TESFL Certificate

The Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (TESFL) certificate is an internationally recognized program in the field of English language instruction. This certificate program, available to current UCLA graduate students, enhances students' job prospects post-degree, both in second and foreign language teaching.

Program Goals

This program is designed to provide:

• an overview of current second language pedagogical theories and practices;
• the experience of observing the second language acquisition process both in and out of the classroom;
• a supervised practicum experience in a variety of second language classroom settings; and
• an opportunity to reflect on the interaction of theory and practice in the teaching of English as a second language.

Program Requirements

The certificate program requires 8 courses, or 32 quarter units, of study, plus completion of Linguistics 20 (Introduction to Linguistics) as a prerequisite.

• AL/TESL C210: Methodology for Second/Foreign Language Education
• AL/TESL C213: Phonetics for Second/Foreign Language Education or Linguistics 103: Introduction to Phonetics
• AL/TESL C216: English Grammar for Second/Foreign Language Education
• AL/TESL C211: Writing for Second/Foreign Language Education OR
  AL/TESL C212: Reading for Second/Foreign Language Education OR
  AL/TESL C214: Listening and Speaking for Second/Foreign Language Education OR
  AL/TESL C215A: Media for Second/Foreign Language Education OR
  AL/TESL C215B: Computer-Enhanced Language Teaching and Learning OR
  AL/TESL C217: Literature in Second/Foreign Language Education OR
  AL/TESL C219: Current Issues in Second/Foreign Language Education
• AL/TESL C202: Foundations of Language Acquisition
• AL/TESL C218B: Second/Foreign Language Teaching Practicum
• Two foreign language courses

Descriptions:

C210: Theories of Language Education and Learning. This course provides a survey of theory and practice in the teaching of second languages. Included are the following components: 1) current and historical views of effective second language classroom instruction; 2) a brief overview of first language acquisition and a comparison with second language acquisition; 3) a survey of factors (e.g., cognitive, sociocultural) which affect the second language acquisition process; 4) an analysis of past and current second language acquisition theories; 5) an examination of communicative competence and its impact on proficiency-oriented second language teaching; 6) a presentation of second language teaching/learning models; and finally 7) an examination of second language teaching styles and philosophies.

C211: Writing for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course is designed to explore various perspectives on recent theory, research, and practice in composition and rhetoric for both first language and second language writers. We will examine the implications of this theory for second language composition teaching. The aim of this study is to help you begin to develop your own philosophy of teaching composition in the ESL context and competence to deal with the pedagogy of writing classes. You will also examine and develop your own strategies and abilities as a writer.

C212: Reading for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course, designed for second/foreign language teachers and teachers-in-training, focuses on the important theoretical and methodological issues related to the teaching of second language reading. While much of the theory and research has been conducted in English as a Second Language, the same issues are relevant and pertinent to instruction of all second and foreign languages. Course participants will be asked to survey current research and theory and report their findings in class, as well as evaluate current reading textbooks and develop classroom materials.

C213: Phonetics for Second/Foreign Language Education. This is a practical course designed to give students an overview of the phonetic and phonological features of North American English (NAE) which relate to the teaching of English as a second/foreign language. In addition to an understanding of how the English sound system contrasts with the sound system of another language, students will gain skill in developing activities for teaching pronunciation as well as the opportunity to evaluate current materials for teaching pronunciation (textbooks, videotapes, computer software, internet resources). Topics covered include curriculum design, research on phonological acquisition, theory & practice in the communicative teaching of consonants, vowels and suprasegmental features of English; pronunciation assessment and the intersection of pronunciation with the areas of listening, grammar and orthography.

C214: Listening and Speaking for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course provides a survey of theory and practice in the teaching of listening and speaking to non-native learners. Included are the following topics: (1) a detailed view of oral communication: the nature of spoken language, the listening process, and the negotiation of meaning; (2) the theoretical underpinnings of current listening & speaking pedagogy; (3) learner needs with regard to listening & speaking; (4) practical ideas for teaching listening & speaking to different types of learners, including integrating these skills within the curriculum; (5) a review of current listening & speaking materials, both textbooks and software; and (6) the assessment of listening & speaking

