The information in this handbook should serve as a supplement but not a substitute for the policies and procedures of the College of Arts and Sciences detailed in the Graduate Bulletin. This Bulletin is available for the graduate division of the College of Arts and Sciences. All graduate students should become thoroughly familiar with the information contained there.
GSU |
AL/ESL|
Faculty |
MA in Applied Linguistics Emphasis|
Courses |
Master's Portfolio |
Master's Paper |
Classroom-Based Experience |
Professional Development Activities |
Funding for Students |
Graduate Student Association |
Graduation |
Forms to Use in Program
Applied Linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of research and instruction; its research and graduate instructional curricula integrate aspects of fields such as linguistics, English, teacher education, speech communication, psychology, sociology, and anthropology into a distinct field focused on issues in the learning and teaching of second languages. In the United States, applied linguists generally examine and work on the various issues involved in the teaching and learning of a second/foreign language (e.g., the teaching and learning of English as a second language).
Georgia
State University is a
metropolitan research university with a large enrollment of international
students. Georgia State
has a total enrollment of 33,000 students, including more than 9,000 graduate
students, from all fifty states and over one hundred countries around the
world. The University offers graduate students opportunities for developing
expertise in teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and teaching English
as a Foreign Language (TEFL). It offers access to extensive library holdings,
modern language teaching facilities, and a distinguished and dedicated
faculty.
The
Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language
in the College of Arts and Sciences provides instruction to (1) graduate
students in the MA Program, (2) graduate students in the PhD Program, (3) ESL
students in graduate and undergraduate programs at Georgia State University,
(4) pre-university ESL students who wish to improve their knowledge of English
for academic purposes before beginning their studies in an English-speaking
university, and (5) residents of the Atlanta metro community who are nonnative
speakers of English. In addition, the Department offers teacher-development
courses and seminars for professionals from within and outside the United
States. The faculty of the graduate program are teacher-scholars with national and international reputations in their areas of
expertise.
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The Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL is comprised of four
interrelated components: the Graduate Program; the Intensive English Program
Programs; the ESL Assessment and Evaluation Program; and courses for
matriculated ESL undergraduate and graduate students.
The MA in Applied
Linguistics Program.
Approximately 60 students are enrolled in the Master of Arts degree program in
Applied Linguistics. The Graduate Program also provides courses that are taken
by students in other academic disciplines (e.g., as the cognate area for
doctoral students in Education or the language courses for students in various
areas in Arts and Sciences). Currently or in the recent past, the faculty have conducted programming and research in
cooperation with Anthropology, the Center for the Study of Adult Literacy,
Criminal Justice, Developmental Studies, Early Childhood Education, English,
Foreign Languages, and International Student and Scholar Services. Faculty in
the Department also collaborate on research and teaching projects with faculty
and officials at other agencies and institutions in the State of Georgia, at
various universities throughout the United States and abroad (e.g., at the Georgia
Institute of Technology, Miami Dade College, The Ohio State University, the
United States Information Agency, Cross Keys High School, and universities in
Canada, China, Mexico and Turkey, to name but a few.)
The Intensive
English Program(IEP)
offers an EAP curriculum designed to prepare ESL students for U.S.
college and university courses. In addition, the IEP
provides various services to IEP students including computer workshops, a TOEFL
preparation course, conversation groups, and workshops and orientation to the
U.S. and the GSU campus. The IEP serves both international students and
Georgia residents. Most IEP students attend classes
full time (18 hours per week); they are not matriculated GSU students but have
access to all GSU facilities and programs. In some cases, students who have
been accepted to degree programs at GSU may combine upper-level ESL classes in
the IEP and regular academic coursework.
The AL/ESL Assessment
(Testing) Program evaluates the English language
proficiency of various ESL populations in the Atlanta area.
