APPLY
VISIT
GIVEMA Teaching English as Second Language (TESL)
Latest News
Information for Graduate Students in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Our M.A. TESOL program prepares you to teach adult ESOL/EFL. Many of our graduates go on to teach community college or adult school ESOL classes; many others have found good positions teaching abroad. Also, this program provides a good foundation for those who plan to pursue a doctorate in either Linguistics or Applied Linguistics. The program consists of 10 core classes and comprehensive examinations. We do accept students without a background in linguistics or language studies, but they will need to take up to three prerequisite courses for a total of 13 classes. We accept applicants to begin in both the fall and spring semesters.
See the curriculum in the current University Catalog.
Please note that your degree requirements depend on your Catalog Year and may be different from the current Catalog. Learn more about the and find the
What will you learn in our program?
You will learn about theories of second language acquisition and linguistic theories that will make you a better instructor. You will explore how to support English as a Second Language learners, what techniques to use in the classroom and what activities will make their learning experience better. You will learn how to lesson plan, write teaching objectives, and design classes for any level of English learners. You will discuss with your colleagues how to prepare second language learners to confront the challenges they face every day, both linguistically and culturally.
Interested in our MA TESOL and/or TESOL Certificate? Please contact Dr. Iara Mantenuto at imantenuto@csudh.edu.
MA TESOL students must pass their all portions of the Comprehensive Exams to earn their degree. The Comprehensive Exams run toward the end of each semester. They consist of four sections:
- Second Language Acquisition (corresponds to ENG 585)
- ESL Teaching Methods (corresponds to ENG 586)
- Structure of Language (student chooses from ENG 513, ENG 514, or ENG 588)
- Additional seminar of student鈥檚 choice
Each section takes one hour for a total of four hours for the exam (excluding breaks). For each section, students will receive two questions and select one of them to answer in a blue book. A committee of faculty members will grade each of the four sections independently on a pass/no pass basis.
Students who pass all four sections will earn the degree straightaway. Student who do not pass one or more sections may re-take those sections the following semester (students do not need to re-take any sections that they passed). Passing on the second time will earn the students the degree. Students who do not pass all four sections after two attempts are disqualified from earning the MA degree.
Students should notify the TESOL Advisor of their intention to take the Comprehensive Examinations the semester before they intend to graduate! Students will work closely with the TESOL advisor to select the exam topics and prepare for the exams themselves.
Admission Requirements for M.A. TESOL Program
All applicants to the M.A. in English must follow the application and admission procedures outlined in the university graduate application booklet. To be admitted to the program, the applicant must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited university or college and a grade point average of 3.0 or better in the last 60 semester units of upper division course work attempted (not including extension units). Applicants with majors other than linguistics may be accepted into the program, but should expect to do additional work to gain the background necessary for success in their graduate courses.
If you are slightly below a 3.0 GPA you may still apply, but you must send a personal statement and recommendation letters to the English Department at englishchair@csudh.edu. Please note in your email that you are submitting supplementary materials for admissions to the graduate program.
To apply, please submit your application through
For more information about our TESOL MA and/or our TESOL Certificate, please contact the Associate Chair of the English Department, Dr. Iara Mantenuto at imantenuto@csudh.edu.