Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

M.S.Ed.

The highly acclaimed M.S.Ed. TESOL specialization, housed within the Educational Linguistics program, prepares students to teach English to non-native speakers in settings where English is a second, foreign, or international language. The program emphasizes the many roles and functions of English language teaching in the political, social, and academic climate of today's world.

TESOL's interdisciplinary course of study keeps students highly attuned to the motivations and needs of immigrants who settle in English-speaking nations, international scholars and professionals, and students in countries where English is a foreign language. In-depth study and field-based practice prepare students to identify and analyze learner needs, design language curricula, and administer and evaluate programs.

The TESOL specialization focuses on both the practical and theoretical aspects of the field. The program is classroom oriented, with a strong focus on sociolinguistics, intercultural communication, and the interaction of language learning and use. Together, these form a dynamic backdrop against which to study the foundational areas of linguistics, literacy, and education.

Academic training is supplemented with practical experience through observation at the University's English Language Programs, at other university language institutes, and in community language and literacy centers in the greater Philadelphia area. Partnerships with local schools and an institutional tie with a neighborhood school provide excellent opportunities for training and observation. Students engage in fieldwork as tutors, practice teachers, and interns. All aspects of their teaching are supported by individual supervision and conferences designed to stimulate discussion of current issues in multilingual, multicultural, and international classrooms.

M.S.Ed. TESOL graduates teach in a variety of local, national, and international settings. Many continue their studies in doctoral programs. Affiliations with TESOL alumni now in leadership positions at schools and universities worldwide make it possible for students to teach in international settings.

Students complete 12 course units, two of which may be transferred from outside the University of Pennsylvania. A 30-hour project and internship satisfies a partial requirement of the comprehensive examination and can be taken for one course unit.

Courses include:

EDUC 525 Fieldwork in Language in Education

EDUC 527 Approaches to Teaching English and Other Modern Languages

EDUC 537 Educational Linguistics

EDUC 546 Sociolinguistics in Education

EDUC 563 Internship, Seminar, Thesis: TESOL

EDUC 661 Language Diversity and Education

EDUC 670 Second Language Acquisition

EDUC 675 Structure of English

To view GSE course offerings, click here.

Program Faculty

Yuko Goto Butler, Ph.D., Stanford University

Nancy H. Hornberger, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison (Program Director)

Kathryn M. Howard, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Cheryl Micheau, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Teresa Pica, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Anne Pomerantz, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Betsy Rymes, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles

Affiliated Faculty:

Thomas Adams, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Kristine Billmyer, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Rebecca Freeman Field, Ph.D., Georgetown University

Mary Ann Julian, Ph.D., University of Edinburgh

Ellen Skilton-Sylvester, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl, Ph.D., University of Florida

Program Contact

Penny Creedon, LLE Coordinator

University of Pennsylvania

Graduate School of Education

3700 Walnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216

pennyc@gse.upenn.edu

215-898-3245 (direct) 

 

Mary Schlesinger, LLE Admissions Assistant

University of Pennsylvania

Graduate School of Education

3700 Walnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216

maryzs@gse.upenn.edu

215-898-7912 (direct)