The Teaching Foreign Language (TFL) specialization program provides intensive training specifically for language education.

Overview

The specialization program is designed for Middlebury Institute students who are pursuing a Master of Arts in TESOL and who want to add a TFL specialization to their coursework so that they are also eligible to teach a foreign language. Students pursuing other Institute degree programs can also choose to add a TFL specialization to their coursework to provide broader professional expertise and additional career avenues in language education and curriculum design.

Curriculum

Specialization for TESOL students

The 14-credit TFL Specialization for TESOL students consists of the following courses:

  • Language Studies (4 credits)
  • Pedagogical Grammar in Foreign Language Education (4 credits, spring semester only)
  • Second Language Acquisition (1 credit Directed Study)*
  • Language Assessment (1 credit Directed Study)*
  • Principles and Practices of Language Teaching I (1 credit Directed Study)*
  • Sociolinguistics (1 credit Directed Study)*
  • Electives (2 credits)

*The Directed Study credits are typically taken after completing the course and include a project that is related to the course area and focused on teaching a foreign language (e.g. for Principles and Practices of Language Teaching I, students might design a foreign language curriculum.)

Specialization for Other Degree students

The 15-credit TESOL Specialization for other degree students (not TESOL) consists of the following courses:

  • Principles and Practices of Language Teaching I (4 credits)
  • Principles and Practices of Language Teaching II  (4 credits)
  • Language Analysis (3 credits)
  • Pedagogical Grammar in Foreign Language Education (2 credit Directed Study)*
  • Electives (2 credits)

*For the Directed Study, students register for and attend all class sessions of Pedagogical Grammars in Foreign Language Education and complete selected assignments.

Questions

Current students: contact Professor Jason Martel.