TESOL

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, known as TESOL, is a discipline at the intersection of applied linguistics, pedagogy and intercultural communication. It addresses the practical challenge of how English is taught to people for whom it is an additional language, and why some approaches to language teaching are more effective than others, drawing on linguistics, cognitive psychology and classroom research to develop evidence-informed practice. The addition of a modern language specialism gives you proficiency in another language alongside your professional training, which deepens your understanding of what language learning involves from the inside.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, this three-year full-time programme develops your understanding of language learning and teaching approaches alongside your knowledge of the English language itself. You will explore different types of communication, language variation and cross-cultural dynamics, developing the professional skills needed to work effectively in culturally diverse educational environments. The modern language component adds practical linguistic breadth to your professional training.

A placement year gives you direct professional experience in a relevant teaching or language context, and work placement opportunities are integrated throughout the programme.

Graduates of TESOL programmes enter a genuinely global professional field. Teaching English in language schools, further and higher education, corporate language training and secondary schools both in the UK and internationally are the most direct routes. The understanding of language and cultural diversity the programme develops is also valued in roles in intercultural communication, community development, educational publishing, curriculum design and language technology.

Some graduates pursue postgraduate study in applied linguistics, language education or TESOL itself, where the professional and academic formation of the undergraduate degree supports more advanced specialist work.