The MATSL program is for elementary, middle, and high school foreign language teachers who wish to advance their careers. The curriculum is designed to foster growth by integrating cultural perspectives and practices, language, pedagogy, and leadership. The MATSL experience enables our students to:
- become better teachers by applying what is learned in the classroom to their own classrooms;
- improve language skills by participating in structured and unstructured learning experiences in the target language;
- deepen their cultural knowledge by experiencing content-based instruction.
In order to best take advantage of the intensive approach of this low-residency program, candidates should be involved in teaching a second language. Applicants must demonstrate proficiency in the language they teach, in part, through an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) administered by Language Testing International (LTI), the language testing office of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). MATSL applicants are expected to score at least at the Intermediate-High level. The test must have been taken within two years of entry into the program. All MATSL students, especially those who enter at the Intermediate level, are expected to improve their language abilities over the two years of their enrollment. Specifically, all students are expected to leave the program at the Advanced level or higher. The program’s language/culture courses are meant to aid in that improvement, but the responsibility for language development rests with the student.
Native speakers of French or Spanish who earned a bachelor’s degree from a French or Spanish language university may request a waiver of the OPI test requirement. Applicants are encouraged to schedule their OPI appointments as early as possible, since scores can take several weeks to reach the MATSL office. An OPI appointment form is included in the MATSL application materials. Applicants can also call LTI directly at 914-963-7110 or apply online.