TESOL at WCU

The minor in TESOL prepares students to work with non-native English speakers in a variety of contexts, ranging from the public-school classroom to teaching overseas to community college instruction to language support in community settings. Upon completion of the TESOL minor, students majoring in education will be better prepared to meet the inguistic and cultural neds of multilingual learners in K-12 schools and community colleges. The TESOL minor is also geared to students interested in traveling abroad and teaching English as a foreign language. 

The TESOL minor is an 18-credit hour program with 12-credit hours of required course work and 6-credit hours of electives. Students will study the grammar, pronunciation, morphology, and history of the English language. They will also learn about what goes into acquiring a language and will apply their theoretical understanding of language acquisition to the practical task of designing and implementing lesson plans for multilingual learners. In addition, they will have the opportunity to choose two of three electives which focus on sociolinguistics, policies around language learning and education, and the experience of migration and acculturation experienced by many multilingual learners. The capstone class is a teaching practicum, which could be local or international and is designed around the student's future professional goals. 

For more information, see our program requirements. 

WCU offers two online graduate TESOL / TEFL programs: the Graduate / Post-Bac Certificate, housed in the College of Arts and Sciences (Department of English Studies) and, in partnership with the College of Education and Allied Professions, an MAT.  The graduate certificate is a 4-course sequence, fully online (asynchronous) program which qualifies students to teach English abroad, in many NC Community College settings, and in local nonprofit/advocacy organizations. Students have gone on to teach at AB Tech, Southwestern Community College, the International Friendship Center, and to work with refugee / international populations from Ukraine, Iran, and Myanmar. 

The certificate program is well-suited for both those who have a background in education as well as those who wish to make a career change and move into an exciting and diverse field. The topics covered are governed by the guidelines established by the TESOL International Association. The program enables students to analyze the linguistic components of English, sociolinguistic questions concerning the relationship of language to culture and issues related to dialects and varieties of English. In addition, students will study language acquisition and have opportunities to apply theoretical insight to the practical task of designing and implementing lesson plans and courses of study.

For more information, please contact Dr. Erin Callahan (eecallahan@wcu.edu).