Certificate Title:  TEFL Certificate

Program Name and Number:  TEFL Certificate Non-Degree Track – CTTEFL

Department/Unit:  Linguistics Department

Delivery Mode:  Athens Campus, Online

Terms of Entry:  Fall, Summer

Program Mission:  The program allows students studying at the graduate level, who have already earned a Bachelor’s degree and who are not currently enrolled at Ohio University, to earn a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Students are required to have previously earned a Bachelor’s degree as this is a graduate non-degree certificate.

Certificate Overview:  The program is available to post-baccalaureate students who are seeking the certificate only and not the Linguistics master’s degree. Students will take a number of linguistics courses, including courses on language components and organization, second language acquisition, methods and materials, and a language teaching practicum. The language teaching practicum allows the candidate to observe and then lead courses for non-native speakers of English.  The certificate candidate and a Linguistics faculty member will meet regularly during the experience to provide direction and feedback. Candidates are required to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher throughout the program.

Certificate Learning Objectives:

• Candidates demonstrate knowledge and understanding of students of diverse cultural and language backgrounds.
• Candidates demonstrate knowledge and understanding of English structure and usage.
• Candidates demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the process of language learning.
• Candidates demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the context of second (new) language acquisition in the United States.
• Candidates know and demonstrate knowledge of and skills in the assessment of second (new) language learners.
• Candidates demonstrate knowledge of and skills in the instruction of linguistically diverse learners.
• Candidates observe and interact with second (new) language learners.

Opportunities upon Completion:  This certificate is designed to be used internationally to secure teaching positions, teacher-training positions, and curriculum development positions. In fact, holders of this certificate currently work for the US State Department, for International Universities and for private language schools all over the world. In addition, TEFL and TEFL-related training complements academic degrees from departments as wide-ranging as: anthropology, sociology, education, language teaching, library science, artificial intelligence, psychology, and cognitive science.

Another opportunity upon completion of the TEFL Certificate online is that the Department of Linguistics will allow 12 credits (of the 14 earned) to transfer to the MA in Applied Linguistics should one be interested in applying. Additionally, the certificate coursework will allow prospective students to have a sense of the department’s strengths as they will have worked with at least 3 different faculty members from the department while completing the TEFL Certificate. 

Completion Requirements:

1. Minimum semester hours required: 14
2. Required courses:  LING 5500 Introduction to Linguistics; LING 5750 Language Learning; LING 5800 Methods and Materials in TEFL; LING 5920 Language Teaching Practicum
3. Language teaching experience: The Language Teaching Practicum includes 30 hours of observation and teaching.  The Language Teaching Practicum takes place on the Athens campus but can also allow for students to choose their own Practicum location. This experience must involve engaging with English Language Learners in tutoring and/or teaching settings. The location can be in a school, or in an after-school program or club. All practicum locations and activities will need to be pre-approved by the Language Teaching Practicum instructor.
4. Thesis requirement: No
5. Qualifying exam: No
6. Expected time to completion if studying fulltime: one summer (14 weeks) if taking summer intensive program; two semesters if opting to take courses in fall and spring.

Financial Aid Eligibility Information:  Students enrolled in this certificate are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Admission Requirements:

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree.
• An overall undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or better in most recent degree program.
• For non-native English speakers: Minimum TOEFL: 600 (paper), 100 (iBT), or IELTS: 7.0 overall average.
• Brief statement of purpose (1-2 pages) by the candidate.

International Students: This program may not permit full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 cannot be issued based on admission to this program.