Please note that the
MA TESL Program at BGSU
is currently not accepting applications for admission

BGSU Home Bowling Green State University
MA in TESL Acting Program Coordinator Dr. Shirley Ostler
Mailing Address: 211 East Hall
Bowling Green, Ohio 43403
(419) 372-8935
Fax (419) 372-0333

Welcome!

Welcome to the TESL program at Bowling Green State University. We hope you'll enjoy exploring our program and getting to know our faculty and students. We're constantly working on and improving our webpage, so don't hesitate to get in touch with us if you either have problems with the page, or if you have any questions at all about the program. Contact us with a click.

The BGSU MA TESL program is associated with

ESL for Migrants and Refugees

In late summer 2003, in conjunction with The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) the TESL program offered a new class in ESL in migrant communities and among refugees, some of the most under-served people in Northwest Ohio. It was a service learning course in which less experienced teachers were paired with more experienced classmates and actually taught English in migrant camps. Among other things, this class addressed the following issues: For more information, please contact Sheri Wells-Jensen at swellsj@bgnet.bgsu.edu.

Cultural Opportunities at BGSU

BGSU has all the advantages of its location in a small town in Ohio: a safe, relaxed, friendly community within easy driving distance of the city. Despite this rural setting, one of the unique things about the BGSU community is the number of events that occur on and near campus that expose students and community members to other cultures. Here are just a few of the yearly events and on-going groups you can get involved with:

Online Courses

During the summer of 2003, two required classes (English 615 Modern English Linguistics, and English 620, The Teaching of Writing) were offered online. For more information about English 615, contact Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen. For more information about English 620, contact Dr. Kris Blair.

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Summary of Degree Completion Requirements

In determining the requirements for our MA in Teaching English as a Second Language, we've thought carefully about the kinds of technical training and practical experiences we should offer. We've chosen our requirements with three factors in mind.

First, it is essential that teachers have a thorough knowledge of the material they are trying to teach. They should be experts in their chosen area. Our students study linguistics and the structure of language (especially English). Languages are marvelously complex and beautiful, and we have chosen course materials that we hope will help future teachers not only learn the facts but also appreciate and wonder at the diversity of human languages.

Along with a knowledge of subject matter, teachers must be up-to-date on pedagogical theory in their discipline. For this purpose, we offer courses in research and the theoretical underpinnings of TESL. We want teachers to continue to critique, absorb and utilize the latest research after they leave our program. In this way, the four semesters spent at BGSU will only be the beginning of the learning process.

Knowledge and training are all very well, but what teachers do is teach, and teaching well requires practice. We are happy to offer our interns a variety of opportunities both to observe classes and to teach. During a 3-9 credit internship in their second year, students teach actual ESL classes. They are observed and given feedback and encouragement. In addition to these formal, required teaching opportunities, MA students can also choose to participate in various ESL programs both on and off campus. In the past, our students have worked in BGSU's Writers' Lab, helped to teach English courses for spouses and children of international students, tutored public school students and helped with English classes for migrant workers.

Our master's degree is a four semester program. There are a total of 30-36 required hours of graduate credit, depending on the length and type of internship. These graduate credits are to be earned in the following areas:

English Coursework
24-36 graduate credit hours

Internship
3-9 graduate credit hours, supervised

Practicum
3 graduate hours

MA interns also assist in the English proficiency testing and placement program for incoming international students through the BGSU campus ESL program. Knowledge of and first-hand experience with testing and placement has proven invaluable to our graduates as they seek employment.

A comprehensive examination is given during the fourth semester of study. This examination is taken in lieu of a master's thesis. More information about University requirements is available in the Graduate Catalog.

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Course Work

There are ten required English department courses. All are held during late afternoon or evening hours. There is also ample room in the two year program for students to choose electives. These electives provide a wide variety of opportunities for specialization in related fields. Students often take classes in education, computer science, and foreign language departments.

Course Number Course Name Next Offered

Theories of and Research in TESL

ENG 610 Theories in TESL Fall 2004
ENG 611 Research and Resources in TESL Spring 2005
ENG 717 Applied Syntax Currently and Fall 2005
ENG 718 Applied Phonology Spring 2004

Classroom Application

ENG 612 Methods in TESL Spring 2004
ENG 689 Supervised Internship Currently and Fall 2004
ENG 697 Practicum in TESL Spring 2004

Linguistics and Composition

ENG 615 Modern English Linguistics Currently and fall 2004
ENG 620 Teaching of Writing Currently and fall 2004
ENG 716 Language Variation Spring 2004

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Course Descriptions
ENG 610 - Theories in TESL
It is not enough for a teacher to be naturally talented. The best language instruction is informed by the latest theories in how students learn, what techniques are most useful and how recent advances in linguistics can be used to enhance teaching. The ideas students pick up in this course serve as their professional foundation, giving them solid reasons to do what they do in the classroom.

