Mission
The mission of the BYU Master of Arts program in Second Language Teaching (SLaT) is to prepare graduate students to work in the field of second language teaching with additional understanding, knowledge, and pedagogical skills beyond those acquired at the undergraduate level. This program may serve as either a terminal M.A. program or a springboard to a Ph.D.
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.
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NOTE: Those who wish to teach English, Portuguese, or Spanish should apply to the TESOL or Spanish/Portuguese MA programs rather than to SLaT. See below for more information on these programs.