School of Education
Teaching English as a Second Language 4+1 Program
Program Coordinator: Scott Stevens
Qualified undergraduate English majors at the University of Delaware may choose to apply to the 4+1 in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program, which results in a B.A. in English at the end of the fourth year and an M.A. in TESL at the end of the fifth year. The M.A. in TESL program is 33 credits and students can pursue teacher certification during the program. In this nationally accredited 4+1 Program in TESL, students can:
- apply to the M.A. in TESL program by November 1st of their junior year and learn about their admission in January of their junior year. The GRE admission requirement is waived for 4+1 program applicants.
- begin a masters’ program as an undergraduate by taking 12 credits in graduate courses that count towards their bachelors degree.
- complete the M.A. in TESL in one year instead of two years after earning their bachelors’ degree.
Program Information
Sample Course Schedule
The graduate level course requirements for the 4+1 in TESL program are the same as those for the traditional M.A. in TESL program. Below is a sample course schedule for students who begin the 4+1 program in their senior year.
Senior Year – Fall
- EDUC 672: Teaching English as a Second Language
- LING 677: The Structure of English
Senior Year – Spring
- EDUC 740: Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners
- EDUC 741: Diversity in ESL Classrooms
Graduate Year – Fall
- LLCU 624: Second Language Testing
- EDUC 647: Advanced Methods in Teaching ESL
- EDUC 742: Practicum in TESL*
Graduate Year – Winter
- EDUC 623: Applied Human Development in the Schools
Graduate Year – Spring
- LLCU 622: Language Syllabus Design
- LING 676: Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism
- EDUC 742: Practicum in TESL (3 credits) or EDUC 750: Graduate Teaching Internship (6 credits)*
* Students not pursuing teacher certification take EDUC 742 while students pursuing teacher certification take EDUC 750.
Non-Registered Degree Requirements
Non-registered degree requirements for the students in the 4+1 program are identical to those required of the students in the traditional M.A. in TESL program. The portfolio requirement that is submitted after 18 credit hours of coursework would be submitted at the end of the fall semester of the fifth year, since students will be entering the fifth year having completed 12 credits of graduate coursework as part of their bachelor’s degree.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the M.A. in TESL program can:
- teach English in public schools to children and adolescents whose native language is not English and be eligible to be hired at the master’s pay level.
- teach English as a Second Language (ESL) in US community programs, in language schools, and at university Intensive English Programs (IEP).
- teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) overseas, even at the university level.
The State of Delaware Department of Education and the federal government has identified English to Speakers of Other Languages as a high-need area of teaching.