Skip to main content

TESOL

TESOL

Teacher in a classroom.

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is an exciting field of study that can lead to a meaningful career in education. The TESOL degrees and certificates that are offered here at BYU-Idaho are designed to provide you with a foundation of skills and knowledge about language teaching pedagogy.

This training can help you teach English as a second language in English-speaking countries or to teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) in a country where English is not the prevalent language.

TESOL Careers PRAXIS EXAM Student Teaching Requirements

Degrees

TESOL Education Minor
The TESOL Education Minor prepares BYU-Idaho students to teach in public school settings in the United States. It equips future teachers with the skills and dispositions necessary to help English Language Learners (ELLs) improve their English proficiency.

BYU-Idaho students earning this minor will learn about principles of second language acquisition, teaching approaches and methods, how to teach the five skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture), advanced grammar, classroom management, language assessment, and language teaching technology. They will also complete two practicums in local partner schools to gain valuable experience.

The TESOL Education minor fulfills State of Idaho teacher endorsement requirements (K-12). TESOL Education Minors also need to pass the TESOL PRAXIS examination to student-teach and earn their TESOL Certificate.

View Minor Information
TESOL Minor
The TESOL Minor prepares BYU-Idaho students to teach English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL). It equips future teachers with the skills and dispositions necessary to help English Language Learners (ELLs) improve their English proficiency.

BYU-Idaho students earning this minor will learn principles of second language acquisition, teaching approaches and methods, how to teach the five skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture), educational psychology, international business, advanced grammar, classroom management, language assessment, and language teaching technology. They will also complete one practicum in a partner school to gain valuable experience.

View Minor Information

Certificates

TESOL Certificate (On-campus Students Only)
This certificate program provides a basic introduction to teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. The TESOL Certificate qualifies students to teach the English language in most international contexts and for private domestic organizations.

Many employers ask for a TESOL certificate, but showing them a transcript of the TESOL courses you have taken has satisfied all but one employer that has hired a BYU-Idaho student to teach English. However, by itself, the TESOL Certificate does not qualify the certificate owner to teach full-time in US public schools. One practicum is required for this certificate.

View Certificate Requirements
TEFL Certificate (Online Students Only)
This certificate program provides a basic introduction to teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. The TEFL Certificate qualifies students to teach the English language in most international contexts.

View Certificate Requirements
TESOL Cluster
This cluster of courses is designed to provide a basic introduction to teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. One practicum is required for the TESOL Cluster.

View Cluster Information
Graduate Schools
BYU-Idaho graduates have gone on to excel at many graduate programs, but the following institutions have built a strong relationship with us over the years. Please consider which school would best fit your desires to further your education.

Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterrey

BYU-Idaho TESOL students can qualify for Advanced Entry admission to the prestigious MATESOL program at MIIS. Our institutions have an academic agreement wherein our students may count 8-10 hours of coursework toward their degree. They also automatically earn a minimum scholarship of $10,000 per year (more for stronger candidates).

BYU Provo

BYU’s language and language teaching graduate programs are world-renowned. There are several programs that would be of interest to future language teachers including: MA TESOL, MA SLAT, and MA Linguistics. BYU-Idaho students who have attended these programs have greatly benefited from getting real-world experience teaching in the English Learning Center and living within the context of a similar Honor Code.

Utah State University

For students looking to stay in the inter-mountain west for their graduate program, USU’s Master of Second Language Teaching is an excellent option. USU’s program is arguably the best option economically, yet they still maintain a high-quality program that equips their graduates to teach all over the world.