The TESL Certification Program at Montclair State University provides students with the knowledge and skills to serve English Language Learners in P-12 school settings. Linguistics majors who wish to obtain the TESL certification must apply and be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Once admitted, students will be matriculated into the B.A. in Secondary Education program as a second major.
Please visit the Teacher Education Program website for the required professional sequence of courses and other important Program requirements, guidelines, and procedures. Students are strongly advised to review the Teacher Education Program Handbook.
Students must have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in their Linguistics courses and a 3.0 GPA overall to be admitted to this program. The TESL methods course required for the Teacher Education Professional Sequence is LNGN 403. In addition, students must pass the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Writing Proficiency Test (WPT) with a score of at least Advanced-mid prior to the Student Teaching semester.
Degree Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| SEEDS General Education Requirements | 30-33 | |
| Major Requirements | 36 | |
| Teacher Education Program Requirements | 36 | |
| Free Electives | 17-14 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LNGN 210 | Introduction to General Linguistics | 3 |
| LNGN 220 | Structure of American English | 3 |
| LNGN 230 | Language in Society | 3 |
| LNGN 245 | Language and Culture | 3 |
| LNGN 300 | Syntax | 3 |
| LNGN 301 | Semantics | 3 |
| or LNGN 302 | Pragmatics | |
| LNGN 331 | Phonetics | 3 |
| LNGN 332 | Phonology | 3 |
| Major Elective Courses | ||
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Language of Food | ||
| Language of Propaganda | ||
| Dialectology | ||
| Bilingualism | ||
| History of the English Language | ||
| Semantics (Course not used in Required Courses section may be used as an elective.) | ||
or LNGN 302 | Pragmatics | |
| Principles of Second Language Learning | ||
| Language and the Mind | ||
| Special Topics in Linguistics (May be taken with written department approval.) | ||
| Independent Study (May be taken with written department approval.) | ||
| Psycholinguistics | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Co-Major in Secondary Education
SEEDS General Education Requirements
Click here for a listing of courses that fulfill the SEEDS requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations | ||
| Effective Writing I | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing I course. | 3 | |
| Effective Writing II | ||
| Complete one Effective Writing II course. | 3 | |
| Interactive Communication | ||
| Complete one Interactive Communication course. | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Complete one Quantitative Reasoning course. | 3 | |
| Political and Civic Life | ||
| Complete one Political and Civic Life course. | 3 | |
| World Languages | ||
| Complete two sequential classes in one World Language when starting at the Beginner I or Beginner II level. Complete one class when starting at the Intermediate/Advanced Level. | 3-6 | |
| Exploration | ||
| Complete one course from four different Exploration categories. | 12 | |
| Analyzing Cultures and Societies | ||
| Creative Expression | ||
| Ethical Inquiry | ||
| Historical Thinking | ||
| Literary and Artistic Analysis | ||
| Scientific Reasoning | ||
| Total Credits | 30-33 | |