TESOL

TESOL is the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages. You may come across other similar terms sometimes used in this field such as TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), and ELT (English Language Teaching) but essentially these all relate to the teaching of English to those who are not native speakers of the language.

The subject draws from several areas of study: linguistics, education, and psychology are fundamental. In a typical TESOL course you will cover a range of topics which are likely to include key features of the English language, approaches to language teaching and classroom methodologies, materials development and evaluation, how people learn first and second languages, and the use of technology for language teaching and learning.

You would expect to develop skills in the analysis of language, evaluation of teaching approaches, syllabus and materials, along with understanding of what drives second language learning and how this relates to classroom teaching. Research in TESOL encompasses a wide ranging set of questions and considerations. These include, for example, the effect on different task types on learners' acquisition of language, why UK secondary school language students have low motivation, how Web 2.0 is changing the ways in which people engage with language learning, and how the use of English as a global language affects language teaching and learning decisions.

Students of TESOL gain a range of skills and experiences which will equip them for work in language teaching, but also provide them with fascinating insights into the processes of language learning and teaching.

Courses

• BA (Hons) Linguistics
• BA (Hons) English Language and Linguistics
• MA TESOL and Applied Linguistics

You can combine TESOL modules with the study of two modern foreign languages or English as a Foreign Language in the BA Modern Languages. You can also combine TESOL modules with the study of one language, French/Spanish or Arabic in the BA Modern Language Studies.

Research

Our staff and PGR students are members of the Centre for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, which draws together researchers in linguistics and language studies within the School of Humanities, Languages & Social Sciences. Research interests of staff are listed below. Current research supervision is within the areas of vocabulary learning strategies, motivational strategies, and learner autonomy.

Staff

Sue Bromby (Senior lecturer in EFL/TESOL)
Teaching: EFL; TESOL.
s.bromby@salford.ac.uk

Dr. Siân Etherington (Lecturer in TESOL)
Research interests: TEFL; TESOL grammar and grammar teaching; Second Language Acquisition; English for Academic Purposes; Beliefs and perceptions about language learning; Language learning and emotions.
Teaching: Grammar and vocabulary in ELT; Psychology of Language Learning; Research Methods in TESOL.
s.etherington@salford.ac.uk

Huw Jarvis (Senior lecturer in TESOL)
Research interests: Computers in language pedagogy.
Teaching: Methodology; Syllabus design; Materials evaluation; Computers in teaching and learning; English for Academic Purposes.
h.a.jarvis@salford.ac.uk