Master of TESOL - a Collection of Course Essays

Linguistics is the scientific study of language, its general structure and universal principles, of how language changes over time, how it is acquired and is processed during speech. It is fundamental to the study of a second language wherever taken. Most importantly, the study of language raises our esteem for the only species which masters this most complex cognitive system, the one which binds us all together, for we master it, unconsciously, before we can ride a bike.

The study of language in the Masters Program as a Master of Teaching English as a Second Language addresses a broad range of fundamental issues pertaining to what it is to be human while providing a foundation for understanding English and learning other languages. As a major cognitive function designed to express all other functions, it is the fulcrum of the human mind. Its universal properties unite us as a single species while the differences among dialects and specific languages distinguish us as nations and cultures. Language is the basis of literature, and accompaniment of our music, while serving as the primary means of everyday self-expression.

Teaching English as a Second Language, TESOL, is undertaken by teachers around the world at various levels and in various settings. If a graduate wishes to take their experience and knowledge to new levels of understanding of how the processes of language acquisition work, then moving to Post Graduate studies becomes imperative.

This collection of essays have been put together as examples of the material studied on a Masters degree, undertaken by Distance Education through the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.

The essays come in no particular order, other than perhaps the order that they were taken to achieve the final granting of the Masters Degree when completed.