About the Program
The TESL certificate at Penn State may be completed in two different ways: 1) through a traditional program with all classes held on campus, or 2) by enrolling in the new intensive option which offers weekend and online courses and an international field experience in Ecuador. Visit ESL Certificate for Teachers for information on the first option.
The newest study option provides the chance to learn about current ESL instructional strategies and then to actually use them with English learners in the classroom. Teachers learn how to communicate with English language learners, build awareness of language learning processes, and apply those processes in the classroom. During the international experience, the community of Otavalo offers an environment in which teachers explore the challenges and triumphs of second language and culture learning.
The TESL program with immersion experience offers the following special learning opportunities:
- a teaching practicum with Ecuadorian learners of English
- second-language study (Spanish or Quichua, a Native American language that was adopted by the Incas and, in its various dialects, is widely spoken today)
- a homestay with an Ecuadorian family
- networking with mentors and other participants, and sharing best ESL teaching practices
- exploring the Andes—a subtropical cloud forest, volcanic peaks, indigenous cultures and markets
All the certificate courses conducted in Ecuador are taught in English. They include a review of current best practices for teaching English language learners in the public school classroom.
The weekend courses at University Park establish a structure for future collaboration among teachers as they implement ESL teaching strategies in their classrooms and school districts.
Pennsylvania ESL Program Specialist Certificate
Penn State’s TESL specialist certificate program has been approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Teacher Certification and Preparation. The program includes five courses and covers the competencies that the state requires for the ESL program specialist certificate:
- English Usage and Language Awareness
- ESL Instruction, Methods, and Materials
- Assessment and Support of Second-Language Learners, Family, and the Community
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
You can enroll in the program either for credit or on a noncredit basis. Both ways, you can earn the ESL teaching certificate. After successfully completing the Penn State TESL program, certified teachers may appeal to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for its endorsement. To learn more about Pennsylvania’s requirements for teaching ESL, visit the Department of Education’s Web site. Also, each participant will receive a “Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language Certificate” from Penn State and the Universidad de Otavalo.
Note: Our participants normally include in-service teachers and pre-service education majors. So that we can offer intense mentoring during the practice teaching, we limit the number of participants each year.
program of Penn State
This site is a product of Penn State Outreach Marketing and Communications.
Program questions? E-mail ConferenceInfo1@outreach.psu.edu or call 800-PSU-TODAY (778-8632).
Web site questions? E-mail WebInfo@outreach.psu.edu.
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