With the recent explosion of English as a world language, there are many opportunities for well-trained teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) in nearly every area of the globe. Even in the U.S. , the constant arrival of immigrants with limited English skills has spurred the development of thousands of ESL programs.

The UNVA TESOL certificate program enables people from any educational background to gain a sound theoretical foundation plus the hands-on classroom experience necessary to pursue teaching opportunities either in the United States or abroad. Courses are designed to examine current research and trends in the field of TESOL, and to introduce instructional strategies and materials to meet the needs of second language learners.

This program is designed to meet the needs of those students who are now or will be teaching classes in English as a Second Language. These classes may be in the U.S. or in foreign countries.

Requirements:

• Students must qualify for admission at the junior level with 60 credit hours or higher.
• Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Students whose first language is not English must have a minimum TOEFL score of 550/213. If you are a graduate student, you must have a minimum TOEFL score of 600/250.
• Undergraduate students can only take the 400-level courses and graduate students will take 500-level courses.
• Students must maintain a 3.00 GPA and any grade lower than B will not be counted towards the certificate.

Certificate Courses

TESL 400/500 English Grammar & Structure

TESL 410/510 Principles of Second Language Acquisition

TESL 416/516 Strategies for Teaching English

TESL 418/518 Language and Culture

TESL 498/598 TESOL Practicum