TESOL Master’s Welcomes First Class

On July 8, NYU Shanghai welcomed the inaugural class of the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) master’s program, jointly offered with NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

Comprised of 17 experienced English teachers from diversified backgrounds, the TESOL program’s first class was welcomed to Saturday’s orientation by Yu Lizhong, Chancellor of NYU Shanghai and Shondel Nero, director of the MA TESOL at NYU Steinhardt, as well as faculty and staff on campus. The students were introduced to different aspects of life and study at NYU Shanghai.

“The launch of the TESOL master’s program continues our development of thriving postgraduate programs at NYU Shanghai, which will lead our university to a new stage,” said Chancellor Yu Lizhong, who saluted the class for joining NYU Shanghai and NYU Steinhardt’s “historic moment.” 

He encouraged the students to take advantage of the intellectual and technological resources at NYU Shanghai, to acquire not only cutting-edge pedagogy but the critical thinking, cultural effectiveness, and creativity needed in today’s globalized world.

Kentei Takaya, director of MA TESOL at NYU Shanghai, said the joint program prepares students to advance English proficiency and teaching skills through a two-year curriculum on campus and online, including a summer immersion in New York City. Graduates will earn New York University diplomas, which are recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

Robin Harvey, co-director of the program, remarked that the courses offered in the joint program are uniquely tailored to complement students’ teaching experiences and the demands of the Chinese market.

Carol Shu, a teacher at Shanghai High School, chose to study at the joint MA TESOL Program at NYU Shanghai in hope of exploring cultural meanings beyond languages and developing global perspectives.

“I believe it will help me improve my expertise in language-centered teaching process and enable me to know more up-to-date pedagogy and apply them to test their feasibility in my class,” she said.