About the MAAL TESOL

Pedagogy

Students in the Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics/TESOL program explore the relationship between language, culture, and society to solve real-world problems in language teaching, language testing and intercultural communication. The program has a multidisciplinary scope, drawing from linguistics, psychology, sociology, ethnography, and education, and leads to two main areas (Strands) of specialization: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Testing. Each course in the program is delivered via eLearning using a combination of synchronous and asynchronous modalities and follows the constructivist approach to online delivery.

Structure and content delivery

Each course designed on the platform unfolds in learning modules. Each module is presented and analyzed using a variety of learning instruments and functions (e.g. study notes, presentations, links to research, study material, assignments, group activities, etc.). Each module comprises various interactive tools and activities with the aim to help students understand and consolidate what has been presented.

Students are expected to actively participate and engage in the course, complete all activities and assignments, join the virtual video sessions, and more importantly contribute to the discussions both synchronously and asynchronously.

For each course (15 weeks), students meet each week for 90 minutes via video conference (Blackboard Collaborate), and spend approximately 9-11 hours of asynchronous interaction, engagement, and study per week. During the 90-minute weekly live video conference, students are expected to participate in the discussion, pose questions and get answers and clarifications, watch videos, listen to podcasts, respond to polls, contribute to the chat, share files with the rest of the group, present live, complete online quizzes, work in pairs and/or in groups, etc.

Participation both in its synchronous and asynchronous modality is MANDATORY, and so are open cameras during the weekly live video conferences.

Strengths of the Program

Students in the program benefit from:

• A practicum in a real or digital classroom setting to develop advanced teaching skills.
• Opportunity to earn European-recognized certification as a teacher of English as a Foreign Language.
• A program that prepares you equally well for professional development and for doctoral studies.
• Courses that develop skills in using technology for language teaching in the classroom and online.
• Courses to analyze language in the real world and classroom settings.
• Courses that develop skills for research projects in linguistics and language education.
• Option to earn the International Tutor Training Program certification as a writing tutor from the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).
• Faculty mentoring and personal support for your academic and professional development.
• Option to earn certification in the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (ΕΣΥΔ).
• Career counseling and opportunities for networking through the Career Development Office during and after completing the programs.

Features of the Program

The MAAL-TESOL is offered only via eLearning, and it has been designed to fully engage and support students throughout their studies. The program features:

• Mandatory weekly live video 90’ sessions per course through Blackboard Collaborate with the instructor and the students. Classes are small —never more than 10 students—that ensure that everyone actively participates and gets the individual attention they need.
• An easy-to-use NGDLE learning platform and a rich variety of interactive communication tools including video blogs, journals, and threaded discussions—all designed to make it easy for students to share their experience, insights and questions with their teacher and fellow students.
• One-on-one support and systematic communication from a faculty mentor throughout the program and technical assistance whenever needed.
• Help in building an individual electronic portfolio for potential employers that showcases the student’s work in the program—a video of a class they’ve taught, perhaps, and a syllabus they’ve designed or a research project they’ve done.
• Exams and tests are administered electronically and monitored by a specially designed software which combines Artificial Intelligence and Live proctoring to ensure a safe and secure testing environment.

The Practicum

Students in the MA in Applied Linguistics/TESOL program have the option to complete a practicum. The Practicum is designed for students with little or no experience in teaching English to speakers of other languages (ESOL).

During the Practicum, students engage in teaching, observation, and reflection in order to broaden their teaching experience. Practicum students observe experienced cooperating teachers of English Language Learners. They teach lessons/parts of lessons and participate in post lesson discussions, during which they receive constructive feedback and summative assessment of their performance. A major component of the Practicum is the development of strong reflective teaching practices. Both the coordinator of the Practicum and the cooperating teacher provide guidance and feedback, which helps students evaluate their own practice as an ongoing part of their professional development.

Practicum students create a reflective journal during their practicum, which includes detailed lesson plans, samples of materials, students’ work, and assessment tasks. They are also expected to write their reflections on the lessons they conducted, and responses to post-lesson discussions.

Depending on your professional and academic goals, you can choose to do your practicum abroad or in the United States.