Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Offered by Trinity Western University Extension in cooperation with CanIL.

Trinity Western University's TESOL Certificate Program provides up to Level 2 Certification - the highest credential that can be achieved at the certificate (non-degree) level.

Educators with TESOL certificate training are very marketable in the multi-cultural environments found in North America and across the world. Training in TESOL is valuable for overseas teaching and excellent preparation for cross-cultural service. Consider the diversity a TESOL Certificate will give you.

CanIL recommends that students in the BA Linguistics program consider completing the TESOL Certificate (Level 1 or 2) as an additional "value-added" credential to the BA degree. MLE and MA Ling students may also want to complete a TESOL Certificate. Contact CanIL Admissions if you are interested in discussing the best educational and financial strategies for completing this certificate.

A Linguistics degree is helpful in the TESOL environment

Any of the linguistic degrees that CanIL offers can be useful in a TESOL program and career for the following reasons:

  • Ling 210 (Language and Society) is a required course for the TESOL certificate. It is also a required course for the BA Ling program and a pre-requisite course for the MLE and MA Ling degree programs. If you are in a CanIL degree program, you have completed one of the required courses for the TESOL Certificate.
  • Ling 310 (Articulatory Phonetics) and Ling 330 (Phonology) are required courses for the BA Ling program and pre-requisite courses for the MLE and MA Ling degree programs. These courses may be credited toward the TESOL Certificate in lieu of Ling 306 (The Sound System of English). If you are in a CanIL degree program, you have completed another of the required courses for the TESOL Certificate.
  • In addition to understanding the English sound system, Ling 310 and Ling 330 above will provide you with a better understanding of sound systems for all languages around the world. This knowledge is particularly useful in knowing how to teach speakers of other languages to recognize how the sound system of their primary language may help or hinder their learning of English.
  • In the same way, a linguistics degree equips you with an understanding of the grammar, semantics and syntax of other languages which can also be used to more effectively teach English to speakers of other languages.

The TWU TESOL program is directed toward four main groups of people:

  1. Individuals with a bachelor's degree who would like a TESOL Certificate.
  2. Current university students wishing to pursue a TESOL emphasis in their undergraduate program, achieving an Applied Linguistics - TESOL minor or concentration.
  3. Current teachers looking to strengthen their TESOL skills through certification and practical experience.
  4. Individuals, without a bachelor's degree, who would like a Letter of Achievement in TESOL.

If you are interested in a TESOL Certificate but also interested in trying out Linguistics, CanIL recommends taking the CanIL basic linguistic courses in the summer session (Ling 210 Language and Society, Ling 310 Articulatory Phonetics, Ling 330 Introduction to Phonology and Ling 360 Grammatical Analysis).

If you are only interested in the TESOL Certicate, refer to the official TWU website for the TESOL Certificate programs.

Students pursuing the certificate in one year, should expect to take between 9 and 12 semester hours in fall, winter, and summer semesters. Students that prefer a less intensive pursuit of the certificate, may wish to take one or two courses per semester, thus completing the program within two or three years.