Approximately 400 GSU students are assessed each semester. These include (1)
students in GSU's IEP Program for placement in their
ESL courses and admission to degree programs in the University, (2)
international teaching assistants, (3) ESL graduate students who wish to use
English to fulfill a foreign language requirement for their graduate program,
and (4) ESL students who take the GSTEP (Georgia State Test of English
Proficiency) as an alternative to the Regents' Exam. It also provides language
proficiency information to GSU's Admission office, to
academic assistance offices in all colleges, and to graduate advisors in
Business, Health Sciences, and Arts and Sciences. The Assessment Program also
evaluates the English language proficiency for other college and universities
in the Atlanta area, including Clayton State College, Southern Polytechnic
University, Dekalb College and Emory University. The
Department provides assistance to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at
Emory University in oral proficiency assessment and training in ESL for
international doctoral students.
Courses for Matriculated ESL
Undergraduate and Graduate Students include (1) freshmen composition
for undergraduates, (2) academic ESL courses for graduate students, and (3)
courses for international teaching assistants.
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Students are required to complete a minimum of 36 semester hours of course
work to earn the M.A. Degree in Applied Linguistics. The following courses are
required of all students in the program and make up 21 of the total number of
credits. Click here for
course descriptions. Or, click on the name of each course to link to
its description.
Required Courses
(21 hours)
| AL 8240 | General Linguistics |
| AL 8250 | Second Language Acquisition |
| AL 8320 | Sound System of English |
| AL 8330 | Intercultural Communication |
| AL 8450 | Approaches to Teaching Second Languages |
| AL 8460 | English Grammar for ESL/EFL Teachers |
| AL 8900 | Practicum |
Elective Courses (15 hours)
| AL 8470 | Sociolinguistics |
| AL 8480 | Classroom Practices in Second Language Instruction |
| AL 8500 | Pragmatics and Language Teaching |
| AL 8520 | Psycholinguistics |
| AL 8530 | Issues in Second Language Writing |
| AL 8570 | Second Language Reading-Writing Relations |
| AL 8760 | Corpus Linguistics |
| AL 8770 | Conversation Analysis |
| AL 8780 | Discourse Analysis |
| AL 8550 | Second Language Evaluation and Assessment |
| AL 8660 | Material Design and Pulbication |
| AL 8710 | Research Design |
Please note that a minimum of 36 credits of course work are required for
graduation. In addition, all courses that are counted toward the degree must be
taken within the Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second
Language unless the prior approval of the Academic advisor and the Department
Chair to register in a graduate course given outside the AL/ESL Department has
been obtained. Conflict of schedule or unavailability of a particular course
are not sufficient reasons to petition the Academic advisor and Department
Chair to count a course taken outside the Department as fulfilling the minimum
36 credits of course work required.
Concurrent Required Courses for Students
Receiving Assistantships
These courses do not count toward degree requirements and are ungraded; they document on your transcript the special
training you received as a graduate assistant.)
| AL 8920 | Research Apprenticeship for GRAs |
| AL 8930 | Laboratory Apprenticeship for GLAs |
| AL 8940 | Teaching Apprenticship for GTAs |
| AL 8950 | Portfolio Development for all GAs |
By the end of the fourth week of the final semester in residence at
Georgia State University, students are required to submit a master's
portfolio that has received the approval of the graduate faculty of the
department. A Master's portfolio may be submitted for final approval only
during fall and spring semesters---not in the summer term. Members of the
graduate faculty are unavailable to read and approve portfolios during summer
semesters. If you plan to graduate during a summer semester, be sure to have
completed and to have secured final approval of your portfolio from both of
your faculty readers during the preceding spring semester at the latest.
Otherwise, you may find yourself in the position of having to wait until the
next fall semester to finalize this graduation requirement.
1. Portfolio Contents
In order to graduate, students will compile a portfolio, the purpose of
which is to provide a record of cumulative reflection, showing growth and
development as a professional. Students are responsible for keeping records of
all documentation. Copies of documentation must also be filed with students'
advisors at the end of each term. The portfolio will be organized following the
format specified below, and each major section should have a brief introduction
with corresponding documentation.
a. Student Permission Form
b. Table of Contents
c. C.V. (Click here for a model in Word format.
