The TESOL Certificate Program provides a firm grounding in both linguistics and pedagogical theory paired with practical teaching experience. It prepares future teachers of English as a second or foreign language to apply their skills in settings around the world. Because the TESOL Certificate is a six-course program and because all six graduate courses from this certificate may apply towards an M.A., a student can earn a TESOL Certificate in conjunction with an M.A. in Linguistics with just one additional year's coursework.

The Certificate Program has close relationships with the English Programs for Internationals (EPI) at South Carolina, which is among the top-ranked adult ESL programs in the nation. EPI faculty members typically are responsible for the instruction in pedagogically-oriented ESL theory courses, as well as for the practical training component of the Certificate Program.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will demonstrate knowledge of general linguistics and proficiency in problem-solving skills.
2. Students will demonstrate understanding of second language acquisition theories.
3. Students will demonstrate professional competencies in planning, implementing, and assessing English as second language instruction appropriate for specific groups and settings.

Admissions

Required Documents

• Official Transcripts. Please submit transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate study.
• 2 Letters of Recommendation
• Personal Statement. Please ensure that your statement addresses the following questions, though you do not need to address them in the exact order below (maximum 1,000 words total).
  1. How have you learned about linguistics, whether through classes, readings, seminars, or other experiences? What insights have you gained that further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well-suited for this field?
  2. What relevant experience, training, or coursework do you have?
  3. Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you would like to explain?
  4. Why do you want to join our program, given the specific training and faculty expertise that we offer?
  5. What makes you a strong candidate for graduate school and likely to have a successful career in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages?
• TOEFL/IELTS Score (for international applicants for whom English is not a first language)

Certificate Requirements (18 Hours)

The program in linguistics offers a graduate certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) — a six-course, 18-semester-hour program. There are two tracks, the EFL track for post-secondary ESOL and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching and the K-12 ESOL track for elementary and secondary ESOL teaching. Course requirements for each track are as follows:

EFL Track

Primarily for post-secondary ESOL and EFL teaching

Required Courses (12 Hours)

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
LING 600	Survey of Linguistics	3
LING 790	Second Language Acquisition	3
LING 795	Principles and Strategies for Teaching ESOL	3
LING 798	Practicum in Teaching ESOL	3
Total Credit Hours		12

Elective Courses (6 Hours)

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Select one of the following:		3
LING 514	Contrastive English-Spanish Phonetics and Phonology
LING 791	Theory and Methodology in Second Language Acquisition
LING 796	Teaching Reading and Writing to ESOL Learners: Theory and Practice
LING 890	Seminar in Language Acquisition
LING 891	Seminar in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
EDRD 811	Cultural Perspective on Psychological and Social Foundations of Literacy Learning
EDRM 723	Classroom Assessment Methods
ENGL 790	Survey of Composition Studies
Or any other course in English as a second language or in second language acquisition
Select one additional LING course 1		3
Total Credit Hours		6

¹

Selected in consultation with the academic advisor.

K-12 ESOL Track

For elementary and secondary ESOL teaching

Required Courses (12 Hours)

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
LING 600	Survey of Linguistics	3
LING 795	Principles and Strategies for Teaching ESOL	3
LING 796	Teaching Reading and Writing to ESOL Learners: Theory and Practice	3
LING 798	Practicum in Teaching ESOL 1	3
Total Credit Hours		12

¹

The practicum may be waived based on one year’s experience teaching ESOL and replaced with an elective course.

It is recommended that the practicum, if waived, be replaced with one of the following courses:

• LING 514
• LING 791
• LING 891

Elective Courses (6 Hours)

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Select one course from two of the following areas:		6
1. English Grammar/Structure
2. Second Language Acquisition for Teachers of Elementary and Secondary Learners
LING 790	Second Language Acquisition
3. Cultural Diversity in Education
EDTE 811	Developing Integrated Curricula
4. Testing/Assessment for Language Minority Learners
EDRM 723	Classroom Assessment Methods
Total Credit Hours		6

Additional Information

For this program, no courses may be transferred from another university, although up to 9 semester hours of overlapping course work from another program at the University of South Carolina may count toward completion of the certificate. For full-time students, the certificate course work and practicum can be completed in one academic year.