Overview
We provide academic and professional development for English language practitioners looking to advance their careers in teaching.
You will gain practical classroom experience on the course through teaching in Leeds, teaching in your own workplace and/or through lesson observations. You will develop your ability to create multimedia resources and teaching materials through hands-on activities. There will be the opportunity to pursue a specialism, such as English as a second or other language, teaching English for Academic Purposes, teaching English to young learners, teacher training or English language teaching management.
We currently offer two routes of study:
Route One (Delta route)
This route is designed for experienced English language teachers with a high level of English, this route provides professional training and development with the option to enter for the widely recognised Cambridge Delta qualification. If you already have the Delta or an equivalent qualification, you will be able to top-up to a masters by starting in semester two.
Route two Designed for both experienced and less experienced English language teachers who want to gain a prestigious academic qualification in order to further their career, this route will enable you to gain insights into best practice through observing lessons either in person or on video, and you will reflect on your observations to develop an awareness of the principles and practice related to English language teaching.
Teaching and Learning
Learning will take place through seminars, small group and individual tutorials, as well as independent learning. The course will include practical classroom experience and hands-on development of multi-media resources for English language teaching.
Studying the MA English Language Teaching
Your start date and the way you study the course will depend on the route you choose to take.
If you choose to take Route One, your start date and mode of study will depend on whether you already hold the Delta qualification:
Route One (if you do not hold the Delta qualification) is available to study on campus starting in September.
Route One (if you already hold the Delta qualification) is available to study on campus starting in January. If you choose to study via distance learning, you can start the course in September or January.
Route Two is available to study on campus starting in September. If you choose to study via distance learning, you can start the course in September or January.
Postgraduate loan scheme
Of the various study options available for this course, the full-time on-campus option studied over one year and part-time on-campus option studied over two years are eligible for the government postgraduate loan scheme. For the distance learning option, click here. If you meet the standard criteria you can apply for funding.
Assessment
The assessments on the course aim to reflect real-life tasks for English language teaching professionals and include practical assignments such as developing resources, writing journal articles, giving conference presentations, reflecting on practice and analysing texts or language. The dissertation module involves a practical or research project related to English language teaching with a report or rationale. Route 1/Delta students will also complete the Cambridge Assessment English assessments for Delta modules 1-3.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
Research Excellence Framework 2014: twice as many of our staff - 220 - were entered into the research assessment for 2014 compared to the number entered in 2008.
Accredited by:
English Language Teaching at Leeds Beckett University is an approved Cambridge Delta Centre. This highly renowned professional qualification confers TEFLQ status as defined by the British Council accreditation scheme.
We understand that full-time study does not suit everyone. That’s why we offer courses which give you the opportunity to decide where, when and how you can get involved in learning. Studying a distance learning course offers the convenience and flexibility to make education work for you. Whether you’d like to fit your studies around childcare, develop your skills while working or, quite simply, want to learn from the comfort of your own home, we can help you gain a qualification at a time and pace that suits your lifestyle.
Like our students on campus, you will have the same excellent teaching and learning resources, however you’ll find these online instead of in a lecture theatre. Not only are all the modules taught online, but you will also have access to an online community and more than 140,000 books and journals in our online library.
This course offers the opportunity to take a ‘sandwich’ year – a year of paid employment in industry which will build your skills and experience. This is usually taken between the second and third year of your degree, typically making your course four years in total.
Students who choose the sandwich route find it helps with both their studies and getting a job after graduation. It can build your confidence, contacts, and of course your CV. Leeds Beckett advertise lots of placement opportunities and provide support in helping you find the right placement for you.
English Language Teaching - Heather Buchanan, Senior Lecturer
Postgraduate Study - Invest in yourself
Entry Requirements
Requirements
These are dependent on whether you are applying for Route One or Two.Route One (Delta): Applicants should either have a second class honours degree and at least two years' full-time (1200 hours) English Language Teaching experience within the last five years or have substantial English Language Teaching work experience. Applicants must be native English speakers or have an English language ability of at least IELTS 7.5 with no skill less than 7.0 (or equivalent). All applicants must pass a screening interview with the admissions tutor (who must be a Delta approved tutor for Cambridge purposes), involving a language awareness test and the submission and discussion of a lesson plan. In addition, an initial teacher training qualification such as the Cambridge CELTA or Trinity cert TESOL is desirable.
Route Two (Non-Delta): Applicants should either have a second class honours degree or have substantial English Language Teaching work experience. All applicants should have an English language level of at least IELTS 6.0 with no skill less than 5.5 (or equivalent).
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
Mature Applicants
Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website.
Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.
Requirements
These are dependent on whether you are applying for Route One or Two.Route One (Delta): Applicants should either have a second class honours degree and at least two years' full-time (1200 hours) English Language Teaching experience within the last five years or have substantial English Language Teaching work experience. Applicants must be native English speakers or have an English language ability of at least IELTS 7.5 with no skill less than 7.0 (or equivalent). All applicants must pass a screening interview with the admissions tutor (who must be a Delta approved tutor for Cambridge purposes), involving a language awareness test and the submission and discussion of a lesson plan. In addition, an initial teacher training qualification such as the Cambridge CELTA or Trinity cert TESOL is desirable.
Route Two (Non-Delta): Applicants should either have a second class honours degree or have substantial English Language Teaching work experience. All applicants should have an English language level of at least IELTS 6.0 with no skill less than 5.5 (or equivalent).
