Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
TESOL Certificate [code ENGLCT02]
The graduate level Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is open to students from any field who desire training in teaching English to speakers of other languages. It is independent of a teaching credential, which is required for teaching in public schools, grades K-12. The TESOL Certificate is recognized by private institutions, adult schools and community college programs for teaching ESL. Some programs may require an MA in TESOL in addition to the TESOL certificate.
Prerequisites (3 units)
One Introductory Course in Linguistics (3 units)
- LING 325: Modern English Grammar (or equivalent.)
Required Courses (24 Units including):
- 21 taken in residence;
- 18 taken as a graduate student;
- 12 taken at a 500-600 level.
Take one course in each of the following categories:
- Language Acquisition
- LING 329: Introduction to Language Acquisition
- Intermediate Level Linguistics
- LING 420: Phonology
- LING 421: Syntax
- Cross-Cultural Communication
- LING 425: Education across Culture
- Basic ESL Methodology
- LING 486:
Second Language Teaching Methods
- Curriculum
- LING 561: Second Language Curriculum Development
- Testing and Assessment
- LING 562: Second Language Testing and Assessment
- Specialized Methodology
- LING 560: TESOL Composition
- LING 575: Literacy and Linguistics
- Practicum
- LING 593: Practicum in TESOL
Checklist for TESOL Certificate
Linguistics students in the TESOL Certificate program need to fill out a checklist before requesting to graduate.
- Login BeachBoard. Under My Organizations, click on Department of Linguistics/Graduate, Documents, Forms, TESOL Certificate Checklist. Download and save the form as a word document. Fill it out completely. Delete the rows containing courses that you opted NOT to take. Print, sign, and date the form. Take it to the Graduate Advisor’s office or the department office in PSY 114. Attach a copy of the notification of successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) such as WPE.
- The Graduate Advisor will verify your information, finalize and sign the form, and pass it on to the Department Administrative Coordinator, who will make a copy for your file and have the original form sent to the Associate Dean’s office.
- You will receive a letter from the Associate Dean’s office indicating that your Checklist has been approved. You should then file a Request to Graduate form (the same as for the Master’s degree) at the Enrollment Services office. This needs to be done prior the semester in which you intend to graduate with your certificate.
Completion Requirements
To successfully complete the TESOL Certificate program, students are required to:
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Complete the program within five years from date of initial course work for the TESOL Certificate program. Courses taken before five years of the date the student program was initiated need to be revalidated.