Click here for a model in .pdf format. The models
will open in a new Window.)
d. Reflective Overview (2-page synthesis of portfolio contents: sections
e, g, and f)
e. Classroom-Based Experience and Teaching Documentation (a brief
overview statement on what has been gained from the CBE experiences; for each
individual semester experience: reflections, lesson plans, student course
evaluations, course materials, course designs, and other materials that
document teaching activities and classroom-based experience)
f. Master's Paper and Scholarship Documentation (papers and projects
from courses that are outstanding work and have been selected with the approval
of the instructors of the courses for which they were written)
g. Professional Development Documentation (a brief overview statement
about professional activities--how the student views professional development
and the ideas that the student has about future growth through organized
professional development activities; reflections on individual
activities)
2. Portfolio Documentation
A.
Classroom-Based Experience
Students are required to have continuous classroom-based experience that
normally begins after their first term in the graduate program for a minimum of
90 hours distributed over the course of the student's tenure in the program.
(These hours must be accumulated over time and cannot be achieved during only 1
or 2 semesters.) This requirement not only provides students with practical
experience that will enhance their employment opportunities, but also enables
students to make connections between their coursework and the real world of the
ESL classroom.
Appropriate classroom-based experience includes, but is not limited to the
following: teaching in an ESL program, teaching in a foreign language program,
being a teacher aide in either an ESL or foreign language program, being a
teacher aide in either an ESL or a foreign language classroom, being a GTA in
the GSU program, doing volunteer work in an ESL classroom. This experience must
be done with a supervising teacher. Thus, one-on-one tutoring, except working
as a tutor in the tutoring lab, does not fulfill this requirement. Before
beginning their CBE, graduate students will need to fill out the CBE form
(included in the handbook) and have the experience approved by their graduate
advisor. After completing the semester's CBE, the student will then have the form signed by their CBE supervisor and will return
it to their advisor.
At the end of each term, students will also compose a 500-750 word synopsis
of their teaching experience to be submitted to their graduate advisor and
included in the portfolio. This documentation must be provided to the
graduate advisor at the end of the term in which the activity was completed.
Click here for
a copy of the CBE Approval and Verification form to print.
B. Professional Development
Professional development is an important component of teacher development,
since the work of ESL teachers extends far beyond individual classrooms and
includes multiple responsibilities to the profession as a whole and to other
scholar- teachers as individuals. These professional responsibilities include
continued development of our knowledge and skills, and also service to the
profession in both governance and educational roles. The professional
development component of the graduate program is designed to initiate graduate
students into the life of ESL/EFL professionals, and to help them build a
strong record of achievement by the time they have completed their degrees.
Each semester graduate students are required to participate in a minimum of
two professional development activities. Appropriate activities can be selected
from the many opportunities offered through GSU that are aimed at general
development as teachers as well as participation in activities more closely focused
on TESL/TEFL. For example, students can attend workshops or conferences offered
by the department, other GSU departments and organizations, Georgia TESOL,
International TESOL, the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL),
or other workshops or conferences related to TESL/TEFL. Students are encouraged
to be active in the Graduate Student Association's Professional Development
Committee, through which they can participate in workshops and can also gain
experience in the planning and presentation of professional development
programs. Students are expected to become acquainted with the range of
opportunities available for ongoing professional development and for service to
the profession. Active and documentable service on
Georgia TESOL, International TESOL, or AAAL committees will also count toward
this requirement. In addition, students can participate in training workshops
and programming offered through GSU's Center for
Teaching and Learning or through GSU's Computer
Center or Instructional Technology Center. If students would like to
participate in training other than that listed here, they must submit a written
explanation for their advisor's approval.
For documentation, graduate students need to provide evidence of attendance
or participation as well as a one-page analysis of the experience to be turned
in to their graduate advisor for inclusion in the portfolio. This documentation
must be provided to the graduate advisor by the end of the term in which the
activities were completed.