ENG 611 - Research and Resources in TESL
This class teaches our students how to be good consumers of linguistic and applied linguistic research, showing them how to idenify and use well-conceived and useful research findings. Students also learn how to build their own research projects and how to find information they need.

ENG 717 - Applied Syntax
The key word here is "applied". Students are taught how to work with grammar and how the grammatical system functions in English and how to identify and address their students' problems. In addition to learning fundamental grammar concepts and terminology, students analyze actual texts written by ESL students.

ENG 718 - Applied Phonology
Again, the emphasis in this course is on the application of ideas that are being taught. As students learn the basic principles of the English phonological system, they are assigned to work one-to-one with individual ESL students. Doing this enables them to apply classroom instruction to an actual learner. Emphasis is placed on ear training and on gaining an understanding of the sound systems of a variety of languages. Class homepage

ENG 612 - Methods in TESL
The methods class focuses on the roles of the teacher, the student, and the community in language teaching and learning. A thorough review of current approaches to language teaching is complemented by opportunities for practical application of these approaches.

ENG 689 - Supervised Internship in TESL
To become an excellent teacher, it is necessary to teach, to think about one's teaching and to get feedback and suggestions from experienced colleagues. This course offers students these opportunities. There are three ways to fulfill the internship requirement. Students may teach on the BGSU campus, gaining valuable experience with college level learners or choose an off-campus experience through an internship opportunity in a local public school setting. Students may also opt for an overseas setting to learn more about EFL (Teaching English as a Foregn Language). This internship is usually done the third semester of the program. Each TESL student has full charge of an assigned class for the entire term.

ENG 697 - Practicum in TESL
Practicum in TESL is taught in conjunction with the Methods class. Students are assigned to observe two ESL classes in action. Each student keeps a journal of personal observations. These journals are used by the methods instructor to bring to the methods class the challenges of the "real-world" ESL classroom. Students also get practice with one-on-one tutoring.

ENG 615 - Modern English Linguistics
This course is a general introduction to the discipline of linguistics. It provides a foundation for later courses in syntax and phonology, and places these specialty courses in an appropriate linguistic context. The class touches on topics such as language structure, semantics, language and the brain, language and gender, bilingualism, animal language, psycholinguistics and language and indentity.
Class Homepage for Fall 2003

ENG 620 - Teaching of Writing
One of the strengths of the MA TESL program is that, through this course, students receive a strong foundation in "native speaker writing theory." These are the theories upon which many ESL writing theories are based. Thus, this course provides a basis for the teaching of writing in ESL, which is more specialized.

ENG 716 - Language Variation
This course is an introduction to the many variations of language. It offers insight into why these variations occur-- both across languages and within them--and why the persist. Topics discussed include dialects, gender and language and the interaction of language with class, race and ethnicity.

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Dual Degrees

TESL has agreements with Romance Languages and the Department of German, Russian and East Asian Languages (GREAL) under which students can get a dual Master's degree, doing the coursework in both departments. With a degree in *both* TESL and another language, the job opportunities double. Students often find that the coursework in one area nicely complements that in the other. Some of our recent graduates have done TESL/French, TESL/German and TESL/Spanish. these programs generally take three years with the first year being spent abroad. Details of exactly which courses are taken in which departments are worked out on an individual basis depending on what is being offered where. If you are interested in a dual degree, let us know as soon as you can, and we'll begin to work out the details.

For Spanish, French or Classics, contact Romance Languages: http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/roml/homepage.htm
For German, Russian and East Asian Languages, contact GREAL: http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/greal/

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Funding Opportunities

There are a number of opportunities to obtain funding for your MA degree here in TESL. All of these possibilities are open to everyone. International students compete on an equal footing with US students for each position.

Some of our incoming students teach General Studies Writing, a series of courses in academic writing and argumentation for BGSU's undergraduates. Other students have worked in the writers' lab, assisting students, staff and faculty on an individual basis with their writing. Some second year students have found other opportunities including working in the ESL office and other administrative positions.

These options represent only what students ordinarily do. BGSU is a big place with a marvelous variety of programs, both academic and otherwise. It's quite possible that we can matchyour interests and gifts with a position somewhere. We encourage you to be creative and persistent. We may not be able to fund every student, but we are eager to help you in your search for funding.

Updated: November 12, 2003