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Education

TESOL, ESL, and Bilingual Education

Master of Education (M.Ed.): Initial Licensure (PreK–6 or 5-12), On-Campus or Off-Campus Program

Teach culturally and linguistically diverse learners.

In this program, you'll learn the best ways to teach PreK-12 students who are new to the culture, language, and content of schools in the United States. You'll develop an appreciation of the unique identities of all children. You'll also discover research-based best practices for helping emergent bilinguals—English language learners—take part in the classroom through listening and speaking, reading and writing, and the arts. Take courses on first and second language acquisition, bilingualism and biliteracy, and more.

Become a valued member of a diverse school community at Lesley. Learn to teach engaging arts-integrated lessons that lead to increased student achievement and understand how to tell the difference between language differences and learning disabilities. You'll also learn to work with families to foster a climate of and commitment to social justice and equity.

Take classes on our Cambridge campus or at an off-campus location, and get feedback from faculty with expertise in the field. Complete a student-teaching experience in a Massachusetts school, and graduate with a master's degree and an initial license in English as a Second Language at either the PreK-6 or 5-12 grade level.

Program Structure

Full-time or part-time on-campus or off-campus program

33 credits
  • Program Prerequisite
    • Prior to program completion, you'll need to submit documentation of having earned a minimum of 6 college credits in a language other than English, or equivalent. For non-native English speakers, English is considered to be the foreign language.
  • Required Courses 21 Credits
    • Courses in linguistics, language acquisition, TESOL topics, assessment, and family & community engagement.
  • Electives 6 Credits
    • Two elective courses, chosen with your academic or faculty advisor.
  • Practicum/Student Teaching 6 Credits
    • Supervised teaching experience in a linguistically and culturally diverse classroom appropriate to the license level.
  • Licensure
    • This program has been approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for Initial License in English as a Second Language (PreK-6 or 5-12) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  • Program Start
    • On campus: start in fall, spring, or summer.
      Off-campus: each off-campus cohort will start on a specified date.
  • Approximate Time to Complete
    • All times include summer semesters.

      On campus:
      Part-time example: 3–6 credits/semester for 7 semesters. Complete in just over two years.
      Full-time example: 6–9 credits/semester for 4 semesters. Complete in 1.5 years.

      Off campus:
      Part-time only: 3-6 credits/semester for 6 semesters. Complete just over two years.
View Program of Study

A group of graduate students at classroom tables with laptops
On-Campus Option

Take intimate, face-to-face classes on our Cambridge campus and receive personalized attention and feedback from faculty who are experienced practitioners. Complete a semester-long student-teaching experience in a Massachusetts school, and graduate after approximately two years.

A teacher confers with two students working at desks.
Off-Campus Option

Earn your degree while studying one weekend a month at an off-campus site. Study with Lesley faculty and a small group of fellow students, and take one course at a time over an eight-week semester. You'll know your entire program schedule before you begin, and will complete the program in about two years. 

Start this program in New Bedford, MA, in Fall of 2020.

Gain skills and expertise
Our TESOL, ESL, and Bilingual program prepares you to:
  • Be knowledgeable about multilingualism/multiculturalism and students' languages and cultures.
  • Provide meaningful, effective learning to culturally and linguistically diverse students. 
  • Understand how to tell the difference between linguistic/cultural differences and learning disabilities.
  • Collaborate with other education professionals in promoting the participation of second language learners in all aspects of schooling.
  • Interact successfully in pluralistic cultural settings.
  • Integrate theory with practice.
  • Advocate for the rights and resources for culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Article

Assessing English Language Learners

Learning to tell the difference between second language behaviors and learning disabilities can affect an English language learner's total school experience. Professor Emerita Maria de Lourdes B. Serpa addresses this topic. "Teachers need to believe every child can achieve," she says.
Learn more about English Language Learners.
Close-up of colored pencils

MTEL Workshops for Educator Candidates

Upcoming Workshops
Graduate Programs
94%

of our 2018 graduating class is employed or furthering their education.

child reading a book at a desk with crayons and pencils

Teaching English Language Learners

Mistaking second language behaviors for learning disabilities is becoming an urgent issue. Faculty discuss strategies for addressing this problem.
Read more about English language learners.
Licensure Information

Lesley University cannot confirm whether the course or program of study will meet the educational requirements for licensure or certification in any state other than Massachusetts. We advise all applicants and students to determine whether the program meets requirements for licensure or certification in the state in which they reside or plan to practice.

$78,100
Average salary for teachers in Massachusetts, according to the National Education Association.
#1
Superintendents and other hiring managers across Massachusetts prefer to hire Lesley graduates, reporting that they are best prepared to enter the classroom on day one. (Source: Radius Global Market Research)
Top Schools
Massachusetts ranks as the best state to be a teacher, with some of the highest performing schools and best salaries in the country, according to US News.
Meg Margaret Burns
English Language Learning
Meg Burns
Meg teaches in the English Language Learning/TESOL programs. She specializes in the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of bilingual education, with a focus on Spanish-English paired literacy instruction in elementary Dual Language schools. She currently serves on the board of the Massachusetts Association for Bilingual Education and is a member of the Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. She is also the president of the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education.
The degree employers are looking for.
Lesley graduates go on to rewarding careers in public and private schools, daycare centers, and beyond. That's because our programs are ranked #1 for preparing teachers with the skills Massachusetts employers are seeking, including:
  • Putting theory into practice with an emphasis on instruction and assessment.
  • Reflecting on lesson effectiveness and sharing best practices to improve student learning. 
  • Applying innovative, progressive, and cutting-edge approaches. 
  • Using varied practices to help each student meet or exceed state and local standards.
  • Recognizing technology as an integral component of the teaching and learning process.
  • (Radius Global Market Research, 2017)
Graduate TESOL/ESL, Literacy, and Reading Specialist Programs
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
Literacy

*Fully online programs.