C. Master's
Paper
As part of their program portfolio, students will prepare and include in their portfolio a
master's paper which demonstrates their mastery of the bridging of theory and
practice. This master's paper will originate as a paper or project which the
student has prepared for a departmental course (either a required or an
elective course). The student will make the necessary revisions and additions
to that paper to turn it into a scholarly paper which demonstrates the bridging
of theory and practice. In no way is this paper to become a "thesis"
or even a "mini-thesis." It is intended that the paper shall be the
student's opportunity to prepare himself or herself to write
knowledgeably about theory and practice in a particular, specialized area of
inquiry, as well as to develop the writing ability needed to participate as a
scholar in the profession. Students are expected to use APA format in writing
their Master's Papers.
Students will formally present the final version of their master's paper to an audience of faculty and peers from the Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL. This presentation will demonstrate their mastery of effective oral communication within the field of applied linguistics, as well as their ability to use technology (e.g., PowerPoint and related handout) during the presentation. Presentation styles will conform to the standards in our field, giving students experience participating in this much valued oral aspect of our profession.
The two readers of the MA paper will be the reviewers for the paper presentation. If either of them is unable to attend the presentation, they may, after consulting with the student, ask another faculty member to serve in this role. Both faculty members must agree that the master's paper presentation satisfies the requirement. Upon completion, a copy of each reviewer’s evaluation of the presentation will be sent to the student and placed in the student's file. One faculty member--normally the faculty member for whom the paper was
written--will be the primary reviewer of the master's paper. A second
faculty member, selected by the student in consultation with the primary
faculty member, shall act as second reviewer of the paper. Both faculty
members must agree that the master's paper satisfies the requirement.
All students planning to present their MA papers must contact their advisor and the graduate director at the start of the term that they wish to give their MA paper presentation in. Usually one day will be set aside each semester for MA paper presentations. Two days may be needed, however, when an unusually large number of MA students are graduating.
The master's paper presentation may be given only during fall and spring semesters--not in the summer term. Members of the graduate faculty are unavailable to attend presentations during summer semesters. If you plan to graduate during a summer semester, be sure to have completed your master's paper presentation during the preceding spring semester at the latest. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the position of having to wait until the next fall semester to finalize this graduation requirement. See
the following links for rubrics for the MA Paper itself and the presentation:
MA Paper Scoring Rubric
MA Paper Presentation Rubric
Portfolio Procedures
Because much of the portfolio documentation must be submitted to the
graduate advisor each term, graduate students need to make an
appointment to meet with their advisor at the end of each term in which they
are enrolled in the program.
Two copies of the portfolio are required. One copy is kept by the student.
The other is submitted to the department after the advisor's approval. Also,
two Faculty advisor Approval Forms are required. One is part of the portfolio
and the other is kept in the student's departmental file.
As is the case with the overall portfolio, the Master's paper may be
submitted for final approval only during fall and spring semesters--not in the
summer term. Members of the graduate faculty are unavailable to read and
approve master's paper during summer semesters. If you plan to graduate during
a summer semester, be sure to have completed and to have secured final approval
of your Master's paper from both of your faculty readers during the preceding
spring semester at the latest. Otherwise, you may find yourself in the position
of having to wait until the next fall semester to finalize this graduation
requirement.
Print a copy of this timeline for the detailed calendar for
preparation of the paper and for the approval process.
During your study in AL/ESL, you will need to complete a variety of forms
that document your work. These forms include (1) the advising form, (2)
the Classroom Based Experience Form, (3) the Master's Paper approval form, and
(4) the Portfolio approval form. In addition, there is a form to go with
your portfolio on which you give or deny permission for other students to see
your portfolio. Another set of forms is used when you apply for
assistantships. You can find links to these
forms by clicking here.
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AL/ESL
faculty members are research-active scholars and dedicated teachers.
