UM will launch a MA programme in Second Language Acquisition, the first of its kind in Macao.
In the academic year 2017/2018, the University of Macau’s (UM) Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH) will launch a Master of Arts in Second Language Acquisition programme for language instructors who teach Chinese, Portuguese, or English as a second language. This initiative is to meet local demand for language professionals in a multilingual environment, and to support the Macao SAR government’s plan to establish a training centre for bilingual language professionals in Macao.
The two-year programme will focus on the process of second language acquisition (SLA) in a multilingual environment. Students will be introduced to current theories and skills of language acquisition. They will also be able to apply the theories to their own teaching practice. This programme has two tracks: MA in SLA without the Teaching Qualification Option and MA in SLA with the Teaching Qualification Option. Students enrolled in the first track should complete 30 credits of coursework and an academic or applied thesis. Students enrolled in the second track must complete a minimum of 12 credits offered by the Faculty of Education in addition to 18 credits in the programme. This is to ensure that the programme meets the requirements for secondary education in Macao. Graduates of the programme will not only be competent to work as instructors of Chinese, Portuguese, or English as a second language in educational institutions, but will also be competent to work in other SLA-related jobs, such as developing teaching materials, online teaching, and instructional management.
The FAH boasts abundant resources for teaching and research in Chinese, Portuguese, and English. Many professors in the faculty enjoy great renown in the field of applied linguistics. This programme will be the first of its kind in Macao, as currently no other higher education institution in Macao offers a similar programme. Therefore, it will provide an opportunity for local educators and practitioners in other SLA-related areas to receive systematic training. The compulsory courses in the programme will be taught bilingually. Elective courses in these three areas of specialization will be taught in the respective languages.
Those with Bachelor degrees in Chinese, Portuguese, English, or other related fields are eligible to apply. All applicants must have a minimum score of 6.5 for IELTS or 80 for TOEFL iBT. Applicants, whose mother tongue is not Chinese, wish to specialize in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language must pass the HSK test (Level 6) or equivalent test. Applicants, whose mother tongue is not Portuguese, wish to specialize in Teaching Portuguese as a Second Language must pass the Diploma Intermédio de Português Língua Estrangeira (DIPLE) or Celpe-Bras (Nivel Intermediário)