TESOL Certificate Introduction

The Department of Languages and Applied Linguistics offers a certificate program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL Certificate). 

The TESOL Certificate program is aimed at undergraduate students who wish to teach English as second or additional language after graduation, whether in the United States or overseas. The program aims to accomplish five learning objectives: 

• Identify structural elements of the English language, including elements of its morpho-syntactic and phonological systems, relationships between these elements, and common challenges these elements pose to learners of English.
• Identify variables, both linguistic and non-linguistic, that play a role in language acquisition.
• Develop effective, learner-centered lesson plans and instructional materials reflecting contemporary views on language teaching and learning.
• Develop effective tools to assess student achievement of language learning objectives.
• Reflect critically on pedagogical choices in terms of their effect 

The TESOL Certificate Program was developed in response to student interest, and its requirements align well with our undergraduate major in Applied Linguistics and Multilingualism. This program, however, is not restricted to students with language or teaching-focused majors. Any student with plans of teaching English abroad—or in certain domestic contexts—can benefit from this alternative to expensive extracurricular TESOL Certificates (which can cost thousands of dollars) or the comparatively limited employment opportunities for graduates without a TESOL Certificate.