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Working with
Your Faculty Academic Advisor
When beginning your Graduate Program, you are assigned a Faculty Academic advisor
in the Department. Before enrolling in any degree courses, you need to contact
the Director of Graduate Studies or your advisor to discuss your program of
study and your plan for fulfilling all the degree requirements (e.g., the
coursework and language requirements, etc.) The Academic advisors shoulder many
responsibilities in their work with Master's candidates. They are responsible
for advising graduate students concerning the student's selection of
coursework. Academic advisors are also available to discuss with you various
academic problems that may arise in the course of your graduate study.
Furthermore, advisors work with graduate students as students make career plans
and apply for teaching positions. Advisors can be contacted at their offices in
the Department (404-413-5200). Get to know your advisor. They are busy but very
dedicated and committed professionals. They enjoy helping their graduate
students to develop and achieve educational and professional goals and to
become competent instructors and inquiring researchers in the field of teaching
English to speakers of other languages.
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A. Types of Financial Support
Several types of financial support are available for graduate students on a competitive basis in the Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language: (1) Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs), (2) Graduate Laboratory Assistantships and Graduate Research Assistantships; (3) Out-of-State Tuition Fee Waivers, and (4) International Student Fee Waivers. In addition, other types of aid are available to all Georgia State University students through the Office of Student Financial Services. Financial support is only available for students who are registered full-time (9 hours or more).
1. Graduate Teaching Assistantships provide an opportunity for paid, practical, and supervised experience in the different programs in the department. Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) must have native or near-native-speaker proficiency in English. Students who have completed 18 hours of coursework, including AL8450 (Approaches) and AL8900 (Practicum), are eligible to apply for GTA-B positions. GTA-Bs teach one ESL class each semester, are paid a stipend, and have fees and tuition reduced. MA students who have completed Approaches and Practicum but fewer than 18 hours of coursework are eligible to apply for GTA-A positions. MA GTAs teach one ESL class per semester. GTAs are required to participate in several hours of in-service training and supervision throughout each semester. Assistantships are usually granted for one semester and is renewable based on the GTA's performance and enrollment needs.
Nonnative speakers of English applying for a GTAB position in the department must normally have received an overall score of 111 on the TOEFL iBT and a score of at least 22 on each of the subscores (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). These MA and doctoral students interested in applying for an assistantship will take an Oral Proficiency Teaching Simulation (OPTS) exam offered by the department; they must pass this test to receive a GTAB assignment. If students do not pass the test, they must take and successfully pass the ITA class. Exemptions include:
| OPTS | ITA course | |
| Native speakers of English from a country where English is the primary language, such as English-Speaking Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the U.S. | Exempt | Exempt |
| English-medium schooling from elementary school through college (All subjects taught through English except for the mother tongue.) | Exempt | Exempt |
| Four semesters of experience (GTAB equivalent) student contact at a U.S. university | Exempt | Exempt |
| A score of 27 or higher on both the writing and speaking sections of the TOEFL. | Exempt | Exempt |
2. Graduate Laboratory Assistantships (GLAs) and Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) are available for graduate students to assist faculty with their research. GLAs and GRAs must be enrolled in 3 graduate courses for the semester of the assistantship and work a total of 10 hours each week helping faculty members with research projects. They receive compensation and have their fees and tuition reduced for the semester. These assistantships pay less than the GTA-B positions, but they provide the same reduction in tuition and fees. The Graduate Assistantships are granted for one semester and are renewable if performance warrants renewal, and if funding is available.
3. Out-of-state tuition fee waivers are available for
selected students who participate in the Master's International program.
The waivers provide a reduction in tuition and fees to the same amount paid by legal residents of the State of Georgia. Students interested in fee waivers should Contact Dr. Diane Belcher, Director of Graduate Studies at (404) 413-5194.
Students interested in other forms of financial aid, including loans, should contact the Office of Student Financial Services, 122 Sparks Hall, Georgia State University, University Plaza, Atlanta, GA 30303-3083. Telephone (404) 413-2400.
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Applications for assistantships and tuition waivers are taken at the end of each semester. E-mail correspondence is sent each semester to all AL/ESL graduate students, listing the deadline for application. Letters of assistantship application should be sent to the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Diane Belcher, and should contain relevant information about the applicant (e.g., coursework taken, grades achieved, computer skills and/or teaching experience acquired, etc.)
