Exit Examinations for TESL Minors

Exit exams may include but are not limited to the student, upon completing the minor, teaching an ESL lesson and delivering an exam on the topic under the watchful eye of a TESOL professional.

Elective Courses

In addition to the required courses, at least one other course must be taken as an elective for a total of 18 hours to complete the minor.

Students aiming to teach should take a 500-level equivalent of TESL 645- Practicum in Teaching English as a Second Language

Course listings may be found here.

Aims and Goals

Students who minor in TESL gain a theoretical understanding of English as a second language (ESL) acquisition and intercultural communication, as well as practical pedagogical skills.  They may opt to take the required courses for the ESL Endorsement to a MS teaching license. Grounded in applied linguistics, the TESL minor also prepares its graduates for further graduate studies in the discipline.

Taken from UM Modern Languages website.

Required Courses

Complete the Three Following Courses:

TESL 380- Introduction to TESL 

This course introduces students to the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. Students explore how pedagogical practices, cultural and linguistic diversity, and language policies impact cross-cultural awareness and intercultural communication.

TESL 395- Second Language Acquisition

Students in this course will discuss critical SLA theories and methods as well as evaluate SLA research.

TESL 542- Teaching English as a Second Language

Methodological issues in the teaching of English as a second language within the framework of various curricular requirements.

Choose and Complete One of the Following:

LING/TESL 313- Introduction to Linguistics

The study of human language.

LING/TESL 501- Descriptive Grammar

A structural examination of English grammar, with special attention to usage on different levels, formal and informal, standard and nonstandard, written and spoken; emphasis on phonology, morphology, and descriptive theories of grammar.

Courses and descriptions taken from UM website.