Certificate in TESOL

Units required for Certificate: 15 (Option A) or 18 (Option B)

Program Description

This Advanced Study in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) certificate program has two options:

  • Option A: This option is intended for undergraduates who want preparation for teaching ESL students (in the U.S. or abroad).
  • Option B: This option is intended primarily for graduate (see English graduate page) students who want to pursue an MA in English or another field, but also want to be prepared to teach ESL writing at the college level.

Eligibility Requirements for options A and B

Students must either be in a degree program at Sacramento State or must apply for graduate admission to the University. Once admitted to Sacramento State, prospective TESOL Certificate students must apply to the TESOL Coordinator for admission to the program.

Undergraduates must be within 45 units of completing a bachelor's degree (in any field) with a 3.0 overall GPA.

Graduate students must have a completed bachelor's degree (in any field) with a 3.0 overall GPA.

All applicants must complete the University's Writing Placement for Juniors (WPJ) requirement.

International students must have a TOEFL score of 600 or higher (or a score of 250 or higher on the computerized TOEFL) and a score of 5 on the Test of Written English.

Minimum Grade Requirement

Courses must be completed with grades of "B" or better

Program Requirements

Option A (15 units)

Required Courses (9 Units)
ENGL 110ALinguistics and the English Language3
ENGL 110PSecond Language Learning and Teaching3
ENGL 110QEnglish Grammar for ESL Teachers3
Pedagogy Electives (6 Units)
Select two of the following:6
ENGL 110C
Technology in Second Language Teaching
ENGL 125E
Academic Reading and Writing for Second Language Students
ENGL 125F
Teaching Oral Skills
Total Units15

Option B (18 units)

Required Courses (15 Units)
ENGL 110ALinguistics and the English Language3
ENGL 110PSecond Language Learning and Teaching3
ENGL 110QEnglish Grammar for ESL Teachers3
ENGL 215BESL Writing/Composition 13
ENGL 410BInternship-ESL Teaching3
Elective (3 Units)
Select one of the following:3
ENGL 200E
Curriculum and Assessment Design for Language Classrooms
ENGL 210C
Technology in Second Language Teaching
ENGL 215A
Reading/Vocabulary Acquisition 1
ENGL 215C
Pedagogical Grammar for TESOL 1,2
ENGL 220A
Teaching College Composition
ENGL 220C
Topics in Composition Studies
Total Units18
1

ENGL 110A and ENGL 110P must be completed before any ENGL 215 course

2

ENGL 110Q must be completed before attempting ENGL 215C.

Notes:The Certificate in TESOL is not a teaching credential. It is recognized abroad as advanced training in language teaching. In conjunction with a BA or MA degree or a state teaching credential, it may also be helpful in obtaining employment as an ESL teacher in the United States.