The TESOL Certificate provides students from a variety of academic majors with basic professional knowledge and skills in the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) in adult programs in the US and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in international contexts.
Students who complete the TESOL Certificate will gain both practical and theoretical pedagogical knowledge and experience and may choose to find teaching positions in private language institutes or as private language tutors in the United States and abroad and well as through organizations such as the Peace Corps and the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program. Please contact Penn State Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring Office for more information about these and other programs.
Please note: This certificate does not prepare students to teach pre K-12th grade English learners in U.S. public schools.
Certificate Requirements
The TESOL Certificate requires 12 credits. Please note that there are no prerequisites for these courses, and students may complete the courses in any order.
Required Courses
APLNG 410 (TM-A) Teaching American English Pronunciation
APLNG 412 (TM-A) Teaching Second Language Writing
APLNG 484 (TM) Discourse-Functional Grammar
APLNG 493 (IL, TM) Teaching English as a Second Language
Declaring the TESOL Certificate
Students must declare their intent to earn the TESOL Certificate prior to being awarded their B.A. degree. Certificates cannot be awarded retroactively.
If you have additional questions about the program, please contact the Coordinator, Deryn Verity, dpv@psu.edu