Teaching English Language Learners Graduate Certificate (CTELL)

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► Graduate School Rules apply to this program.

Program Advisor: Hongguang (Ian) Ying, Associate Professor
Office: 1050 Ninth Street Park, Room 100
Telephone: 303-556-6728
E-mail: Hongguang.Ying@ucdenver.edu

Program Description

To meet the increasing needs of individuals seeking advanced training in teaching English as a second language, the English department at CU Denver offers a graduate Certificate in Teaching English Language Learners (CTELL).

The certificate program is designed to build the necessary skills to teach adults English as a second language through focused preparation. It is primarily aimed at native speakers of English who want to teach overseas, but may serve the needs of international students wanting to teach English in their home country or other countries.

Upon successful completion of the program, CTELL participants will be able to:

Discuss the theoretical basis of second language instruction
Demonstrate a variety of effective ESL teaching techniques
Explain, in pedagogically relevant ways, the linguistic structures of the English language

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of 12 semester hours (9 semester hours of required courses, and three semester hours of electives). The required courses must be taken at CU Denver. A GPA of 3.0 or better is required for all graduate courses.

Required Courses

Total: 9 Hours

Elective Courses

ENGL 5093 - Teaching of Writing
An alternative elective such as a special topic course (i.e., ENGL 5190 - Cross-Cultural Communication) approved by the program advisor.

An internship approved by the program advisor.

Total: 3 Hours

Total: 12 Hours

Additional Information

LENGTH OF TIME
The course of study will typically last one academic year, including the summer session.

WHEN YOU MAY BEGIN
You may begin in any semester. There is no fixed deadline for application for admission.

PREREQUISITES

All applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent, with a 3.0 GPA, to be accepted to the program. Graduate students at CU Denver will also be permitted to apply for the certificate while they are concurrently completing another graduate degree. Permission may not be granted to graduate students in the applied linguistics option of the Master of Arts in English program.

Non-native speakers of English are required to submit an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) report showing a score of at least 580. Those who score below 580 but above 525 on the TOEFL may be admitted conditionally to the program. Under these conditions, students will have their English language skills assessed by the faculty of the program immediately after they arrive on campus to determine whether further courses are needed to develop English language proficiency. After assessment, the students may be assigned to full-time language study in an intensive English program, permitted to take graduate-level classes on a conditional basis along with further designated language study or permitted to begin graduate study without further restrictions.

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