Undergraduate and graduate students can complete courses to earn a state-approved ESL or Bilingual Education teaching endorsement.
ESL and Bilingual Endorsement For Elementary Or Secondary Certification
To earn an English as a Second Language (ESL) or Bilingual Education endorsement from the Illinois State Board of Education, a teacher must:
- hold or be earning a valid Illinois teaching certificate,
- have ESL or bilingual clinical experience totaling 100 clock hours,
- have earned credits totaling 18 semester hours in the following course areas: Linguistics, Theoretical Foundations of Teaching ESL, Assessment of the Bilingual Student, Methods and Materials for Teaching ESL, and Cross-Cultural Studies for Teaching LEP Students.
More detailed information is available at the state website
Bilingual Endorsement seekers must also pass the Target Language Proficiency Test for their non-English language (available in 26 different languages). See the the testing website for a list of languages and preparation materials.
Endorsement Requirements
English as a Second Language (ESL)
| Required | Credits | |
When Courses are offered |
| LING 222 English Grammar for Teachers | 2 | Spring | |
| LING 224 Theoretical Foundations of Language Acquisition | 4 | Fall | |
| LING 227 Cross-Cultural Teaching/Learning | 2 | Spring | |
| LING 321 Introduction to Linguistics | 2 | Spring | |
| LING 325 Principles of Assessment for TESOL | 2 | Fall | |
| LING 326 ELL Content Methods | 2 | Spring | |
| LING 328 ELL Specialist Methods | 2 | Fall | |
| LING 328L ELL Practicum | 1 | Fall | |
| LING 329 Curriculum and Materials Development | 2 | Spring |
Bilingual Education
| Required | Credits | When Courses are offered | |
| LING 222 English Grammar for Teachers | 2 | Spring | |
| LING 224 Theoretical Foundations of TESOL | 4 | Fall | |
| LING 227 Cross-Cultural Teaching/Learning | 2 | Spring | |
| LING 323 Bilingual Methods and Materials | 2 | Fall | |
| LING 323L Bilingual Practicum | 1 | Fall | |
| LING 325 Principles of Assessment for TESOL | 2 | Fall | |
| LING 326 ELL Content Methods | 2 | Spring | |
| Additional LING coursework totaling 4 credits |
Graduate-Level ESL Endorsement
| Required courses (adding up to 18 hours) |
Credits | When Courses are offered | ||
| INTR 611 Theoretical Foundations TESOL | 4 | Fall and Summer | ||
| INTR 612 Descriptive English Grammar | 4 | Fall and Summer | ||
| INTR 613 TESOL Practicum | 2 | Fall, Spring, Summer | ||
| INTR 614 Curriculum and Materials Dev. | 2 | Spring and Summer | ||
| INTR 615 Teaching Reading/Composition | 2 | Fall and Summer | ||
| INTR 616 English Phonology | 2 | Spring (online) | ||
| INTR 618 ELL Methods and Materials | 2 | Spring and Summer | ||
| INTR 561 or 563 Cross-Cultural Teaching | 4 or 2 | Fall and Summer |
For more information on the graduate level courses needed to complete these ESL endorsement please refer to this document.
Graduate students contact Dr. Alan Seaman for more information. Undergraduate students contact Professor Sara Vroom Fick.
