Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Programs, birth-grade
12
- Initial Certification
- Additional and/or Professional Certification
The programs are committed to the preparation of professional educators whose
expertise provides broad and rich support to the education of students from
language backgrounds other than English. The program faculty recognizes the
tremendous diversity of languages, cultures, learning styles and preferences,
and forms of knowledge which English Language Learners bring to their
educational experiences, and celebrates that diversity as a resource to all
learners. While the primary responsibility of the ESOL educator is to help
students achieve full proficiency in English, the Nazareth TESOL programs also
strive to prepare ESOL educators who:
- develop deep understanding of their students, and combine this
understanding with knowledge about language and about first and second
language acquisition;
- design and implement learning experiences which promote both the
development of English language proficiency and mastery of the concepts and
skills necessary for academic success and the fulfillment of personal
potential;
- address not only language, but also the academic and socio-cultural and
self-advocacy needs of diverse English Language Learners.
To accomplish these goals, ESOL educators must be grounded in a broad
knowledge of the curriculum, and must especially attend to the development of
literacy. Learners from language backgrounds other than English use their
knowledge of their first language to achieve proficiency in additional
languages; therefore ESOL educators must be prepared to assist students in
exploring the connections between their native language and literacy and
English.
Through coursework and experiences in the field, ESOL educators acquire a
vast repertoire of teaching strategies appropriate to English Language Learners
of different ages, first language backgrounds, and prior school experiences.
Those strategies apply both general principles of teaching and learning and
principles of second language acquisition. ESOL educators use an array of
resources, from texts and other written materials to a variety of technologies,
to create engaging and appropriate learning experiences for English Language
Learners. They understand the principles and practices of differentiation, and
are prepared to offer learning experiences which address the needs of all their
students. ESOL educators are familiar with the many models which exist for the
effective education of culturally and linguistically diverse students, and are
prepared to collaborate with schools, parents and community to select and
operate within the models most likely to lead to successful learning by their
students. ESOL educators must also understand the theoretical, historical, and
political dimensions of the education of culturally and linguistically diverse
students, and must use this knowledge to position themselves as active
professionals in a dynamic and ever-changing field.
A Bilingual Extension option is available. Please see Annotations and Extensions for further information.
Program Director
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Programs
Cynthia L. McPhail, Ph.D.
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