School of Education

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

MA/PGDip/PGCert
Full and part-time

www.birmingham.ac.uk/tefl

Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

This programme offers a unique opportunity to
study for a qualification which links teaching
English to wider issues of school-based
education. It is ideal for those who want to
deepen their knowledge and understanding of
current debates in the teaching and learning
of English as a Foreign Language and further
develop their practical language teaching skills.
The programme encourages deep engagement
with the world of practice through visits to
schools in the UK, team-teaching activities
and project work. Students enjoy additional
opportunities for professional development,
including conferences, awards and popular
research seminar series in the School of
Educations world renowned MOSAIC research
centre.
Course content
Students on the TEFL programme take six
modules and do a dissertation. Compulsory
TEFL modules include: Second Language
Learning; Communicative Language Teaching;
and Language, Discourse and Society. In
addition, students take Education Observation,
Evaluation and Supervision, which offers an
opportunity to observe learning and teaching
in British schools; and Practitioner Inquiry
in Education, which introduces students to
research approaches and methods in education
and helps them to plan and carry out their
Masters dissertation. Examples of optional
modules include Curriculum Design in Global
Contexts; Human Rights, Citizenship and the

Environment; Personal and Professional Skills

for Education Management; Leadership for
School Improvement; Speech and Language
Difficulties; and Education as an International
Issue. These modules provide a strong
grounding in theoretical literature as well as
appropriate classroom methodology and course
design with the opportunity to create bespoke
teaching and learning materials.

senior roles within their teaching contexts,

or pursue a research qualification (usually
a PhD degree) in topics such as second
language learning and teaching, bilingual
education and multilingualism. Graduates are
consistently successful in winning prestigious
PhD scholarships and awards and they present
their work at international conferences and in
publications.

Assessment
Modules are typically assessed with 4,000word written assignments in which students are
asked to explore a topic of their choice, review
relevant literature and collect and analyse some
data in a small-scale research project. For some
modules, assessment will take the form of a
design and evaluation of curriculum or teaching
materials. There will be an early opportunity
to submit a short piece of written work and
receive constructive feedback from the tutor.
The dissertation is 15,000 words in length, and
encourages students to explore an aspect of
TEFL which is personally relevant to them and
their teaching contexts. Students typically have
five months to complete the dissertation and
have an individual supervisor to offer advice and
support.

Entry requirements
Applicants are required to have a first degree in
a related field (e.g. TEFL, education, linguistics),
but individuals from a range of educational
and professional backgrounds are considered.
A clearly demonstrated interest in TEFL is
important and while some teaching experience
is an advantage, it is not an essential
requirement for entry. International applicants
will need to provide evidence of English
proficiency.

Progression and employability

Graduates have progressed to jobs working as
EFL teachers in schools and universities around
the world, return to their English teaching jobs
in their home countries, are promoted to more

How to apply
Applications can be made at www.birmingham.
ac.uk/tefl. You are advised to apply early to
avoid disappointment.
Contact details
Dr Maggie Kubanyiova
T: +44 (0)121 414 8056
E: m.kubanyiova@bham.ac.uk

www.birmingham.ac.uk/tefl