Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages - TESOL Certificate

Unit: College of Education and Human Development

Department:  Elementary, Middle and Secondary Teacher Education

Program Information

This program is completed entirely online.

The twelve (12) credit hour graduate certificate program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) prepares candidates both inside and outside of the teacher education programs who wish to teach English language learners in a variety of settings.

There are two tracks in the TESOL graduate certificate: educator and non-educator.

The educator track is for certified P-12 classroom teachers who wish to add the English as a Second Language endorsement to their initial teaching license. This track addresses the growing demand for classroom teachers to have specialized training qualifying them to teach this diverse, yet distinct population of multilingual learners.  The educator track of the graduate certificate program is not designed to lead to initial licensure in any state and is intended to prepare certified Kentucky teachers to earn an endorsement to their license.  Although some or all of the program's coursework may count toward stand-alone licenses or endorsements in other states, this program is not an approved endorsement in states other than Kentucky.  Out of state students who intend to pursue licensure or an endorsement should check with their state licensing board before making a decision about whether this program will meet their needs.  For Kentucky certified teachers, completion of the certificate leads to a teaching endorsement.

The non-educator track is for non-educators wishing to teach/tutor English language learners (both in the U.S. and internationally) where state licensure may not be required. These settings include (but are not limited to) private/parochial schools, humanitarian organizations, and other settings where refugee and immigrant populations are in need of English language instruction and support.  The non-educator track of the graduate certificate program is not designed to lead to initial licensure  or endorsement in any state.

The learning outcomes of the Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) are to provide students with:

1. The ability to analyze the context of teaching English to multilingual language learners.
2. A mastery of the various teaching methods and approaches used to teach English.
3. The role of English when used both locally and globally.
4. Considerations of the dynamics between language and power in society.
5. An understanding of the differences between first and second language acquisition.
6. The connections between theoretical and applied linguistics as it applies in English language learning environments.
7. The impact of cultural contexts when teaching English to multilingual language learners.

Admission Requirements

The admission standards for the graduate certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages are as follows:

• A completed Graduate application;
• Application fee;
• Official transcript(s) for all previous post-secondary coursework. All transcripts not in English must be certified by an official agency as authentic and translated verbatim into English.
• The minimum requirement for admission is the baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution or current enrollment in a graduate program at the University of Louisville.
• The successful applicant will have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or above (on a 4.00 scale).
• Applicants are required to submit a 500-word essay outlining their rationale for pursuing this certificate as part of their application package.
• International students whose primary language is not English must show English language proficiency. These applicants must either submit an official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score, or hold a baccalaureate degree award from a U.S. Department of Education recognized English language institution.
• The successful applicant will have a total TOEFL score of 80 or higher on the internet based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based test for verification of English proficiency. English proficiency can also be met by submitting an official IELTS score of 6.5 or higher on the academic module or Duolingo score of 105.

Students can be simultaneously enrolled in another University of Louisville graduate degree program and this graduate certificate program.

Certificate Requirements

All students enrolled in the graduate certificate program are expected to make steady and satisfactory progress toward the completion of the certificate by taking at least one course each academic semester (excluding Winter and Summer sessions). Students who are not enrolled for a period of one academic calendar year will be considered to have withdrawn from the certificate program and must re-apply for re-admission into the program.

The certificate program of study must be completed with a 3.00 overall GPA and with a grade of B-minus or better for all graduate courses used to satisfy certificate requirements.

Graduate certificate students must take all certificate course work at the University of Louisville. No transfer credits will be accepted toward this graduate certificate program.

Coursework

¹EDAP 521 is REQUIRED for Kentucky certified teachers who are seeking the English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement to attach to their Kentucky teaching license.

Certification Requirements:

Kentucky certified teachers who are seeking endorsement as an ESL teacher must:

(1) Complete 30 hours of field work in a P-12 classroom setting with English language learners under the supervision of a Kentucky certified ESL endorsed classroom teacher;

(2) Successfully complete all course requirements including final ESL Portfolio containing artifacts representing ESL coursework;

(3) Pass the ESOL PRAXIS examination;

(4) Apply (with the assistance of the Educator Preparation Student Services office) for the ESL endorsement with the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board.