TESOL / Foreign Language Teaching

This teacher education program is now over 30 years old and its graduates are scattered all over the world, many in senior positions.

Students in the program at UC gain all the benefits of a rich language learning environment, in particular easy access to observations of language classes and opportunities for real teaching experience.

Future students who are interested in teaching a foreign language apart from English are also encouraged to apply. The content of all subjects in the Program may be related to languages other than English, and some students may wish to gain a qualification in teaching both English and another foreign language.

What is special about the TESOL Program?

A balance of practice and theory: participants gain practical knowledge and skills while reviewing the way that beliefs, principles and theories affect teaching
A curriculum with a solid basis in education, linguistics and applied linguistics
Encouragement of participants self-evaluation and critical reflection on practice
Attention to the future workplaces of participants and opportunities to specialise in areas of personal interest
Opportunities to study and collaborate with people of different cultures and backgrounds
Respect for all the value that the non-native-English-speaking teacher brings to the profession
Friendly and supportive learning environment
Highly qualified and internationally experienced staff
HECS places available in the Graduate Diploma and MA courses

What sort of people study in the TESOL Program?

The Program attracts a healthy diversity of participants from Australia and overseas. They are both native and non-native speakers of English and they are of different ages and professional or educational backgrounds. All share an interest in language, languages, cultures, and language learning and teaching. In particular, they are:

People with little or no previous experience of language teaching who are seeking a sound, recognised qualification in English and/or foreign language teaching
Practising teachers of English and/or a foreign language who are seeking substantial professional development and an enhancement of career prospects

Where can our graduates find work?

Wherever languages are learned there is a need for teachers. Qualified English as a Foreign or Second Language teachers are especially in demand in this era as English establishes itself as a global language.

Opportunities for graduates from our courses are:

Overseas: there is a huge demand, particularly for English teachers, from schools, colleges, universities and private language centres throughout the world
In Australia: the non-government sector is the main source of work chiefly university and private language centres, Technical and Further Education colleges

Teaching languages in the Australian school system

In order to teach ESL or a foreign language in the Australian public school system you need a Bachelor Education or a Graduate Diploma of Education. Serving school teachers who are without specific academic qualifications in TESL may take our undergraduate subjects in Teaching English as a Second Language to upgrade their qualifications. Secondary or primary teachers of ESL or Languages Other Than English may enroll in our postgraduate courses for the sake of professional development and further opportunities in the teaching field.