With more than 10 years of teaching experience in the public and private sectors, Rizza wanted to take her career to the next level. Studying a Master’s degree in TESOL at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington gave her the boost she needed.

Rizza says her degree opened up many opportunities to her as a language teacher. “I’ve had invitations to speak at schools, at webinars, and at the Philippines Department of Education.”

After gaining her Master’s, Rizza was promoted to the role of senior education specialist at the National Educators Academy of the Philippines. Her unit provides technical and professional development training to teachers. They promote continuous improvement, which means keeping up with the latest research in the field.

Rizza says, “A language teacher must always keep pace with the changing times and must be proactive.”

The English language is evolving, with more diversity among speakers and in the ways we communicate.

“There are new trends in research-based teaching that fit the needs of our 21st century learners. The Master’s degree in TESOL is the key to teaching English effectively.”

Wahyudin Humonggio (“Dodo”) has been teaching English for over 20 years in Indonesia. He chose our Master’s degree in TESOL because he was looking to boost his skills through a research-based programme using the latest theory and practice in the field.

“As a teacher in a remote area where the support for professional development is lacking, I thought the program was a must-attend.”

Dodo found the TESOL Master's invaluable.

“The programme has equipped me to become a skillful English teacher. I’ve been able to plan my own teaching based on the current research, use effective teaching strategies and procedures, and assess my students’ learning progress.”

Dodo is quick to recommend the programme: “Based on my experience of the Master’s degree in TESOL, I would say it is mandatory for English teachers—especially for teachers who don’t have access to professional development. The subjects it offers will rejuvenate the knowledge you need to be an English teacher.”

As an experienced teacher in Hanoi, Tuan was drawn to the TESOL Master’s programme at our university because of our strong international reputation. Being in the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings for Linguistics is evidence of the high-quality academic environment in the School of Linguistics and Applied Language Studies.

The programme’s broad study options expanded Tuan’s understanding of different aspects of language teaching.

“Through hands-on experiences, the programme has empowered me to see what I am capable of, and it has allowed me to develop my teaching and research skills. The most rewarding part of my studies was being able to carry out two independent research projects on fluency development, which were later published.”

Tuan recommends the Master’s degree in TESOL to anyone interested in teaching English.

“Through this programme, you learn a lot—not only from world-renowned lecturers, but also from peers who come from different regions.”

Students enjoy the practice-based aspect of our courses. They get the opportunity to apply theory to practice through in-class activities and micro-teaching sessions. Students learn skills they will be able to apply to their own future teaching.

My personal interest is within language and identity with my current research focused mainly on translanguaging. Translanguaging is a paradigm shift in applied linguistics that applies to the teaching of languages the way multilingual societies naturally use language. It’s grounded in social justice research so has a meaningful purpose that I think is important to contribute to—it’s a guiding focus of my research.

I am the primary investigator of the Wellington Translanguaging Project. As part of a research team, I work with communities to collect observational data in schools. Based on the findings, the team then creates teaching materials and runs workshops to further support the successful use of translanguaging in education and in the home.

I also regularly publish research on linguistic landscapes, language policy, community and classroom ethnographic approaches, and language and sexuality. I also serve as a forensic linguist for New Zealand-based legal cases and investigations.