Webster University at Uzbekistan State University of World Languages, Webster University at Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages, and Webster University at Astana International University campuses. Students in the international education emphasis at the Webster University Tashkent, Webster University at Uzbekistan State University of World Languages, Webster University at Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages, and Webster University at Astana International University campuses will be enrolled in the MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages with Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language as one single program leading to both the master's degree and the graduate certificate.
As part of the MA in TESOL – the K-12 ELL education emphasis, Webster University is authorized to offer coursework leading to the Missouri ELL Certification, a 21 credit-hour certification issued through Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The certification is designed for preK-12 teachers working with non-English speakers in regular, bilingual or English Language Learner (ELL) U.S. classrooms. A valid Missouri permanent or professional certificate of license to teach (participants in the TESOL program at Webster may be working toward the initial certification, but will not receive the ELL certification until initial teaching certification is awarded) and three prerequisite courses (which may be undergraduate or graduate credit) of Psychology and/or Education of the Exceptional Student, Teaching Reading in Content Fields, and Reading Assessment and Interventions are required in order to obtain the certification.
Students completing the MA in TESOL with an emphasis in ESL/EFL education or the MA in TESOL with an emphasis in international education may qualify to earn a graduate certificate in teaching english as a foreign language (TEFL) where the certificate is available. To gain the certificate, MA students must pay a second graduation fee. The TEFL certificate is designed for students interested in teaching outside of the United States in both adult and K-12 settings. Students seeking this graduate certificate must have earned a recognized baccalaureate degree and meet the admission and acceptance criteria, as outlined in the graduate program’s Academic Policies. Students may receive the Webster University TEFL certificate by completing a minimum of 21 credit hours.**
*All students pursuing the Missouri ELL certification or the Webster TEFL certificate will be considered degree-seeking students and will have the option to pursue one of the MA in TESOL emphases within 5 years from the start of their TESOL coursework.
**Students cannot pursue both the Missouri ELL certification and Webster TEFL certificate within the same MA program.
Learning Outcomes
Program Goals – Seven core courses required of all MA in TESOL students have been aligned to address a set of five standards developed by specialists in coordination with the organization Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. These standards are known as the TESOL Standards. The five learning outcomes below are assessed through a series of summative assessments at the end of each of these core courses.
- Students will be able to describe the relevant features of language that learners need to acquire (TESOL Standard 1 - Knowledge About Language)
- Students will be able to describe the academic and personal characteristics of language learners and educators in order to determine culturally relevant instructional choices (TESOL Standard 2 - Sociocultural Context of Learners and Teachers)
- Students will be able to design and implement standards-based instruction using evidence-based strategies and approaches (TESOL Standard 3 - Planning and Implementing Instruction)
- Students will be able to analyze and interpret various language assessment tools and data in order to strengthen language instruction and/or content instruction through the target language (TESOL Standard 4 - Assessment and Evaluation)
- Students will be able to model and reflect upon professionalism and leadership in language instruction, collaboration, and advocacy (TESOL Standard 5 - Professionalism and Leadership)
ESL/EFL Education Emphasis
33 Credit Hours
Required Courses (24 credit hours)
- TESL 5030 Linguistics for Language Learning and Teaching* (3 hours)
- TESL 5230 Theories of Foreign and Second Language Acquisition* (3 hours)
- TESL 5139 Instructional Methods for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5220 Lesson Planning and Curriculum Development for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5311 Language Assessment* (3 hours)
- TESL 5350 Sociolinguistics* (3 hours)
- TESL 5710 Teaching English Grammar
or TESL 5720 Teaching English Pronunciation (3 hours) - Three credit hours of Practicum selected from:
- TESL 5040 Practicum in English Language Classrooms (taken at the end of the program)* (1-3 hours)
- TESL 5041 Tutoring in English (1 hour)
- TESL 5042 Initial Practicum in English Language Classrooms (1 hour)
*Course contains a summative assessment for data collection purposes.
Electives (9 credit hours)
- TESL 5710 Teaching English Grammar (3 hours)
- TESL 5720 Teaching English Pronunciation (3 hours)
- TESL 5730 Materials Development in Language Classrooms (3 hours)
- TESL 5750 Special Institute in TESOL (3 hours)
- TESL 5200 Independent Study (3 hours)
- TESL 6250 Thesis (3-12 hours)
and TESL 6900 University Thesis Requirement (0 hours) - COMM 5199 Teaching Writing (3 hours)
International Education Emphasis
33 Credit Hours
Required Courses (24 credit hours)
- TESL 5030 Linguistics for Language Learning and Teaching* (3 hours)
- TESL 5230 Theories of Foreign and Second Language Acquisition* (3 hours)
- TESL 5139 Instructional Methods for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5220 Lesson Planning and Curriculum Development for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5311 Language Assessment* (3 hours)
- TESL 5350 Sociolinguistics* (3 hours)
- TESL 5710 Teaching English Grammar (3 hours)
- Three credit hours of Practicum selected from:
- TESL 5040 Practicum in English Language Classrooms (taken at the end of the program)* (1-3 hours)
- TESL 5041 Tutoring in English (1 hour)
- TESL 5042 Initial Practicum in English Language Classrooms (1 hour)
*Course contains a summative assessment for data collection purposes.
