Master of Arts Major in English
Basic Courses:
Educ500 Methods of Research
This course is a graduate-level introduction to research methods in Language. The course focuses on quantitative and qualitative designs and other research methods employed in language study like ethnography and interaction, conversation, stylistic and content analysis. Under methodology, the students are guided on project design, data collection, and data analysis. The course also introduces students to the writing of proposals, abstracts for professional conferences, and review of research articles with the aid of refereed journals serving as models. In addition, students come up with their own research study using the theories, models, frameworks, and principles they have learned in language and English teaching and learning. The final paper is presented to a panel of graduate faculty in the area of English language teaching for critique.
Educ501 Advanced Philosophy of Education
This course studies educational philosophical systems and theories in the Philippines. It analyzes hypotheses concerning possible contributions of philosophy to the increase of the effectiveness of educational practice. It also investigates the philosophical reasons underlying observed professional practices. Furthermore, it provides students a chance to become involved in a systematic, comprehensive,
and open-minded inquiry into the current state and future possibilities of Philippine education.
Educ 502 Statistics
This course is designed primarily to provide students with the necessary tools in conducting educational research. It covers those Statistical concepts, methods, and techniques that are useful and widely used in many of the educational researches. Specific topics include sampling and experimentation, descriptive statistics, probability, binomial and normal distributions, estimation, single sample and two sample hypothesis tests for means and proportions.
Major Courses:
Eng501 Teaching English as a Second Language
This course introduces students to the basic concepts, principles and theories of teaching English as a second language (TESL) and guides students to develop the skills and techniques they need to become effective ESL teachers. Students read and discuss various approaches to TESL and examine their theoretical underpinnings, teaching-learning principles, classroom techniques, and their strengths and weaknesses. Graduate students are expected to engage in activities that enhance important TESL skills and strategies. These activities include teaching demo using a certain TESL technique, writing lesson plans for English language teaching, and designing, and critique of TESL materials used in Philippine schools.
ENG502 Survey of English Literature
This course is a survey of the literary pieces of English literature from the epic Beowulf during the Anglo-Saxon period to the 20th century essays and short stories. Critical Analysis of each major literary piece is the focus. The students are made to appreciate the artistic experience of thoughts in poems, essays, and short stories. It further allows them to critically analyze the relevance of insights from the studied literary pieces to the present realities of life.
Eng503 Literary Criticism
This is critical analysis of literary pieces in the context of literary theories. This enhances the students’ emotional and personal development while challenging their cognitive faculties in the situational analysis. The course also takes the sociological contexts where students’ thoughts are focused on the relevance of literary events to the realities of life.
ENG504 Language Acquisition theories and Principles
This course introduces graduate students to the study of language acquisition and principles and examines acquisition and learning in light of various linguistic theories. It tackles acquisition of language on different levels: phonological, lexical, semantic, syntactic and communicative.
ENG505 Asian Literature
This course is a survey of the literatures of India, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and Africa with emphasis on the contemporary types. It deals on the comparison of ASEAN Literature of ASEAN Countries using different types of literary theories for interpretation.
ENG506 Language Testing and Evaluation
This course presents fundamental concepts and principles of psychometric measurement as well as strategies for alternative/performance assessment. It also covers research findings in the field of testing and measurement, examines current trends and problems in language testing and evaluates the role of testing and evaluation in the ESL curriculum. After learning the principles, theories, and strategies in testing, students construct their own test for critique, analyze tests of other teachers, interpret test results, and utilize test results to improve their own quality of tests.
ENG507 Production of Instructional Materials
This courseprovides an overview of instructional systems design and specific skills in the analysis, design, development, production and delivery of instruction using information and communication technology. It also evaluates factors that govern the selection, assessment, and use of instructional. It examines the advantages of different instructional materials ranging from print, video, and electronic materials. The course enables students who are mostly educators to make good decisions about materials selection for teaching and learning purposes but taking into consideration cost effectiveness, facilities of the schools, levels of students, availability of materials, and other important considerations.
ENG508 Methodologies in Language Teaching
This course analyzes the psychodynamics of the language classroom through references to contemporary and unconventional approaches to language teaching: Audiolingualism, Communicative Way, Silent Way, Total Physical Response, Suggestopedia, Community Language Learning, and Natural Approach. It also zeroes in on teacher education with an emphasis on preparation. The teaching of English takes into consideration the many linguistic backgrounds in conjunction with the social, historical, philosophic, and geographic contexts in which teachers and learners reside.
ENG509 Language and Culture
This course introduces graduate students to the study of language in relation to culture and society. It centers on language roles and functions and how these shape speakers’ worldviews, cultural values, social relationships, institutional orders, places, and identities. The course examines the complexity of language utilization in different social contexts and invites students to think critically about the relations between language, social and cultural practices, and power. To widen students’ perspective about other languages, research studies of international languages and their linguistic principles, use, and nature are discussed.
ENG510 Practicum Paper
This paper requires students to write and present a major paper before graduate students pursuing the same degree and graduate faculty. The paper is an evaluation of the teaching practice in the school where these graduate students work and how the teaching practice relates to theories and principles learned in English core subjects. The major paper is intended to deepen students’ understanding of their institution’s teaching practice as well as their own in order to improve the teaching and learning process of their own learners.
Elective:
ENG511 Advanced Academic Writing
This subject upgrades students’ skills in academic writing conventions, and equips them with a firm understanding of the process of writing a research paper at the graduate level. The course also draws on both discourse analytical and metacognitive strategies for writing in academic English. Students compare, analyze, and summarize different kinds of texts, and utilize different rhetorical modes for writing academic essays in English.
Comprehensive Exams:
Students are required to take comprehensive exams in the basic and major courses. These exams are usually administered in August for three consecutive Fridays.
Thesis Writing
The thesis is for students enrolled in the M.A. in English Thesis Track. This is given to students who have completed all course work specified in the program and who have passed the comprehensive exams. Students first submit a concept paper and then present it to a panel who specialize in the topic chosen by the students. Once approved, students present the thesis proposal proper with the help of a chosen and recommended adviser. Upon the advice of the panel, students then gather data, analyze, and report the results with interpretations, conclusions, implications, and recommendations. Students are given three years to complete the whole thesis.
Summary:
Thesis track
Basic Courses: 9 units
Major Courses: 24 units
Elective: 3 units
Thesis: 6 units
Total: 42 units
No-Thesis track
Basic Courses: 9 units
Major Courses: 30 units
Elective: 3 units
Total: 42 units
