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Undergraduate Bulletin College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Second Language Studies

Certificate in TESOL and Second Language Acquisition

Students on Summer 2021, Fall 2021, or Spring 2022 requirements TESLNAACRT

The Certificate in TESOL and Second Language Acquisition provides undergraduate students with a rigorous introduction to research on the ways in which speakers of one language acquire another. It also acquaints students with the ways in which second language teaching can facilitate this process. Course work for the Certificate allows students to explore scientific models of linguistic structure and relate them to their own experiences as language learners. It further provides guidance with practical issues that arise in teaching English to adult speakers of other languages. For this reason, the Certificate is particularly appropriate for students who are considering work abroad as teachers of English to adult learners.

Requirements

The certificate requires at least 24 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Core Courses.
    1. Introduction to Second Language Acquisition. One (1) course:
      • SLST-S 301 Introduction to Second Language Acquisition
    2. Second Language Acquisition and Language Instruction. One (1) course:
      • SLST-S 305 Second Language Acquisition and Language Instruction
  2. SLST Electives. Three (3) courses:
    • SLST-S 111 Multilingualism and Society
    • SLST-S 112 Multilingualism and the Brain
    • SLST-S 150 Voices of America and Voices of the World
    • SLST-S 204 Language and (In)Tolerance in the US
    • SLST-S 205 Language and Identity in Multilingual Contexts when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • SLST-S 213 Multilingual Brain and Behavior Research Experience
    • SLST-S 302 The Successful Language Learner
    • SLST-S 304 Language Revitalization
    • SLST-S 306 Acquiring New Language Systems
    • SLST-S 308 English Grammar and Second Language Acquisition
    • SLST-S 312 New Sounds: Foreign Accents and Pronunciation in a Second Language
    • SLST-S 319 Special Topics in Second Language Studies
    • SLST-S 331 Heritage Language Acquisition
  3. Additional Electives. Two (2) courses:
    • SLST-S 111 Multilingualism and Society
    • SLST-S 112 Multilingualism and the Brain
    • SLST-S 150 Voices of America and Voices of the World
    • SLST-S 204 Language and (In)Tolerance in the US
    • SLST-S 205 Language and Identity in Multilingual Contexts when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • SLST-S 213 Multilingual Brain and Behavior Research Experience
    • SLST-S 302 The Successful Language Learner
    • SLST-S 304 Language Revitalization
    • SLST-S 306 Acquiring New Language Systems
    • SLST-S 308 English Grammar and Second Language Acquisition
    • SLST-S 312 New Sounds: Foreign Accents and Pronunciation in a Second Language
    • SLST-S 319 Special Topics in Second Language Studies
    • SLST-S 331 Heritage Language Acquisition
    • COLL-C 104 Critical Approaches to the Social and Historical Studies (Approved topics: "LANGUAGE HOTSPOTS AND BIODIVERSITY" (TPC 29))
    • FRIT-F 315 The Sounds and Rhythms of French
    • FRIT-F 401 Structure and Development of French
    • FRIT-F 402 Introduction to French Linguistics
    • GER-E 336 Introduction to the Structure of Germanic Languages
    • GER-G 448 Introduction to German Phonetics and Phonology
    • GER-G 451 Introduction to German Syntax
    • HISP-S 326 Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
    • HISP-S 429 Hispanic Sociolinguistics and Pragmatics
    • HISP-S 430 The Acquisition of Spanish
    • LING-L 203
    • LING-L 315 Introduction to Sociolinguistics
    • LING-L 325 Semantics
    • SLHS-S 201 Speech Anatomy and Physiology
    • SLHS-S 333 Childhood Language
    • EDUC-L 239 LANGUAGE AND LEARNING
    • EDUC-L 441 BILINGUAL EDUCATION: INTRODUCTION
    • EDUC-M 445
  4. Practicum. One (1) course:
    • SLST-S 435 when taken Summer 2024 or later
    • SLST-T 435 Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Practicum when taken prior to Summer 2024
  5. Certificate GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Certificate GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the certificate—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Certificate Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the certificate.
    3. Certificate Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 9 credit hours in the certificate must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Certificate Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the certificate must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.
    5. Exceptions to certificate requirements may be made with the approval of the department's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Certificate Area Courses

Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

  • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
  • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Minor in Second Language Studies (SLSTMIN)

Exceptions to and substitutions for certificate requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.