The M.A. TEFL Program is designed to prepare professional teachers of English as a foreign language by increasing their knowledge of foreign language instructional theory and practice. Students in the program examine the following:

• Linguistics, sociolinguistics, and analysis of the English language;
• Second language acquisition and TEFL research;
• Language teaching methodology, curriculum and materials development, and testing.

M.A. TEFL students discuss and apply instructional models and linguistic theory which relate classroom experiences of EFL students to real-life communicative needs. They also improve their skills in understanding and conducting research in foreign language education.

Admission: Applicants are required to have a B.A. or B.S. degree in Linguistics, English Language Teaching, English, or American Studies. In addition, they are expected to have two years of teaching experience. Applicants must also successfully pass an entrance examination administered as part of the applicant screening process. The exact date and place of the examination is announced each year by the M.A. TEFL Program. (Also refer to the ``Graduate Admissions'' section in the introduction of this catalog for general graduate admission requirements.)

Degree Requirements:

• Satisfactory completion of 36 credit units of course work;
• A thesis approved by a faculty committee.

Criteria for satisfactory completion of courses are described by each instructor at the beginning of each semester. Criteria for successfully completing theses are presented in three Research Seminar courses. To a considerable extent, instruction is individualized and many opportunities are provided during the M.A. program to allow students to improve work which does not meet the criteria. Failure in one course or failure to complete the program in the allotted time, however, will result in no degree being granted. A grade point average of 3.00 is required to graduate.