Programs

The ESL Licensure Program is offered via distance education and is intended for currently employed North Carolina teachers holding a current initial or continuing license in another field. Provisional or Temporary/Emergency status in the primary area will not be considered. The distance education option is unique among approved licensure programs. It offers teachers the ability to complete licensure course work via the Internet. This will help teachers who do not live close to licensure programs to complete the requirements for ESL licensure without traveling to campus.

The ESL licensure program consists of five courses (15 credit hours), as follows:

• ANT 254 Language and Culture (3 credit hours)
  
• FL 424 Linguistics for ESL Professionals (3)
• FL 439 Perspectives on English as a New Language (3)
• FL/ECI 425 Methods and Materials in Teaching English as a Second Language (3; only students admitted to the ESL program may take this course)
• FL/ECI 440 Internship in Teaching English as a Second Language (3; only students admitted to the ESL program may take this course, which offered by special arrangement with the participant's home school district and is taken after all other courses have been completed)

The supervised internship (FL/ECI 440) can be completed in the candidate's home district or in another district, in cooperation with the North Carolina State University ESL Licensure Program. The internship consists of two components:

• Licensure candidates must first complete a minimum of 15 hours of observation at any public school ESL site (K-12), at a variety of proficiency and grade levels. This can be completed any time prior to the second component.
• The second component requires candidates to complete a minimum of 30 hours of instruction with ESL students (K-12). In the internship course, candidates locate an appropriate ESL site and work under the supervision of a cooperating teacher. This requirement is in place for all participants, including those who are currently serving as ESL teachers. The Director of ESL will make every effort to assist the candidate in finding an ESL site that coordinates with the candidate's teaching schedule. The internship course is the culmination of the program.

To be admitted to the ESL licensure program, applicants must have studied the equivalent of at least two semesters of college-level foreign language and must have received a grade of "C" or higher.

Non-native speakers of English must achieve a score of 250 on the TOEFL and a score of 55 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or its institutional equivalent, the SPEAK test, as entrance requirements into the program.

Applicants must hold a current initial or continuing North Carolina Teaching License. Applicants with a provisional or temporary/emergency status in the primary area will not be considered.

With their application, students must submit:

• Transcripts from all accredited 4-year colleges or universities attended including proof of at least 2 semesters of foreign language.
• A personal statement of professional goals
• Two professional letters of recommendation from a supervisor or administrator
• Description of your foreign language background
• Notification of Test of English as a Foreign Language Score of 250 (Computer-Based TOEFL) or 600 (Paper-Based TOEFL). This requirement is for nonnative speakers of English only.
• Notification of Test of Spoken English (TSE) or SPEAK Test score of 50. This requirement is for nonnative speakers of English only.

Application Deadlines: November 1 for Spring admission; May 1 for Fall admission. Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply early, as spaces in the program are limited and fill quickly.

The certificate requires 15 credit hours. Students proceed at their own pace. Students pursuing certificate programs are considered non-degree studies (NDS) students for the purpose of university registration. NDS students may register for a maximum of six credit hours per semester. Thus, the certificate may take from three to five semesters to complete.

A grade of C or better is required in all of the professional ESL add-on licensure courses. Candidates must maintain a C average in each of the five licensure courses to remain in the program.

Upon completion of the ESL licensure program, each licensure candidate will submit a teaching portfolio to his/her supervisor for review.

Click "How to Apply" to register to take courses without being admitted to a degree program. Students pursuing teacher licensure programs are considered non-degree studies (NDS) students for the purpose of university registration.

The NC State ESL add-on licensure program reflects the new standards for ESL language teachers approved by the NC Board of Education in 2009.