About the Program
- Mission Statement
- Program Details
- Learning in the Field
- Marketplace Opportunity
- Career Opportunities
- Why Study TESOL at APU?
- Housing Options
Mission Statement
The TESOL programs at Azusa Pacific University prepare present and future educators, both international and domestic, with the competencies and perspectives needed to teach English in a manner marked by professional excellence, intercultural sensitivity, integrity, and compassion. To this end, the program offers a 21-unit undergraduate TESOL minor, an 18-unit graduate Certificate in TESOL, a 6-unit graduate Certificate in TEFL, and a 36-unit master’s degree in TESOL taught by experienced Christian faculty who are motivated to serve God and their students, and who engage students in practical training grounded in theory and research.
Program Details
The Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) prepares students to become exemplary classroom teachers committed to continued professional development within a variety of adult contexts. Graduates of the program currently serve in the United States and several foreign countries in public and adult schools, colleges, universities, private institutions, and businesses.
APU's TESOL programs blend compassionate Christian service with strong academic preparation and practical training in language teaching. Project-based coursework engages the student in a variety of practical tasks, allowing students to:
- Formulate a working philosophy of language learning and teaching.
- Teach English grammar and pronunciation.
- Organize student interactions, activities, and tasks.
- Understand the influence of social and cultural differences on language development.
- Engage in practice-teaching experiences and student-teacher observation.
- Plan, implement, and assess student achievement.
- Develop a teacher portfolio that demonstrates their competence in teaching English as a second language.
Learning in the Field
APU's field-based master's degree can be completed in 30 months with three summer terms on the APU campus and two winter terms abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Courses are offered in an intensive one-week format with additional reading and writing assignments completed over six months. In lieu of writing a thesis or taking a comprehensive exam, teachers demonstrate their competence through an Action Research course.
In-service teachers complete their degree while teaching abroad and attend a series of intensive, one-week classes in July and January with a cohort of 6-28 classmates. Over the next six months, they complete additional assignments and class projects while teaching abroad. Classes are taught in an intensive format, yet coursework is completed in an extensive format, which allows teachers to apply and adapt what they are learning in their own classrooms overseas.
Field-based program candidates must be admitted to APU and have secured a teaching contract abroad, either on their own or through a sending agency such as English Language Institute/China (ELIC), Educational Services International (ESI) or Educational Resources and Referrals - China (ERRC).
Marketplace Opportunity
The growth of the use of the English language worldwide has been remarkable, presenting English teachers with unprecedented opportunities for intercultural service.
- In the last 50 years, English has rapidly become a global language, particularly for international politics, business, transportation, science and technology, the media, and higher education.
- Although English is the principal mother tongue in less than a dozen nations, it has significant or official status as a means of communication in more than 70 countries. Nearly a quarter of the world's population, more than 1.2 billion people, are already at least reasonably competent in English. This surpasses the spread of any other language in history.*
- English is now taught as a foreign language in more than 100 countries, making it the most widely taught foreign language in the world. In most of these countries, it is becoming the primary foreign language in the educational system.* Consequently, almost every nation in the world is demanding competent English teachers to help develop their professional labor force.
- Those who hold master's degrees in TESOL are among the most sought-after professionals in the world today. TESOL instruction represents an extraordinary opportunity for a meaningful career in education, both at home and abroad. As a field of practice, TESOL is unparalleled in its ability to provide:
- A natural platform for cultivating intercultural relationships.
- Opportunities for initiating self-supporting business ventures.
*David Crystal. English as a Global Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
Career Opportunities
Opportunities for teaching English abound both within and outside the U.S., in both private and public sectors. In the U.S., ESL teachers work with newcomers at all levels of the education system as well as in community or church-based programs; they also work with international students in higher education settings. However, schools prefer to hire trained professionals. While teachers with minimal training are hired for many classroom-teaching positions, those with graduate degrees hold an advantage and command higher salaries. In addition to teaching posts, they are considered for jobs in teacher training, curriculum and materials development, and program administration.
Why Study TESOL at APU?
- APU's TESOL programs combine an orientation toward compassionate Christian service with strong academic preparation and practical preparation for language teaching.
- The programs represent a blend of coursework and practical experiences which equip graduates to respond to the wide range of language needs, sociocultural differences, and program requirements they will encounter.
- Qualified faculty share their professional and cross-cultural experiences while adapting coursework to the unique needs and interest of students.
- APU is located in the greater Los Angeles area, where more than 150 languages are spoken. This diverse linguistic and cultural environment offers students an unmatched variety of multicultural practice-teaching and research opportunities.
- Graduates of APU's TESOL programs are currently serving both internationally and in the U.S.—in public schools, colleges and universities, private institutes, and businesses. Others have gone on to complete doctoral work in such fields as applied linguistics, international education, or intercultural studies.
Housing Options
While taking summer classes in Azusa, California, teachers will be living in the dorms with other colleagues enrolled in the program. The current location in Asia is the International Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
APU also provides housing resources through the Office of Asset Management. Asset Management manages Azusa Pacific University’s non-campus rental properties reserved for graduate, international and ALCI graduate, married undergraduate, other non-traditional students, and faculty/staff, as well as maintains up-to-date listings of housing opportunities for the larger APU and local communities. Please contact Asset Management for additional information about available housing options near APU.
