Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages PreK-12(TESOL), Graduate Certificate

Department of Linguistics
113 Fitzgerald House (map)
(248) 370-2175 • Fax (248) 370-3144
www.oakland.edu/linguistics

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Graduate Adviser:
Michael B. Smith
114 Fitzgerald House
(248) 364-8811
smith@oakland.edu

Graduate TESL Coordinator:
Rebecca Gaydos, Special Instructor
116 Fitzgerald Hall
(248) 370-2176
gaydos@oakland.edu

Program description

The Graduate Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program consists of 24 credits in Applied Language Studies (ALS) and Linguistics (LIN) as set forth below.

Our TESOL coursework has been approved by the Michigan Department of Education and prepares students to take the PreK-12 Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in the ESL endorsement (NS) subject area. Please note that the Michigan Department of Education requires the following of PreK-12 teachers working toward their PreK-12 ESL/NS endorsement:

Completion of core content area program in conjunction with or prior to adding the ESL endorsement.
Candidates for completion must have completed a core content program in Elementary Education, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, or Mathematics as a base for the ESL/NS endorsement.
Students must demonstrate English language proficiency by meeting Oakland University’s English language proficiency requirement upon registration for the program.
Students must also have documented experience learning a second language equivalent to two semesters’ worth of college-level study in order to gain an understanding and appreciation of the processes of learning an additional language.

Admission terms and application deadlines

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

February 15 (early), April 15 (regular) and July 15 (late) for fall semester
October 1 (early) and November 15 (regular) for winter semester
March 1 (regular) for summer semester
International applicants

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all Graduate Application Requirements and additional department requirements by the published application deadlines:

1. Graduate Application Requirements

2. Additional department application requirements

All applicants with baccalaureate degrees from a regionally accredited institution will be considered.
Ordinarily, a minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0 is required for admission to the program (as is the case for admission to the Master of Arts degree program in linguistics).
Applicants who are non-native speakers of English will be asked to demonstrate their fluency in English.
Applicants must have completed the prerequisite 2 terms of college-level foreign language study or the equivalent. (This is a state requirement.)
Applicants must have completed the prerequisite LIN 2201 Introduction to Linguistics or previously completed a course in Introduction to Linguistics elsewhere.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate school at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Oakland University Graduate School, 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.

Certificate requirements

Course requirements (24 credits)

a. Core requirements

ALS 5518 - Teaching English to Multilingual Learners (4 credits)
ALS 5538 - Curriculum, Material Design, Assessment and Compliance (4 credits)
ALS 5589 - Teaching English Language Learners with Special Needs (4 credits)
ALS 5960 - Practicum (4 credits) or ALS 6960 ESL Practicum (4 credits) 5960 is for the adult-learner pathway; 6960 is for the PreK12 pathway.
LIN 5534 - Language Acquisition (4 credits)
LIN 5575 - Language and Culture (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 Oakland University Graduate School.

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. (See the Graduate Student Responsibility section of this catalog.)

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 taken to fulfill the requirements for the graduate certificate will count toward the Master of Arts (M.A.) degree program in linguistics with a TESOL specialization. It is anticipated that a graduate of the graduate certificate program who has all the prerequisites for the M.A. in linguistics can apply for admission to the program and complete the additional credits in about two calendar years as a part-time student or in one calendar year as a full-time student. The department will consider applications from students who complete the graduate certificate program with less than 3.0 grade-point average, on an individual basis.