Language Teaching, MA
Department of Foreign Languages, College of Arts & Sciences
Vision Statement
The Master of Arts in language teaching program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is the only graduate program in the region that provides practicing and future teachers of Spanish, French, German, and English as a second or other language with a rigorous, practically oriented education founded on scholarship specifically in the pedagogy of language teaching. Students expand not only their familiarity with the latest research on applied linguistics and effective instructional techniques but also the literature and culture of their language of focus. The program strives to strengthen language education in the region by equipping its students with the knowledge and skills to apply best pedagogical practices in world language and TESOL classrooms and by connecting area teachers via its annual colloquium on language teaching.
Program Contact Information
Claudia Garcia, PhD, Graduate Program Chair (GPC)
301 Arts & Sciences Hall (ASH)
402.554.4837
csgarcia@unomaha.edu
Program Website
Other Program Related Information
Note that completion of the MALT program does not certify you to teach in the Nebraska public school system. If you are interested in pursuing teacher certification along with your MALT degree, please contact Academic Advising in the College of Education at 402.554.3890. For more information regarding the language teaching program please visit.
Admissions
Application Deadlines (Spring 2021, Summer 2021, and Fall 2021)
- Fall: April 15
- Spring: November 15
- Summer: April 15
Program-Specific Requirements
-
Applicants are required to have a command of oral and written English. Those who do not hold a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from the United States, OR a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from a predetermined country on the waiver list, must meet the minimum language proficiency score requirement in order to be considered for admission.
- A minimum TOEFL score of 600 paper-based, 100 internet-based, 8 IELTS, or 68 PTE is required for this program.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation
-
A Personal Statement (700-900 words, double space), written in the language of concentration that you are applying for. If applying for a double major or a minor, you should also include a Personal Statement in those languages.
Here are some topics you might want to consider:
- Your interests and qualifications for graduate study
- Description of yourself and your intellectual development
- Strengths and challenges
- Reasons why you want to join this program
- Possible areas of research or deeper study
- What you want to do after graduation
- Applicant must have taken ENGL 3610 or an equivalent course. Those who do not meet this requirement may be admitted provisionally.
- Applicant must schedule an oral target language interview with a MALT faculty member. This includes an interview in English for non-native speakers who apply to the TESOL concentration. Please contact the Graduate Program Chair for assistance.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 12 | |
| SEMINAR:SPECIAL TOPICS | ||
| SEMINAR:FL/TESOL RESEARCH | ||
or ENGL 8030 | FIELD-BASED RESEARCH METHODS IN ENGLISH STUDIES | |
| SEMINAR: SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION THEORY | ||
| SEMINAR: ASSESSMENT & CURRICULUM DESIGN | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| CRITICAL PEDAGOGY: TEACHING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE | ||
| CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING | ||
| LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND POWER | ||
| EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICES | ||
| DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP | ||
| SPECIAL METHODS IN THE CONTENT AREA | ||
| Concentration | ||
| Student must select an area of concentration. See Language Teaching, MA Concentrations | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Exit Requirements
The final requirements of the degree for all four concentrations are as follows:
- Successful completion of a written and oral comprehensive examination in which linguistic and pedagogical knowledge is applied to the student's target language area. The exam is administered in the student's final semester in the program.
- Approval of student's Portfolio at the end of the second to the last semester in the Program (i.e. the semester before the student is scheduled to take the comprehensive examination). The Portfolio should include one paper or project from each of the three areas of instruction (language, second language acquisition theory & theory, and pedagogy), as well as an Introduction and Conclusion. Its purpose is to help students both gain a cohesive view of the program and review for the comprehensive exam.
- Successful poster presentation at the Annual MALT Colloquium on Language Teaching.
