Certificates in TESOL

With an UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (TESOL) CERTIFICATE, students who are earning or have completed a bachelor’s degree can obtain knowledge and skills to teach English in the United States or abroad. The TESOL Undergraduate Certificate is an excellent combination with degrees in Anthropology, Communication, English, Education, International Studies, Tourism and Hospitality, and others.

The undergraduate certificate program may also be used as preparation for graduate work in TESOL, language education, or linguistics.

The TESOL Undergraduate Certificate is awarded upon completion of at least 24 undergraduate credit hours of specified courses. For those who have finished an undergraduate degree, the work can be accomplished in no less than two full semesters or can be spread over a longer period. For undergraduate students, the work is normally spread over more than two semesters. Students earning the BA in TESOL may not later take the TESOL Certificate since the certificate is built on a subset of the same courses; however, transferring from one plan to another is possible during the course of study.

With a GRADUATE TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (TESOL) CERTIFICATE, students can gain graduate-level training to prepare themselves for ESOL teaching in the United States or overseas.

 An advantage of the Graduate Certificate in TESOL is flexibility:

• Students can select graduate courses (for 18 graduate credits) in linguistic theory, pedagogy (teaching methods), and practicum that suit their needs, interests, and goals.
• The Graduate Certificate in TESOL can be completed in a shorter amount of time compared to the MA TESOL Degree.
• A full-time student can finish the program in an academic year or one academic year plus a summer session. Part-time students can move through the program at their own pace.
• Finally, Graduate Certificate students may opt to switch to the MA TESOL Program during the course of study to gain further training and credentials.

 TESOL Graduate Certificate students take courses in the MA TESOL Program and have the opportunities to interact with a diverse student body from Hawaii, mainland US, and other countries. They are taught by faculty who are excellent mentors and experienced educators. In addition to teaching English and other languages at all educational levels in K-12 schools, public and private schools, and in various universities and corporations, MA TESOL faculty have taught English to speakers of other languages in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Russia, Romania, and Guatemala, as well as on the U.S. mainland.

Students who complete the Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages will be prepared to demonstrate A. S. K.:

ATTITUDES of a professional: They are collegial toward their peers and thoughtfully reflective about their teaching practices. They display personal, professional, and cultural sensitivity toward their students.

SKILLS of an effective language teacher: They possess proficient spoken and written English skills. They can, at a basic level, evaluate ESL or EFL texts, prepare and teach lessons, apply general principles in assessment and feedback, and respond to student needs in a given class

KNOWLEDGE of the English language, language learning processes, and pedagogical principles: They can base their teaching on knowledge of the English language; the stages of second language learning; and communicative language teaching methods.

Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages will be prepared to demonstrate A. S. K.:
 

ATTITUDES of a professional. Towards colleagues and students, Graduate TESOL Certificate holders will demonstrate teamwork and sensitivity. Towards the discipline, Graduate TESOL Certificate holders will demonstrate a spirit of inquiry and reflection. Towards the global community, Graduate TESOL Certificate holders will demonstrate cultural sensitivity and global citizenship.

SKILLS at a proficient level in spoken and written communication, in information literacy, in academic or pedagogic research, and in teaching including materials development, lesson planning, or assessment.

KNOWLEDGE at a proficient level of the major subfields of linguistics, the theories of second language acquisition, and the principles of language teaching methods.

Individuals wishing to apply to either the Graduate or Undergraduate TESOL certificate degree program at HPU are required to submit the following:

• Application
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Application Fee 
• Statement of Purpose
• Transcripts
• Apply for TESOL Certificate
• Apply for Graduate TESOL Certificate