Do I need to be a working teacher to enrol in the MA Language Teaching and Learning?

Working teaching experience strongly recommended and required for the classroom research dissertation. Students without active teaching arrange a short placement in a partner ESOL or EFL setting through LSJHML's placement coordinator.

Does the MA Language Teaching and Learning replace a DELTA?

No. DELTA is a Cambridge-administered professional qualification with its own structure and assessment. The MA covers much of the same SLA and methodology research at greater academic depth. Many senior practitioners hold both; some employers accept the MA as DELTA-equivalent for certain roles.

Can I focus the MA Language Teaching and Learning dissertation on a specific learner population?

Yes. Past dissertations have included topics on EAP writing instruction at UK universities, young-learner phonics, refugee ESOL provision in London adult education, and one-to-one corporate English. Subject is your choice, agreed with your supervisor.

Can I take the MA Language Teaching and Learning part-time?

Yes. The MA can be taken over 24 months part-time. Online and distance routes are available. The seminar pattern continues remotely with live cohort calls; the classroom research dissertation can be built around your own teaching setting.

Is the MA Language Teaching and Learning recognised by UK universities?

The MA is a UK master's degree recognised across the UK ELT sector including university EAP centres, ELT institutions and assessment bodies. Several graduates have moved into senior university EAP roles and teacher-trainer positions on completion.

MA Language Teaching and Learning | LSJHML London | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA Language Teaching and Learning at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for English-language teachers, modern-foreign-language teachers, teacher trainers and materials writers who want master's-level depth in second-language acquisition research and applied classroom practice. You will work through SLA theory at master's intensity, study contemporary classroom methodology research, and complete a 12,000–15,000 word dissertation on a classroom-practice question of your choice.

The MA Language Teaching and Learning takes practising teachers from competent classroom practice to research-informed senior practice. By graduation you can read the SLA and methodology literature on its own terms, design and run a piece of classroom research, and contribute to teacher training and materials development at master's level.

Key Features

SLA research seminar across cognitive, interactional and sociocultural traditions.
Classroom methodology research — task-based learning, content-based teaching, dogme, blended approaches.
Materials and assessment module — CEFR-aligned materials design, formative assessment, summative testing.
Classroom research methods — action research, classroom observation, learner-language analysis.
Industry-led masterclasses with senior ELT practitioners, materials writers, examination specialists and teacher trainers.
12,000–15,000 word dissertation on a classroom-practice question, supervised across the year.

What You Will Learn

The MA Language Teaching and Learning is structured around three strands — SLA theory, classroom methodology and applied research. You graduate able to engage seriously with current SLA and methodology literature, design and execute a piece of classroom research, and apply your training to teacher training, materials design or senior classroom practice.

SLA theory — cognitive, interactional and sociocultural accounts at master's depth.
Cognitive SLA — input, output, attention, working memory.
Interactional SLA — interaction hypothesis, negotiation of meaning, scaffolding.
Sociocultural SLA — Vygotskian approaches, mediation, identity in language learning.
Contemporary methodology — task-based learning, content-based teaching, dogme, blended learning.
Skills and systems research — current research on reading, listening, speaking, writing, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation.
Assessment — CEFR alignment, formative and summative testing, validity, washback.
Materials design — adaptation, evaluation, original materials development.
Classroom research — action research, observation, learner-language analysis.

Who This MA Is For

Working English-language teachers (EFL, ESOL, EAP) ready for master's-level professional development.
Modern-foreign-language teachers in UK secondary schools moving into senior practice or teacher training.
Teacher trainers and Directors of Studies seeking research-informed credibility.
ELT materials writers and examination specialists building toward senior roles in publishing and assessment.

Career Pathways

The UK and international ELT sector is a significant employer for MA graduates across senior teaching, teacher training, materials writing, assessment and academic management. Typical destinations include:

EFL Teacher (senior — university EAP, ELT centre, international school)
Director of Studies (language school, ELT institution)
Teacher Trainer (CELTA centre, DELTA centre, in-house training)
ELT Materials Writer (senior — major publisher)
Academic Coordinator (university English for Academic Purposes centre)
Examination Specialist (Cambridge Assessment-style organisation, IELTS partner)

The MA also serves as a launchpad for doctoral research in applied linguistics or for senior ELT institutional leadership.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject, OR a 2:2 in any subject with two years of relevant teaching experience.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement (max 1 page) outlining your teaching background and intended research focus.
Two academic or professional references.
Applicants without a related undergraduate degree may be considered with significant teaching experience and a written sample.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.