By Julie Masterson
Starting this summer, aspiring English as a Foreign Language instructors will be able to earn a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate from OHIO’s Linguistics Department, completely online.
According to TEFL program director Michelle O’Malley, the online option will be a boon for prospective TEFL professionals in the region and across the country.
Special Introductory $1,000 Discount: A special introductory discount applies to students entering the online program in Summer 2017. An additional alumni discount is available by contacting Program Director Michelle O’Malley.
“Linguistics has offered TEFL courses on the Athens campus for many years,” O’Malley said, “but this is the first time that folks who can’t come to the Athens campus will be able to earn this certificate.”
The 16 credit-hour, graduate-level Teaching English as a Foreign Language Certificate will provide theoretical and practical instruction in language foundations, organization and analysis; learning theories; lesson planning and materials development; and classroom methodologies.
The non-degree, asynchronous, online format will make it possible for individuals with full-time life commitments to gain invaluable professional training for teaching English abroad. The program also will serve students who already have an undergraduate degree and who are seeking specific training to improve their employment prospects where language, culture, history and communication are concerned.
O’Malley notes that a TEFL certificate is relevant not only for teaching positions, but also for teacher-training and curriculum development positions. TEFL coursework can complement a wide range of related disciplines, including foreign languages, international studies, political science, communications, history, sociology, anthropology, education, library science, artificial intelligence, psychology, and cognitive science.
Online TEFL Certificate Coursework
- LING 5500 – Introduction to Linguistics and Language Analysis
- LING 5750 – Theories of Language Learning
- LING 5800 – Lesson and Materials Development in TEFL
- LING 5920 – Methods in TEFL/Practicum
Pathway to a Master’s Degree
Along with receiving a TEFL Certificate, non-degree students who complete the coursework can apply 12 credits (of the 16 earned) toward the M.A. in Applied Linguistics at Ohio University.
Additionally, the certificate coursework will allow prospective master’s students to develop a sense of the department’s strengths because they will have worked with at least three different faculty members from the department while completing the TEFL Certificate.
Comments