Securing one type of assistantship does not give a student special priority when she or he applies for another type of support. For example, a student who is a GLA does not have priority when applying for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. All appointments are made on a semester-by-semester basis. Reappointment is based on merit and the availability of Departmental resources.
Because of budget uncertainty and fiscal constraints with the State of Georgia and the University, the exact amount of assistantship funding for any term is often uncertain. As a result, the Departmental faculty will often not be able to make decisions about the granting of assistantships until the term breaks, and sometimes not until immediately before the start of classes for the semester. Therefore, applicants for competitive assistantships need to be flexible and patient.
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Graduate students in the department are urged to join Teachers of English to
Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). TESOL is the international professional
organization of our field and provides professional development possibilities
through its conventions and conferences, electronic mail exchanges,
publications and special interest sections. Students can obtain membership
forms from their advisors and take advantage of reduced student membership.
TESOL hosts an international convention annually in the spring. Students can
also join the local affiliate, Georgia TESOL. GATESOL also organizes workshops
and conferences, and publishes a newsletter. Students should endeavor, in every
way, to develop as committed TESOL professionals by attending and presenting
papers at conferences, and by volunteering to obtain a variety of different
kinds of teaching experience, as time permits.
Atlanta has many opportunities for Georgia State students to secure teaching
experience as volunteers and as paid teachers and staff members at many
different organizations and schools. Students are advised to take advantage of
the many opportunities by following up on announcements of volunteer and paid
positions listed on the frontpage of the AL/ESL
website at http://www.gsu.edu/alesl.
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Because the Department uses electronic mail (e-mail) for information about
course offerings, registration information, notices about financial aid
applications, and so forth, it is important that you either use the GSU student
email address for all your email or link the GSU student email address to the
email address that you actually do use. When you are in the student email page
(viewing the list of messages) there are 3 icons at the top of the page, the
middle icon is for "options." You click on that and go to
"Mailbox Management". Then you put your other email address in the
"forward to" box. You have to click on the "YES" radio
button, and it is probably a good idea to click "YES" on the 'keep copy'
as well (so a copy is saved in the GSU mailbox as well). Then you have to click
"save" at the bottom of the screen.
The office needs your mailing address and phone number as well, so you
should inform the staff of the Department regarding changes. Changing your
address at the registrar's office is not sufficient; you must also notify the
Department staff (404-413-5200) so that your file can be kept current.
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The graduate students in the Department of Applied Linguistics/ESL all
belong to the Department's Graduate Student Association (GSA). This
organization serves primarily a social function, sponsoring various
get-togethers throughout the year, and you will receive e-mailed notices of
these GSU social functions. The GSA Faculty advisor is Dr. Nan Jiang.
Students have also organized a Professional
Development Committee (PDC) that organizes programs for graduate students. The
main objective of the PDC is to promote and facilitate professional development
among the graduate students in the program through workshops, professional
involvement, and reference material.
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Students must apply for graduation well in advance, usually two semesters before
graduation. Check with the graduation office about deadlines. Georgia State
University has published procedures that all students must follow when applying
for graduation. Please refer to the College of Arts and Sciences' Graduate
Bulletin for this information. Check website of the Graduation Services Office
at
http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwgas/graduation.html
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Current job announcements and employment possibilities for graduate students
are posted in the Department and on the Web.
Tutoring opportunities including foreign language and ESL are also posted in
the Department. Graduate students are encouraged to use these bulletin boards.
An employment workshop is held once a year for graduate students who are
interested in teaching overseas. This workshop covers resume writing, interview
strategies, contract negotiations, and intercultural aspects of getting and
keeping work abroad.
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Students are advised to familiarize themselves with, and are required to
abide by, the Policy on Academic Honesty printed in Georgia State University's
general catalog. Graduate students will be held accountable both for being
familiar with and for abiding by the standards of intellectual and academic
integrity presented in the Policy.
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