Teaching English in contexts where the dominant language is not English presents its own unique set of challenges. Distinct from the MA ALDS (with TESL Specialization), the Master of Arts in Teaching English as an Additional Language (MA TEAL) is a graduate program designed specifically for international students who aspire to become English language teachers in these international contexts. Our comprehensive program equips students with the necessary knowledge and skills they will need to work as English teaching professionals in a variety of learning environments such as public and private institutions, universities, colleges and non-governmental organizations.
Comprehensive Curriculum
Diverse and practical, our comprehensive curriculum provides students with state-of-the-art insights from the field of second language acquisition theory and research, as well as the pedagogically-grounded methodologies needed to put these insights into action. Other themes addressed include: the teaching of English for specific purposes; English for academic purposes; language testing and assessment; curriculum design; teaching with technology; and special areas of focus such as the teaching of vocabulary, pragmatics, pronunciation, and literacy. Special attention is also paid to developing students’ competence in, and thorough understanding of, the major grammatical structures of English.
Research Highlights
Our renowned and dedicated faculty brings a wealth of expertise and global experience to the program. Areas of research include:
- Assessment and Testing
- Corpus Linguistics
- Corrective Feedback
- Curriculum and Methodology in Second & Foreign Language Teaching
- Formulaic Language
- Language Learning Through Television, Movies, and Video Games
- Task-Based Language Teaching
- Teacher Education and Cognition
- Intelligent Computer-Assisted Language Learning
- Workplace Language Training
Capital Advantage
Our program benefits from Ottawa’s bilingual, multicultural environment making it an ideal site for advanced studies in internationally-focused language teaching and research. The city is also a hub for government, education, health care, embassies and numerous non-governmental organizations. Our connections to these organizations provide our students with unique teaching and research opportunities during their program as well as a wide range of career options upon graduation.