The Master of Arts degree in Foreign Language Teaching provides the aspiring foreign language teacher with the fundamental background and practical experience to teach a specific target language, while also offering current foreign language teachers opportunities to continue and enhance their education. With its focus on solid foundations in second language acquisition (SLA) and the intersection of SLA with the practice of foreign language teaching, this program prepares students to design lesson plans, courses, and curricula that support teaching for high levels of language proficiency. Students will be prepared to integrate technology effectively into the teaching of language and culture and work with faculty mentors to create a praxis-oriented experiential module that is designed to enhance the student’s plan of study and contribute substantially to preparation for career placement.
In addition to meeting the requirements of the University and of the College of Arts and Letters, students must meet the requirements specified below.
Admission
To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts degree in Foreign Language Teaching, an applicant must:
- have the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test forwarded to the College if the applicant is a native speaker of English.
- complete the online application which includes an academic and personal statement.
- submit three letters of recommendation, completed by instructors or supervisors familiar with the applicants work. Letters of recommendation must be submitted on official stationary with an original signature.
- take one of the tests of English language proficiency described in the Graduate Education section of this catalog if the applicants native language is not English.
To be admitted to the program on regular status, an applicant must have a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a recognized educational institution.
In addition, students who are non-native speakers of English are required to have fulfilled the university’s English language proficiency requirement as described in the Graduate Education section of this catalog by achieving a minimum score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 100 (Internet-based), 250 (computer version), or 600 (paper version) or an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.5 or higher.
Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree in Foreign Language Teaching
The Master of Arts degree in Foreign Language Teaching is available only online and only under Plan B (non-thesis). A total of 30 credits is required for the degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the program director. The student must meet the requirements specified below:
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| 1. |
All of the following courses: |
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FLT |
807 |
Foreign Language Teaching Methods |
3 |
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FLT |
808 |
Assessment for Foreign Language Teaching |
3 |
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FLT |
815 |
Teaching Culture in Foreign Language Courses |
3 |
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FLT |
817 |
Foreign Language Program Development and Administration |
3 |
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FLT |
845 |
Language Concepts for Foreign Language Teaching |
3 |
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FLT |
860 |
Second Language Acquisition |
3 |
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FLT |
881 |
Teaching Foreign Language with Technology |
3 |
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FLT |
885 |
Experiential Module in Foreign Language Teaching |
5 |
| 2. |
One of the following courses (3 credits): |
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FLT |
841 |
Topics in Foreign Language Teaching |
3 |
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FLT |
842 |
Teaching Reading in a Foreign Language |
3 |
| 3. |
Complete the following course: |
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FLT |
898 |
Master's Comprehensive Foreign Language Teaching Portfolio Examination |
1 |
| 4. |
Successfully complete a final examination or evaluation which is fulfilled by completion of a portfolio developed during the FLT 898 course and must be submitted to the program director after completion of the core courses and experiential module(s). The purpose of the portfolio as a certifying examination is (1) to demonstrate an understanding of second language acquisition theories and their application to student learning and to the practice of teaching the target language, (2) to demonstrate an understanding of theories of culture and their application to the practice of teaching the target culture in the target language classroom, and (3) to enable the student to articulate the integration of learning from the experiential modules into the program of study and career objectives. The portfolio must include artifacts that are outlined in the comprehensive language teaching portfolio examination handbook, which is given out each year by the program director and is available on the program's Web site. |
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Academic Standards
Students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5. A student may accumulate no more than 6 credits with a grade below 3.0 in courses taken for the purpose of satisfying the degree requirements.