Concentrations
French Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| French Concentration Requirements | ||
| FREN 8226 | THE STRUCTURE OF FRENCH | 3 |
| FREN 8440 | SEMINAR: FRENCH COMPOSITION | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| These courses are approved in consultation with the graduate advisor during the advising process (9 hours in target language). | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
German Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| German Concentration Requirements | ||
| GERM 8226 | THE STRUCTURE OF GERMAN | 3 |
| GERM 8440 | SEMINAR:GERMAN COMPOSITION | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| These courses are approved in consultation with the graduate advisor during the advising process (9 hours in target language). | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Spanish Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Spanish Concentration Requirements | ||
| SPAN 8226 | THE STRUCTURE OF SPANISH | 3 |
| SPAN 8440 | SEMINAR:SPANISH COMPOSITION | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| These course are approved in consultation with the graduate advisor during the advising process (9 hours in target language). | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Concentration (TESOL)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages | ||
| ENGL 8656 | STRUCTURE OF ENGLISH | 3 |
| ENGL 8740 | SEMINAR: DISCOURSE, CULTURE, AND POWER | 3 |
| FLNG 8900 | DIRECTED READINGS | 3 |
| Writing Seminar | 3 | |
| Literature Seminar | 3 | |
| Electives | ||
| These courses are approved in consultation with the graduate advisor during the advising process (6 hours in target language). | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
French
FREN 8036 ADVANCED FRENCH CONVERSATION (3 credits)
This course focuses on the development of oral skills in French through the use of complex and sophisticated conversational structures and nuanced lexicon. Students will be involved in expressing or presenting their ideas and opinions, interpersonal speaking activities, and a variety of activities including reading short literary and cultural texts and screening films. (Cross-listed with FREN 4030).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate standing. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
FREN 8056 SEMINAR IN THE CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION OF QUEBEC (3-6 credits)
An introduction to the many facets of Quebec Culture & Civilization, through readings on Quebec's history and contemporary culture and also through films and other media related to Quebec. (Cross-listed with FREN 4050).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): FREN 2120 or departmental permission. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
FREN 8156 CONTEMPORARY FRENCH NOVEL (3 credits)
Selected contemporary French novels are analyzed and discussed. The main objective of this course is the development of critical reading and analytical skills that will allow students to reflect more productively upon the major social and aesthetic themes manifest in the texts under consideration. In addition, students will examine the sociopolitical and cultural contexts of these literary works. (Cross-listed with FREN 4150).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): FREN 3060 or departmental permission. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
FREN 8176 CONTEMPORARY FRENCH THEATER (3 credits)
Selected contemporary French plays are analyzed and discussed.
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): FREN 3150 and FREN 3160, or departmental permission. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
FREN 8226 THE STRUCTURE OF FRENCH (3 credits)
A survey of the linguistic structure of modern French, including phonology, morphology, and syntax. (Cross-listed with FREN 4220).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): FREN 3040 and FREN 4610. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
FREN 8440 SEMINAR: FRENCH COMPOSITION (3 credits)
This course provides opportunities for students to refine their composition skills in French through extensive writing workshops and peer editing. Computer applications to composition will be employed.
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Admission to the Graduate College.
FREN 8866 MODERN FRENCH WOMEN AUTHORS (3 credits)
A comparative treatment of works by women in contemporary and recent French literature; the "feminine" perspective on society, politics and human values as expressed in those works. (Cross-listed with FREN 4860).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): FREN 3150 or FREN 3160, or departmental permission. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
FREN 8900 FRENCH INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
Specifically planned projects and readings in a well-defined field of French literature or linguistics carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign languages faculty holding graduate faculty status.
FREN 8906 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
Specially planned readings in a well-defined field of literature, carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign language faculty. Designed primarily for the student who has need of work not currently available in the departmental offerings and who has demonstrated capability of working independently. May be repeated for credit once. (Cross-listed with FREN 4900).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Permission of the instructor, junior or senior standing, and no incompletes outstanding. Not open to non-degree graduate students.
FREN 8956 PRO-SEMINAR: LITERATURE AND/OR FILM (3 credits)
This course is dedicated to the study of a narrow field of the literature and/or cinema of the Francophone world. (Cross-listed with FREN 4950).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate student status.
