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 EL Students.
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 224 Theoretical Foundations of Language Acquisition | 4 | Fall | |
| LING 227 Cross-Cultural Teaching/Learning | 2 | Spring B Quad | |
| LING 325 Principles of Assessment for TESOL | 2 | Fall A Quad (or Spring for Secondary) | |
| LING 326 EL Content Methods | 2 | Spring (linear quad - night class) | |
| LING 328 EL Methods for Specialists | 2 | Fall (linear quad - night class) | |
| LING 328L ESL Practicum | 1 | Concurrent with course | |
| LING 329 Curriculum and Materials Development | 2 | Spring A Quad (5:30-8:45pm) | |
| LING 331 Introduction to Linguistics | 4 | Spring |
Bilingual Education
| Required | Credits | When Courses are offered | |
| LING 224 Theoretical Foundations of Language Acquisition | 4 | Fall | |
| LING 227 Cross-Cultural Teaching/Learning | 2 | Spring B Quad | |
| LING 323 Bilingual Methods and Materials | 2 | Fall B Quad (every other/odd years - night class) | |
| LING 323L Bilingual Practicum | 1 | Fall | |
| LING 325 Principles of Assessment for TESOL | 2 | Fall A Quad | |
| LING 326 EL Methods for Content Areas | 2 | Spring (linear quad - night class) | |
| LING 328 EL Methods for Specialists | 2 | Fall (linear quad - night class) | |
| LING 328L ESL Practicum | 1 | concurrent with course | |
| LING 331 Introduction to Linguistics | 4 | Spring | |
| ** Elective ** LING 329 Curriculum and Materials Development | 4 | Spring |
Graduate-Level ESL Endorsement
| Required courses (adding up to 18 hours) |
Credits | When Courses are offered | ||
| LING 611 Theoretical Foundations TESOL | 4 | Fall and Summer | ||
| LING 612 Descriptive English Grammar | 4 | Fall and Summer | ||
| LING 613 TESOL Practicum | 2 | Fall, Spring, Summer | ||
| LING 614 Curriculum and Materials Dev. | 2 | Spring and Summer | ||
| LING 615 Teaching Reading/Composition | 2 | Fall and Summer | ||
| LING 616 English Phonology | 2 | Spring (online) | ||
| LING 618 ELL Methods and Materials | 2 | Spring and Summer | ||
| LING 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 contact the following:
- Graduate students contact Dr. Alan Seaman for more information.
- Undergraduate students contact Professor Sara Vroom Fick.
