Teaching English as a Second Language Certificate
What is the Purpose of the TESL Certificate Program?
The Cal Poly TESL Certificate Program is a non-degree certificate training program for preparing prospective instructors to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Specifically, our program addresses theoretical, pedagogical, and methodological issues and contexts for teaching English as a second language (ESL) and English as a foreign language (EFL) and is ideal for those who plan to travel abroad and would like to have help preparing for English teaching positions. The TESL Certificate also serves as a segue to advanced training and education in TESOL for students who decide to pursue an MA or PhD in TESOL, applied linguistics, or a related field. Our program attracts undergraduate and graduate students from across campus, including those studying in English, Modern Languages and Literatures, Liberal Studies, Education, and Child Development, among other areas.
How Does One Begin the Program?
Currently, interested students do not need to apply or be accepted formally to the TESL Certificate Program. Instead, after contacting the Director Dr. Marnie Petray to identify a desire to join the program, students should begin taking courses and will earn the Certificate and its designation on their formal transcript once all coursework and the foreign language requirement have been successfully completed.
Who Can Earn the Cal Poly TESL Certificate?
Any Cal Poly degree-seeking student in any major or area may complete the TESL Certificate, whether undergraduate or graduate. As part of graduate study, the TESL Certificate may be done in conjunction with any Master’s program at Cal Poly, with the MA in English being most common. For post-bacs who are not enrolled in a graduate program, the TESL Certificate can also be completed by continuing education students through the Open University. The Open University division of Continuing Education has its own fee structure and rules for enrollment. Please see the website at http://openuniversity.calpoly.edu (link opens new window) for more information about this option.
How Long Does the Certificate Take?
The TESL Certificate requirements may be completed in 4 to 6 academic quarters, depending on course availability and the quarter that coursework is begun. We strongly recommend taking 4-5 quarters to allow for sufficient time to take the lower division classes before the tougher core TESL sequence. Please note: TESL Certificate courses are not typically offered during summer.
What are the Certificate Requirements?
We adhere to TESOL.org’s (link opens a new window) recommendation for non-degree certificate programs by employing only qualified and experienced instructors, offering a balance of theory and practice regarding pedagogy and methodology, and including a minimum of 100 instructional hours plus a supervised practice teaching component. The TESL Certificate Program requires 30-units (8 courses) of content arranged into three tiers, introductory courses, mid-level courses, and the core TESL sequence, plus demonstrated proficiency in one foreign language equal to two intermediate college-level courses. All content and foreign language courses must be passed with a minimum grade of C to earn the Certificate. The introductory-level linguistics courses (ENGL 290, 390, 391) and two mid-level applied linguistics and intercultural communication courses (ENGL 495 and COMS 416) prepare students for the core TESL sequence of English 497, 498, and 499. See the TESL Certificate Curriculum for a further breakdown of these required content courses. The foreign language proficiency requirement can be met by passing two of the intermediate level modern language courses at Cal Poly (Spanish, French, or German 121, 122, and 124), or the equivalent, such as transferring similar coursework completed at another university. Non-native English-speaking TESL program students may be required to fulfill the foreign language proficiency requirement by taking English 133 or 134 and 145, 148, or 301.
Can Prior Coursework Be Transferred?
With approval from the Program Director, up to two introductory or mid level content classes may be transferred from another university. Any course considered for transfer credit must be equivalent in scope, content, and requirements, and documentation for equivalency such as syllabi, exams, papers, final course grades, etc must be provided. Because the core TESL sequence is so intrinsic to our program, transfer credit is not generally granted for these capstone courses.
What is the TESL Core Sequence?
The core TESL sequence includes English 497, 498, and 499. English 497 is the theory of language learning course and has a pre-requisite of 8 units of lower division linguistics courses, typically English 290 and 390 or 391. Then, after 497 (which is offered only once per year in fall), students would take English 498, the theory and methods of language teaching course, usually offered in winter (also offered only once per year), and then complete English 499, the TESL Practicum, in spring. The TESL Practicum is a modified student teaching experience where students complete a minimum of 20 hours of contact time in an assigned classroom under the supervision of a Cooperating Teacher. Traditionally, our program and the core TESL classes have focused on teaching English language learner populations that are high school to adult aged, for example by working closely with the ESL programs at Cuesta College and San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande High Schools. This tradition continues today. However, since 2005, we have also responded to Cal Poly students' interest in younger populations and have developed a working relationship with other schools such as Pacheco Elementary in San Luis Obispo, Winifred Pifer Elementary in Paso Robles, Baywood Elementary in Los Osos, and Judkins Middle School in Pismo Beach. All of these, plus a few others, are program-approved observation sites (upper division classes have several observation-based assignments) and placement classrooms where students may complete their practicum internship.
Where are Cal Poly TESL Certificate Graduates Now?
We have TESL Certificate graduates teaching English locally in the Central Coast area and in regions all over the world. For example, our graduates teach ESL locally at Cuesta Community College, Hancock Community College, San Luis Obispo High School, and Arroyo Grande High School. Other graduates have obtained EFL positions in South Korea, China, France, Ecuador, and Chile, to name a few. Many of these graduates have used the TESL Certificate as a stepping-stone to graduate school. Some have gone on to Masters programs at institutions such as the University of Illinois and the University of Pennsylvania, as well as Cal Poly and other CSU campuses, while others have completed Teacher Education Credential Programs at schools like San Francisco State University, University of California at Davis, and University of California at Berkeley.