Mission, Principals and Goals

Mission Statement

The Master of Arts Degree in Language Teaching fosters the study of languages as an integral part of a world-class education in a global society.

The program

• Promotes the development of knowledgeable, reflective, inquiry-oriented professionals prepared to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and foreign languages.
• Promotes the development of educators who use curriculum, assessment, and professional standards in foreign languages and TESOL to guide effective practice.
  Prepares language professionals for a broad spectrum of cultural contexts and instructional settings in the United States and abroad.
  Enables students from all nations to fully participate in the multilingual, interdependent communities of the twenty-first century. 
  Serves as a pre-doctoral preparation program for language educators.

Guiding Principles

The program draws upon a philosophical foundation based on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that characterize professional practice at its best. This foundation is encompassed within the five core propositions defined by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. These have been adapted to serve as guiding principles for language educators in the program.

The program strives to prepare language teachers that

1. Are committed to students and their learning
2. Know the language(s) they teach and know how to teach language.
3. Know the culture(s) of the language(s) they teach and know how to teach culture as an integral part of language learning.
4. Are responsible for planning, managing, and assessing student learning.
5. Think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
6. Are lifelong learners and members of learning communities.

As educators, teachers are also expected to model a personal and professional code of ethics that reflects integrity and fairness.

Program Goals

The program is designed for graduate students interested in the effective teaching and learning of international languages. In general, our language professionals

1. Demonstrate knowledge of language learners in foreign/second language contexts.
2. Develop competencies in and demonstrate knowledge of foreign/second language curriculum, instruction, and assessment guided by state and national standards.
3. Develop competencies in and demonstrate knowledge of the target language and culture(s).
4. Engage in professional development that advances accomplished teaching of international languages and effective utilization of an ever expanding interdisciplinary knowledge base for the benefit of language learners.