Second Language Education & Culture (SLEC) Program

TESOL & Foreign Language Education

Undergraduate Program

The minor in Second Language Education provides opportunities for undergraduate subject area majors to complete a sequence of courses that helps them prepare for careers as teachers of English as a second language in US schools and/or prepare them for roles as teachers of English as a foreign language in international settings.   If the undergraduate pursuing the minor desires to enter the ESOL teacher preparation track, the candidate may apply for the Five Year Integrated Program option or the one year MCert Program option; in either case, satisfactorily completed courses in the minor that meet program requirements will be applied to the certification program requirements.   Students should consult with an advisor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction to identify the most appropriate option leading to teacher certification and to review the specific admission requirements associated with that program.

The minor in Second Language Education includes coursework from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Department of Human Development.  The curriculum provides a foundation in second language learning and pedagogy, adolescent learning, cross-cultural issues and understanding, and curricular and pedagogical issues which support reading and writing in a second language context.   Several of the courses include field components that provide candidates with direct experience in working with second language learners.  The minor incorporates coursework required for TESOL certification from the Maryland State Department of Education.

Courses required for the minor are:
        EDCI 488 P/635: English Grammar and Linguistics for TESOL Teachers – 3 credits
        EDCI 488 Q/630:  Foundations of Second Language Acquisition and Pedagogy – 3 credits
        EDHD 413/619:  Educational Psychology/Learning -  3 credits
        EDCI  434/634:  Methods of Teaching ESOL – 3 credits*
        EDCI 435/638:  Teaching ESOL Reading and Writing in Secondary Content Areas – 3 credits*
        EDCI 436/633: Teaching for Cross Cultural Communication – 3 credits

* courses that include required field experiences