Graduate Certification in ESL

English as a Second Language (ESL) Certification/Endorsement is for candidates who currently hold a standard teaching certificate.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Certification/Endorsement for Teachers is designed to address the need for instruction in ESL in response to both the growing number of English language learners (ELL) in the state and to the mandate inherent in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; 2015) to nurture the achievement of students with limited proficiency in English.

Students who wish to obtain ESL Certification:

  • Have a passing score on the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Written Proficiency (WPT)
  • Have completed one course (3 credits) in world language at the graduate or undergraduate level
  • Must complete the coherent sequence of courses listed below for a total of 16 credits.
  • Have a passing score on ETS Praxis Exam #5361 – The English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL requiring a passing score of 220.

Course Requirements (16 credits)

Required Courses (16 credits)

ESL600Studies in Cross Cultural Communication

3

ESL601Basic Theory & Practice Teaching ESL

3

ESL602Phonology & Structure of American English

3

ESL603General Linguistic/Language Acquistion

3

ESL604Systematic Observation &Field Experience in a Bilingual/Multicultural School

3

ESL605Introduction to ESL Assessment

1

* Transfer credits will not be accepted for the ESL Certification/Endorsement Program.