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Certificate Advisor: Joanne Addison, Professor
Office: 1059 Ninth Street Park, Room 104
Telephone: 303-315-7000
E-mail: Joanne.Addison@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, which can be completed through CU Online, 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
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 600. Those who score below 600 but above 500 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.
These program requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with their Teaching English Language Learners advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.
Graduate Education Policies and Procedures apply to this program.
To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.
