Hello

Firstly, I read all the materials given from the lecturer. From my reading (or sometimes the explanation from the lecturers) I knew what main topic which is interesting for me. Then, I search for the recent research and issues regarding that topic. From that, I could choose the specific topic of my assignment.
From my experience, the lecturer would be happy to help you in discussing the topic for your essay.

I hope it helps.

Hi,

Sorry our mentor has not yet replied. I would suggest contacting Dr Petra Schoofs who teaches on the course and will able to offer you some advice. Her details are here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/edacs/departments/englishlanguage/staff/profile.aspx?ReferenceId=107615

Best wishes,
Tom

I chose the University of Birmingham because it is one of the top universities in the UK for its education sector, a part of the Russell Group, and a founding member of Universitas 21. It offers its TEFL students with the modules which provide a strong grounding in theoretical literature and appropriate classroom methodology and course design to encourage deep engagement with the world of practice, with additional opportunities for professional development. Since it recently got award as university of the year of graduate employment from Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016, it means that investing in a degree here ensures me have the best academic and career support.

When considering a postgraduate degree, funding was a concern of mine. However, there are a number of available scholarship opportunities which are well worth looking into. I was lucky enough to receive a full scholarship from the Indonesian government called Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP). This scholarship is targeted for Indonesian citizens with excellent academic achievement and strong leadership quality who wish to continue pursuing studies on master or doctoral programs in top universities. It covers university fees (tuition fees, books, dissertation, seminar, graduation) and other supporting fees such as living allowance, transportation fees, etc.

Yes. I was chosen as Student Rep from my programme to empower my cohorts to make better changes in the academic life. I also joined the university debating society and represented the university as a debater in a debating competition held in the University of Manchester. Besides, I took part in the Access project as a volunteer tutor to teach disadvantaged student to achieve better grades and progress to top universities. Therefore, my best piece of advice for the prospective postgraduate students is to join a society and take part in any opportunity, make lifelong friends, and gain various skills.

After finishing my Masters degree I would love to persuade a career as a lecturer. Besides it is an incredibly rewarding job and encourages a life of learning, I can do research which has always been my passion and contribute to knowledge in my field. Related to this, I also plan to pursue a PhD. Fortunately, the University of Birmingham has an amazing program called PhD Café to talk to current doctoral researchers and get their candid account of what doctoral study is really like, expert advice on the application process, and information about the various sources of funding.

The modules are well structured and very compassionate to successfully deepen my knowledge and understanding of current debates in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language as well as further develop my practical language teaching skills. Also, the tutors are expert and very supportive in providing help and guidance so that I can effectively contribute to the classroom activities and successfully work on the assignments. I love the most about the feedback given to me because it can make me aware of important aspects that I missed and further develop my knowledge and skills.

My dissertation is about investigating whether, and how, a collaborative computer-assisted language learning (CALL) task can support learning English as a second language (L2). It explores the learning potential of an online discussion task as a computer-mediated communication (CMC) activity in learning English as an L2. The research emphasises the learning opportunities enabled by text-based synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC) from an interactionist perspective. This study also examines to what extent learners can acquire L2 in online discussion.

In two semesters, I took four compulsory modules and two optional module. The compulsory modules were: (1) Second Language Learning; (2) Practioner Inquiry in Education; (3) Communicative Language Teaching, Syllabus Design and
Assessment, and (4) Language, Discourse and Society, while the optional ones were Personal and Professional Skills in Educational Management and Curriculum Design in Global Context. For the optional modules, I chose them based on my personal preference related to my interest at the beginning of the first semester.

Honestly, I like all of the modules because of the course design and the tutors’ supports. But if I have to choose, my favourite module is Second Language Learning. This was the only module that gave a weekly task to write a reflective journal. I found this task very helpful for me to make me think further about the materials, find a topic for my final assignment, and practice writing because the tutor always gave a constructive feedback. Besides, the tutor’s way of teaching also left a very good impression on me.

Yes, full English. Tapi untuk wawancara, kadang bisa 100% menggunakan bahasa Inggris atau bisa dicampur dengan bahasa Indonesia dengan porsi yang bermacam-macam tergantung pewawancara. Jika luar negeri yang dituju bahasa sehari-harinya bukan bahasa Inggris, misalnya saja Jepang, terkadang bisa juga diminta menunjukkan kemampuan bahasa tersebut pada saat wawancara.

