Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Pre K-12, M.S.

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The Master of Science in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program may lead to initial or professional certification. Candidates in the M.S. in TESOL for initial certificate program (Track 1) must complete the 15-week New York State required student teaching experience. Candidates in the M.S. in TESOL for professional certificate program (Track 2) are required to complete 20 days of clinical practice experience within an ESL Pre-K–12 school environment. Professional Certification in New York State requires three years of teaching experience.

Additional admission requirements for the Master of Science in TESOL include 12 credits of college-level coursework in a language other than English, and a 30-credit undergraduate major in one of the liberal arts or sciences. EDUC 610 Developmental Psychology, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for the TESOL Program.

TESOL Program Goals:

Candidates in the M.S. Program in TESOL are expected to acquire the knowledge, skills, and professionalism necessary to meet the English language and content area needs of English Language Learners in inclusive or mainstream classrooms, in urban and/ or suburban settings. Program participants, with faculty guidance and support, are expected to become reflective practitioners and develop expertise in the following areas:

Develop the necessary skills, attitudes and sensitivities to understand that language is a comprehensive and complex system of communication and use such knowledge to meet the educational needs of English Language Learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and learning styles, who are foreign born, or who come from homes where a language other than English is spoken, who are mainstream or students with disabilities.
Understand the importance and impact that culture and cultural identity have on family relationships, including those of extended families and students.
Understand how assessment informs instruction in determining the needs of the whole child, academically, psychologically, socially, culturally and linguistically and to apply such knowledge in planning for instruction, based on the students’ linguistic assessment and second-language teaching strategies and in accordance with the New York State and National Core Learning Standards.
Become lifelong learners of emerging research and technologies, able to apply sound criteria in selecting and adapting materials and approaches that support the effective teaching of diverse linguistic populations.

Initial Certificate (Track 1) Program and Course Requirements

The Admission to the Master of Science in TESOL requires 12 credits of college-level work in a language other than English and a 30 credit undergraduate major in one of the liberal arts or sciences. EDUC 610 - Developmental Psychology , or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for the TESOL Program. The program requires completion of an e-portfolio, and obtaining a passing score on the CST in ESOL prior to registration in the clinical practice course, and completion of the following graduate courses:

Course Numbers and Titles

EDUC 501 - Education in Today’s Schools Credit(s): 3
EDUC 504 - Cultural Perspectives and the Teaching Learning Process Credit(s): 3
EDUC 505 - Teaching English as a Second Language Credit(s): 3
EDUC 506 - Educational Evaluation and Assessment from Early Childhood through Adolescence Credit(s): 3
EDUC 507 - Approaches to Literacy Instruction in Early Childhood through Adolescence Credit(s): 3
EDUC 508 - Theory and Practice in Bilingual Education Credit(s): 3
EDUC 509 - Linguistics and Language Development Credit(s): 3
EDUC 590 - The Teaching of Writing and the Writing Process Credit(s): 3
EDUC 616cc - Theory and Practice of Second Language Teaching for Students with Disabilities Credit(s): 3
EDUC 629 - Modern English Structure and the Teaching of English as a Second Language Credit(s): 3
EDUC 636 - Methods and Materials of Teaching English as a Second Language through the Content Area Pre-K–12 Credit(s): 3
EDUC 709 - Student Teaching Experience Credit(s): 3

Total Credits: 36

Initial Certificate Program Progression:

EDUC 505 and EDUC 507 must be completed prior to registering for EDUC 629 and EDUC 636
EDUC 636 must be completed prior to registering for EDUC 709
EDUC 709 should be taken in the candidate’s last semester and candidates must apply for the placement during the semester prior to registration.

Professional Certificate (Track 2) Program and Course Requirements

The Master of Science in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) for professional certificate is designed for those students who hold an initial certificate in another content area and are seeking professional ESOL certification. The program requires the same prerequisites as the initial certification program, development of an e-portfolio, passing the CST in ESOL prior to registration for EDUC 707 and completion of the following graduate courses:

Course Numbers and Titles

EDUC 504 - Cultural Perspectives and the Teaching Learning Process Credit(s): 3
EDUC 505 - Teaching English as a Second Language Credit(s): 3
EDUC 506 - Educational Evaluation and Assessment from Early Childhood through Adolescence Credit(s): 3
EDUC 508 - Theory and Practice in Bilingual Education Credit(s): 3
EDUC 509 - Linguistics and Language Development Credit(s): 3
EDUC 590 - The Teaching of Writing and the Writing Process Credit(s): 3
EDUC 591 - Child and Adolescent Literature Credit(s): 3
EDUC 616cc - Theory and Practice of Second Language Teaching for Students with Disabilities Credit(s): 3
EDUC 629 - Modern English Structure and the Teaching of English as a Second Language Credit(s): 3
EDUC 636 - Methods and Materials of Teaching English as a Second Language through the Content Area Pre-K–12 Credit(s): 3
EDUC 707 - Mentoring Seminar in TESOL Credit(s): 3

Total Credits: 33

Professional Certificate Program Progression:

EDUC 505 should be completed prior to registration for EDUC 636 .
EDUC 636 must be completed prior to registering for EDUC 707 .
A passing score on the Content Specialty Test in ESOL is required prior to registering for EDUC 707 .
EDUC 707 should be taken in the candidate’s last semester and candidates must apply for placement during the semester prior to registration.