English as a Second Language Endorsement

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Department of Linguistics
1024 Human Health Building
(248) 370-2175 • Fax (248) 370-3144
www.oakland.edu/linguistics

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Coordinator:
Samuel Rosenthall
1022 Human Health Building

1022 Hum(248) 364-8805
srosenth@oakland.edu

The Oakland University English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsement program is a joint effort between the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Linguistics and the School of Education and Human Services. The program has received approval from the State of Michigan Board of Education to offer an ESL Endorsement to teacher certification. The program consists of 20 credits taken in five successive semesters.

Program description

The purpose of the ESL Endorsement program is to prepare K-12 teachers to teach ESL classes and to better service LEP (Limited English Proficiency) students presently in K-12 classes. The program is designed for participants who have already obtained a State of Michigan teaching certificate and are interested in this additional endorsement. The courses in the ESL Endorsement program will help teachers understand the linguistic and cultural problems that students have when English is not their native language. With ESL background and training, educators will be able to deal with those problems effectively and help students who speak other languages become more integrated into classroom activities.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

July 15 for fall semester
November 15 for winter semester
March 15 for summer semester

Readmission and program transfer

Requests for readmission and program transfers must be completed and approved prior to the beginning of a semester.

International application deadlines

International applications are reviewed for fall and winter admission only. To ensure adequate time for review, international applications must be completed at least six months before the desired date of intended enrollment in the University. All international application materials must be submitted by May 1 for fall admission and by September 1 for winter admission. International applicants are not eligible for Special Graduate classification.

Special Graduate classification

Applicants who are seeking a graduate degree or graduate certificate, but are unable to meet the deadline for filing all required application materials or credentials for graduate admission, may contact the department and request Special Graduate temporary admission. The applicant must submit an Application for Admission to Graduate Study, plus a copy of a transcript providing evidence of a bachelor’s degree awarded and any specific evidence concerning their qualifications for graduate study as required by the department. Up to 12 credits may be earned in the Special Graduate classification. Admission as a special graduate student in no way assures subsequent admission to a degree or graduate certificate program.

Students may request special graduate classification beginning with the dates below.

August 1 for fall semester
December 1 for winter semester
April 1 for summer semester

Note: Special Graduate classification will not be granted after the first week of classes in a semester

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all of the following university and program application documents by the published application deadlines.

University graduate application requirements

Online Application for Admission to Graduate Study
Official transcripts providing evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with the first baccalaureate) and for all enrollment in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. International university transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.
- As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate’s degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- and post-bachelor’s degree.
Two official and original Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms.
Proof of English language proficiency
International supplemental application and supporting documentation must be submitted before international applicants can be issued the Certification of Eligibility (I-20). This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate.

Program application requirements

The department will consider applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and whose credentials, including transcripts and two letters of recommendation, give evidence of academic distinction.
Applicants must explain, in a statement of purpose, their reasons for wishing to pursue the ESL Endorsement.
A grade-point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate work is ordinarily the minimum standard for admission.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.

Endorsement requirements

Course requirements

Half of the program consists of courses that are offered online (ALS 630 , ALS 631 , ALS 632 , and ALS 570 ). For further details see www.lin@oakland.edu/endorsement.html.

LIN 501 - Linguistic Structures (4 credits)
ALS 530 - Language Acquisition (2 credits)
ALS 570 - Language, Culture and Society (2 credits)
ALS 630 - Language Pedagogy (4 credits)
ALS 631 - Curriculum Material and Design (2 credits)
ALS 632 - Assessment and Compliance (2 credits)
ALS 640 - ESL Practicum (4 credits)

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Plan of study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework.

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.

Relationship to the Master of Arts in Linguistics

All courses listed under the requirements for the ESL Endorsement can be applied toward the Master of Arts degree in linguistics with a TESL specialization. It is anticipated that a graduate of the endorsement program who has all the prerequisites for the Master of Arts in linguistics can apply for admission to that program and complete the additional 16 credits needed for that degree in approximately four semesters as a part-time student or two semesters as a full-time student. The courses that make up the 16 credits of additional work for the M.A. degree are

For students completing the endorsement program who have less than a 3.0 grade-point average in courses taken in that program, and who wish to apply for admission to the M.A. program, the Department of Linguistics will consider their applications on an individual basis.

LIN 503 - Introduction to Phonology (4 credits)
LIN 504 - Introduction to Syntax (4 credits)
LIN 505 - Phonetic Theory (4 credits)
LIN 680 - Seminar in Linguistics (4 credits)
or
LIN 690 - The Master’s Thesis (4 credits)
For students completing the endorsement program who have less than a 3.0 grade-point average in courses taken in that program, and who wish to apply for admission to the M.A. program, the Department of Linguistics will consider their applications on an individual basis.