Reading Specialist

Faculty

Meg Margaret Burns
Margaret Burns
Assistant Professor
Rocio Sanchez Arez smiling
Rocio Sanchez Ares
Visiting Assistant Professor of TESOL and Bilingual Education
Associate Professor Susan Patterson
Susan Patterson
Associate Professor, Faculty Advisor
faculty laura schall-leckrone
Laura Schall-Leckrone
Associate Professor
Meg Margaret Burns

Margaret Burns

Assistant Professor

Meg is a faculty member in the English Language Learning/TESOL programs at Lesley. She specializes in the theoretical and pedagogical foundations of bilingual education, with a focus on Spanish-English paired literacy instruction in elementary Dual Language schools. Her research also investigates issues of culture, race, and power in linguistically diverse settings, specifically Two-Way Dual Language schools.

Meg teaches courses in first and second language acquisition, early language and literacy development, sheltered English instruction, culturally responsive pedagogy, family and community engagement, and qualitative research methods. In professional development settings, Meg works with both monolingual and bilingual teachers to build classroom practices which support emerging bilingual learners’ oral language development as a foundation for biliteracy.  

After learning Spanish as a second language, Meg began her teaching career as a first grade Two-Way Dual Language Spanish immersion teacher. She currently serves on the board of the Massachusetts Association for Bilingual Education and is a member of the Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association.

Meg is the incoming president of the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education. Lesley recently hosted a dual-language MABE conference featuring Meg and Lesley colleagues Laura Schall-Leckrone and Amanda Wager. Read more about this conference.

Education: BA, Vassar College; MA in Applied Linguistics, University of Massachusetts, Boston; PhD in Bilingual Multicultural Education, University of Colorado, Boulder.

Read Full Bio
Selected Publications and Presentations,
Awards,
In the News
Rocio Sanchez Arez smiling

Rocio Sanchez Ares

Visiting Assistant Professor of TESOL and Bilingual Education

Rocío Sánchez Ares is originally from Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. She received her PhD in global education with a focus on human rights from Boston College. Her interdisciplinary research has focused on gendered and raced constructions of citizenship, coloniality, education and immigration, and social movements. Rocío has worked on migration issues transnationally, using participatory action research methods.

Drawing on her background in sociology and psychology, she has collaborated closely with local immigrant organizations facilitating undocumented women's access to mental health services, quality education, and labor rights protections. For the past seven years, she has been volunteering teaching ESOL and organizing Latinx parents around bilingual education in Boston.

Read Full Bio
Education,
Selected Publications,
Awards
Associate Professor Susan Patterson

Susan Patterson

Associate Professor, Faculty Advisor

Susan joined the Lesley faculty in 2010. Having been described as an "unapologetic evangelical for the cause of technology in schools," her focus remains on working with classroom teachers on appropriate technology integration.

Susan started her professional career as a middle and high school teacher of history and economics. She lived and worked abroad for 10 years in Israel, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. 

Susan weighs in on ways to prevent bullying in schools.

Education

PhD, University of Alabama

Read Full Bio
Selected Publications,
Selected Presentations
faculty laura schall-leckrone

Laura Schall-Leckrone

Associate Professor

Laura Schall-Leckrone teaches in the graduate Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and English Language Learners (TESOL/ELL) programs at Lesley. Prior to completing her doctorate, she worked for seventeen years as a bilingual teacher, Spanish teacher, and K-12 curriculum director in urban and suburban public school settings. Her teaching and research center on the preparation of teachers to teach linguistically diverse youth and pedagogy that promotes disciplinary and critical literacies.

Laura is currently engaged in collaborative classroom-based research in a K-6 elementary school supporting the implementation of a one-way (all Spanish speakers) dual immersion kindergarten program in a multilingual community in a gateway city.

Laura was one of the speakers at a 2018 Lesley-hosted dual-language conference sponsored by the Multistate Association for Bilingual Educators, with colleagues Meg Burns and Amanda Wager. Read more about this conference.

Education

BA, Swarthmore College
MAT, School for International Training
PhD, Boston College

Read Full Bio
Selected Publications,
Selected Presentations
Total approximate cost for this master's degree program. Tuition and fees are for the 2020-2021 academic year.
TESOL, ESL, and Bilingual Education
  • Tuition
    Online Tuition: $650/credit x 18
    $11,700
    On-Campus: $850/credit x 15
    $12,750
  • Fees
    Field Experience Fee
    $650
    Registration Fees
    $240
    Technology Fees
    $180
    Map ePortfolio Fee
    $150
    Degree Completion Fee
    $75
    Activity Fees
    $60
    Material Fees
    $40
    Practicum Fee
    $35
  • Total
Estimated Cost

Review all graduate tuition and fees, and what they cover.

Tuition and fees are subject to change each year, effective June 1.

  • Tuition
    $390/credit x 33 credits
    $12,870
  • Fees
    Field Experience Fee
    $650
    Registration Fees
    $240
    Technology Fees
    $180
    MAP ePortfolio Fee
    $150
    Degree Completion Fee
    $75
    Materials Fees
    $40
    Practicum Fee
    $35
  • Total
Estimated Cost

These tuition rates and fees are for students who live and work in Bristol County, Massachusetts. Students who do not live or work in Bristol County would pay the regular off-campus tuition rate of $650/credit.

Review all graduate tuition and fees, and what they cover.

Tuition and fees are subject to change each year, effective June 1.

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