Program Overview

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate

Program Type

Graduate Academic Certificate (G.A.C.)

Format

• On Campus
• Online

Estimated Time to Complete

1 year

Credit Hours

12

Program Description

Unlock teaching strategies to help non-native speakers from around the world master the English language. The market for learners and teachers of English is booming. If you want to teach at a community college or a university, you will benefit from specialized training in ESL instruction. Most countries where EFL/ESL is taught require a TEFL/TESOL certification and many are looking for a certification that includes a minimum of 20 hours of in-class practice.

Why Earn a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate?

There is demonstrated demand for English Language Teachers in the United States and Worldwide:

• The number of English language learners in the United States has grown by roughly 60% in the last decade.
• In 2019, 1.5 billion people were learning and using English worldwide.
• ESL exam providers such as the University of Cambridge (IELTS) and the British Council/Trinity College London have continued to expand their operations and increase their global market reach.
• In 2018, the ESL industry grew to $45 billion and it is estimated to rise to $56.2 billion by 2021.
• The National Center for Education Statistics reported that 27% of all schools with bilingual/ESL teaching vacancies found them very difficult or impossible to fill and this is a higher percentage than for many other teaching fields.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate Highlights

Our strengths lie in our established TESOL program and research areas in language variation and change, language documentation, and the linguistic analysis of literature. We also have a new focus of language technology and language data curation. Our international collaborations currently are with Mexico, India, Pakistan, and China.

English is a global language and ranks as one of the most desirable languages to learn. Because of this, trained professionals in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language are currently in high demand and will continue to be in the future.

Our practicum in ESL is often available at an international venue.

Education, foreign language, anthropology, and speech and hearing majors find the certificate particularly helpful as it equips them with a skill set that expands their educational and employment options and further distinguishes them from the competition.

Professional and technical communication majors should also consider earning a TESOL certificate (the coursework counts toward the degree's required cognate) as it deepens their understanding of writing and editing and enhances their ability to work with global audiences.

UNT Linguistics is supported by an active linguistics research community at UNT with ties across campus and with local, national, and international communities.

Career Opportunities

A student with a Graduate Academic Certificate in TESOL has many options professionally: teaching English overseas or in the U.S. as a professional, designing curriculum and ESL programs, and working in government agencies. Our TESOL certificate also prepares international students to return to their own country and teach English.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate Courses

• Teaching English as a Second Language (3 hrs)
  • Current pedagogical theory affecting the teaching of English as a second language. Both theoretical and applied approaches are considered.
• Pedagogical English Grammar (3 hrs)
  • Thorough study of the basics of English grammar (morphology and syntax) analyzed from traditional, descriptive and theoretical points of view. Emphasis on pedagogical problems.
• Practicum in Teaching English as a Second Language (3 hrs)
  • Practical experience in the design and implementation of ESL instruction, including actual practice in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages.
• Second Language Acquisition (3 hrs)
  • Covers a broad range of issues concerning the acquisition of second languages. Topics include L1-L2 differences, child-adult L2 differences, the teachability of grammar and models of L2 acquisition.