All applications should be supported by a reference, either academic or professional; a template can be accessed at this link.
Verify your qualifications
If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.Need to improve your English Language skills?
Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.More questions?
No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.Careers
Careers
MA English Language Teaching
“I chose my course to improve my English and gain a masters qualification so I could teach English back home in Japan. My lecturers were really supportive and really helped me improve my confidence. There was a great community feel with fellow classmates and we encouraged each other to do our best work.
Teaching and learning
Distance Learning - overall workload
If you choose to study this course by distance learning, as a guideline you will need to allocate around 10 hours per week to complete each module plus a further five hours for additional reading and assignments. These 10 hours of teaching and learning will be delivered using a range of interactive resources, this typically includes audio and video content, group discussions, reflective exercises, quizzes, online reading and much more. All these resources are delivered through our Virtual Learning Environment and can be accessed at a time and place that suits you.
- Understanding Language, Methodology & Resources for Language Teaching (Delta module one) (route one)
This will include first and second language acquisition; approaches and methods; and learner error and error analysis. (This module is not available for online learning)
- Developing Professional Practice (Delta module two) (route one)
This covers the following topics of teaching practice; lesson observation; evaluating, selecting and using resources and materials; and professional development. (This module is not available for online learning)
- Extending Practice & English Language Teaching Specialism (Delta module three) (route one)
This will look into researching a specialist area; course / syllabus design; testing and assessment; and monitoring and evaluating courses. This module is not available for online learning.
- Methodology & Second Language Acquisition (route two)
You will learn about communicative language teaching; task-based learning; language content and integrated learning; lexical approach; total physical response; text-based approaches; language skills and strategies; and second language learning and acquisition.
- Language Awareness (route two)
This will cover lexis; grammar; discourse analysis; phonology; and analysing language and texts for teaching purposes.
- Classroom Practice (route two)
This will include classroom observation; professional development; classroom management; lesson planning; and micro-teaching.
- Multimedia Resources & Independent Learning
This will explore learner autonomy; virtual learning environments; and web-based technologies.
- Materials Development
You will learn about issues such as materials evaluation and adaptation; authenticity; cultural considerations; and task design.
- English Language Teaching in Your Context
This subject will cover World Englishes; intercultural awareness; sociolinguistics; English for academic purposes; English for young learners; English for specific purposes; and curriculum and syllabus.
- Research in English Language Teaching
This will include research theories and methods; qualitative and quantitative research; interpreting and analysing data. You will undertake a research project.
- Dissertation
This double module involves either producing a practical project such as a set of materials; a corpus; a teacher training course; a syllabus or conducting a primary research project.
Our course offers you the opportunity to develop innovative teaching, curriculum and materials to enhance your English language teaching. You can specialise in areas such as teacher training, EAP, ESOL, Young Learners or business English.
English Language Teaching - Heather Buchanan, Senior Lecturer
Postgraduate Study - Invest in yourself
Fees & funding
See further information on financing your studies.
Tuition fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC, laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies.
Additional costs
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Course-specific essentials (Route one – Delta route only)
- Additional entry fees for the three Cambridge Delta modules:
Delta module 1 - £117
Delta module 2 - £146
Delta module 3 - £82.50
Other study-related expenses to consider: books (the library stocks books from your module reading list but you may wish to purchase copies for yourself); placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery; field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations); PC/laptop (provided on campus in social learning spaces and in the library. However, you may prefer to have your own); mobile phone/tablet (to access University online services); academic conferences (travel costs); professional-body membership (where applicable); and graduation (gown hire and guest tickets).
This list is not exhaustive and costs will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental or living costs are also in addition to your course fees.
See further information on fees and finance on our Financing Your Studies webpage.
Tuition fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC, laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies.
Additional costs
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Course-specific essentials (Route one – Delta route only)
- Additional entry fees for the three Cambridge Delta modules:
Delta module 1 - £117
Delta module 2 - £146
Delta module 3 - £82.50
Other study-related expenses to consider: books (the library stocks books from your module reading list but you may wish to purchase copies for yourself); placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery; field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations); PC/laptop (provided on campus in social learning spaces and in the library. However, you may prefer to have your own); mobile phone/tablet (to access University online services); academic conferences (travel costs); professional-body membership (where applicable); and graduation (gown hire and guest tickets).
This list is not exhaustive and costs will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental or living costs are also in addition to your course fees.
Additional information
For further information on financing your studies or information about whether you may qualify for one of our bursaries and scholarships, follow the links below:
Facilities
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Library and online resourcesOur Library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, providing you with access to specialist books and journals, learning spaces, computers, multimedia facilities and media equipment hire. Tens of thousands of our Library's digital resources, including ebooks, ejournals and databases, can be accessed online at a time and place to suit you.
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Dedicated Support TeamJust because you aren't learning on campus doesn't mean you'll have to cope on your own - you'll have the support of a personal tutor along with the University's Student Hub and Wellbeing Centre. They are on hand to offer you advice about everything from academic issues to stress and anxiety.
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Location
Distance Learning
We understand that full-time study does not suit everyone. That’s why we offer courses which give you the opportunity to decide where, when and how you get can get involved in learning. Our flexible courses – internet-based learning and part-time options – give you more choice, convenience and flexibility to make education work for you. Whether you’d like to fit your studies around childcare, develop your skills while working or, quite simply, want to learn from the comfort of your own home, we can help you gain a qualification at a time and pace that suits your lifestyle.
