Skip navigation
Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Distance Learning) at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Overview Develop your abilities as a teacher of English to speakers of other languages, or kickstart your TESOL career, on this flexible Master's in Applied Linguistics and TESOL. You may already be an established TESOL practitioner (or ELT, EFL or EAP) with a minimum of three months full-time teaching experience, looking to advance your skills and become an expert in your field. If not, as long as you've completed initial ELT, TESOL or TEFL teacher training, you can still apply for this course and do an extra module to build up your practical teaching skills. On this course, you'll apply contemporary TESOL theory to the classroom. Guided by our expert teaching team, you can apply your learning to the context of teaching you currently work in or aspire to, whether that's in the private or state sector, teaching adults, primary, secondary or higher education. You'll use a global perspective to critique your own approaches to teaching, conduct your own research into teaching techniques, and explore lesson planning and course design. You can study in a way that fits around your existing professional and personal commitments by choosing between full-time, part-time, campus-based or distance learning options. When you graduate, you'll have a deeper understanding of TESOL and how best to get results as an expert practitioner. Eligibility This course accepts UK, EU, and international students. What you'll experience

  • Take your TESOL knowledge and teaching skills to postgraduate level
  • Choose to study in a way that suits you and your professional life, from on campus or distance learning, full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 or 3 years), and a September or January start
  • Reflect on your classroom practice in order to improve the way you teach
  • Learn to effectively plan and design a syllabus, courses and assessment methods, and choose to build a portfolio of lesson plans supported by critical reflection
  • Analyse research into how people learn languages and the implications that has for the classroom
  • Explore linguistic theory, unpick the hidden systems and bias in the use of language, and conduct research into teaching techniques
Careers and opportunities As a TESOL practitioner with a postgraduate qualification, you'll have the specialist knowledge to stand out to employers at institutions such as universities, language schools and private schools in the UK and overseas. Graduates of this course have gone onto areas such as:
  • teaching English as a second/foreign language
  • teaching ESOL in the UK
  • teaching other languages, applying skills learning on this course
  • educational management and/or leadership
  • teacher training
  • materials writing
  • curriculum development
  • editing
  • publishing
  • advertising
During your course you'll have expert career support from your tutors and our Careers and Employability Centre – which you can access for up to 5 years after you graduate. Course structure This Master's degree will take: 1 year (full-time study) 2 or 3 years (part-time study) Full-time study The full-time course lasts 1 year whether you study on campus or by distance learning. If you study full-time, you can expect:
  • Up to 6 hours of teaching time every week (lecture, seminar or workshop) for each module you study, held over no more than 3 consecutive days in a week wherever possible.
  • 24–30 hours of independent study each week.
Part-time study
  • If you study part-time on campus, your course will be 2 years, while if you study part-time by distance learning, you can choose to complete the course over 2 or 3 years.
Studying part-time, you can expect:
  • All core material available online at all times so you can create your own study schedule around work or other commitments.
  • 12–15 hours of independent study each week.

Modules

Full-time Core modules

  • Dissertation/Major Project (60 credits)
  • Second Language Acquisition (30 credits)
  • Theory and Practice of Tesol (30 credits)
Optional modules
  • Analysing Discourse (30 credits)
  • Analysing, Evaluating and Writing Materials (30 credits)
  • Professional Portfolio (30 credits)
  • Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching (30 credits)
  • Using Language Corpora for Teaching and Research (30 credits)
  • World Englishes (30 credits)
Visit our course page for full module details and for module information for the part-time course. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You’ll be assessed through:

  • written assessments
  • dissertation
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.


Entry requirements

A second-class honours degree or equivalent, plus initial teacher training and a minimum of three months full-time, relevant, teaching experience.


English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.5.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 176.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 176.
TOEFL (iBT)91 with a minimum of 24 in Reading, 23 in Listening, 25 in Speaking and 24 in Writing.
PTE AcademicAn overall score of 61 with a minimum of 61 in each skill.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £10400 Year 1
England £10400 Year 1
Northern Ireland £10400 Year 1
Scotland £10400 Year 1
Wales £10400 Year 1
Channel Islands £10400 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £10400 Year 1
International £10400 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. Fees may also go up in later years, in line with inflation.
Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Distance Learning) at University of Portsmouth - UCAS