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


Do you have an interest in languages and people? Are you interested in making an impact locally and globally? This certificate prepares you for a variety of jobs and internships that will give you valuable teaching experience and opportunities to see the world.



Program Description

The undergraduate certificate program in teaching English to speakers of other languages consists of key courses that provide students with the practical skills and confidence necessary to teach English as a second or foreign language anywhere in the world. This certificate can be added to any degree program and includes a supervised TESOL internship to gain valuable hands-on experience before graduation.

This certificate does not certify students to teach in Arizona public schools (K-12).



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At a Glance: program details

  • Location: Tempe campus
  • Additional Program Fee: No
  • Second Language Requirement: No


Program Requirements

Requests to declare this certificate are reviewed by the academic advisor in the academic unit offering the certificate. Students may be contacted to discuss the certificate prior to the addition of the certificate to the student record.

A student pursuing an undergraduate certificate must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at ASU. Undergraduate certificates are not awarded prior to the award of an undergraduate degree. A student already holding an undergraduate degree may pursue an undergraduate certificate as a nondegree-seeking graduate student.

Enrollment Requirements

To complete the certificate, students must complete 18 credit hours with a minimum grade of "C" (scale is 4.00 = "A"). Twelve of these credits will come from upper-division undergraduate classes and at least six of those credits must be from courses offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Required classes: (12)

ENG 213 Introduction to the Study of Language (3)*
one course in second language acquisition (SLA) theory (3)**
one course in teaching English as a second language (TESOL) methods (3)***

ENG 484 Internship (3)

Electives: (6)

one additional ENG 404 course (3) on a topic not used to satisfy required courses
one course from the following:

ENG 214 English Grammar and Usages (3)
ENG 312 English in its Social Setting, L or HU or SB (3)
ENG 313 Phonology and Morphology (3)
ENG 314 Modern Grammar (3)
ENG 413 History of English Language, HU (3)
or other courses approved by the advisor.

*ASB 480 Principles of Linguistics (3) or SLC 201 Introduction to Linguistics, HU or SB (3) may be substituted with approval of advisor.

**SLA theory courses are taught as topics in ENG 404 Studies in Second Language Acquisition. Theory topics include: The Role of Identity in SLA; Introduction to SLA Theories; Motivation and Emotion SLA/TESOL; and Identity in SLA. Other ENG 404 topics may be substituted with advisor approval.

***TESOL methods courses are taught as topics in ENG 404 Studies in Second Language Acquisition (3). Method topics include: Introduction to TESOL; Second Language Education; Second Language Teaching; and, Teaching English for Specific Purposes. Other ENG 404 topics may be substituted with advisor approval.

Depending upon a student's undergraduate program of study, prerequisite courses may be needed in order to complete the requirements of this certificate.







Program Contact Information

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