Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Department of Languages

Dr. Lucas Hardy, Graduate Director
240 DeBartolo Hall
330-941-3420
lhardy01@ysu.edu

Certificate Description

This four-course sequence (12 semester hours) is valuable for anyone who wishes to gain more knowledge of second/foreign language learning. It is also useful as a springboard to further gradu­ate work in the field. It is designed to meet the needs of:

  • K–12 language arts instructors who want more information but not necessarily state endorsement;
  • writing instructors at two-year colleges; and
  • students who would like to enter doctorate programs in applied linguistics, English as a sec­ond language, or second language acquisition.

Students gain an understanding of issues of lan­guage acquisition and language pedagogy.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the graduate certificate in the teaching of English to speakers of other lan­guages, students need not have an undergraduate degree in English or linguistics but must have a B.A. or B.S. and meet requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies at YSU.

Certificate Requirements

Students who have not taken an introductory linguistics course at the undergraduate level will be expected to do extra reading to get an understanding of basic terms. The department’s advanced linguistics course (ENGL 6955 Advanced Linguistics) may also serve to provide background. Students should see an advisor for the TESOL certificate program.

Students must complete the following four courses:

COURSE TITLE S.H.
ENGL 6950Sociolinguistics3
ENGL 6951Language Acquisition3
ENGL 6956TESOL Methods3
ENGL 6958English Grammar3
Total Semester Hours12

Learning Outcomes

The Graduate TESOL Certificate prepares students to teach English to Speakers of Other Languages in overseas settings, in higher education intensive English programs, in community-based adult ESOL programs, and more (i.e., settings that do not require an Ohio K12 teaching license).

Using knowledge of language acquisition principles, the structures of the English language, sociolinguistics, and culturally-sustaining pedagogies, students will be able to:
  1. Plan and implement a variety of research- and standards-based lessons and culturally-sustaining instructional activities across modalities (reading, writing, listening, speaking, multiliteracies, digital integration) that meet the needs of students learning English as an Additional Language;  
  2. Use knowledge of students’ languages, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences to plan activities that motivate their participation; 
  3. Design and use formative, classroom- and performance-based assessments to monitor student learning and direct instruction;  
  4. Engage in self-assessment to identify areas of strength and needed improvement, respond appropriately to constructive feedback, and plan for professional development