Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certificate
The TESL certificate program prepares students for careers as teachers of English to speakers of other languages. Completion of the certificate program qualifies graduates for the TESL Canada Professional Certification Standard Two from Canada's national organization of TESL professionals.
The TESL certificate program can be taken either after completion of a bachelor's degree program, or while completing one. Students who plan to do a degree and a certificate concurrently should consult with an Advisor to ensure that they choose and schedule their courses appropriately. The degree program must be completed with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.67.
Entrance requirements
Students currently in a UFV credit program do not have to apply to admission to the program. They can apply to graduate from the TESL certificate upon completion of all program requirements and upon completion of their BA or BIS.
Applicants must meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.
Note: For TESL Canada certification, students who complete their degree in a language other than English will be required to meet one of the following requirements: IELTS Academic 7, TOEFL 101, English Studies 12, or English First Nations 12 with 70% from a Canadian school.
The TESL certificate can be completed in two semesters, although the length of time required for completion will depend on the number of courses taken per semester and the number of credits awarded through transfer credit or Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR).
Location
All courses are offered online.
Program outline
In addition to the courses listed below, students must complete at least 20 hours of recognized volunteer experience in a TESL setting. These volunteer hours must be completed before registration in TESL 433.
Course
Title
Credits
TESL 400
Foundations of Second Language Education (formerly TESL 300)
4
TESL 408
Applied Linguistics in Second Language Education
4
TESL 410
Teaching a Second Language (formerly TESL 310)
4
TESL 420
Curriculum and Assessment in Second Language Education
4
TESL 433
Second Language Education Practicum (formerly TESL 333) (see Note)
4
Note: Evidence must be provided to the department of 20 hours of volunteer experience in a TESL setting to register in TESL 433.
Optional courses
Students may also be interested in the following courses. These are not required for the TESL certificate, but will provide an area of specialization.
Course
Title
Credits
LING 101
An Introduction to Language
3
LING 202
Language Acquisition
3
ENGL 209
The Structure of the English Language
3
Undergraduate continuance
Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or higher) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV.
Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV's Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).
Eligibility for TESL Canada certification
Graduates of the UFV TESL certificate program are eligible to apply for the TESL Canada Professional Certificate Standard Two. Graduates are responsible for applying to TESL Canada for certification.
Residency
Students must complete at least 12 of the credits required in the certificate at UFV. Students may request up to eight credits of transfer credit or Prior Learning Assessment. See UFV's Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition policy (94) for more information.
