Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £10,620 for the course
International/EU: £17,725 for the course -
How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2025
Course summary
- Explore the teaching of the English language globally.
- Gain a deep understanding of the underpinning theories and practices.
- Develop a reflective and critical approach to your teaching practice.
- Enhance your skills in planning, teaching, assessment, course design and material development.
- Acquire research skills to conduct systematic inquiry into the field.
Join a vibrant international community of MA Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) students and an international team of experienced educators and leading researchers.
Whether you're at the start of your career or an experienced teacher aiming to advance, this course supports your growth. It's designed to help you develop the skills and knowledge for senior roles or a PhD, preparing you for a successful career in TESOL.
Our curriculum has recently been updated to address current trends, including multilingual learner profiles, diverse global Englishes, and the impact of artificial intelligence on education.
On December the 11th and December the 18th 2024 we will be hosting webinars providing you with an overview of the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages course. Please register here.
Student view
How you learn
The English language has emerged as a powerful force in all areas of life across the globe. More and more people use English in their daily lives for work, for study and for leisure, and the demand for English language teachers continues to grow worldwide.
Our MA TESOL responds to this demand by combining practice and theory, and by developing reflective practitioners and valued educators. We examine the key elements of English language teaching while providing plenty of opportunities to specialise and focus on specific areas within the field.
This course is designed so that inexperienced teachers can succeed and ensures that experienced teachers will be able to enhance their career prospects in public and private establishments at primary, secondary, tertiary and adult levels of education.
On this course you’ll explore language learning and teaching theories. You’ll reflect on your own experiences while practising your planning, teaching and assessment skills – as well as conducting ethical research in TESOL. The module assignments offer you flexibility to focus on specific TESOL areas – such as English for Academic Purposes, Young Learners or Assessment – while your dissertation allows you to specialise in a research setting of your choice.
You learn through:
- interactive workshops
- guided observations and personalised feedback
- collaborative activities such as lesson planning, microteaching and group work
- guided reading
- taking part in lectures
- coursework and presentations
- personal tutorials
- collaboration with a research supervisor
Key themes
Our MA TESOL course blends theory and practice to prepare you for a dynamic career in language education. You’ll develop expertise in English Language Teaching (ELT) while critically exploring pedagogical issues in second-language learning and teaching. The course equips you with a deep understanding of language theory, teaching methods, and research practices.
Key features include:
- Global Perspectives: Analyse and adapt language teaching materials, exploring how English is used worldwide.
- Innovative Teaching Methods: Gain hands-on experience with contemporary approaches like post-method pedagogy and AI's role in education through practical activities.
- Diverse Learner Profiles: Understand the needs of varied language learners, including ESOL, EAL, and CLIL, to excel in multilingual and globalized classrooms.
- Research Excellence: Learn ethical research methodologies and conduct a personalized project addressing current TESOL challenges.
With a focus on practical application and critical scholarship, our course ensures you’re prepared to thrive in modern language education.
The quality of Sheffield Hallam University MA TESOL student work is often recognised externally. Our students regularly receive the British Council ELT Master's Dissertations Award, including:
- 2023-24 Academic year: Exploring foreign language speaking anxiety among Vietnamese university students, Ngoc Duyen Nguyen.
- 2020-21 Academic year: Stories of Kuwaiti English Language Teachers: A Multimodal Narrative Inquiry, Shahd Almnaies
Course support
All TESOL academic staff are research active and have both professional and academic qualifications as well as international teaching experience.
- You’ll be supported via regular classes for improving your academic writing and speaking, targeting the language and skills needed for your assignments,
- Access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments,
- Industry-specific employability activities such as learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities,
Formative feedback on assessments at key points in each module, through verbal and written methods.
Course leaders and tutors
Dr Melike B. Albaba
Senior Lecturer in TESOL and Teacher EducationSenior Lecturer in TESOL and Teacher Education
Applied learning
At Sheffield Hallam University, we take pride in being an applied university, and our course reflects this ethos by linking theory to practise and equipping you with knowledge and skills that can be directly applied in your teaching context. This practical approach is embedded in the course structure, with assignments designed to strike a balance between written tasks and oral presentations, ensuring you gain recognition for both academic and practical teaching skills.
