Requirements for the TESL Minor or Certificate

General Information

The Interdisciplinary Minor in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and the TESL certificate program provide individuals the opportunity to acquire specialized training needed to teach in a variety of ESL programs. They are presented jointly here since the coursework is drawn from the same list of courses.

Eligibility

Students may complete the TESL Minor and/or certificate while enrolled as undergraduate students; graduate students accepted into the Linguistics MA program may elect to earn the TESL certificate along with their MA degree. Students holding a bachelor's degree from an accredited university are also eligible to apply for the TESL certificate on its own. Please be advised that the TESL certificate does NOT substitute for a California Teaching Credential, nor is it a substitute for a master's degree, required for teaching at the community college level in California. For California State Credential information, contact the CSUN Credential Preparation Office or call them at 818-677-2586.

The Program

The TESL Minor Program requires the completion of 24 units selected from options listed below and incorporating courses in such fields as Anthropology, Chicano/a Studies, Communication Studies, Education, English, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Linguistics, and Sociology. The objective is to prepare candidates to teach English to speakers of other languages. Course substitution may be made only with the written approval of the Linguistics/TESL Program Coordinator.
The TESL Certificate is awarded to students who have completed (1) 21 units selected from Sections 1, 2 and 3 in the TESL Minor specified below, and (2) six additional units in pedagogy from courses listed below in Section 5, for a total of 27 units.

Requirements for the Minor

(Total of 24 units; all courses are 3 units)

Section 1: Language (9 units)
Pick one course from (a) and one course from (b) and one course from (c).
1. An Introduction to Language
  - ANTH 310 Anthropological Linguistics
  - ENGL 301 Language and Linguistics
  - COMS 420 Language and Symbolic Processes (rarely offered at present)
  - ENGL 604 Studies in the English Language (open to graduate students only)
2. The Structure of Language
  - ENGL 302 Introduction to Modern Grammar
  - LING 404 Morphology and Syntax
  - SPAN 497 Comparative Structure of Spanish and English
  - LING 525 English Structures for ESL/EFL Teaching
3. Language Acquisition
  - LING 417 Language Development and Acquisition
  - CHS 433 Language Acquisition of the Chicano/a and ESL Speakers
  - PAS 395 Bilingualism in the African American Community
Section 2: Language and Culture (9 units)
Pick one course from (a) and one course from (b) and one course from (c).
1. Language and Culture
  - CHS 482 Languages of the Barrio
  - ENGL 405 Language Differences and Language Change
  - LING 427 Languages in Contact
  - LING 441 Sociolinguistics
  - SPAN 401 Language and Culture
2. Cultural Studies
  - ANTH 152 Cultural and Human Behavior
  - ANTH 305 Individual and Culture
  - ANTH 345 Ethnic Groups in America
  - ANTH 360 Immigration and Ethnicity
  - COMS 356 Intercultural Communication
  - SOC 305 Culture and Personality
  - SOC 307 Ethnic Diversity in America
3. Specific Cultures
  - AAS 100 Introduction to Asian American Studies
  - AAS 350 Asian American Personality
  - AAS 450 Asian American Child
  - ANTH 339 Asian American Child
  - ANTH 344 Peoples of South Asia
  - ARMN 310 Armenian Culture
  - ARMN 440 The Armenian Child
  - CAS 100 Introduction to Central American Studies
  - CAS 311 The Central American Diaspora
  - CHS 100 Chicano Culture
  - CHS 430 The Chicano Child
  - CHS 431 The Chicano Adolescent
  - CHS 470 Cultural Differences and the Chicano
  - CHS 471 Chicano Families
Section 3: Writing (3 units)
Pick one course from the following.
- ENGL 406 Advanced Expository Writing
- ENGL 494TCE The Classroom Experience
- LING 520 Reading and Writing Issues in TESL
Section 4: Elective (3 units ) 3 units of approved elective, chosen in consultation with Linguistics Program Advisor

TOTAL UNITS IN THE TESL MINOR: 24

Requirements for the TESL Certificate

For the TESL Certificate, completion of Sections 1, 2, and 3 above PLUS six units in Section 5, Pedagogy, is required:

Section 5: Pedagogy (6 units)
Select two of the following:
- SED 525ESL* Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language
- SED 587ESL* Methods of Teaching English as a Second Language to Adults
- EED 570 ESL Instruction in Bilingual and Multilingual Classrooms
- EED 675 Bilingual/Multilingual Teaching Strategies
* Only ONE of these courses may be selected.

TOTAL UNITS IN THE TESL CERTIFICATE: 27