Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in English as a Second Language

Program Description

The Certificate of English as Second Language program is designed to prepare educators to teach students whose home language isn’t English and to gain English proficiency with a focus on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills as aligned with the Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) standards. The Certificate in ESL program is designed to permit individuals who hold an initial Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Professional Educator License (PEL) to seek an endorsement in English as Second Language Education. The program also welcomes individuals who wish to obtain expertise for education-related professions in non-school settings.

General Requirements:

• Admission to the program is contingent upon good academic standing and acceptance by the department.
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• A minimum grade point average of 2.75 (on a 4.0-point scale) for conditional admission and 3.0 for full admission in the final 60 credit hours of bachelor’s degree coursework. Upper-division and graduate-level course work in fields other than education that was completed after the bachelor’s degree will be considered for applicants whose GPA in their last 60 credit hours of the bachelor’s degree is not high enough to be considered for conditional admission.
• A minimum grade of B on all graduate-level transfer credit.
• Maintain a minimum of B grade average in program courses.
• Complete 100 clock hours or 3 months of teaching experience in an ESL program.
• Individuals with an ISBE PEL in Elementary, Secondary, Early Childhood, or Special Education who seek an ISBE endorsement in ESL, may apply for that credential in consultation with the Office of Teacher Licensure.

Program Learning Outcomes

• To prepare candidates who demonstrate proficiency in the content areas, and pedagogical content knowledge, skills, and dispositions across learning environments as identified in national, state, and local standards.
• To prepare candidates who create supportive learning environments.
• To prepare candidates who construct meaningful learning experiences that support the development, learning, and motivation for all ESL/Bilingual Education students.
• To prepare candidates who demonstrate an understanding of the role of assessment to inform future instructional practices.
• To create a community of learners who infuse technology to foster active inquiry, engaged interactions, and collaborative relationships for all learners.
• To instill a sense of teaching as a profession within our candidates so that they embrace life-long learning and serve as reflective teaching practitioners across instructional contexts.
• To prepare candidates who exhibit standards of professional conduct and leadership to improve student learning and well-being.