Our mission is to provide a top quality program for students preparing to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) in the public schools of Iowa. The growing number of English language learners (ELLs) nationwide makes the ESL endorsement a useful addition to an endorsement in elementary education, or middle and high school content areas (e.g., English, Spanish, science). This program is also useful for students who wish to teach English abroad in programs such as the Peace Corps.
At Iowa State University, ESL is an add-on endorsement, which means that students need to be certified in another area and to take all basic teacher preparation courses. Courses, in accordance with state requirements and the professional standards of TESOL, are designed to give students a framework in linguistics applied to second language education with appropriate methods and practice teaching. For further information, contact Taylor Anne Barriuso, ESL Endorsement Coordinator.
Requirements for an ESL endorsement
The Departments of English and Curriculum & Instruction offer courses leading to a K-12 ESL endorsement. To add the endorsement, students must earn credits in the following courses. With prior approval from the ESL Endorsement Coordinator, relevant special topics courses or experimental courses may be substituted. Some courses have prerequisites.
- English/Linguistics 219: Introduction to Linguistics
- English/Linguistics 220: Descriptive English Grammar
- English/Linguistics 425: Second Language Learning and Teaching
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English/Linguistics 322: Language and Society OR Curriculum and Instruction 420/520: Bilingualism, Bilingual Education, and US Mexican Youth
- English/Linguistics 318: Methods and Materials in ESL AND English/Linguistics 324*: Introduction to Teaching ESL Literacy
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OR English/Linguistics 324*: Introduction to Teaching ESL Literacy AND English/Linguistics 325: Teaching oral communication skills to ESL learners
- Practicum courses taken through the School of Education at ISU: CI 280S CI 480S
NOTE: If you are considering doing an ESL endorsement, please contact the ESL Endorsement Coordinator, Samantha Robinson-Adams, to discuss the timeline of your program. Please contact Jaime Boeckman regarding the CI practicum courses.