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Frequently Asked Questions

Since 2004 the community of Otavalo, Ecuador, has hosted Pennsylvania teachers as they explore Ecuadorian life and engage in practice teaching with young learners. In our TESL program you can learn how to communicate with English-language learners, develop awareness of language learning processes, and apply your new learnings in the classroom. Below are answers to questions frequently asked about the TESL program:

 

  • Must I take the program for credit to get approval for the ESL program specialist certificate that will allow me to teach ESL in Pennsylvania’s public schools?

No, you may take the courses for noncredit and still satisfy the requirements for the Pennsylvania ESL program specialist certificate. You will subsequently receive a letter verifying that you have satisfied the requirements.

  • If I take the program for credit, can I use the credits toward an Instructional II certificate?

The full TESL specialist certificate program awards 15 credits. Yes, these credits can be used toward fulfilling the additional credits required for the Instructional II certificate. You can also earn Act 48 hours through this TESL program (taken either for credit or noncredit).

  • What will the ESL certificate program allow me to do in Pennsylvania public schools?

Every school district in Pennsylvania must have an ESL teacher on staff who holds the ESL program specialist certificate. Penn State is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a provider of ESL teacher training. To qualify for the certificate, a teacher must have an Instructional I or II certificate.

  • Can teachers substitute a prior TESL course for one in Penn State’s TESL certificate program?

Penn State evaluates previously completed courses on a case-by-case basis. If you have already completed TESL course work, you can submit a request to Penn State to waive the particular course that is equivalent to the one you have taken. Along with the request, you need to send us a course description and/or syllabus for our review. Because of the field component’s experiential nature, we cannot exempt participants from the two courses conducted during the four weeks in Ecuador.

  • Must I speak Spanish to complete the field experience in Ecuador?

No, the program does not require proficiency in Spanish. All the certificate program courses are taught in English. A practicum for the Understanding Language Acquisition and Cognition course does include Spanish or Quichua language study for the program participants. However, little time is spent in language classes. The purpose of the language study is for you to experience the process of learning a second language, analyze that process as you move through it, and think about how it might apply to your own ESL students.

  • What ages will the Ecuadorian students we observe and teach be?

A short-term English-language school at the Universidad de Otavalo is offered for both elementary and secondary ages. The composition of the several classes is based on age and language proficiency. This after-school program for the local children is taught by experienced mentor teachers. You will have the opportunity to observe several classes and discuss what you see; then you will be guided in practice teaching during the second through fourth weeks of the program.

  • What will living with a local family be like?

One participant is placed per local family, and meals are offered by the family in their home setting. Our on-site coordinator selects and orients the families. Before the participants’ arrival, the families are given training to make them aware of cross-cultural issues and the program’s academic demands. In general, the families do not speak English. The town of Otavalo is small enough that the participants can walk to the university from their families’ homes. Hosting an international visitor is a source of pride and prestige for the families.

  • Will I have time to visit other parts of Ecuador?

The program’s academic demands do not allow for extended travel to other regions of Ecuador during the four weeks of classes. There is time for travel to nearby locations on weekends, and the area around Otavalo offers many interesting options for one-day excursions. Also the program includes a group weekend excursion to a different ecological and cultural area—the equatorial cloud forest.

  • If I apply to the program, what are the chances that I will not be accepted?

We can accept a maximum of only eighteen participants for the field experience portion of the program because of the logistics of practice teaching and international travel. The application materials will be posted online in spring 2009. Based on specific criteria, the selection of participants will be made in October.

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