Department website: https://worldlanguages.wvu.edu/
Degree Offered
- Master of Arts
- Graduate Certificate
Nature of the Program
The M.A. program in TESOL prepares teachers to teach English as a second language in an English-speaking setting as well as English as a foreign language in countries around the world. The program includes 30 hours of coursework focusing on language, linguistics, literature and culture in conjunction with different aspects of teaching English, while balancing both the theoretical and practical aspects of TESOL. The program may be completed either by taking comprehensive exams, or by writing and defending a Master's thesis. The program is intended for students who seek specialized knowledge in order to pursue an English as a second language teaching career, as well as for students who plan to prepare for doctoral studies in applied linguistics.
Available Financial Aid
Graduate teaching assistantships are available to students admitted to any of our three M.A. programs for teaching different languages, including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, English as a Second Language, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. The assistantships carry full university tuition remission and a nine-month stipend (August–May); there are also limited opportunities to teach during the university’s summer session.
In addition to the graduate teaching assistantships, a limited number of meritorious tuition waiver awards are sometimes available from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences through the department. These awards are based on academic performance and financial need.
Graduate Teaching Assistants
The department values the contributions made by our graduate assistants and strives to help them become effective teachers. Graduate assistants normally teach two courses (six class-hours per week). They work under the direct supervision of the course coordinator in the language area, but they are fully responsible for their courses (including evaluating their students’ work). The coordinator will conduct orientations and organizational meetings with graduate assistants and provide course materials (such as syllabi). In addition, the coordinator will periodically observe individual classes in order to assess the graduate assistants’ performance and to provide encouragement and assistance.
All graduate teaching assistants must register for one of our language teaching methods classes (LANG 421, LANG 521, or LANG 621, depending on the language they are teaching). In addition, graduate assistants must register for LANG 690 each semester of employment. Students who have already received an M.A. in World Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from West Virginia University may be ineligible for an assistantship in this department.
Additional Points of Information
Advising
All graduate students will have a primary advisor (to be assigned by the chairperson). Students should consult with their advisor when they register for courses or add and/or drop courses. In addition, the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies is available to answer questions regarding the degree program, requirements, comprehensive examinations, graduation, etc. Students may consult with the chairperson regarding departmental matters.
Study Abroad Opportunities for Graduate Students
Qualified teaching assistants in French may compete for the Marguerite Eynard McBride Award, which funds an academic year in France. Year-long exchange programs for graduate students are also in place for France and Spain. The department also sponsors study abroad during the summers in Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Mexico, Spain, and Taiwan that graduate students may participate in if they meet the program’s requirements. Grants are available on a competitive basis through the department and through the Office of International Programs to assist students who wish to study abroad.
Faculty
Chair
- Amy S. Thompson - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Applied Linguistics
Associate Chairs
- Sandra Stjepanović - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Graduate Studies, Linguistics, Syntax, Psycholinguistics, Semantics - Pablo Garcia Loaeza - Ph.D. (Indiana University Bloomington)
Undergraduate Studies, Spanish Language, Latin American Colonial Literature
Professors
- Daniel Ferreras - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
French and Spanish, Comparative Romance Literature, French/Spanish 19th and 20th Century Novel, Theory of the Fantastic - Pablo Garcia Loaeza - Ph.D. (Indiana University Bloomington)
Spanish Language, Latin American Colonial Literature - Valérie Lastinger - Ph.D. (University of Georgia)
French, 18th-century French Literature, French Women Writers - Amy S. Thompson - Ph.D. (Michigan State University)
Applied Linguistics
Associate Professors
- Manal AlNatour - Ph.D. (University of Arkansas)
Arabic Studies, Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies - Susan Braidi - Ph.D. (University of Delaware)
ESL/Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Syntax - Cynthia Chalupa - Ph.D. (Ohio State University)
Fin de Siècle German and Austrian Literature, Poetry, Foreign Language Pedagogy - Deborah Janson - Ph.D. (University of California)
German, 18th-21st-century German Literature, Enlightenment, Romanticism, GDR and Post-Wende Literature, Ecofeminism - Jonah Katz - Ph.D. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Phonetics, Phonology, Theoretocal and Experimental Linguistics, Music Cognition - Tania de Miguel Magro - Ph.D. (The State University of New York, Stony Brook)
Spanish Literature and Culture, Spanish Language, Spanish Golden Age Literature - Sergio Robles Puente - Ph.D. (University of Southern California)
Spanish Phonetics, Phonology, and Sociolinguistics - Sandra Stjepanović - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Linguistics, Syntax, Psycholinguistics, Semantics - Ching-Hsuan Wu - Ph.D. (The Ohio State University)
Chinese, Applied Linguistics
Assistant Professors
- William Justin Morgan - Ph.D. (University of Alabama)
Spanish, Applied Linguistics - Nicole Tracy-Ventura - Ph.D. (Northern Arizona University)
Applied Linguistics - Sonia Zarco-Real - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Peninsular literature and Hispanic transatlantic studies
Teaching Professors
- Lisa Di Bartolomeo - Ph.D. (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Russian and Polish Language and Literature, Slavic Folklore, Culture and Cinema, Science Fiction, the Holocaust
