Other professions look to university TESOL master’s programs to develop instructors for teaching English for special purposes (ESP) in specialized fields such as medicine, law, computer science, engineering, and business. Master’s programmes must provide their students with the expertise needed to teach a wide range of skills from basic English for those working at entry level jobs to accent reduction courses for professionals seeking to improve their oral communication skills. Additionally, ESP instructors need a familiarity with the content subject matter and the ability to collaborate with professors and other professionals in various disciplines.

English for Special Purposes Programmes

Teaching English as a Foreign Language Master’s programmes continue to fulfill their traditional role of providing teachers for positions overseas teaching English to college and university students, professional adults, and young learners. With the worldwide demand for English instruction, American students wishing to teach abroad and international students planning to teach English in their own countries seek out programmes in Teaching English as a Foreign language (TEFL).

These programmes feature methodology courses that address frequent concerns of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers such as curriculum design for large class sizes, limited budget and materials, and resources for authentic language input and natural language acquisition.

TESOL Doctoral Study

TESOL Master’s programs are the training ground for prospective doctoral candidates who conduct research, design and implement university degree programmes, and teach at the master’s and doctoral levels in institutions of higher education. To prepare students for these academic roles, TESOL master’s programmes typically offer a combination of courses which cover the theory and practice of second language teaching, curriculum development, and the fundamentals of linguistics, second language acquisition, and research.