Degree Spotlight: MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Grand Canyon University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) for current teachers who are interested in widening their spectrum of teaching and working with students from other cultures and countries who choose to educate themselves about teaching English to students for whom English is an additional language. 

This degree program, offered by the College of Education, provides graduate students with the opportunity to work with diverse students in the classroom. This degree is offered both online and in evening classes, for teachers who work during the day and desire to further their education on their own time.

This master’s degree can help licensed teachers gain the qualifications to work in English as a second language (ESL) classrooms. This is a growing area of need as the country becomes more diverse. As long as people have the desire to learn the English language, there will be a need for educators with a background in TESOL.

At GCU, the TESOL degree is designed to educate current teachers through practice-based experience, with a practicum course that allows students to participate with English language learners (ELL) directly in a P-12 classroom setting. Graduate students are given the opportunity to participate and communicate with the types of students they will eventually come to teach, learning firsthand the teaching methods they might use in the classroom.

TESOL graduate students study bilingual literacy, methods of instruction, ELL curriculum and assessment, educational research and teaching ELL students with special needs. The degree requires a fingerprint clearance and field experience to ensure that students are as prepared as possible for teaching English as a second language.

Helping others learn to speak another language can be extremely rewarding. Giving a student the opportunity to do communicate is something that will change their life forever.

To learn more about Grand Canyon University’s master’s program in TESOL, or other master’s degrees in education, contact us today.

Written by Jessalyn Johnson, a freshman majoring in English literature at GCU.