Requirements
Any student who wished to earn the certificate must fulfill the following requirements:
Prerequisite
(or taken concurrently with the first certificate course)
LING 1000 - INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS
Course Requirements
LING 2738 - LINGUISTIC STRUCTURES OF ENGLISH
LING 2142 - THEORIES AND PRACTICES OF SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING
LING 2143 - SEM LANG TCHNG MATLS DEVELOPMENT
TLL 2257 - TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
TLL 2253 - PRIN/PRA FRGN LANG TESTNG ASSMNT
TEACHING PRACTICUM - TLL 2791 - SUPERVISED RESEARCH - FOREIGN LANGUAGE (Term varies)
Please note:
- LING 2195 - PRACTICUM ESL TEACHING involves supervised language teaching concurrent with or following LING 2142 - THEORIES AND PRACTICES OF SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING . Candidates fulfill the requirement by signing up for TLL 2791 and completing their practicum in a K-12 context with the support of the School of Education, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leading , or, with permission of the TESOL Certificate advisor, another ESL teaching context.
- The certificate candidate must earn a grade of B or higher in each certificate course.
Degree Prerequisite for Admission
Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree or its foreign equivalent with a minimum grade point average of B (3.0 on a 4-point scale). Preference is given to applicants who have studied abroad, worked with international students, and/or have any EFL/ESL teaching experience (including volunteer).
Instructional I Prerequisite
Applicants must hold a Pennsylvania Instructional I certificate (or equivalent from another state) and be able to provide a copy as part of the application packet.
Additional Language Learning Prerequisite for Admission
Native Speakers of English:
Native speakers of English must have classroom foreign language learning experience equivalent to at least one year of college level study of a language other than English and/or have learned a foreign language during an overseas living/work experience.
Native Speakers of Other Languages:
- Recommendations for applicants who are non-native speakers of English are as follows:
- Recommended TOEFL Score: 95 or higher on the iBT TOEFL (Skill Requirements: Reading and Listening - 22 or above; Speaking and Writing - one skill must be at the level of Advanced)
- Recommended IELTS Score: 7 or higher on the IELTS (Skill Requirements: Speaking and Writing - combined minimum of 13)
- Admitted students in TESOL-related programs who are non-native speakers of English must have good spoken English skills as determined by a score of at least 4 on the International Teaching Assistant interview test administered by the University of Pittsburgh. These students must successfully complete the interview before graduating.
Transcripts and CV and Teaching Certificate
Undergraduate transcripts (and graduate if applicable) and a CV (including a list of references) must be submitted as part of the application. In addition, a copy of the applicant’s state teaching certificate must be included in the application materials.
Plan of Study
Students must complete a TESOL certificate plan of study form after consultation with the TESOL Certificate advisor during the first term of study.
Completion of Requirements
When nearing completion of all TESOL certificate requirements, students must apply for graduation from the TESOL Certificate program through the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office. This graduation application is separate from any other degree graduation applications. Additional paperwork for the state endorsement must be filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Education with the help of the School of Education.