EdM, Teaching English as a Second Language—College/Adult

The Teaching English as a Second Language (College/Adult) program prepares students to teach English to speakers of other languages at the college and adult levels. Students seeking licensure to teach ESL at the Pre-K–12 level should see the licensure track section in this website.

Most of the students who enroll in the college and adult Teaching English as a Second Language program are interested in teaching English to adults in college, community, and other programs in the U.S. and abroad. Some students may also use this training to teach English as a second language to younger learners in primary and secondary schools abroad. Application to the program is competitive. International students who do not hold a degree from an English-speaking institution must submit an official TOEFL score. Our school code is 3066. For TOEFL score information, please visit our website.

Students in the program are required to take courses in linguistic theory, applied English grammar, language acquisition, methodology of teaching English to speakers of other languages, and either cross-cultural communication or computer-assisted language learning. Candidates are also required to complete a semester of supervised student-teaching (for native speakers of English) or guided observation (for non-native speakers of English) in a field setting that matches their particular interests. BU’s Teaching English as a Second Language program produces innovative teachers well versed in both theoretical and applied teaching principles.

Graduates of the TESOL program teach in a wide variety of settings, and particular emphasis is placed on the development and evaluation of curriculum materials. As a result, many of our graduates have published extensively, and have developed new materials for a rapidly expanding field in education.

Program Requirements

Required Coursework (32 Credits)

• SED TL 509 Methods of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (4 cr)
• CAS EN 518 Linguistic Problems in TESOL (4 cr)
• SED LS 565 Introduction to Language and Linguistics (4 cr)
• SED RS 600 Introduction to Research (4 cr)
• SED LS 658 Second Language Acquisition (4 cr)
• SED TL 835 Seminar in TESOL (4 cr)

Plus two of the following: (8 Credits)

• SED TL 512 Computer Assisted Language Learning (4 cr)
• SED LS 626 Intercultural Education (4 cr)
• One 4-credit graduate-level course offered by SED or the Graduate School of Arts &
  Sciences and approved by faculty advisor

Practicum (4–6 Credits)

U.S. Students

SED TL 612 Student-teaching TESOL: College and Adult (6 cr)

International Students

SED TL 614 Field Observation for International Students (4 cr)