Teaching Associate Professors
- Annastella Vester - Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles)
Italian, Contemporary Italian Literature, 18th and 19th-century Italian
Teaching Assistant Professors
- Heiko ter Haseborg - Ph.D. (West Virginia University)
Education, Applied Linguistics - Yilin Liao-Carlson - Ph.D. (Purdue University)
Chinese - Rafael Osuna Montanez - Ph.D. (University of Connecticut)
Spanish
Teaching Instructors
- Yumiko Adachi - M.A. (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Japanese Linguistics - Karen Allen - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Livia Cascao - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Lindsey DeBolt - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Tracy Dingess - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Arelana Mago - M.A. (University of Pittsburgh)
Spanish - Beatrice Malvisi - M.A. (University of Pittsburgh)
Italian - Lindsei Pereira da Silva - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Jennifer Simpson - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL - Kristen Williams - M.A. (West Virginia University)
ESL
Professors Emeriti
- María Amores - Ph.D. (Penn State University)
Spanish, Foreign Language Acquisition - Sandra Dixon - Ph.D. (Brown University)
Spanish, Spanish American Literature, Brazilian Literature) - Ahmed Fakhri - Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
ESL/Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Applied Linguistics, Discourse Analysis - Pablo González - Ph.D. (University Complutense de Madrid)
Spanish American Literature and Culture - Michael Lastinger - Ph.D. (University of Georgia)
French, 19th Century French Literature, Critical Theory - Kathleen McNerney - Ph.D. (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico)
Spanish, Catalan Language and Literature, Spanish Literature and Culture, Women Writers
Admissions
The Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics offers both an M.A. program and a graduate certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
- The M.A. program in TESOL is a 30-hour program that prepares teachers to teach English as a second language in an English-speaking setting, as well as English as a foreign language in countries around the world.
- The Graduate Certificate in TESOL is a 12-hour program designed for students interested in gaining foundational knowledge in second language acquisition theory and its relationship to language teaching and pedagogy. While the Certificate integrates well with our M.A. program in Linguistics, it also opens the door for students in other graduate fields that intersect with the study of TESOL (e.g., English, Education, Speech Pathology, and others) to enhance their graduate education. Additionally, it may be of interest to members of the community, such as K-12 teachers, who need continuing education credits or who are interested in earning additional qualifications, or to students who would like to teach English overseas.
M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
In addition to the university requirements for admission, applicants to the master’s program must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (cumulative as well as within the major) and should possess an undergraduate degree in Linguistics (or an acceptable related area). Admission to our M.A. program is competitive.
Graduate Certificate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
To be considered for admission to the Certificate, applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in their most recent degree program, as well as evidence of an introductory Linguistics course on their transcript.
List of Admission Requirements for both programs:
- See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application here.
- All prior transcripts.
- Three letters of recommendation from academic references for the M.A., one for the certificate. Letters of recommendation should be from a professor who knows and can comment on the applicant's academic potential.
- Resume.
-
A personal statement of 300-word discussing the applicant's academic background, past accomplishments, reasons for selecting this program and how it relates to future goals.
-
An academic writing sample in English. The sample may be a paper previously submitted for an academic course. In general, it should be 10-15 pages, although longer submissions are also welcome.
International Applicants:
- See the steps to apply for admissions and access the application here
- International applicants should view additional requirements here and here; please note that admission the TESOL program requires at least a 92 on the TOEFL, 6.5 on IELTS, or 115 on Duolingo, which is higher than the other stated requirements
- Language proficiency is required in order to hold a graduate teaching assistantship. See here.
Application Deadlines:
- For admission to the fall semester, completed applications must be received by February 1st
- For admission to the spring semester, completed applications must be received by October 1st
Certain application requirements may be waived based on a preliminary review of an application by the program.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
Students applying for fall admission to the M.A. program may be considered for a teaching assistantship. Interested applicants should fill out the WLLL TA Application and upload it, along with supporting documents, as part of the personal statement in the graduate application. Applicants will first be considered for admission to the program. If admitted, they will be considered for an assistantship. Applicants who wish to be considered for an assistantship should submit a completed application by February 1st. The department does not normally award assistantships to start in a Spring semester. Students who are admitted in the spring semester and would like to be considered for an assistantship to start the following Fall, can fill out the WLLL TA application and email it to the Associate Chair of Graduate Studies by February 1st.
For questions, please contact: WorldLangInfo@mail.wvu.edu
Admission Requirements 2024-2025
The Admission Requirements above will be the same for the 2024-2025 Academic Year.
M.A. Major Code: 14D8
Certificate Code: CG62
For specific information on the following program, please see the link to the right:
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, M.A.
Departmental Requirements for the B.A. in Chinese Studies
- Capstone Requirement: The university requires the successful completion of a Capstone course. Chinese Studies majors complete CHIN 496.
