Determining which type of program to pursue for TESOL qualifications isn’t as simple as one might think. English language teachers come from a variety of training backgrounds – all valid and useful for their specific purpose, but quite varied in actual training courses. Before pursuing training, it’s important to determine what type of job you are most interested in to identify the type of degree you’ll seek. Each of the degrees described below provides English teaching qualifications, but for different contexts and settings.
| Applied Linguistics | MATESOL | M.Ed. / MAT | |
| Audience | Those who want to use linguistics in a practical way | Those who desire to specifically teach English around the world | Those who seek teacher certification in the US |
| Sample Courses | Linguistic theory:Semantics Morphology Phonetics/phonology Syntax Language: First language acquisition Second language acquisition Psycholinguistics Teaching: Bilingualism Literacy Methods Materials | Linguistic Theory:Sociolinguistics Phonology Language: Second Language acquisition Structure of English Language analysis Teaching: Assessment Curriculum design Methods Materials Assessment Teaching pronunciation | Linguistic Theory:Linguistics for ESL teachers Intro to linguistics Language: Bilingualism Second Language acquisition Teaching: Multicultural education Methods Materials Assessment of language learners Literacy for language learners Technology in the classroom |
| Specializations | Language teaching Bilingualism/multilingualism Literacy Language acquisition Language planning and policy Pragmatics Translation | English for specific purposes English for academic purposes | Elementary Secondary Content based (e.g. math, science) |
| Professional Organizations | Center for Applied Linguistics(CAL) American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) | Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages(TESOL) International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) | Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages(TESOL) National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) |
| The rundown | Masters in Applied Linguistics are best suited for those who want to study linguistics as well as teach English in a non-public education (US) setting. The degree can also be used in other types of linguistic careers. | MATESOL degrees are best suited for those who want to teach English as a career. Typically, jobs in intensive English programs at the university level and the better international jobs hire only candidates with an MATESOL. | M.Ed./ESL degrees are specifically for certification to teach ESL in American public schools. Regardless of degree/experience, if a candidate does not have ESL certification of some sort, a school system will not hire them as a full teacher (though in high need areas, provisional licensures may be given.) |
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