TESL/TEFL Certificates | Basic TESL/TEFL Certificate

Benefits | FAQ | Courses & Requirements

Benefits

Who can benefit from earning the Basic Certificate?
The Basic Certificate in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL) is directed at individuals in the following groups with an interest in ESL teaching:

• Undergraduate students from any major
• Community members
• In-service ESL/EFL teachers wishing to update their teaching methodologies
• Subject-matter teachers of students who speak languages other than English
• ESL/EFL program administrators interested in curriculum design and teaching methodology

Where is the Certificate useful?
Individuals who hold the Certificate are qualified to teach ESL in a variety of situations:

• in community college ESL/EFL programs
• in adult schools
• in private ESL/EFL schools
• in university ESL/EFL institutes
• in business
• in a wide range of overseas locations

The Certificate is not a public school teaching credential. (However, there is some overlap between the Basic Certificate and the CLAD (Cross-Cultural Language and Academic Development) Certificate, which is applicable to public school teaching. For information on the CLAD, contact the Department of Policy Studies in Language and Cross-Cultural Education at San Diego State University (619-594-5155).)

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it matter in what order I take the Certificate courses?
Yes. You must take Ling 420 or 520 first, since you need one of these courses as the prerequisite for the rest of the courses. (Exception: Ling 524 has no prerequisite, so you can take it at the same time Ling 420 or 520.)
It is recommended, but not essential, that you take Ling 550 after your variation course (Ling 524 or 551) and your language acquisition and processing course (Ling 452 or 552), since Ling 550 brings material from these courses to bear on the issues involved in teaching English to speakers of other languages.

Is there a time limit for completion of Certificate coursework?
No.

How long does the Certificate program take?
Since two of the required courses are regularly offered in the Summer Sessions, in intensive format, it is often possible to complete the requirements for the Basic Certificate in a summer plus a fall. It should always be possible to complete the program in two regular semesters.

How can I sign up for the Certificate?
Fill out a Certificate Enrollment Form and return it to Certificate in TESL/TEFL, Department of Linguistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182-7727.

You can register, and pay for, courses for the Basic Certificate in any of four ways:

1. as an undergraduate candidate for a bachelor's degree, taking the courses as electives (note: Linguistics and Liberal Studies majors may count all Certificate course work toward their major requirements, but other majors may count no more than six units toward both an undergraduate major or minor and the Certificate)
2. as a graduate candidate for a master's degree, taking the courses as electives
3. as an unclassified graduate student (that is, one not pursuing a degree) seeking the Certificate only
4. through the College of Extended Studies ("Open University").
   

For alternatives 1-3, you must have been admitted to San Diego State University through the regular application process. For alternative 4, no application or acceptance procedure is necessary; the College of Extended Studies is the division of the university open to the general public. (Note: the course work and all Certificate requirements are the same regardless of the way you register and pay for them, and there is no difference between Certificates earned by individuals registering through Extended Studies and those earned by individuals registering as admitted students.)

Courses & Requirements

The Basic Certificate requires 15 units--five 3-unit courses--plus a minimum of 15 hours of tutoring.

Introductory linguistics: Ling. 420 or Ling. 520.

Ling 420 (Linguistics and English): Introduction to sound and grammatical structure of language, with special attention to English. Language acquisition and variation. Of special interest to prospective teachers. Not open to students with credit in Linguistics 520.

Ling 520 (Fundamentals of Linguistics): Principles of modern linguistics, with attention to English grammar (syntax, morphology, phonology). Language change, dialects, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, language acquisition.

Note: With one exception, Ling 420 or Ling 520 is the prerequisite to all the courses required for the Basic Certificate listed below*. Normally graduate students should choose Ling 520, since it carries graduate credit. Either choice is suitable for undergraduates.

Language acquisition and processing: Ling. 452, Ling. 454 or Ling. 552

Ling 452 (Language Acquisition): Principles of child language development. Sounds and grammar in speech of young children. Acquisition of reading and vocabulary. Development of language in bilinguals and second language acquisition.

Ling 454 (Intro to Second Language Acquisition):
Prerequisite: Linguistics 101 or 420. Introduction to basic theory and research in second language acquisition. The nature of interlanguage in second language learning. The influence of native language transfer, interaction, sociocultural factors on second language acquisition. Applications of second language research to teaching.

Ling 552 (Psycholinguistics): Psychological and mental processes related to acquisition, comprehension, and production of language in adults and children.

Language variation: Ling. 524 or Ling. 551

Ling 524 (American dialectology): *Prerequisite: Upper division standing. Development of American English. Regional, social, and ethnic differences in pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Differences in men's and women's language. Black English.

Ling 551 (Sociolinguistics): Investigation of the correlation of social structure and linguistic behavior.

ESL teaching: Ling. 550
Ling 550 (Theory and Practice of Teaching ESL): Prerequisite: Linguistics 420 or 520. The nature of language learning; evaluation of techniques and materials for the teaching of English as a second language.

Elective: Ling. 530 or Ling. 555

Ling 530 (English grammar): Prerequisite: Six upper division units in linguistics. English morphology, syntax, and discourse structure, including simple and complex sentence structure; lexical categories and subcategories; discourse functions of selected constructions. Problems and solutions in teaching English grammar.

Ling 555 (Practical issues in ESL teaching): Pre- or co-requisite: Linguistics 550. Practical approaches to applications of ESL theory and methodology for speakinhg, reading, listening, writing; techniques for facilitating growth of communicative competence.

(Choose your elective based on your assessment of your interests, strengths, or weaknesses.)

Transfer credit:
Transfer credit is sometimes possible for one equivalent course (or, rarely, two equivalent courses) taken elsewhere. All applications for transfer credit are evaluated individually by the Certificate Program. No academic credit for course work is granted for work experience. However, ESL teaching experience may apply to the 15 hour tutoring requirement: See below.

Tutoring requirement:
The Basic Certificate requires a minimum of 15 hours tutoring (or teaching) English structure to one or more non-native speakers of English.