Why SLaT?
This college-wide program uniquely prepares students with second language teaching skills, which are based on sound teaching theories that build on and go beyond the scientific study of language. The SLaT M.A. assists second- and foreign-language teachers in improving their professional qualifications in second language pedagogy, research, and assessment.
The focus is on teacher preparation, providing a skillset suitable for a variety of careers within both higher education and second language teaching. There is an industry need for teachers who are prepared to teach a variety of languages; this program helps to satisfy that need. The SLaT program also prepares a foundation for continued study in Ph.D. programs in foreign language education and eventual entry into academia.
Is SLaT for Me?
The SLaT program is ideally suited to the needs of individuals who have completed undergraduate degrees in a foreign language and have an interest in teaching their acquired language in an advanced educational setting, such as in a college or university, or in a business enterprise. The SLaT M.A. is not a public-school certification program, but the program will be beneficial to currently certified foreign language teachers as part of their continuing professional development or as preparation to pursue a Ph.D.
For more information on the program requirements, please visit the catalog.
NOTE: Those who wish to teach English, Portuguese, or Spanish should apply to the TESOL or Spanish/Portuguese MA programs rather than to SLaT.
Public School Teachers
The Second Language Teaching MA can accommodate full-time, public school teachers who are able to come to campus in the evenings and during the summer. Normally, these students complete their degree in 3 years and take 1 evening class each semester, with 1-2 courses in the summer. Most of our courses are held in the late afternoon or evening.
Those who participate in BYU Summer Institutes for Teachers of French or German may apply that coursework to the MA program. For more information, please contact us at slatma@byu.edu.