Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Teaching English as an additional language is an endeavor that comes with great responsibility as well as opportunities for personal growth. In our TESOL courses, we take a critical approach to curriculum design to ensure that instruction builds on learners’ cultural identities, home languages, and previous educational experiences. As reflective practitioners, we grow in our understanding of ourselves and others against the backdrop of various teaching and learning contexts and in light of feedback from a supportive community of practice. Being a TESOL professional is bound to change your life through the people you meet, the places you go, and the person you become as a result of these experiences.

CU ֲý is contributing to the professionalization of English language teacher education through the TESOL track (sub-plan) within the Linguistics major and a TESOLminor (for non-linguistics majors).Course offerings in theTESOL trackand TESOL minor ensurethat students take courses (required and elective) that best prepare them to meet the standards set forth by thefor teachers of English as an additional language. Students will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work effectively and ethically as teachers of multilingual learners across the lifespan in a range of contexts, including community-based programs, private language institutions, intensive English programs, and after-school programs.

Do you already have a baccalaureate degree? If so, please read about our Graduate Certificate in TESOL. This is a 5-course graduate-level certificate available to non-degree post-bacc individuals and graduate students.

TESOL Track Requirements

TESOL Minor Requirements

Required for all TESOL Track students:

12 creditsof TESOL-focused LING courses.
3 creditsfrom the following elective options.

Required for all TESOL Minor students:

12 creditsof TESOL-focused LING courses.
6 creditsfrom the following elective options.

Required TESOL-focused LING courses:

  • LING 4630:TESOL and Second Language Acquisition: Principles and Practices (3 credits, Fall)
  • LING 4620: Teaching Second Language (L2) Oral Skills (3 credits, Fall)
  • LING 4610:Pedagogical Grammar for TESOL (3 credits, Spring)
  • LING 4910:TESOL Practicum (3 credits, Spring)

Elective Course Options:

  • COMM 3410 – Intercultural Communication
  • EDUC 2411 - Educational Psychology for Elementary Schools
  • EDUC 2425 - Foundations of Bilingual/Multilingual Education (*for Elementary Education Majors only)
  • EDUC 2625 – Teaching English as a Second Language (*for Elementary Education Majors only)
  • EDUC4425 – Introduction to Bilingual/Multicultural Education
  • EDUC 4455 - Methods of Biliteracy Instruction (*for Elementary Education Majors only)
  • EDUC 4615 - Language Acquisition for Bilingual Learners
  • LING 3545 – World Language Policies
  • LING/ANTH 4800 – Language and Culture
  • LING/SLHS 4560 - Language Development

Please note: The following newly added elective courses are pending official approval. If you'd like to take courses from this list, your advisor and program director Rai Farrelly (rai.farrelly@colorado.edu) can arrange a substitution approval.

  • EDUC 2615 - Foundations of Language Acquisition for Bilingual Learners (*for Elementary Education Majors only)
  • EDUC 4023 - Differentiating Instruction in Diverse Secondary Classrooms (*for Secondary or K-12 Licensure students only)
  • EDUC 4310 - Social and Emotional Learning in Schools
  • EDUC 4435 - Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies for Bilingual Learners (*for Elementary Education Majors only)
  • EDUC 4535 - Assessment for Bilingual Learners (*for Elementary Education Majors only)
  • ETHN 4009 - Chicana/os and Education
  • IAFS 3850 - International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
  • PACS 3700 - Communication and Conflict Management
  • PACS 3850 - International Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
  • SLHS 4000 - Multicultural Aspects of Communication Differences and Disorders
  • SPAN 4215 - Spanish in the United States

TESOL Minor General Requirements

  • 18 credits of LING and related coursework total
  • At least 12 credits of upper-division TESOL-focused LING courses
  • All coursework applied to the minor must be completed with a grade of C- or better (no pass/fail work may be applied)
  • The grade point average for all minor degree course work must equal 2.00 (“C”) or higher
  • Students will be allowed to apply no more than 9 credit hours, including 6 upper-division credit hours, of transfer work towards the minor
  • Students cannot declare both the major in linguistics and the minor in TESOL

*Note: The TESOL track and minordo not count toward a PreK-12 teaching licenseor Colorado's Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Education endorsement, which is required to teach English as an additional language in U.S.-based elementary, middle, and high schools. To learn more about teacher licensure in the School of Education at CU ֲý, clickhere. To learn more about the CLD endorsement, clickhere.

Career Potential within the field of TESOL

Individuals with evidence of trainingin TESOL are eligible to teachEnglish as an additional language in a number of settings nationally and internationally. Opportunities include workingfor private and non-profit language programs in the U.S., tutoring learnersface-to-face or online, and working as paraeducators in local schools. Internationally, there are many wonderful opportunities to combine a love of teaching with an interest in travel and living abroad.TESOL majors and minorswill be attractive candidates for various English language teaching positions around the world.

A career in TESOLis versatile, offers the chance to live abroadwhile earning money, and creates opportunities for meaningful, human connections across linguistic and culturalboundaries. Click on the company logos below to learn more.

TESOL Program director Rai Farrelly also createdwith a host of resources related to earning a career in TESOL.

Visit theseonline job boards for TESOL to see what other teaching opportunities are available:

FAQs

The TESOL Program contributes to the professionalization ofEnglish language teacher education at CU. All courses in the TESOL track and TESOL minor contribute to the professional standardsset forth by thefor teachers of English as an additional language. Students pursuing the TESOL track or TESOL minorwill be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to work effectively and ethically as teachers of multilingual learners across the lifespan in a range of contexts, including community-based programs, private language institutions, intensive English programs, and after-school programs.

Yes. Students who complete the TESOL track within the major or the TESOL minor will be awarded an in-house TESOL Certificate to present to potential employers. The curriculum of our TESOL program is robust from the perspective of TESOL teacher education and the TESOL Certificate demonstrates to potential employers that certificate-holders have completed 200+ hours in the TESOL program. Nondegree or post-baccalaureate students can opt to pursue our Graduate Certificate in TESOL.

Individuals with evidence of trainingin TESOL are eligible to teachEnglish as an additional language in a number of settings nationally and internationally. Opportunities include workingfor private and non-profit language programs in the U.S., tutoring learnersface-to-face or online, and working as paraeducators in local schools. Internationally, there are many wonderful opportunities to combine a love of teaching with an interest in travel and living abroad.TESOL majors and minorswill be attractive candidates for various English language teaching positions around the world such as:

Visit theseonline job boards for TESOL to see what other teaching opportunities are available:

No.The TESOL minor and TESOL track for LING majors do not count toward a PreK-12 teaching licenseor Colorado's Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Education endorsement, which is required to teach English as an additional language in U.S.-based elementary, middle, and high schools. To learn more about teacher licensure in the School of Education at CU ֲý, clickhere. To learn more about the CLD endorsement, clickhere.

Yes! If you already have an undergraduate degree, you can pursue the Graduate Certificate in TESOL. This 5-course program is open to non-degree and graduate students. If you are a non-degree student, you will enroll through Continuing Education.If you are pursuing an MA in linguistics, the 5 courses in this program will count toward the electives required for your degree. You can take up to twoelective courses outside of linguistics, which fits with the options available. Students in other graduate programs (e.g., MA Russian Studies, MA Hispanic Linguistics) have also pursued this certificate with their MAs. Please speak with your advisors to find out how many courses you can take outside of your home department.

To learn more about the program requirements and how to enroll, click HERE.