Electives (9 credit hours)
- TESL 5730 Materials Development in Language Classrooms (3 hour)
- TESL 5740 Teaching English for Academic Purposes (3 hours)
- TESL 5750 Special Institute in TESOL (3 hours)
- TESL 5760 Teaching English for Specific Purposes (3 hours)
- TESL 5200 Independent Study (3 hours)
- TESL 6250 Thesis (3-12 hours)
and TESL 6900 University Thesis Requirements (0 hours)
K-12 ELL Education Emphasis
33 Credit Hours
Required Courses (24 credit hours)
- TESL 5030 Linguistics for Language Learning and Teaching* (3 hours)
- TESL 5230 Theories of Foreign and Second Language Acquisition* (3 hours)
- TESL 5139 Instructional Methods for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5220 Lesson Planning and Curriculum Development for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5311 Language Assessment* (3 hours)
- TESL 5350 Sociolinguistics* (3 hours)
- TESL 5730 Materials Development in Language Classrooms (3 hours)
- Three credit hours of Practicum selected from:
- TESL 5040 Practicum in English Language Classrooms (taken at the end of the program)* (1-3 hours)
- TESL 5041 Tutoring in English (1 hour)
- TESL 5042 Initial Practicum in English Language Classrooms (1 hour)
*Course contains a key assessment for data collection purposes.
Electives (9 credit hours)
- COMM 5199 Teaching Writing
- TESL 5710 Teaching English Grammar (3 hours)
- TESL 5720 Teaching English Pronunciation (3 hours)
- TESL 5730 Materials Development in Language Classrooms (3 hours)
- TESL 5750 Special Institute in TESOL (3 hours)
- TESL 5200 Independent Study (3 hours)
- TESL 6250 Thesis (3-12 hours)
and TESL 6900 University Thesis Requirements (0 hours) - COMM 5820 Foundations in Reading Instruction (3 hours)
- SPED 5318 Global Issues in Special Education (3 hours)
Missouri ELL Certification
21 Credit Hours
All students pursuing the Missouri ELL certification or the Webster TEFL certificate will be considered degree-seeking students and will have the option to pursue one of the MA in TESOL tracks within 5 years from the start of their TESOL coursework.
Missouri English Language Learner (ELL) Certification is granted by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Webster University is authorized to provide coursework required for ELL Certification, but students must submit their transcripts to DESE upon completion of coursework to request their ELL Certification. In addition to the 21 credit hours listed below as required courses, DESE also requires the completion of three prerequisite courses, which Webster University offers as SPED 5860 Psychology of the Exceptional Child, CMAT 5380 Teaching Reading and Writing in the Content Areas, and CMAT 5390 Differentiated Reading and Writing in the Content Areas. Students pursuing Missouri ELL Certification will have their transcripts reviewed to determine if they need to complete any of these three prerequisite courses. Beginning September 1, 2024, DESE will begin to require that teachers who seek Missouri ELL Certification also present a passing score on the Praxis (test code 5362).
Required courses (21 credit hours)
- TESL 5030 Linguistics for Language Learning and Teaching* (3 hours)
- TESL 5230 Theories of Foreign and Second Language Acquisition* (3 hours)
- TESL 5139 Instructional Methods for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5220 Lesson Planning and Curriculum Development for Language Classrooms* (3 hours)
- TESL 5311 Language Assessment* (3 hours)
- TESL 5350 Sociolinguistics* (3 hours)
- Three credit hours of Practicum selected from::
- TESL 5040 Practicum in English Language Classrooms (taken at the end of the programs)* (1-3 hours)
- TESL 5041 Tutoring in English (1 hour)
- TESL 5042 Initial Practicum in English Language Classrooms (1 hour)
Admission
See the Admission section of this catalog for general admission requirements. Students interested in applying must submit their application online at www.webster.edu/apply. Transcripts should be sent from your institution electronically to transcripts@webster.edu. If this service is not available, send transcripts to:
Office of Admission
Webster University
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119
Additional Requirements
Requirements for admission to the MA in teaching English to speakers of other languages program include:
- Receipt of official transcripts from the baccalaureate granting institution.
- Undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- Non-native speakers need to pass TOEFL, paper-based score of 575 and above (International students – see graduate catalog).
Advancement to Candidacy
Students are admitted to their graduate program upon completion of all admission requirements. Students are advanced to candidacy status after successfully completing 12 credit hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. In specialized programs, courses required as prerequisites to the program do not count toward the 12 credit hours required for advancement.
- Course Catalog Home
- Graduate Catalog Home
- Admission
- Enrollment
- Academic Policies
- Tuition, Fees and Refunds
- Degrees
- Certificates
- Course Descriptions
- Graduate Catalog Archives