The MA TESOL prepares students to assess and systematically build the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills of students from other language backgrounds who wish to learn English or to improve their skills in English. The Department of Linguistics and Language Development (LLD) strikes a balance between theory and practice. Students in the department are part of an ethnically and linguistically diverse student body, taught by nationally and internationally recognized faculty. Graduates from the MA TESOL program staff many of the area's English as a Second Language programs at the university, community college, adult school, and private program level. In addition, a number of TESOL graduates have chosen careers in international settings, teaching English as a Foreign Language in universities, schools, and companies in Asia, Latin America, Europe, and other regions. MA TESOL graduates are also eligible to teach abroad through the U.S. government-sponsored Fulbright and English Language Fellow programs. Any undergraduate major is appropriate preparation for this degree. (Note that the department does not have a credentialing program.)