Language Teaching (MA)

Do any of the following describe you?

• Want to focus on learning and teaching language and culture.
• Would like to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) in the United States and/or abroad.
• Want to work with international students and/or in study abroad.
• Interested in a career at a community college.
• Seek intensive study of a target culture and language (e.g., Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, or French).
• Already hold a degree or credential in a language or possess comparable proficiency.
• Already teach a language at a high school and want to increase your knowledge and earning potential.
• Interested in going on to a PhD program in applied linguistics or second language acquisition.

Do these jobs sound interesting to you?

Our alumni are:

• College foreign language instructors
• Study abroad advisors
• PhD students at top-notch universities
• TESOL instructors
• Developing online language learning materials

Other possibilities are:

• Second and foreign language teachers
• English language teacher around the world

Is this the kind of salary you are seeking?

Salaries vary widely depending on the position. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows the following outlook for Postsecondary Teachers(opens in new window):

Median Pay
$79,640 per year

Job Outlook
12% (Much faster than average)

Environment
Most postsecondary teachers work in public and private colleges and universities, professional schools, and junior or community colleges. Most work full time, although part-time work is common.

What if my bachelor’s is unrelated to language
or language teaching?

Applicants must hold a degree or credential in the target language or possess comparable
proficiency.

How long will it take?

• The MA in teaching international languages is a 36-unit program. Students usually take two years to complete the program.

Meaning-Oriented Language Instruction

• Emphasis on meaning-oriented language instruction such as communicative, task-based, content-based and process-oriented approaches.
• Focus on intercultural communicative competence, technology in language learning, teaching second language writing, and teaching heritage language learners.

Second Language Learning Processes

• Learn about second language learning processes and the cognitive and social contexts in which they play out.
• Learn how theories and research in second language acquisition (SLA) inform current approaches to language teaching and design of pedagogical materials and innovative curricula.

Professional Field Experience

• Opportunities for internship courses, professional field experience, teaching in the American Language and Culture Institute on campus or at a community college, or teaching experience overseas.
• Help for educators preparing for National Board Certification in World Languages or ESL. 

Teaching in the Department of Languages and Cultures

Monica Lopez Acosta has enjoyed teaching a section of Spanish 101 as the stand-alone instructor in the Department of Languages and Cultures at CSU, Chico and gained extensive experience in developing a repertoire of teaching materials for her class.

In addition, she is completing a thesis that explored Spanish learners’ awareness of the use of the Voseo in different Spanish-speaking regions. As president of the Language Teaching student association, Monica secured funding through the College of HFA to bring Dr. Joe Barcoft (professor of second language acquisition and Spanish at Washington University in St. Louis) to campus for a guest lecture in Spring 2020.

Tutoring Composition in English

Upon completing coursework in tutoring composition in English and teaching second/foreign language writing, Shannon Miller enjoys working as a tutor in English as a Second Language (ESL) Support Services on campus.