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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Greetings All,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve been asked a number of times about the usefulness and
advisability of completing a certificate or Master’s program in TESOL (Teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages).<span style="">
</span>I have a Master’s degree in TESOL, and I just wanted to share my
thoughts with you about my experience.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">1)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><u>The
acronym game: know your acronyms<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<ul style="margin-top: 0pt;" type="square"><li class="MsoNormal" style="">TEFL--Teaching
English as a Foreign Language</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">TESL--Teaching
English as a Second Language</li><li class="MsoNormal" style="">TESOL--Teaching
English to Speakers of Other Languages </li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Generally, TESOL certificates and Masters degrees mainly
encompass an <st1:stockticker>ESL</st1:stockticker> focus with a few courses
dealing with EFL issues.<span style=""> </span>This is
important because EFL courses often deals with pronunciation, speech issues,
and American culture.<span style=""> </span>TEFL
certificate--Teaching English as a Foreign Language--are typically designed for
people who want to teach English abroad in <st1:country-region><st1:place>Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>,
<st1:country-region><st1:place>Korea</st1:place></st1:country-region>, or some
other country.<span style=""> </span>EFL students learn
English in an environment where another language is spoken almost
exclusively.<span style=""> </span><st1:stockticker>ESL</st1:stockticker>
courses deal more with writing and continued formal language acquisition with
English still being the predominant language of the area.<span style=""> </span>At <st1:stockticker>UCR</st1:stockticker>, we
do not address pronunciation, speech problems, or acculturation in our
classes.<span style=""> </span>If you do want a certificate,
you would want one in TESL or TESOL.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">2)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><u>Certificate
vs. Masters:<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Obviously, a Masters degree is typically far more intense an
experience than acquiring a certificate.<span style="">
</span>Masters programs generally last 2-3 years (as a normal Masters does),
and these are graduate-level courses.<span style="">
</span>The one I attended at Cal State San Bernardino had a normative time for
completion (with the thesis included) of approximately 30 months.<span style=""> </span>A couple of the classes I attended were <i style="">very strenuous</i> (statistics and theories
of language acquisition), and this was after I received my Ph.D.<span style=""> </span>This is fair warning that if you go this route, be prepared to work at
it.<span style=""> </span>Masters degrees invariably delve
into the theory behind language acquisition, the idea of transference of
language 1 to language 2, behaviorist models, Chomsky’s theories of language, and
other pertinent general education theory.<span style="">
</span>There are often some classes that focus on connecting theory to praxis
as well; particularly helpful from the array of courses were the ones regarding
“unit” design, classroom objectives, and assessment.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Certificate programs often have far more of the “practical
bent” to them.<span style=""> </span>Again, these kinds of
programs are designed for teachers who have or will have a varied classroom
demographic and need some additional tools to deal with <st1:stockticker>ESL</st1:stockticker>
and Generation 1.5 students (almost 2nd generation students who have many language markers from the 1st language). <span style=""> </span>There is
often a requirement for “student teaching” as well as frequent teaching
observations accompanied by critiques of lesson plans, in-class discussion, and
reaching teaching objectives within the class.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="">Accredited</b> certificate
programs often require a year’s worth of courses or a very <i>intense </i>summer (such
as at <st1:stockticker>UCR</st1:stockticker>’s <st1:place><st1:placename>Extension</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype>Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">3)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><u>Online
Certificate Programs vs. Classroom Certificate Programs<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To have value for your CV, the program you attend should be <b style="">accredited</b>.<span style=""> </span>There are some online advertisements for <st1:stockticker>ESL</st1:stockticker>/EFL
certificates in as little as a month.<span style=""> </span>If
you simply complete a month-long program from just any site on the Internet, it
would have little professional value for your CV.<span style=""> </span>Linda Strahan recently attended the UC System-wide
<st1:stockticker>ESL</st1:stockticker> Committee, and she broached the issue
with <st1:stockticker>ESL</st1:stockticker> specialists from all the various
UCs.<span style=""> </span>Members from <b style="">every</b> UC affirmed that no self-respecting UC can or should accept
an unaccredited certificate.<span style=""> </span>Otherwise,
anyone could produce a “nice looking certificate” using Word for Windows.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thus, to have any value to you, you should be sure of the
quality of the program you are participating in.<span style=""> </span><st1:stockticker>UCR</st1:stockticker>
Extension, for instance, does have a fairly well-known and respected
certificate program.<span style=""> </span>There may be others
in the area.<span style=""> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">4)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><u>Should
you get a TESOL or </u><st1:stockticker><u>ESL</u></st1:stockticker><u>
certificate?<o:p></o:p></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There is a misnomer that if you have such a certificate that
you would be guaranteed employment at <st1:stockticker>UCR</st1:stockticker>.<span style=""> </span>This is not the case.<span style=""> </span>Do not decide to spend your cash and time on
such a program with this in mind.<span style=""> </span>However,
a certificate or a Masters degree would: </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">A)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->help
you professionalize and become a better teacher</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="">B)<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->better
your overall employment file</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please remember that our employment files are evaluated
holistically at <st1:stockticker>UCR</st1:stockticker>.<span style=""> </span>This means that a great employment file often
shows many elements: varied teaching experience, good student evaluations,
subject expertise, course materials, educational background and degrees, professional
activities, etc.<span style=""> </span>A certificate in TESOL
or <st1:stockticker>ESL</st1:stockticker> can professionalize you even more; it
can bolster your overall file; it can provide a coherent rationale for many of
the things you may already be doing in your classes.<span style=""> </span>If you do want to complete a certificate or Masters
program, be sure that it is from an accredited institution and that it
primarily serves to professionalize you even more.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Take care,</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Keith Vance</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p>
<span>
<div class="mirapoint-signature">
<pre>Lash Keith Vance, M.A., Ph.D., M.Ed
Director of Computer-Assisted Instruction
Lecturer Representative
University Writing Program
University of California, Riverside
Office: 1103C HMNSS
Email : lashv@ucr.edu
</pre>
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