Hello, thank you for your questions.

For all the entry requirements you can refer to the information on the university website here. You can apply for MA TEFL even without teaching experience. Of course, your teaching experience will be beneficial, but it is okay if you are fresh graduate and do not have any related experience.

Yes, you can get LPDP scholarship for applying to the University of Birmingham. You have to apply for LPDP scholarship and the university separately. Both of them can be applied online. For the scholarship, you can refer to the guideline at the website here. For the university, it can be found on the previous website above, by clicking ‘Apply Now’. Further information regarding how to apply online can be found on the How to apply pages.

All good wishes
Ratna

Hi there!

Thank you for the question. The difference between a taught course and a research course is on the portion of the study. A taught course usually contains more teaching than research or the same portion between both (kindly check the course description). For a research course, most of the time is for doing research. It is commonly known as preparation if you wish to continue your study (PhD).

Each programme is unique, so the decision will be different for each individual. It can be based on your learning style. For example, in a research course, you are expected to be able to work independently as you will receive less tutor support than that provided on a taught course. However, you will still be granted support from your supervisor. In another hand, if you enjoy studying a wide range of topics and love learning through lectures, then a taught degree is the right one for you.

Hope this help. Good luck!

Halo. Terima kasih pertanyaannya.

Untuk pendaftaran TEFL gratis. Jadi tidak ada biaya sama sekali.

Semoga jawabannya bisa membantu.

Hello! Thank you for your questions.

Many congratulations for your IELTS result. Yes, you would be able to follow the lecturers well. The University of Birmingham also offers programmes to improve your English skills (via Birmingham International Academy).

For me, I joined the programmes offered by BIA, for example, a three-day programme to train me in synthesising. I also followed a debating society which have a regular practice every week and joined a debating competition. Besides, I read books and articles about academic writing to help me with the assignments and dissertation.

I lived in a shared house with 3 Masters students in Selly Oak.

I hope this helps.
All best wishes,
Ratna

Hello!

Perhaps I successfully showed that I fit the mission of the Scholarship by my commitment to using my academic skills and leadership capacity to improve education in Indonesia.

Hi! Thank you for the questions.
In the University of Birmingham MA TEFL and TESOL are different. MA TEFL is under the School of Education while MA TESOL is under the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics. You could see more details on the course descriptions here:

MA TEFL: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/edu/teaching-english-foreign-language.aspx#CourseDetailsTab

MA TESOL: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/english/english-foreign-second-lang.aspx#CourseDetailsTab

There is no specific course focusing educational technology such as CALL. However, my dissertation is about CALL and there is a supervisor who is expert in this matter.

I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Ratna Yunita

Hi,
thank you for your question.

There are four major reasons why I chose UK for my Masters degree.
First, it is because of its education system. UK has shorter duration but intensive education. The distinct advantage of the fact that the duration of the Master courses is just one year is that I will get a head start in working life when I graduate earlier.
Second, the environment stimulates the students to think effectively, creatively, and independently. Many scientists and educational institution had seized for mostly 100 Nobel prizes.
Third, a UK qualification is recognized and respected globally. Many ambassadors of UK education return to their countries with different qualification and move on to successful careers.
Last of all, UK offers comprehensive support system in place for international students. It gives academic support, counselling support, and personal tutors.

In addition, my personal preference of choosing UK is because the process of admission which is easier than other countries. Moreover, UK is one of high-tolerant countries. Not to mention, Birmingham is one of cities in UK with the high Indonesian population so that Indonesian community support will be enormous.

I enjoyed my time in the UK, especially in the University of Birmingham and I am sure you would get the same experience. Best of luck!

Ratna Yunita

Hello! There were 3 modules in a semester with 3 hours weekly for each module. Each module had 10 meetings. I am so sorry for responding late. Have a good day!

Hello,
at the University of Birmingham, MA TEFL is under the School of Education while MA TESOL is under the Department of English Language and Applied Linguistics. As you can see in more details on the course descriptions here:

MA TEFL: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/edu/teaching-english-foreign-language.aspx#CourseDetailsTab

MA TESOL: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/taught/english/english-foreign-second-lang.aspx#CourseDetailsTab

each of them has different courses. You may reflect on your interest and needs for your choice.

I hope this help. Have a good day!

Best wishes
Ratna Yunita