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Programs of Study, 1997-1999
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
ENGLISH AS AN INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE
Director of the Division: Lawrence F. Bouton
Correspondence and Information: Director, Division of English as an International Language, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3070 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801; (217) 333-1506
GRADUATE FACULTY
Professors: E. Bokamba, C.C. Cheng, W. Dickerson, H. Hock, B. Kachru, Y. Kachru, C.-W. Kim, C. Kramarae, H. Maclay, S. Savignon, L. Zgusta
Associate Professors: L. Bouton, J.R. Cowan, G. Cziko, F. Davidson, M. Mack, N. Markee, E. McClure
Assistant Professors: D. Cruickshank, S. Gonzo, S. Taylor, M. Temperley
Emeritus Professor: K. Aston
GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM
The Division of English as an International Language offers a master of arts in the teaching of English as a second language (M.A.T.E.S.L.).
ADMISSION
M.A.T.E.S.L. program applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree. An undergraduate major in linguistics, English, a foreign language, or education is generally recommended though other majors are also acceptable. Applicants must present a grade point average of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. Two years of course work in a foreign language or the equivalent are also required. All nonnative speakers of English entering the M. A. program must also have a score of 600 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and at least a four on the Test of Written English (TWE); these scores are required of students beginning their graduate work with the division as well as those transferring to the division from elsewhere. Also, at the beginning of their first semester on campus, all nonnative speakers of English entering the M.A. program are required to take the UIUC English as a Second Language Placement Test (EPT). The results achieved on the latter test will determine whether or not a student will have to take one or more English language courses in addition to the other M.A.T.E.S.L. course requirements in order to receive the degree. Because what constitutes good writing tends to vary from culture to culture, most international students in the M.A.T.E.S.L. program are required to take a course in advanced composition, unless they can demonstrate their ability to write effectively in some other way.
MASTER OF ARTS IN THE TEACHING OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
The program leading to this degree requires candidates to complete a minimum of 12 units of course work and either a written comprehensive examination or a thesis. Usually candidates can meet all degree requirements in two years.
The M.A. program offers two separate curricula or tracks. One track is designed for candidates whose principal interests are in language pedagogy and related research. The other track encourages candidates to concentrate more heavily on applied research in various aspects of English studies, such as those listed below under faculty specializations. A detailed description of the two M.A. tracks is available upon request.
The doctor of philosophy degree, an option in applied linguistics and the teaching of English as an international language, is available through the Department of Linguistics and the interdisciplinary program in second language acquisition and teacher education (SLATE). Members of the graduate faculty of the Division of English as an International Language are available to serve on doctoral committees. Faculty specializations include neurolinguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, language testing, contrastive discourse, lexicography of English, stylistics, language processing, reading, literacy, pragmatics, computers in second language acquisition and learning, methodology of language teaching, curriculum design, and English in the world context. Applicants interested in working toward a doctorate in linguistics should write to the head, Department of Linguistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 4088 Foreign Language Building, 707 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801. Those interested in SLATE should write to the chair, SLATE Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 3070 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial assistance is not usually awarded during a M.A.T.E.S.L. candidate's first semester. Exceptions to this policy are sometimes made when an applicant has had extensive experience in teaching English as a second language or has an outstanding academic record. A limited number of University fellowships are available for exceptionally qualified candidates. Teaching assistants teach students in the division's ESL program and in the Intensive English Program, which is a constituent unit of the division.
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