TESOL and English Language with a Year Abroad

English Language and Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) degree covers everything you need to know to be able to teach English as a foreign language.

Teaching English is a great way to see the world and will give you a passport to teach in all kinds of environments.

During your four-year degree you’ll learn about theory and practice, language teaching methodology, vocabulary, grammar and meaning, psycholinguistics, first and second language acquisition and discourse analysis.

As part of this programme, you will spend a year abroad between your second and final year, broadening your skills and experience. Our partner institutions span the globe, with opportunities varying each year. If you wish to receive more information, please get in touch with us on study@swansea.ac.uk

Why English Language and TESOL at Swansea?
Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, English Language and TESOL at Swansea is highly rated by students and employers.

English at Swansea University is ranked:

• 11th in the UK for Research Impact (REF2021)

• Top 20 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)

• Top 101-150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)

In year 2, you have the option of taking the internationally recognised Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), a professional qualification for teachers of English as a foreign language.

You will have the opportunity to develop programming skills through computer-assisted language learning materials and receive training in research methods including reporting and analysis of data.

Your English Language and TESOL Experience
Throughout your degree you will have a personal tutor who will provide you with pastoral and academic support.

During the second year of your degree, to enhance your student experience and career prospects, you have the option to study a semester abroad in either USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore.

If you prefer to stay closer to home there are plenty of other opportunities, The Swansea University Work Placement Programmes offer three work place programmes: Week of Work (WOW); Swansea paid Internship Programme (SPIN) and Santander Universities Funded Placements.

The Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) provides a network for linking students with employers, ranging from employer talks and workshops through to student led networking events.

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: The sound system of English; Mythbusters: beliefs and truths about language; Grammar and Meaning; Language Teaching Methodology; A History of the English Language; Language in Mind; A History of the English Language; Creative Writing: Fiction Genres; Beginners French/German/Spanish...

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: Language Teaching in Context; Sociolinguistics; Second Language Vocabulary Studies; Child Language and Literacy; Discourse Analysis; Introduction to Writing Poetry; Introduction to Writing Drama; Medieval Encounters; Writing a Short Film...

As part of this programme, you will spend a year abroad between your second and final year, broadening your skills and experience. Our partner institutions span the globe, with opportunities varying each year. If you wish to receive more information, please get in touch with us on study@swansea.ac.uk

In Year 4, you will typically study areas including: Issues in current ELT; Second Language Acquisition; Media Linguistics; Language Policy and Planning; Applied Linguistics Dissertation; Forensic Linguistics; Stylistics; and Language Technologies: Linguistics in the AI era;

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching.

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.