Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Certificate
The TESL Certificate provides undergraduate-level preparation to teach English to speakers of other languages. It is especially useful for people who want to teach in non-university settings internationally or limited situations in the U.S. The TESL Certificate also combines well with a major in a language-related field such as applied linguistics, world languages, communication, education, and other social sciences. Students may enroll in the program as undergraduates or as post-baccalaureate students.
Admission requirements
- Admission to Portland State University.
- English proficiency in spoken and written English if the student is not a native speaker of English (a TOEFL score report of 550 or 80 iBT or higher is required for proof of proficiency).
- Two years proficiency in at least one foreign language if the student is a native speaker of English. (Note: If not fulfilled at the time of admission, this requirement can be fulfilled concurrently with the Certificate courses.)
Course requirements
In addition to fulfilling minimum University requirements, the following adviser-approved courses are required:
Courses
| Ling 390 | Introduction to Linguistics | 4 |
| Ling 392 | Structure of the English Language | 4 |
| Ling 438 | Second Language Acquisition | 4 |
| | | |
| Ling 439 | Language Assessment | 4 |
| | Or | |
| Ling 475 | Curriculum Design and Materials Development in TESOL | 4 |
| | | |
| Ling 471 | Understanding the International Experience | 4 |
| Ling 477 | TESOL Methods | 4 |
| Ling 478 | TESOL Methods | 4 |
| | One language education elective | 4 |
| | Linguistics electives (upper-division level) | 8 |
Language education elective--choose from
| Ling 409 | Community ESL Practicum | 4 |
| Ling 439 | Language Assessment | 4 |
| Ling 470 | Grammar for TESOL | 4 |
| Ling 472 | Teaching Pronunciation | 4 |
| Ling 473 | Computer Assisted Language Learning | 4 |
| Ling 475 | Curriculum Design and Materials Development in TESOL | 4 |
| Ling 476 | Corpus Linguistics in Language Teaching | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 40 |
Ling 410 can be used only with prior adviser approval.
All courses used to satisfy certificate course requirements must be upper-division courses in which the student earns a mark of C or above. Courses taken under the undifferentiated grading option (P/NP) are not acceptable for department requirements. Before the end of the first quarter in the program, the student is required to consult with the departmental adviser to select the appropriate courses and sequence. The entire program must be approved by the adviser.
Some courses used in the TESL certificate program can also be applied to obtaining the ESL/bilingual endorsement for public school teachers. Students seeking this endorsement must plan a program through the departmental adviser and must complete 100 hours of practice in the K-12 setting as well as other endorsement requirements.