FREN 8966 PRO-SEMINAR: CULTURE AND SOCIETY (3 credits)
This course will address narrow field of study of the civilization, history, film, contemporary culture, art, politics, and or cultural studies of the Francophone world. (Cross-listed with FREN 4960).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): FREN 3030, FREN 3040, and FREN 3060
FREN 8976 PRO-SEMINAR: LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE FOR THE PROFESSIONS (3 credits)
This course will address a narrow field of study of linguistics, translation/interpretation or the professional language of the Francophone world. (Cross-listed with FREN 4970).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate student status.
German
GERM 8046 ADVANCED GERMAN COMPOSITION AND STYLISTICS (3 credits)
Advanced grammatical principles, composition and stylistics.
GERM 8226 THE STRUCTURE OF GERMAN (3 credits)
A survey of the linguistic structure of modern German, including phonology, morphology, and syntax. (Cross-listed with GERM 4220).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): GERM 3040 and GERM 4610, or permission.
GERM 8440 SEMINAR:GERMAN COMPOSITION (3 credits)
This course will provide opportunities for students to refine their composition skills in German through extensive writing practice, writing workshops, and peer editing. Computer applications to composition will be employed.
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Admission to Graduate College.
GERM 8906 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
Specially planned readings in a well-defined field of literature, carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign language faculty. Designed primarily for the student who has need of work not currently available in the departmental offerings and who has demonstrated capability of working independently. May be repeated for credit once. (Cross-listed with GERM 4900).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Permission of the instructor, junior or senior standing, and no incompletes outstanding.
GERM 8956 PRO-SEMINAR: LITERATURE AND/OR FILM (3 credits)
This course is dedicated to the study of a narrow field of the literature and/or cinema of the German-speaking world. (Cross-listed with GERM 4950).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate student status.
GERM 8966 PRO-SEMINAR: SOCIETY AND CULTURE (3 credits)
This course will address a narrow field of study of the civilization, history, film, contemporary culture, art, politics, and/or cultural studies of the German-speaking world. (Cross-listed with GERM 4960).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): GERM 3030, GERM 3040, and GERM 3060
GERM 8976 PRO-SEMINAR: LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE FOR THE PROFESSIONS (3 credits)
This course will address a narrow field of study of linguistics, translation/interpretation or the professional language of the German-speaking world. (Cross-listed with GERM 4970).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate student status.
Spanish
SPAN 8036 ADVANCED SPANISH CONVERSATION (3 credits)
This course targets the development of oral skills in Spanish through the incorporation of complex and sophisticated conversational structures and nuanced lexicon. In particular, the course focuses on presentational (i.e., expressing or exposing ideas or opinions), and interpersonal speaking (i.e., engaging in conversation where learners narrate and describe in the major time frames of past, present, and future in paragraph-length discourse with control of aspect). (Cross-listed with SPAN 4030)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate standing
SPAN 8046 ADVANCED COMPOSITION AND STYLISTICS (3 credits)
Advanced grammatical principles, composition, and stylistics. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4040)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3040 or departmental permission, and ENGL 1160.
SPAN 8066 INTRODUCTION TO TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETATION (3 credits)
This course offers an introduction to the translation and interpretation field. Course objectives include (a) understanding translation theory; (b) comprehending the role of communication in translation and interpretation; (c) targeting common grammatical and pragmatic errors; (d) increasing vocabulary knowledge in a variety of fields; and (e) gaining an increased awareness of the rigor and demands innate to the translation and interpretation fields. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4060).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Admission to MALT program or permission of instructor
SPAN 8076 HISPANIC BILINGUALISM (3 credits)
This course explores bilingualism among Spanish speaking populations. Topics include societal bilingualism, the history of Spanish and language policy in Spain, Latin America, and the U.S., psychological aspects of bilingualism, monolingual vs. bilingual acquisition, first vs second language acquisition, and Spanish as a heritage language in the U.S. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4070).
