TESOL Student Introduction
Thank you for considering our TESOL Certificate program to become a Teacher of English to
Speakers of Other Language. English as a Second Language (better known as ESL) is a very
large field with opportunities to teach all over the world and in your own community.
Kennesaw State University’s College of Continuing and Professional Education (CCPE) has
an excellent reputation in the field for awarding certificates to qualified students. In order
to maintain this reputation, our certificate requires a passing grade of 80% or higher. You
also must meet classroom attendance standards of 80%.
When you enroll in our TESOL program, you receive 100 hours or more of instruction-lead
learning toward a certificate. Our professional instructors have a minimum Masters level
education in a related field, are TESOL Certified, and experienced in teaching ESL to adults.
All students are encouraged and required to obtain field experience. We offer opportunities
to experience additional learning through our onsite adult ESL classrooms. Students receive
lesson preparation and practice presenting lessons for feedback. We maintain these and
other standards to ensure our TESOL graduates are ready to begin working in the
classroom.
Instructors will provide guidance on the opportunities that are available to you locally and
abroad. Occasionally we are asked to recommend recent graduates to community and
church programs. If you would like to be considered for this, please let our office know with
an email to wcohen@kennesaw.edu.
Prerequisites:
Access to the internet and an email account are necessary for these classes. You will be
required to create an account in Moodle, our Learning Management System, and to
participate online in an interactive learning environment.
Students need to be prepared with the skills required for success in their TESOL course
classrooms. These include:
1) A thorough understanding of the rules of grammar.
2) The ability to read, write, and report on research topics.
3) Good communication skills are needed in the presentation of lessons in various formats
in the classroom, ie; slide presentations, public speaking, and leading cooperative learning.
Optional Pre-Test
You may wish to take the TESOL Grammar Assessment to gauge your knowledge of basic
grammar. A score of 86 or better is one indicator of knowledge for success in the TESOL
Certificate program. To begin, create an account in Moodle, by going to this link. Find the
“Skills Assessment” under the Course categories on the left hand column (click on title),
scroll down to “TESOLGRAMTEST Grammar Test for TESOL students” (click on title), follow
directions as listed.
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Registration
You may register online as soon as you are ready to enroll. Simply add the course to your
cart, and you will receive instructions on how to complete the process. You can also register
in person at KSU Center, 3333 Busbee Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30144 (next to BrandSmart), or
by phone to 770-423-6765. HOURS: Mon-Thurs, 8 am-8 pm; Friday, 8 am-4:30 pm;
Saturday, 8:30 am-11:30 am.
We have designed the program in such a way that you may pay as you go for each
individual course, instead of the entire program at once.
Directions to KSU Center:
http://www.kennesaw.edu/coned/directions/index.html
When do classes meet?
Courses are offered online, in the classroom six (6) Saturdays (usually consecutive
weekends) and in hybrid format with weekday evenings and a portion online.
Hours: Saturdays during the day; Weekday Hybrid courses are offered two evenings a
week. Online classes do not have set hours.
What are classes like?
Participation is usually a culturally diverse group of students that work side by side on
projects and presentations. Activities vary throughout the day from lecture, to study
groups, to active participation. A wide range of discussions often take place while exploring
this field.
Textbooks
Books are available for purchase at the KSU Center Bookstore. We recommend you
purchase your book after the registration deadline has occurred. KSU Center Bookstore
hours: Mon-Thurs 4 pm-8 pm; Sat 8:30-11:30 am.
As of Q141 (July 2013) all textbooks will be available in e-book format, and possibly also
printed format. We can provide online sources by title, publisher and ISBN number upon
request.
Please check the specific course you are considering taking, to ensure you have the correct
textbook. Book selections do change on occasion.
New Options in 2013
Beginning in January, we will offer a 4-course online certificate at 30 hours each, for a
total of 120 hours.
Current classroom Certificate courses are 40 hours in the three core areas: Linguistics,
Culture and Methods of Teaching. As of July 2013, we will be converting our classroom
program to a 4-course certificate program that will be identical to the online program.
Teaching Grammar, will be a new course addition.
TESOL New Students - Dec 2012
For students that begin the classroom courses in January, a combination of classroom and
online classes is possible, however, the total hours must be at least 100. The Teaching
Grammar course is optional for you. Your certificate will require 100 or more hours and
must include the three core areas of Linguistics, Culture and Methods. All new students as of
July 1 will take the (4) courses required in any combination of online or classroom to earn
the Certificate.
If you would like more information or clarification, please feel free to contact our office by
phone or email. We conduct a free, semi-annual Career Expo. If you would like to attend, a
reservation is advised. Please call 770-423-6765.
TESOL Certificate from KSU's College of Continuing and Professional Education
When you successfully complete the TESOL Certificate program at the College of Continuing
and Professional Education, you are eligible to teach English abroad and with organizations
and some private schools in United States. Many organizations look for the TESOL
Certificate to ensure qualified instructors for their programs. Abroad, it is widely
recognized, particularly when your certificate comes from a U.S. university – and often
earns you more.
Additionally, our certificate program may prepare students for future Endorsement. The
learning outcomes, while not focused directly on K-12, do correlate closely with what is
taught in other GaPSC-approved Endorsement programs. Some students who currently hold
a clear renewable Georgia teaching certificate may choose to use what they have learned in
the TESOL Certificate program from the College of Continuing and Professional Education,
to pass the GACE testing to become certified with an ESOL Endorsement. This is one route
to the Endorsement that our students have chosen in the past.
ESOL Options from KSU's Inclusive Education Department (Bagwell College of
Education)
The ESOL Endorsement from the Bagwell College of Education on the main campus of
Kennesaw State University is only for persons who already hold a clear renewable Georgia
teaching certificate. This course is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards
Commission (GaPSC). The endorsement makes you highly qualified to teach English
learners in public and private elementary, middle and high schools.
https://education.kennesaw.edu/inclusiveed/content/endorsements
If you have a bachelor's degree (in any field) and are interested in obtaining a clear
renewable teaching certificate in TESOL, you may be interested in the MAT (Master's of
Arts) TESOL program. More information can be found at
https://education.kennesaw.edu/inclusiveed/content/endorsements
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