C215A: Media for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course is designed for students interested in learning about the use of media & technology in the language classroom. The course will address non-mechanical media (blackboard, cartoons, realia, etc.) as well as the effective use of standard media equipment (overhead projectors, audio and video playback/recorders). We will also explore the use of computers and the internet in language teaching. The central focus of the course will be on the pedagogical rationale for the use of media in a particular lesson. The class will function primarily as a workshop, with in-class demonstrations and activities to familiarize you with media equipment, materials, and techniques. The projects will give you a chance to develop materials for an audience and topic of your choice. These projects will consist of a language lesson (or series of lessons) in which it is clear how media is incorporated at particular stages of the lesson. These projects will be presented for discussion and feedback while they are still in progress, with a view toward improving the final product before it is turned in to me in written form for evaluation. Due to the workshop format, you are expected to attend all sessions and participate fully.

C215B: Computer-Enhanced Language Teaching and Learning. Computers have had a major impact on how second/foreign languages are taught today. This course examines the impact of computer enhanced-language learning on second/foreign language environments. The course will address the basics of creating and maintaining a class website, designing computer-enhanced teaching materials (e.g., Power Point presentations), managing classroom data (e.g., Excel grade calculation), and developing an electronic teaching portfolio. The central focus in all these activities will be on the underlying pedagogical rationale for classroom instruction and on professionalizing current second/foreign language teaching methods through the application of computer technology. The seminar is project-based and encourages participants to develop materials, either individually or collaboratively, for their current or intended teaching settings/populations. All those interested in the innovative teaching of English as a second language and/or other languages are encouraged to participate.

C216: English Grammar for Second/Foreign Language Education. This course will cover English grammatical structures which are central in ESL and EFL teaching. Not only form but also meaning and use (i.e., discourse function) will be considered. The pedagogical component of the course will provide ways to analyze learners' oral and written language, organize grammar information for learners and help them practice structures communicatively.

C217: Literature in Second/Foreign Language Education. This course explores the place of literature in ESL and EFL teaching and presents guidelines for selecting, evaluating, and using fiction, poetry, personal essays, and film to teach language and language skills. Students will design course materials that are built around literary texts and critically evaluate literary pedagogy based on course readings, discussions, and independent research. Course projects may be based on either English language or foreign language literary texts. The aim of this course is to help students begin to develop ways to enrich the teaching of any aspect of language by drawing on the rich language found in literature.

C218B: Second/Foreign Language Teaching Practicum. This course is oriented to both the theoretical concerns regarding second language teaching and the practical issues instructors face in the language classroom. Emphasis is placed on classroom teaching and learning experiences. Participants are expected to ground solutions to the pedagogical issues they encounter in current research in language education and pedagogy. The class meetings once a week will provide a chance to coordinate teaching and observation schedules, discuss topics of interest, share materials and solutions, and brainstorm about lesson planning and implementation. Students are also expected to meet informally with the course instructors to define instructional goals, discuss observations and videotaped sessions, and negotiate solutions for challenges faced while teaching/observing. The Field Experience: Participants will be spending a total of forty hours in the classroom to which they have been assigned. While there, they may perform a variety of tasks (e.g., working with small groups, assisting individual students, responding to student homework, planning lessons with the mentor teacher). Participants should be responsible for whole-group instruction at least six to eight times during the quarter. The exact amount of time of each lesson will be determined in consultation with the mentor teacher. Counted in the 40 hours are peer observations and any observations of other levels and other mentor teachers.

C219: Current Issues in Second/Foreign Language Education. This course is a variable topics course – each time it is offered it covers a different area of second/foreign language education. An example of a recently offered topic is Teaching Heritage Language Learners. The course considered issues relevant to Heritage Language Learners (HLLs) and Heritage Language (HL) teaching. Readings and discussion focused on such topics as definitions of HLs and HLLs; linguistic, demographic, sociolinguistic and sociocultural profiles of HLLs, particularly HL groups most represented among UCLA students; institutional and instructors' attitudes toward HLLs; the impact of students' motivation and expectations on the HL curriculum and teaching approaches; similarities and differences in teaching methods and materials for HLLs and foreign language learners (FLLs); HL diagnostic testing and needs analysis; using oral/aural HL proficiency as a springboard for literacy instruction; optimizing instruction of mixed HL & FL classes.

C202: Foundations of Language Acquisition. This course presents a survey of Second Language Acquisition theory and research. It also explores the cognitive, affective, and biological mechanisms that underlie SLA.