SPAN 8086 INTRODUCTION TO HISPANIC LINGUISTICS (3 credits)
This course introduces students to the field of linguistics by exploring the following areas: phonetics and phonology (sound systems), morphology (word formation), historical linguistics (language development over time), and sociolinguistics and pragmatics (language in society and context), among others, as framed within the study of the Spanish language. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4080).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040 OR SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020; Graduate standing
SPAN 8156 LITERATURE/CULTURE: CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 1898-2000 (3 credits)
"Literature/ Culture: Central America and the Caribbean 1898- 2000" studies major historical and socio-cultural events in Latin American history in the 20th century, through their articulation in literary texts, film, and other cultural expressions from Central America and the Hispanic Caribbean. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4150, CACT 8156)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040 and SPAN 3060 or permission of instructor
SPAN 8166 LATIN AMERICAN LITERATURE OF THE 20TH CENTURY (3 credits)
Critical and analytical study of Spanish-American dramatists, poets, and essayists from modernism to the present. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4160)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3220 or departmental permission.
SPAN 8226 THE STRUCTURE OF SPANISH (3 credits)
This course introduces students to the structure of the Spanish language with a focus on its morphology and syntax as seen in the study of constituents of a sentence, lexical categories, content and function words, the pronominal system, the structure of simple and complex sentences, and the verbal system, among others. It reviews frequent syntactical errors in Spanish L2 and Heritage learners with the purpose of advancing their linguistic competence. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4220).
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and 3040 or SPAN 3010 and SPAN 3020; graduate standing
SPAN 8356 LATIN AMERICAN SHORT STORY (3 credits)
Representative stories of the 19th and 20th centuries, from Romanticism to the present. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4350)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3210 and SPAN 3220 or departmental permission.
SPAN 8440 SEMINAR:SPANISH COMPOSITION (3 credits)
This course provides opportunities for students to refine their composition skills in Spanish through extensive writing workshops and peer editing. Computer applications to composition will be employed.
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Admisssion to the Graduate College.
SPAN 8456 INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY CRITICISM (3 credits)
An introduction to modern literary theory, from Ferdinand de Sausurre's course in general linguistics and Russian formalism, to postmodernism. Theory will be read in English and Spanish. Literature for discussion and analysis will be read in Spanish. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4450)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3030 and SPAN 3040, or permission.
SPAN 8900 SPANISH INDEPENDENT STUDY: GRADUATE ONLY (1-3 credits)
Specifically planned projects and readings in a well-defined field of literature or linguistics carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign languages faculty holding graduate faculty status.
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Acceptance into the Master of Arts in Language Teaching Program (MALT). Must have completed a minimum of six graduate credit hours.
SPAN 8906 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3 credits)
Specially planned readings in a well-defined field of literature, carried out under the supervision of a member of the foreign language faculty. Designed primarily for the student who has need of work not currently available in the departmental offerings and who has demonstrated capability of working independently. May be repeated for credit once. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4900)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Senior status, no incompletes outstanding, and departmental permission.
SPAN 8956 PRO-SEMINAR: LITERATURE AND/OR FILM (3 credits)
This course is dedicated to the study of a narrower field of the literature and/or cinema of the Spanish-speaking world. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4950)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate standing
SPAN 8966 PRO-SEMINAR: CULTURE AND SOCIETY (3 credits)
This course will address a narrow field of study of the civilization, history, film, contemporary culture, art, politics, and/or cultural studies of the Spanish-speaking world. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4960)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): SPAN 3030, SPAN 3040, and SPAN 3060.
SPAN 8976 PRO-SEMINAR: LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE FOR THE PROFESSIONS (3 credits)
This course will address a narrow field of study of linguistics, translation/interpretation or the professional language of the Spanish-speaking world. (Cross-listed with SPAN 4970)
Prerequisite(s)/Corequisite(s): Graduate standing.