Networking Opportunities
This course is run in partnership with the MA Education course. Students share some common research modules as well as elective modules. This enables you to network beyond your immediate course cohort. Additionally, you are given access to an exclusive Hallam MA TESOL alumni LinkedIn group where you can keep in touch with teaching staff and alumni, as well as unlock opportunities beyond your stay at Sheffield Hallam University.
Our TESOL team is research-active and consists of leading educators who regularly collaborate with key stakeholders such as the British Council for research and accreditation purposes. MA TESOL students are regularly invited to the academic events and projects hosted by the academic team including seminars, invited talks and conferences where they can join communities of professional practice.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in English language teaching, management and teacher education for English language teaching, research careers or progression into EdD and PhD degrees. Our previous graduates have secured jobs nationally and internationally in various contexts such as universities, private language centres, international language schools, and further education institutions.
Key learning experiences directly relate to the international professional skills of English language teachers. For example, observing lessons taught by experienced teachers, planning appropriate lessons, designing learning resources, and sharing and reflecting on teaching experiences to promote team building and professional development are all relevant in the professional context.
As a Sheffield Hallam University graduate you will be eligible for lifetime employability support. During your time at Hallam, the careers and employability team will support your employability through individual appointments, their website and digital resources to support your career planning. You will also be invited to attend careers conferences on campus or online. After graduation, you will still be able to access employability support from the careers and employability team. Our advisers offer one-to-one appointments for CV, cover letter, and job application support, as well as tailored advice regarding your career decision making, skill development, and interview practice.
Graduates from our teaching programme have taught in over 100 countries across the globe. Our alumni include professors, lecturers, heads of schools, directors of studies, senior teachers, textbook writers, authors, and, most importantly, the best and most-loved teachers of English language in the world!
Graduate View
"Studying Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at Sheffield Hallam University was a pivotal experience that shaped my career. I gained a solid foundation in advanced language teaching methodologies and practical teaching experience, which greatly enhanced my expertise and confidence. It also opened doors for me to take on leadership roles at the university, including International Experience Ambassador, Hallam Community Leader, and Recruitment Activity Officer. These experiences refined my professional skills and broadened my global perspective, paving the way for my current role as an English Lecturer and ESL Programme Team Leader at Troy University's Da Nang office in Vietnam."
Jenny Ngoc Duyen Nguyen, MA Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Graduate
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
On this course you work in modern classrooms with classroom technologies and equipment to support understanding, space to engage in teamwork and equipment to prepare for classroom teaching during teaching experiences.
Our TESOL team ensures that you are prepared to develop research-informed TESOL teaching, develop specialisms like ESP, EAP, EAL or CLIL, and even progress onto a PhD in language education or related fields.
You will work with
- activity schedules and screencasts to help structure and manage your individual learning experience.
- authentic English language teaching materials, course books, resource books and audio-visual resources.
- print and electronic resources in the Learning Centre.
- digital resources in a virtual learning environment.
- language learning/teaching applications.
- specialist data bases to access current material relevant to individual modules.
Entry requirements
All students
An honours degree or equivalent.
If English is not your first language we also require an IELTS score of 6.5 or above with a minimum of 6.0 in reading and writing. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.5 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
If you do not have such academic qualifications we may consider your application individually, based on your personal, professional and work experience, and other formal qualifications. You may also be able to claim credit points which can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete your qualification at Sheffield Hallam. Find out more
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Final year
Compulsory modules
Exploring Language In Use: Theory To Classroom Application
Methods And Innovations In Language Teaching
Research Methods In TESOL
Research Project
Elective modules
Innovating Curricula
Language Learning And Language Learners
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £10,620 for the course.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,725 for the course.
Postgraduate student loans
Up to £12,471 is available in 2024/25 for home students on most masters courses.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Institute of Education (PDF, 255.8KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
Student success story
"MA TESOL offers the perfect blend of theoretical learning and hands-on, practical work. The tutors are knowledgeable and supportive and there are lots of opportunities to put what you’ve learnt into practice."
Wendy Weng, MA TESOL