- Writing and Communication Skills Requirement: The Chinese Studies Bachelor of Arts is a SpeakWrite Certified ProgramTM. SpeakWrite Certified programs incorporate and develop students’ written, verbal, visual, and mediated communication skills across the curriculum.
- Calculation of GPA in the Major: Chinese Studies majors must achieve a minimum grade point average of 2.25 for graduation and in Chinese Studies Major Requirements.
- Residency Requirements: Students completing a major in Chinese Studies at WVU must fulfill a residency requirement by completing at least fifteen credit hours above 204 on campus in their language/area of study, excluding courses numbered 490 and 491, and courses obtained through credit by examination.
- Benchmark Expectations: For details, go to the Chinese Studies Degree Progress tab.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 66 | |
| ECAS B.A. Requirements | 9 | |
| Chinese Studies Major Requirements | 33 | |
| TESOL Degree Requirements | 30 | |
| Total Hours | 138 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 | 36 | |
| LANG 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 29 | |
| Total Hours | 66 | |
ECAS Bachelor of Arts Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Arts Requirement | ||
| Foreign Language | 9 | |
| Global Studies and Diversity Requirement | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Chinese Studies Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Language Courses | 15 | |
| Second Year Chinese 2 | ||
| Select four of the following courses: * | ||
| Third Year Chinese 1 | ||
| Third Year Chinese 2 | ||
| Readings in Modern Chinese 1 | ||
| Readings in Modern Chinese 2 | ||
| Business Chinese | ||
| Chinese Media | ||
| Intensive Mandarin Chinese 2 | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Literature and Culture Requirement | 6 | |
| Select two of the following courses: | ||
| Chinese Civilization and Culture | ||
| Chinese Literature Translation 1 | ||
| Chinese Literature in Translation 2 | ||
| Chinese Studies Electives | 9 | |
Select three courses in any of the following categories: | ||
1. Alternate upper-division courses in Chinese language | ||
2. Alternate FLIT or FCLT courses in Chinese literature or culture | ||
3. Any courses from the following list: | ||
| Modern China | ||
| Introduction to Structural Linguistics | ||
| Government of China | ||
| Religions of China and Japan | ||
| History of Chinese Thought | ||
| Capstone | 3 | |
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Total Hours | 33 | |
TESOL Degree Requirements
- Credit Hours: Students are required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at the graduate level. No more than 12 hours of coursework done at the 400 level will be counted toward the degree.
- Grade Point Average: Students must earn a minimum overall GPA of 2.75, and a GPA of 3.00 in coursework applied to their graduate program.
- Graduation Requirement: In addition to completing 30 hours of coursework, students must pass comprehensive examinations or successfully defend a thesis.
- Comprehensive Examinations: The comprehensive examinations are intended to evaluate students’ knowledge, including the ability to synthesize and evaluate ideas in their area of emphasis.The examinations are based on standardized reading lists and coursework.
- Thesis: A student may request to write a thesis and prepare an oral defense. For more information about this option, see the document “Thesis Guidelines.”
- Benchmarks: For details, go to the TESOL Degree Progress tab.
- Additional Requirements:
- Students must satisfy the foreign language requirement by the time they graduate:
- Students in the major in TESOL who are native speakers of English must demonstrate proficiency in a second language prior to graduation by completing one language course of level 204 or above, with a grade of B or better, or by taking the departmental placement examination in one language and placing above the 204-level.
- International students whose native language is not English are considered to have satisfied this requirement by virtue of their TOEFL or IELTS score.
- Students must satisfy the foreign language requirement by the time they graduate:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CORE COURSES: | 27 | |
| Second Language Reading | ||
| Teaching English Overseas | ||
| English as a Second Language Methods | ||
| Methods of Research | ||
| English as a Second Language Theory | ||
| Language Assessment | ||
| English as a Second Language Linguistics | ||
| English as a Second Language Phonetics | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
| American Culture | ||
| Computer Assisted Language Learning | ||
| Second Language Writing | ||
| Literacy in a Second Language | ||
| Applied Linguistics | ||
| ELECTIVES | 3 | |
| The Teaching of Foreign Languages | ||
| Teaching Foreign Language in College | ||
| Research (up to 6 credits) * | ||
| Structure of Modern French | ||
| Phonology | ||
| Syntax | ||
| Structure of Spanish | ||
| Sociolinguistics | ||
| Discourse Analysis | ||
| Advanced Phonology | ||
| Advanced Syntax | ||
| Psycholinguistics | ||
| Language Typology | ||
| Spanish Prosody | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
For specific information on the following program, please see the link to the right:
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Graduate Certificate
Degree Progress
M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL)
- All students should complete a plan of study by the end of their first semester.
- Students will be evaluated in writing at the end of the Spring term on a yearly basis. If adequate progress is not made, students may be placed on probation or dismissed from the program.
- Students who choose the thesis option should typically defend their thesis topic by the midterm of their second semester, have their thesis proposal approved by the end of the second semester, and submit and defend their thesis during the semester in which they intend to graduate. The student’s thesis committee may revise these deadlines.
- Students who choose the examination option should complete the examinations during the semester in which they intend to graduate.